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A Columbia County Boy's Recollections and Memories of Columbia County Florida (2012) Lenvil H. Dicks

I BECOME FRIENDS WITH A GOVERNOR

It must have been about my fourth or fifth year as Columbia High School Band Director when 1 was out
just riding around one Saturday afternoon by myself, and found myself at Jacksonville Beach. I had
parked my car and was just strolling along the board-walk, where the city had placed park-benches
periodically along the edge of the board-walk, over-looking the ocean.

On one of the benches sat a nicely-dressed middle-aged gentleman, just sitting there by himself, looking
out over the ocean. I guess I was sort of needing company, so I asked him if 1 could share his bench with
him. He agreed in a very agreeable way, so I sat down and we started a conversation. He seemed to be a
very much down-to-earth and friendly gentleman, and after we had talked awhile he asked me what my
name was. 1 told him my name was Lenvil Dicks and I was the high school band director at Columbia
High School in Lake City. He introduced himself as Haydon Burns, and before he said another word I
suddenly realized that 1 knew who he was. He was the Mayor of Jacksonville, and after telling me his
name, he introduced himself as such.

I said to him, “Mr. Burns, with the position you are in, I am a little surprised that you have time to just
sit out here on a bench and look at the ocean.” He said to me, “Mr. Dicks, I came out here to think. I am
trying to decide whether or not to run for Governor of the State of Florida.” My response to him was that
1 had been in Lake City all my life, except for what time 1 spent in the army, and what time I spent
getting my college degrees, and playing in the Dallas Symphony, and 1 felt that I had my finger on the
pulse of the political situation in Columbia County. I told him that we in Lake City had heard good
things about him since he had become Mayor of Jacksonville, and that 1 felt Columbia County would
certainly support him if he decided to run for Governor. As it turned out, although I do not have any
crystal ball, I was right, and he did indeed run for Governor and won by a large margin. After the
election, and before he took office I received a telephone call one day and, wonder of wonders, it was
Haydon Burns. He said, “Mr. Dicks, 1 have told my inauguration committee to be sure that they invite
the Lake City Band to take part in the inaugural parade, but 1 just want you to know that I would
personally appreciate it if your band could come over and be in the parade.”

Of course we participated in Haydon Burns’ inaugural parade when he was inaugurated as Governor,
and as I recall, it was a bitterly cold day. 1 remember feeling sorry for my poor majorettes in their
skimpy costumes, and 1 think they nearly froze to death. I would have had to tie them, though, to keep
them out of that parade.

I was so pleased and flattered to have received a personal invitation from the Governor that I suppose 1
would have probably taken the band to be in the parade if the temperature had been down to zero.

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