Dave Moore and Brush Country Catering were selected as the Member of Year by the George West Chamber of Commerce during the annual banquet on Tuesday (June 23).

Live Oak County Judge Jim Huff gave a welcoming speech. He was followed by Gwen Holt who sang the national anthem and Brother Bruce Irving with the First Baptist Church gave the invocation. Prior to the dinner, Chamber President Doug Hinchcliff introduced Moore because, “I was told if I didn’t do this early, Dave was going to leave before I could give him the plaque.”

“The first thing we think about when we talk about the member of the year is how they make a difference in George West, Texas; whether they are people of character, whether they really make a difference in the community that you live in. Now we have people that you probably know and they have worked with: Coastal Bend College, they have worked with the South Texas Police Association and they have been a part of Valero refinery banquets. Would you believe Dave Moore and Brush Country Catering, the people that are going to serve us tonight have been designated and voted and selected as Member of the Year,” Hinchcliff announced.

After the dinner, Hinchcliff introduced the board members and presented the “Wall of Honor” award to Becky Allen. “I will tell you that the person we have selected has participated in making Storyfest one of the most thrilling events that you can imagine. She is a member of the Coastal Bend Tourism Council and serves as marketing chair for that committee. She is a member of the Texas Events Leadership Advisory Board and a member of the Texas Centennials and Events Association and past chairman. Along with her responsibilities as zoning chair and charter review committee chair and sponsor for Storyfest, she also considers herself the most important partner in the Buzzard Bar cooking team. By now you have a pretty good idea that I am talking about Becky Allen; with all that she has done for the community, she belongs on the wall of honor in your community.”

Following, Hinchcliff introduced keynote speaker David Dunham, Texas Monthly magazine, publisher, development. Dunham began by presenting his topic: Texas Today – Texas Tomorrow. “The quick answer to Texas today would be to look around this room. There are about 2,500 people in this town and there are a couple of hundred people at this chamber function; that is just extraordinary. When I read the accomplishments of the chamber for the past year I was awestruck. My talk about today in Texas and tomorrow in Texas is viewed from my 30 years with Texas Monthly magazine which is a prodigy of the state now for 36 years.”

Dunham stated his dear friend Bill West was the great-great-great-nephew of George Washington West. According to his friend, George W. West was a trail boss at 17 years of age and he took the largest herd of Longhorns from South Texas to the Canadian border. “As you know George West had the good sense to bribe the railroad to run through this beautiful town and then to steal the county courthouse from Oakville. And that’s the way things were done in the early times and you are the beneficiary of that,” Dunham said.

In 1870, prior to the railroads coming to town, there was “ranching and more ranching and little bit of ranching with some horse trading thrown into it. So then you get Albert West, who was my friend Bill West’s great-grandfather. Albert West sold horses to Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders. There is an article in the current issue of Texas Monthly that talks about Roosevelt’s love for Texas. It talks about his recruiting efforts as the Menger Hotel [San Antonio] for Rough Riders. And a true fact that Albert West was the primary source of the horses that went over to the war with Cuba. So that’s a little history of your area.”

After a history lesson on the first tourist to visit Corpus Christi, Dunham said it was his opinion that George West is “magical.”

A book written by a Texas Tech professor states the triangular area from Dallas to San Antonio to Houston will become one large metro area in 50 years. “What we will think of as metro Texas will be pretty unpleasant to live in. There is going to be traffic. There is going to be crime issues, education issues. It is just not going to be pleasant particularly as water becomes more and more precious. So those people that can live anywhere because of Facebook and other technology are going to be looking for a place just like this,” Dunham said.

Lastly, Hinchcliff gave closing remarks. He recommended the community visit new stores that are opening and go to old stores. “Tell the people that are there that you want them to succeed. The purpose for the chamber is for you to thrive and as your representatives we are pleased to be a part of it. Shop local whenever you can, pay your dues, and enjoy yourself. This is a great place to live,” said Hinchcliff in conclusion.