Norris Hodgkins Jr., a former Southern Pines mayor and councilman and president of Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities, among many other civic organizations, received the prestigious Order of the Longleaf Pine during a classical concert recently at Weymouth.

Hodgkins and family members were present to accept the award by the Governor's Office during an intermission in the concert by pianist Frederick Moyer and cellist Nancy Green. Moyer and Green are grandchildren of Pulitzer-prize- winning North Carolina playwright Paul Green, who helped make Weymouth a center for the state's writers, other arts and humanities.

The Order is awarded to Tar Heel residents for exemplary service to the state and its citizens following a selection process that includes the requirement that the recipient first be nominated by other members of the community.

The concert on Oct. 29 was named an evening of champagne and chocolate in honor of Hodgkins.

The Great Room where Moyer and Green performed was almost full of rapt listeners. Their program included works by Schumann and other European masters. Moyer and Green are both internationally renowned professional artists, who rarely perform together. They each have lengthy resumes of performances around the world.

Proceeds benefited Weymouth, a nonprofit.