2016 SJD AWARDS
The San Jacinto Descendants sponsor a variety of awards that are decided upon each year at our annual meeting.
San Jacinto Award
The San Jacinto Award is presented to an adult citizen of the State of Texas who has demonstrated a commitment to preserving Texas history and who possesses the highest level of patriotism, leadership, and service to the State of Texas and their local community. Members of the San Jacinto Descendants are not eligible for this award.
The 2016 recipient of the San Jacinto Award was Dean Bass.
It is a great honor to select Dean Bass for this award, Dean is a man known to many of us who participate in DRT, SRT and the Descendants. He is truly dedicated to promoting Texas history in education and historical events in his community in Montgomery County and beyond. Dean has been a great supporter and participant in many events, all the while being Chairman and CEO of a growing financial and banking organization, ST Financial Group and Spirit of Texas Bank. He has over 40 years in the banking industry, serving as a Vice President on the Board of the Texas Bankers Association.
Dean married Sara, his college sweetheart of 43 years, who is a sixth generation Texan through the Archer family arriving in 1828. They have two children and five grandchildren. Dean is an Honorary Member of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas, as well as an Honorary Member of that national organization.
Of his 14 locations, his newest bank building in Conroe is truly a Texas portrait and rivals many museums with its large display of artifacts and artwork, and our Board is privileged to hold our quarterly meetings in their conference room. Ever walk into a bank and see guns on the wall? You will at this bank – it is an awesome sight to behold!
This is after you pass the very large and beautiful statue of Lady Liberty with her sword out and the banner hanging across the blade with “Liberty of Death” printed on it.
Sam Houston Award
The Sam Houston Award is presented to a member of the San Jacinto Descendants who has demonstrated the highest commitment to preserving Texas history and who possesses the highest level of patriotism, leadership, and service to the State of Texas and their local community.
The 2017 recipient of the Sam Houston Award is Juan Sequin Gonzales.
The person selected this year is in attendance at most of the historical events planned and presented across a great potion of our State. I see his picture attending grave dedications, re-dedications, marker memorials, local memorials of battle anniversaries and many other events. I cannot recall a SRT function where he was not in attendance. He spreads Texas History everywhere he goes, and he is a descendant of one of the greatest Texas Heroes in the time of Texas independence, Juan Seguin.
Teacher of Texas History Award
The Teacher of Texas History Award is presented to a public or private school teacher who has exhibited extraordinary qualities as an instructor of Texas history.
The 2017 recipient of the Teacher of Texas History Award was Glen Janek
This year’s teacher works in the Conroe ISD at Moorhead Jr. High in Conroe. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin University in 1994. He has been teaching for 22 years, and has been teaching Texas History for 19 of those years. He has been noticed by the local SRT chapter several times and has even asked them to come to his school to make presentations to his students. He attends historical events and functions as often as his school duties permit and takes his students to various locales that were significant in Texas history.
He needs some help with research, but he may have ties to a family member who could have been at the Alamo. We’ll have to get that checked out. At this time, there is no better teacher, no more deserving teacher of Teacher History than Mr. Glenn Janek.