The Dallas Chapter of the Arkansas Alumni Association was named the 2010 recipient of the Mace Award in recognition of its signature event – the Dallas Chapter Banquet. The award was presented during the 2011 chapter banquet on April 12.
The Mace Award was established in 2008 and recognizes an outstanding event which demonstrates exceptional planning, execution and attendance by alumni groups. The Awards/Nominating Committee of the Arkansas Alumni Association Board of Directors selects the recipient each year.
While the banquet was originally created in 2004 as part of the reformation of the Dallas Chapter, the goal of this event is to connect alumni of the Dallas Chapter with each other and to instill in them a sense of pride in the accomplishments of the University of Arkansas. The annual event has continued to be a perennial success and has a brand identity among alumni in the area. In fact, in 2009 the event was targeted to also serve as a “chancellor’s listening tour” stop because of its reputation.
In addition, when the award criterion was created, the Alumni Association commissioned the creation of the actual Mace, which is housed permanently in the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. Once a war-club in the Middle Ages that stood as a symbol of strength, today the mace continues to be used as a sign of prestige and authority. The Alumni Association staff and board felt this symbol would be an ideal recognition piece for the alumni group who wins the award each year.
As a Mace Award recipient, the chapter’s name was inscribed on the base, and the chapter was awarded a $500 stipend to be used on a special event for the next fiscal year. Past recipients include both the San Francisco Chapter and the Student Alumni Board in 2008 and the Black Alumni Society in 2009.
