FLYING HIGH AGAIN
Smith County chapter commends bank on flag presentation
Austin Bank President was both surprised and pleased when he got a call last week from the National Society and Sons of the American Revolution.

Above, Tom Miller, left, president of the Smith County Chapter of the National Society and Sons of the American Revolution, and chapter secretary Don Boyd, right, present Bullard’s Austin Bank president Bob Gage, center, with a certificate of exemplary patriotism.

Representatives called to tell him the Bullard branch was chosen to receive a commendation for something they do every day - flying the American flag.

Smith County Chapter President Tom Miller said the group gives the honor about once a year, and members are always on the lookout for places that display the flag well and properly.

“It’s - of course - an honor to all of us,” Gage said. “We are a community centered bank, and we believe in promoting patriotism.”

Miller and chapter secretary Don Boyd presented Gage the certificate, and thanked the bank for its show of patriotism.

The SAR is a historical, educational, and patriotic nonprofit, corporation that - according to its web site: “seeks to maintain and extend:

! the institutions of American freedom

! an appreciation for true patriotism

! a respect for our national symbols

! the value of American citizenship

! the unifying force of e pluribus unum that has created, from the people of many nations, one nation and one people.

“We do this by perpetuating the stories of patriotism, courage, sacrifice, tragedy, and triumph of the men who achieved the independence of the American people in the belief that these stories are universal ones of man’s eternal struggle against tyranny, relevant to all time, and will inspire and strengthen each succeeding generation as it too is called upon to defend our freedoms on the battlefield and in our public institutions,” Miller said.

Austin Bank, a community bank with headquarters in Jacksonville, has in excess of $756 million in assets with 21 offices in nine counties throughout East Texas.

More information about Austin Bank can be found on the bank’s website at www.austinbank.com