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History
of
The Rotary Club of Space Center (Houston), Texas, U.S.A.
Club 2010 District 589
for
Rotary Year 1971-72
President
Robert
"Bob" K. Scott
Chartered
August 6, 1964
Eight
years of serving the local and world communities with a
passion for
“Service Above Self”
Officers
Vice President
Frank Morgan
Treasurer
Rex Bailey
Secretary
Harry Jennings
Editor
Gene Lindquist
Directors
Fred Joy
Roy Iles
Bob Chuoke
Al Ligrani
Don Kirk
Hal Neely
Harry Smith
The history
for the Rotary Club of Space Center (Houston), Texas, and
U.S.A. has been compiled from previously written histories
and chronologies which can be found in the Welcome section
of the Home Page. For the most part, the wording of
these previously written histories have been used verbatim
except for the insertion of additional information found
elsewhere, obvious errors, and annotations by Historian
2009.
The history file
contained more information than previous years except
1964-1965. The file contained a variety of documents
such as 22 Board of Directors meeting
minutes; 12
monthly budgets with the
year end actuals;
scoping document
for budget; 61 Club committee reports and committee
activities; 22 congratulatory letters to new members,
officers, and directors; 39 thank you letters to guest
speakers; 45 miscellaneous correspondences; membership
information; avenues of service committee assignments; and
correspondence and information (35) regarding the Rotary
International Convention held in Houston, Texas in June
1972. Most of the correspondence was signed
letters. Although there were many Club committee reports
in the history file, most were early in the Rotary year which
only contained plans, not accomplishments. Perhaps
previous Rotary years may have had similar amount of formal
correspondence in the history file, but none was found.
The Club continued to meet at the Nassau Bay Resort
Hotel.
There were no
newsletters
(Blastoff) out a
possible 47 if issued for each Club meeting. However, a
note dated March 8, 1972
from the editor of the newsletter indicates
difficulty in preparing the newsletter and stated that it
would be prepared every other week. Therefore the exact
number issued is not known. The
Club Programs and Special Events
listing noted 26 programs. There were
several other letters,
(Letter 1,
Letter 2)
from
the editor regarding publishing the newsletter. These
have been placed in the archives to reflect some of the issues
at that time. One letter states “He (District Governor
Upham, Historian 2009) states the Blastoff is the only one in
the country like it and because of its uniqueness it is
drawing top attraction.” In general the Blastoff was
highly acclaimed.
The Club's avenues of
service or committee members can be viewed by clicking
on
Committee Members.
Club Assembly Report
dated November 8, 1971 gives an overview
of some of the committee activities.
The
July 1, 1972 Semi Annual Report of Club
Membership
noted a membership
of 125 with 4 Honorary members. The
Club's Roster
is based on the July 1, 1972 Semiannual
Report of Club Membership. Four previous presidents
were on the membership roster.
Donations to international
and service projects were $2,595. The total amount of
donations to
service projects
and funds received was $9,671 since the Club was chartered in 1964.
There was a
letter dated August 2, 1971
from the Club Treasurer authorizing
$500 to be placed in a Certified Deposit Certificate as
a contingency for “further lean periods.” This was
the first document in the history file which established
a contingency fund.
There were several
letters regarding a
GSE team
to
Australia. One letter dated September 1, 1972
introduced the team and letter not dated
concluded the trip. The team sent five letters about
their trip:
letter 1,
letter 2,
letter 3,
letter 4,
and
letter 5.
There was a sense of
frustration with Interact. The students had lost
interest and it had to be rebuild in the schools
(Community Service Committee
Report),
a faculty sponsor
designated and new officers elected. A
letter in the
files noted that the Pan-Am Interact International Convention
was held in Houston in June 8-10, 1972. Quoting from the
document, “This meeting will mark the beginning of Interact as
an international organization, and will be the start of a new
Interact.” It is interesting to note that in 1965
(letter and associated documents dated November
17, 1965),
the Club petitioned
the Rotary International to include a school adjacent to its
territorial boundary for the purpose of organizing an Interact
Club.
There was much
emphasis on youth with several projects being actively pursued
according to the
Community Service Committee
Report
date January 26,
1972. In addition to this report, an
article in the
Houston Post dated December 1971 reported that a
Rotary-sponsored Youth Forum and a group, Youth For Community
Improvement, were beginning to attract the interest of the
young. They have been organized by adults, adults are
the forum speakers, and adults aid the group seeking community
improvement. The teens are listening, and
questioning. The Forum was organized when Leo Symmank,
Martin Rappaport, and Dick Gregg, met with a handful of
students from Clear Creek High School to discuss issues
students would like aired through a forum. Topics ranged
from school codes and unrest on college campuses to politics
in Texas and black power. Their purpose became to
provide a forum in which any point of view could be freely
aired through discussion. The
minutes of the
first meeting of the Youth Committee of Space Center Rotary
held on July 8 contains several programs to be pursued by the
Committee.
The Community Service Committee
Report
also noted that Harris
County would take over paying of salaries and maintenance fees
for the Freeman Memorial Library on February 1, 1972. In
addition the report stated the plans for giving scholarship
awards ($250 each) and a Girl’s State award
($100.
There were 3 letters
and an
write-up in the
history file on the
Earth Awareness Foundation,
which was a direct community spin off from the
Rotary Club of Space Center’s Rotary Club Drug Awareness
Committee during the previous Rotary year. These letters
provided information to the Club and solicited
financial and Rotarian support.
One letter dealt with
soliciting the Foundation’s help in establishing an
environmental laboratory in the Armand Bayou area. This
was the fourth year for the Drug Awareness
Program.
