Freeman honored with Bell Ringer Award
The CHEER Mental Health
Association convened last week
for the organization’s 2004 annual
meeting and Bell Ringer Award.
Longtime CHEER board
member C.N. Womack made the
presentation to this year’s recipient,
and the night’s guest speaker,
Dr. B.L. Freeman, CEO of
Volunteer Behavioral Health Care
System, of which CHEER is a
part. Dr. Freemen had announced
his retirement, but not before the
local CHEER board got the chance
to laud his years of service with
its most prestigious award.
Womack began his presentation
with a short history of the award.
“Many years ago, right here in
Warren County,” Womack said,
“there were two great pioneers of
mental health, D. Porter Henegar
and Fred L. Hoover Sr. They were
dedicated gentlemen to CHEER
Mental Health. They were the
backbone, the rocks, of CHEER
Mental Health. So much so that
the Bell Ringer Award was named
after these two gentlemen.
Tonight is the 32nd Bell Ringer
Award ceremony.”
Womack then explained the
selection process.
“In searching out people to be a
recipient of the Bell Ringer award,
we have no bounds,” Womack
said. “We can go to California. We
can go east. There are no boundary
lines for selection. It’s based
upon service. People who have
meant so much in their own way
to the community, whether it’s
sewing clothes, cooking, attending
club meetings, helping
people, rendering service. So
there are no limits, no bounds to
the selection.”
Dr. Freeman, who hales from
the panhandle of Texas, eventually
moved to Tennessee in 1973
where he got his PhD from
Memphis State University.
Afterward he became involved in
the state’s mental health
programs, at one point working at
Plateau Mental Health in
Cookeville. In 1975, five mental
health centers joined together to
form one, Volunteer Behavioral
Health Care System, of which Dr.
Freeman eventually became CEO.
“I’m privileged to be on that
board today,” Womack said, “and
have worked with Dr. Freeman
for many, many years. It’s always
been very pleasant, and all business
has been very sound, and I
am, not only one of his great
admirers, but a great supporter.
We’re just delighted to have him
here tonight.”
After a few more remarks,
Womack then presented the
award plaque to Dr. Freeman.
“Thank you very much for this
award,” Freeman said, “but this
award should go to the staff that
make up the facilities that serve
the people we serve, and not to
me, because without them, the
things I’ve done would not be
possible. But I thank you very
much.”