From staff reports
Longtime Beaufort resident and certified financial planner Owen Hand is the 2023 recipient of the Rotary Bowl, the Rotary Club of Beaufort’s highest honor. It was presented by current Rotary Club of Beaufort President Barry Wilson at dinner event held on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.
Hand is the 56th recipient to receive the Bowl, which was first awarded in 1936. It is not presented every year, but only when the Rotary Club of Beaufort believes they have a candidate who has exhibited significant selfless service.
Such was the case for Hand. He has been a member of the Rotary Club of Beaufort for more than 50 years, having joined in 1970. He is a past President of the Rotary and currently serves as the membership committee chair. He is credited with attracting countless Beaufort area residents to become Rotarians.
Outside of Rotary, Hand’s selfless spirit is evident throughout Beaufort. He was the 24th Commodore of Beaufort’s annual Water Festival; he was President of Beaufort’s Sail and Power Squadron; and almost since its inception in 2009, he has been a board member of Honor Flight Savannah and actively involved in fundraising and organizing trips to take Lowcountry area veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the nation’s war memorials.
Owen Hand exemplifies the motto of Rotary: “Service above self.”
