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By BILL THOMPSON
Usually when we think of dynasties we think of a royal family whose leadership of a country is passed down from generation to generation. There may be various levels of leadership and involvement. In American politics we think of John and John Quincy Adams, the Roosevelts and the Kennedys. In business we think of the Rockefellers and the Fords.
There are other types of dynasties as well. They are the families that provide the support for the more visible leadership. They may not be as well known but they are just as much a part of the organization as those with a higher profile. Such is the case with Carolyn Dudley’s family and Boys and Girls Homes.
Eleven of Carolyn’s family members covering three generations have worked in various capacities since Carolyn came to work at the fledgling childcare organization in 1966. Most of them have been cooks who shared Carolyn’s expertise in providing good nutritious and delicious meals for literally hundreds of youngsters. Her sister, Geneva, nieces Deborah and Mattie as well as daughters Patricia and Faye, have all been cooks in the cottages that serve as home to the children who come to the Lake Waccamaw campus.
Her mother, Georgia Baldwin, and her aunt, Essie Melvin, worked in the laundry back when there was a big central laundry for all of the one hundred boys who lived on the campus at that time.
Her son, Greg, worked for a time as part of the grounds keeping crew.
Today that tradition of service to the home includes (in addition to daughter Faye) her daughter Shirley who is responsible for the cleaning of all of the non-residential facilities on the campus, daughter Crystal in the Boys and Girls Homes Country Store, and her husband Leon Dudley who has been in charge of grounds keeping since 1966.
As I began to list the members of this Boys and Girls Homes dynasty it occurred to me that it was like reading the list of “begats” in the Old Testament. It fact, it seemed that Carolyn’s family was more like those Biblical families than any of the political or business relatives.
Their connection to each other was service. The service went far beyond the everyday duties pointed out in their job descriptions. Carolyn set a great example of reaching out to those children she saw each day. She taught them responsibility as they worked with her in the kitchen preparing meals and cleaning up. But probably more importantly, she let them know that she genuinely cared about them. She would listen patiently to their stories of neglect, abuse and misfortune. She never judged them. She accepted them as they were.
Carolyn was not listed as a “counselor” at Boys and Girls Homes but she often served in that role. As she and a child peeled potatoes or washed dishes she would encourage them to look beyond past circumstances, to take advantage of the opportunities offered, and always to ask The Lord for guidance.
Carolyn passed away on December 15, 2005, after a long illness. She not only left behind all those loved ones but she also left them a legacy to be proud of. I think it is a legacy of caring that is still being continued by “Carolyn’s Dynasty” on the campus of Boys and Girls Homes.