Gene Jackson - Buck Stark Award
Gene Jackson began his skeet career in 1975 and since that time he has given much of his time and talents to the promotion and administration of the TSSA.
In 1985 the TSSA bought a computer with the intent of putting all the association’s records on magnetic tape. At the time, Ruby Welch was the paid secretary of the TSSA and had been serving as such for some ten years. Ruby literally had organized and put on paper all of the association’s records. These records were on 3×5 notecards and housed in Ruby’s home in Dallas. Unfortunately, Ruby did not understand computers and felt she was too close to retirement to learn. The result was that the computer was used early on as a glorified Addressograph.
At this point Gene, with Ruby retiring, agreed in writing to move the TSSA office and computer to his office in Richardson, free of charge. He supplied the space, the telephone answering service and all local calls, free of charge. At this time, Gene was running a sizeable contracting firm, but his secretary was spending a lot of her time on TSSA telephone calls.
Gene was anxious to get our records on the computer and with the full consent of the Board hired his son, Jerry (a computer trained man) to put the TSSA on the computer. This was a gigantic job and consumed an enormous amount of time and expertise. As we all know, this transition from manual to computer was at best a tough transition, but with Gene’s time and know-how and Jerry’s computer knowledge, the TSSA is now full computerized. To follow-up, Gene campaigned actively to get John Hill into his present position and “What a Godsend.”
The computerization of the TSSA as carried out by Gene Jackson should be accomplishment enough to warrant his induction into the TSSA Hall of Fame.
Gener personally campaigned and implemented the TSSA Life Membership program. This has been a tremendous financial boost to the organization. Presently, the fund amounts to over $40,000 and it is growing annually.
Gene and his wife Juanita have donated the HOA (men and women’s) rings for the State Shoot Championships.
His support of the Hall of Fame has put the award in its rightful place. He has helped several gun clubs to get started and has recently donated a bulldozer and his time to the Grand Prairie Gun Club to grade their property for another skeet field.
Gene Jackson has served the TSSA as few have. HE can be spoken of in the same breath as Buck Stark, Bubba Wood, Arthur Bostick, and a small handful of others. He represents everything that is right about the TSSA. “Service without compensation – he only reward being a better association.”
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