Calhouns are chosen as Distinguished Family
Comet staff report

Recognizing strong families Family Services Inc., Lafayette, honored the Bill and Pat Calhoun family of Flora as one of three recipients of the Distinguished Family Award for 2007. The award was presented Monday evening at the National Family Week Awards Dinner held at the Lafayette Country Club. Calhoun family members pictured are (l-r): Lindsay, Jason, Aspen, Pat, Bill and Mark Calhoun. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald

The Bill and Pat Calhoun family of Flora was recognized at the National Family Week Awards dinner Monday night in Lafayette. The family was one of three families recognized as 2007 Distinguished Families. Several other awards were presented during the evening.

Sponsored by Family Services, Inc., the Distinguished Family Award was established in 2004 to honor strong families of all ages whose members work together to solve problems and support each other.

According to Family Services' nomination criteria, well-functioning families provide emotional, physical and economic support to their members, and foster the development of important assets that are essential for lifelong happiness and success.

The Calhoun family was nominated for the award by their eldest son, Mark, and his wife, Sara. Included in his nomination were his brother, Jason, and his family - wife, Lindsay, and daughter, Aspen; and his maternal grandmother, Delores Thomson.

In the letter of nomination, Mark spoke of his family's support when during his third year at Purdue he decided to join the Indiana National Guard.

Even though his family did not approve, "they supported my decision," he wrote.

He has since been mobilized for a year in Afghanistan and will be deployed again the first of the year, this time to Iraq.

"As a single soldier," Calhoun wrote, "the letters, the packages, the conversations on the phone, and most of all the love from home gave me the tools I needed to perform well in the midst of many challenging situations."

"I truly believe, that it was my parents' approach in raising me, that encouraged and empowered me to do amazing things as a young adult like: teach English in Poland for over a year; join the Army National Guard and go to officer school; go back to school at age 27 for a fulltime MBA; move to Chicago for better job opportunities; and most of all, to stand firmly with resolve on good ole' country virtues, values and beliefs in every part of life."

Mark also wrote about his family's roots in farming.

"The farm is a very special part of my family's life. It has been handed down from generation to generation and unless something significantly changes, will continue moving down many generations to come."

"Although I take great pride in the Calhoun farm, from a very young age I knew that it really was my brother's to come back to and manage when we got older. Whether it was the skill sets, the dreams, the relationships established with our father and the hired man, or simply it was the best fit, it was always expected that Jason would come back to farm and I would move on to other things in my civilian life…."

He continued, "As a farming family in middle Indiana, boundaries and expectations have controlled us, challenged us and at times changed us but the way my family has dealt with the boundaries and the expectations has not only strengthened our relationships but has made the family who we are."

"So many things simply come out of being raised in a small Indiana community but I guess this is really where my mom shines in so many ways," he wrote.

"The Army says great leaders/ teachers come from leading by example," continued Mark. "My mom has set that example very high. As a member on several boards at church, from Sunday school to community service, what I remember most about my mom's service was how she delivered church bulletins to senior citizens at the Brethren Home/Senior Center after church each Sunday."

"Her constant dedication to that small task has encouraged me to volunteer at multiple agencies throughout my life."

Speaking of his upcoming mobilization in January, Mark wrote, "I have no doubt we will grow as family and be stronger in whatever is about to come our way. I have no doubt that my family will be thinking of me every day and will be proud of what I do and each day as I talk to them on the phone it will be a constructive, positive and loving conversation. I have no doubt that I will receive the positive enrichment, encouragement, and love I need just as I did when I was at Purdue, in Poland, going to ISU, living in Chicago, surviving in Afghanistan, and as I do every day I live!"

Nominees for the award had to reside in Family Services' eight-county service area that includes Tippecanoe, Benton, White, Carroll, Clinton, Montgomery, Fountain, and Warren counties.

Family Services, Inc. is a non-profit agency that helps families help themselves by strengthening individuals and families of all ages and incomes. The agency provides programs to address individual, family and community needs through prevention and support services in Tippecanoe and the seven surrounding counties, including Carroll.