Miss Rebecca Lynn
Bowers was selected as the Club’s nominee for the Rotary
Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship Award for 1973.
Letter dated April 4, 1972
from Harold Neely.
Preparations for the
63rd Rotary International
Convention
held in Houston,
Texas on June 11-15, 1972 apparently occupied much of the
Club’s time during 1972. Martin Gracey headed up the
Club’s committee on the convention and a
letter dated March 23, 1972
from him lays out the Club’s role. The
Club arranged a visit for the kids of Rotarians attending the
Rotary International Convention to NASA’s Manned Space
Center. It was estimated that 2,000 kids would be
involved. (Information from a previously written summary
noted that there were 24 buses and they went to the San
Jacinto Monument also). The kids had lunch at the Manned
Space Center, and then taken to Harris County Clear Lake Park
for a “Moon Rock Concert” by local young people. A
letter from Governor Upham to Mr.
President
expressed
disappointment about the poor registration from the Club
regarding the up coming Rotary International Convention
in Houston
The attendance to the
Convention was expected to be 22,000 from 149 nations, however
the official number was 13,287. District 589 had a goal
for 5,000. In a scolding letter dated March 16, 1972,
District Governor Upham stated “Please do what you need to do
to wake up your club members.” In this letter there were
27 pre-registered from the Club. The letter also noted
the membership to be 120. A later
letter dated June 20, 1972
noted 60 Rotarians and 8 guests from the
Club. A
tabulation with
no date contains the pre-registration of the most of the clubs
in District 589.
A letter dated May 19, 1972
from Alvin Busse, Chairman Host Club Executive
Committee, gives an overview of the opening ceremony at the
Astrodome. A letter dated
January 18, 1972
notes that “The Host Committee … wants to provide each
Rotarian and his wife the opportunity of being entertained in
the home of a Houston Area Rotarian. All Clubs in
District 589 are participating in this effort, but our Club
(Space Center Rotary Club) must come through to help assure
its success.”
Information from a
previously written summary
noted that the Clear Lake High School Choral
Group was awarded a trip to Vienna, Austria. The Club
made a contribution to their expense fund during a program
that this group presented for the club.
The Club experienced
another increase in meals going from $2.50 to $3.00 as noted
by a
letter
from the Nassau Bay Resort Motor Inn where the Club had
its weekly meetings.
An
article in the
June 21, 1971 Blastoff
noted a need two hosts for two worthy
Rotary Exchange Students who will visit our Clear Lake area
on tour prior to returning to their respective foreign homes.
One was a Japanese college student who for the past
year has been living with a Rotary family in California
and the other was a Belgian Exchange Student who will be
visiting the area for two days and nights - July 6
and 7.
Several letters have been placed in the archives as representative
of the many letters in the history file or to reflect the
demeanor of the period. These letters are as follows:
(1)
Congratulatory
letter dated November 15, 1971
to David Sincox on becoming
a Rotarian
(2) Thank you
letter dated October 8, 1971
thanking the Honorable Barbara
Jordan for speaking to the Club
(3) A
letter dated November 11, 1971
, letter 2,
from the District Governor regarding his visit.
(4) A hand written note on a
letter dated January 24, 1972
to Gene Lindquist with a unique
recommendation
(5) A
letter dated December 1, 1971
to Ellis Bareiss from Gene Lindquist.
Letter is typical of the formality of how the Club communicated
within and outside of the Club during this period
(6) A
handwritten thank you note
from District Governor Upham dated February
18, 1972
(7) A
letter dated December 1, 1971
from B. E. Steadman to Robert
Scott brought to Scott’s attention that $150 out of a commitment
of $500 to Junior Achievement three years ago had not been
honored. The Board in a handwritten note agreed to
pay $150
(8) A thank you
letter dated September 29, 1971
from a scholarship awardee
from Texas talking courses in England. The letter
gives a flavor of the scholarship program and how the Rotarians
and Rotary clubs were involved
(9) A
letter dated November 8, 1971
giving the goals and some activities
of the Rotary Foundation Committee
(10) A
year end report
by the Fellowship Committee which noted the
new members for the Rotary year. Also note amount
of details in the report.
(13) A
letter dated June 28, 1971
enclosing the District Governor's
schedule.
A document titled
"
Interesting Letters
" was found in the history file and contained
several retyped letters that were in the Rotary year 1971-72
folder. All of the letters in the history file
are listed below. These letters reflect recognition
of the Rotary Club of Space throughout the world.
(1) A
letter dated April 21, 1972
to a Rotary Club of Monteros regarding
six medical graduates from Argentina visit to Houston and
how the Club was involved
(2) A
letter dated February 1972
from the President of the Club Rotario De La
Ciudad regarding the swap of a
peso
and U. S. Currency
(3) A congratulatory
letter dated August 9, 1971
from Santiago, Chile on the Apollo
IV flight
(4) The original
letter dated July 31, 1971
from Dr. Harry Suprun, Chairman,
International Service Committee, Naharyia, Israel regarding
the Apollo 15 and an anthropologists finding in the
Philppines. This letter was retyped by
Dick Proctor
(Rotary Club of Houston) for President
Scott to have a copy.
(5) A
letter dated July 31, 1971
from Dr. Suprun, Chairman, International
Service Committee, Naharyia, Israel regarding the Rotary
Club of Nahariya
(6) A
letter dated February 9, 1972
regarding eleven graduates visit
to Houston
(7) A
letter, envelop, and a banner
from Rotary Club De Brena written
in Spanish
No record was found regarding District 589 Conference.
Rotary year
1971-72 was placed in the archives in July
2009.
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