Bob Scott – Recipient of the Gary Cox Sustained Service Award for 2017

It is our honor this Sunday to present The Gary Cox Sustained Service Award.  This award was established for Gary due to his strong belief in community involvements as the best reflection of the teachings of Jesus.
The purpose of the award is to acknowledge sustained service by an individual to UCC and our community.

This year the committee has chosen Bob Scott who we believe meets this criteria without question.

Bob Scott’s love for music began 79 years ago. We are sure his mother would say he was conducting a choir in utero. He recalls his whole family was musically talented.  Music was and continues to be an integral part of Bob’s life.  Many of us remember Bob’s father at the age of 100 singing “I wish I was 16 again” at a Revelation performance for which he received a standing ovation. His Grandfather Scott taught singing classes in churches around 1895. One of Bob’s treasures that he cherishes is a tuning fork made by his Grandfather when Bob was 14 or 15. He would use the fork to make sure he was on tune as his voice began to change. 

Bob attended Harding College in Searcy, Arkansas where he received his degree in Music Education.  It was there he meet Patsy, his wife of 62 years who has been a partner in his many achievements.   He also met a professor by the name of Robert Meyers whose friendship remained steadfast and his interaction continues today with all the Meyer’s family.

 While attending this segregated conservative Church of Christ College, Bob Scott remembers vividly a memory that he feels greatly influenced his life.  Professor Robert Meyers, with the help of some students  and faculty including Bob Scott, attempted to pass a petition requesting racial integration at the college.  Bob Meyers was later terminated at Harding College because of this petition. It was Bob Scott who encouraged Robert Meyer to come to Wichita and be the minister at the Riverside Church of Christ.

Bob started his career in 1958 as a music teacher.  He soon realized that even though his love of music was deep, and he enjoyed teaching youth, trying to make a living for his family was going to take more than the income from a teaching salary. He received his Master’s degree in 1960 from WSU. Bob became a State Farm Insurance agent in 1964, which he is still doing today with the help of his awesome staff.

 In March of 1988, Robert Meyers asked Bob to be the choir director at UCC, just three weeks before Easter. Bob reluctantly agreed to do so, but just for a few months. The few months grew to 27 years. Bob started a program which included WSU music major students being in the choir.  This gave them musical experience, and also included them as part of the UCC family.  This was a perfect fit and Bob says one of his most satisfying accomplishments.  Bob retired as Minister of Music in 2015 and can be seen singing in the tenor section of UCC choir.

If you could list one accomplishment that defines Bob Scott it is the joy of working with students.  He understands their frustrations and challenges and stays in contact with many of the students long after graduation.  He reassures them there are many opportunities out there just for them when they have music in their hearts.

It is this love that has driven him to all these accomplishments.