AIKEN --- Just doing what he was supposed to do earned Chuck Braun the 2008 Earl Kauffman Award for exemplary volunteerism.
As a member of the University of South Carolina Aiken's Academy for Lifelong Learning, Mr. Braun is a dependable man.
"People work very hard to keep things going here," he said. "Sometimes they get really involved and will burn out and disappear, but I've been there forever, so I guess it was for doing something over a long period of time."
After retiring from Savannah River Site in 1995, Mr. Braun began volunteering for the curriculum committee, which recruits instructors and coordinates classes for the academy.
The academy offers courses each semester on a variety of topics, from foreign language to computer usage. The courses are geared toward retirees who are looking to lead more active lives.
Birdwatching quickly became one of Mr. Braun's favorite hobbies, so he put his knowledge to work and taught five classes about birds. Over the years he's worked on collecting at least one photograph of each bird species.
His love of jazz also led him to teach two music classes.
"The curriculum committee is the soul of the organization because they decide what we're going to do," he said. "I've been around and taken courses every semester."
Mr. Braun is credited with bringing in instructors for the courses Bridge to Islam, Art History and Great Decisions, which focuses on foreign policy.
When not birdwatching or attending classes at USC Aiken, Mr. Braun enjoys playing bridge and chess.
Although he was surprised the academy chose him for the award, receiving it last week wasn't a complete shock.
"They invited me to the luncheon, and I haven't been invited for the past few years, so that kinda gave it away," he said. "For whatever reason, they thought I was the guy this year."
Reach Julia Sellers at (803) 648-1395, ext. 106, or julia.sellers@augustachronicle.com.
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