Chapel Hill — During the North Carolina Jaycees 2011 Distinguished Service Award Banquet, Salisbury resident Jerry Shelby was presented the state 2011 Distinguished Service Award Outstanding Senior Citizen award.
The award is presented annually by the N.C. Jaycees to recognize senior citizens over the age of 60 who have shown exemplary qualities of leadership and volunteering during their lifetime. Each nominee was judged by the following criteria: Contribution to the community (50 percent), Evidence of leadership ability (25 percent), Evidence of personal progress (25 percent).
Shelby has been volunteering and holding leadership positions for over 55 years. He has been president or chairman of about everything he gets involved in from president of sporting organizations, athletic clubs, school organizations, civic service organizations and professional organizations. He has been presented with many community service and leadership awards including local, district, state and national awards. He received the highest awards presented by the Nation Rifle Association, Jaycees, AARP and the North Carolina Senior Citizens Association.
Besides the local AARP chapter activities, Shelby is an advocate for families, victims, the poor, the disadvantaged and the underserved. He attends public hearings, city council meetings, county commission meetings, regional and state meetings on healthcare, social security, aging issues, services to seniors, disadvantaged people, senior housing, alternative transportation programs, information referral programs and senior friendly communities.
His involvement in the community has included AARP, Driver Safety Instructor, N.C. Key Legislative Delegate, N.C. Senior Citizens Association Delegate, volunteers at the senior center and senior services, N.C. SHIIP Counselor, invited to participate at city and county forums and committees, a presenter at the senior computer club, historian and director of the Golf Association of Rowan Seniors, Rowan County Council on Aging, attends Regional Aging Advisory Committee meetings speaking up for the concerns for seniors and provides information he gets from AARP and Rowan County’s Delegate to the N.C. Senior Tar Heel Legislature where he has submitted 13 resolutions that will help or benefit senior citizens and all citizens. He attends and speaks up at city, county and state public hearings. He is an advocate for all citizens.
Shelby is an advocate for victim rights, an author and has written a nonfiction book titled “Victims Have No Rights,” and has a website: www.victimshavenorights.com.
He has been asked to serve on many city, county, region and state planning committees. He has initiated many new projects for the organizations that he has become involved in.
N.C. Jaycees President, Troy Powell, in presenting the award to Shelby said, “Excellent in performance is not new to Jerry Shelby. He has done it all his life from being an honors graduate, winning leadership and accomplishment awards from his companies, obtaining three professional certifications in his chosen profession and many community service awards.
“Jerry Shelby, 40 years ago, was presented a JCI Senator, the highest award presented by the Jaycees. In 1969, he was presented the Van Wert, Ohio, Jaycees Distinguished Service Award Outstanding Young Citizen and the Ohio Jaycees Distinguished Service Award Outstanding Young Citizen. His leadership and community service has continued throughout his lifetime.
“In 2011, the Spencer Jaycees presented him their Outstanding Senior Citizen Award and today the N.C. Jaycees are presenting him with the North Carolina Jaycees Distinguished Service Award Outstanding Senior Citizen. He has won both of our state’s highest awards from outstanding young man to outstanding senior citizen. Jerry Shelby has been an example all his life of the Jaycee Creed that ‘Service to Humanity is the Best Work of Life’.”