History
of
The Rotary Club of Space Center (Houston), Texas, U.S.A.
Club 2010 District 589
for
Rotary Year 1977-78

President
James "Jim" Lloyd Wyatt

Chartered August 6, 1964

Fourteen years of serving the local and world communities with a passion for
“Service Above Self”

Officers
Vice President
Marvin Matthews
Secretary
Harry Jennings
Treasurer
Al Ligrani
Sergeant at Arms
Al Jowid
Editor
Gene Lindquist

Directors
Alfred R. Neumann
Bob Mitchell
Charles Hartman
Chuck Jacobson
Pete Gist
Maury Fitch
Ed Crouse

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 very few documents, however there were 21 Board meeting minutes and a spot audit of the Club's financial documents by A. B. Olsen. There were one newsletter, Blastoffs, out of a possible, 45, assuming that one was issued every Club meeting day. The Club Programs and Special Events listing did not contain any programs. The Club continued to meet at the Holiday Inn.

A 1977-78 Interim Budget dated October 12, 1977, as annotated, is the only financial record except for the 1977 Shrimporee Recap which states a net profit of $10,684. Based on the interim budget, the donations to service projects amounts to $7,530. The total amount (re: Shrimporee Committee Report September 1977) was given to service and international projects.  The amount of monies made from fund raisers since the first recorded fundraiser in 1968 was $52,899.

Although there was no mention of Drug Awareness in the history file, this would be the tenth year of the Club's involvement.

The history file contained a well organized, bounded and typed Club Assembly report with most of the dates in September. Most of these plans were general in nature and there was no record of any accomplishments. However,one wasof interest, the Shuttle Payload for Students. The Board voted in the previous Rotary year to reserve space for an experiment on the first payload of the earth orbiting space shuttle. This project alsoreceived the attention of Rotary International.

The Club's avenues of service committee members can be viewed by clicking on  Committee Members.

The July 1, 1978 Semi Annual Report of Club Membership noted a membership of 128 with 3 Honorary members. The Club's Roster is based on the July 1, 1978 Semiannual Report of Club Membership. Eight previous presidents were on the membership roster.

There was a bounded, mostly typed report, prepared by Pete Gist, General Chairman of the Shrimporee, title" Shrimporee Report 1977 " that contains much information about the fund raiser. There is a summary report in front which provides a very good overview of the activities. The Chairman noted that therewere 3,300 guests.

The following is from a previously written History by Wicker. (Note by Historian 2009: This is the last record by Walt Wicker.)
The Fourth Annual Shrimporee was held at Galveston County Park on September 17, 1977. Pete Gist served as general chairman. General and Mr's. Roy Hatch donated a 1972 Vega to be auctioned at the Shrimporee.

Michael Joseph Dowling was awarded an undergraduate scholarship from the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International for the 1978-79 academic year. Dowling, a former Space Center Club-scholarship winner, was sponsored by the Club. The Club sent a $100 memorial to the Harrisburg Rotary Club in memory of the late J. Wayne Holland, former District Governor. The high school scholarship to be awarded in 1978 will be known as the J. Wayne Holland scholarship.

President Jim Wyatt attended the Rotary International Conference in San Francisco as the Club's representative. The calendar year ended with a Club Fellowship Meeting which was a champagne luncheon. Everyone agreed that this was an excellent way to close out the old year.

There was two Paul Harris Fellows named for the Rotary Year bringing the total since1972 to 8 for the Club.

The 69th Rotary International Convention was held in Tokyo, Japan May 14-18, 1978. There were 39,834 in attendance and no record of anyone from Rotary of Space Center, Houston attending.

District 589 Conference was held on April 13-15, 1978 at Bay City, Texas.

Rotary year 1977-78 was placed in the archives in July 2009.