137 to the second Wednesday in April. The April 1987 stockholders’ meeting included comments from President Ewing regarding the passing of former Chairman Jackson: “He has served this bank faithfully as a director since 1963. He was truly an inspiration to all of us and we miss him.” Bank of Clarke County’s first charity golf tournament was held on May 29, 1987. The first beneficiary was the Eustace B. Jackson Memorial Scholarship Fund. The Berryville Train Station renovation was the original beneficiary but had to be changed after the landmark was demolished. The charity tournament continues to this day. In late 1987 Bank of Clarke County made the decision to donate the old Boyce Branch building to the Town of Boyce. It now serves as Boyce’s Town Hall. A Special Stockholders’ Meeting was held on September 23, 1987 for the purpose of approving a 5-for-1 stock split, the total number of shares increasing from 75,000 to 375,000. This split was designed to prevent any takeover of the bank by a larger institution. Stock price had increased from $58 in February of 1984 to $122, making the 5-for-1 split necessary. Stock had reached a point where it became increasingly difficult to find a market, or someone who was willing to purchase at that price. Chairman Hardesty stated that “there is an alarming trend in banking today for smaller community banks, such as Bank of Clarke County, to be acquired by larger statewide banks. Many of these takeovers are forced upon the bank; and in many cases they are not in the best interest of the majority of the stockholders, nor are they in the best interest of the community they serve. What we are proposing is that we need to take steps necessary to control our destiny. If we have an offer, we want it to come through the Board of Directors, not around it, so we can evaluate it; and if it merits consideration, present it to you, our shareholders, for your decision.” A new stock dividend reinvestment plan was announced at the April 13, 1988 stockholders’ meeting. Shareholders were told that it would be a convenient way of acquiring additional shares of stock at 95% of market value. During the meeting, it was reported that the Trust Department grew 42.9%, to $2,936,000, during 1987. Stockholders were also informed of the gift of the old Boyce Bank building to the Town of Boyce as well as the donation of new scoreboards at Clarke County High School. Mr. A. Garland Williams resigned from the Bank Board on January 11, 1989. Mr. Robert W. Smalley, Jr. was appointed to fill the vacancy. The local newspaper interviewed Mr. Williams about his longevity with the Bank of Clarke County. “During my 55 years, the bank’s work force increased from 4 employees to dozens and the bank’s assets increased by 20,000%. I applaud the fact that banking has become a popular field for women to enter. When I became a director, one of the 4 employees was a woman. Another director was not so accepting. He said that before he would put a woman on the teller line, he would get back there himself. Ten years later when I walked into the bank prior to a holiday, there was the executive filling in as a teller and surrounded by female employees. In 1934, it was no particular honor to be director of a bank. We were in the depths of the Depression, and banks were closing. But