CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Sgt. Rick Lang, of the Marshalltown Police Department, third from left, accepts the Ron Galloway Respect for Law Award from the Marshalltown Morning Optimist Club at a recent club meeting. Also present at the presentation were, left to right, Teresa Lang, Carol Lang, Sgt. Lang, Cindy Egleston, Chief Michael Tupper and Lt. Ron Ohrt. The annual award was named for Capt. Ron Galloway, deceased member of the Marshalltown Police Department and the Morning Optimist Club.

The Marshalltown Morning Optimist Club held their weekly meeting Tuesday at The Brew House. Co-President Linda Moore opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of reflection.

Guests present were Sgt. Rick Lang, Teresa Lang, Carol Lang, Lt Ron Ohrt, Chief Mike Tupper and Cindy Egleston.

The theme of the meeting was “Respect for Law,” so program chair Wendi Stanley introduced Egleston to present the club’s Ron Galloway Respect for Law Award. Egleston is the daughter of deceased Morning Optimist Club member Ron Galloway, for whom the award was named. Egleston remembered her father, Capt. Galloway, as a respected member of the Marshalltown Police Department for 22 years before he died 27 years ago. She recalled that people would often ask him for his advice, and that he enjoyed serving others.

Egleston presented the 2017 award plaque to Sgt. Lang of the MPD. In accepting the award, Lang commented that, even though Galloway is gone, there are members of the Police Department who still rave about him. Lang reminisced that he himself was a tough kid to raise, having grown up in Des Moines, but his career path eventually brought him to the Marshalltown Police Department. His wife Teresa and mother Carol accompanied him to the presentation. Lang said, “What we get from this town is amazing, so I wanted my mom to see this.”

Lt. Ohrt, Lang’s supervisor, commented that he knew Galloway, and that Lang has many of the same qualities that Galloway had in working with people. “He is constantly trying to serve others,” said Ohrt. Chief Tupper noted that he has worked with Lang for six years. He described Lang as “very humble, a good man and a rock star.” Tupper continued, “He does an excellent job, loves serving people and does wonderful work for us.”

Moore announced that there will be no meeting next week, since members will be putting out flags on Memorial Day. City Administrator Jessica Kinser will be the guest speaker at the June 6 meeting.

Moore closed the meeting by leading the recitation of the Optimist Creed. The Marshalltown Morning Optimist Club meets Tuesdays at 6:30 a.m. at The Brew House. Guests are welcome.