History
of
The Rotary Club of Space Center (Houston), Texas, and U.S.A.
Club 2010 District 589
for
Rotary Year 1989-90

President
John Watson

Chartered August 6, 1964

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

Officers
President Elect
Billy Ray Smith
 Secretary
 Jack Lister 
Treasurer
Terry Hesson
Sergeant at Arms  
Eddie Harris  
 
Directors
David Cordell
David King
Vic Maria
Owen Morris
David Owen
Eddie Tarin
David Taylor
Tom Wier
Woody Williams

The Club received the Presidential Citation Award

The history file contained 21 Board meeting   minutes,  budgets, several newsletters, and 2 pieces of  correspondence.  There was  a  Blue Binder  (Club Assembly Report with no date) which contained plans and goals, a membership roster, and the avenues of service committee members. The Club continued to meet at the Nassau Bay Hilton. Occasionally it is noted in the history the price of the luncheon.  This year the standard buffet was $8.25 and soup and salad bar $6.50.

There were 7 newsletters,   Blastoffs, out of a possible, 47, assuming  that one was issued every Club meeting day.  The   Club Programs and Special Events  listing also contained  5 programs. The newsletter was standard size, glossy off white in color, with different color headers, filled with many photographs of members and club activities especially during the Club regular meetings, and  information about activities of the Club.  Most of the newsletters consisted of several pages.  Thirteen  of the Club's  former presidents were on the roster.  A former District 589  Governor, Floyd Boze 1981-1982, and a charter member, Vince Lipovsky, attended the weekly club meetings.  Frank Morgan, Bev Steadman, and Charles Whynot were on the roster.

There were  administrative and service budgets dated October 1989 in the history files.  However there were very few actuals as of the date of the budget.  The amount of  donations given to service projects  was only $2,109 based on the budget actuals.  However with the amount of money raised, this number is much higher.  The amount of monies made from the fund raisers since the first recorded fund raiser in 1968 was $365,891.   The budget noted only the Shrimporee golf  income of $5,210; all other Shrimporee incomes were not in the budget, however there was as Fun Run with over 500 participating.  (Historian 2009: Based on a Shrimporee poster stating that the Shrimporee had raised over $350,000 since 1974,  the amount estimated for the year is $40,000.)

There is very little about the Shrimporee because of the few number of Board of Directors meeting minutes and newsletters.  There were several pictures of the Shrimporee in the following Blastoffs:  October 9 ,  November 6 ,  and January 8 .  (Note form Historian 2009: However information in Rotary Year 1990-91 states that the total amount for the previous 16 years was $350,000.  With other years known, this resulted in an amount of about $40,000 raised.  The Rotary years before and after 1989-90 are similar amounts.  Therefore it is assumed that $40,000 was raised.)  The high school Interact Club and members of the UHCL Rotaract, as well as the Boy Scouts helped during the Shrimporee.

The Club celebrated its 25 anniversity this year.  The only information is a caption under a picture in the  January 8, 1990 Blastoff.

The Board of Directors meeting minutes dated  September 4, 1990  noted that the Club had been awarded a Presidential Citation for Rotary Year 1989-90 and was rated two in the District.

Interact Club President Dan Heath and the Interact Club raised over $1700 at their first annual softball marathon to benefit the Christian Child Help Foundation. Club members braved bad weather to last out 51 innings.

Thanks to Gonzalo Montoya, Carlos Villagomez and Charles Hartman for bringing Edgar Escobar and his aunt Reyna to Houston.  Doctor Fustok did plastic surgery on Edgar to repair burns from a freak airplane accident three years ago.  Dr. Fustok was given a very uniquely designed award in recognition of his special medical care to several children from Mexico, April 30, 1990 Blastoff .

The   membership was 187 members  according to the 1989-90 Plans and Objectives.  There were 28 additions and a net gain of 8 members.  A  Club Roster    dated November 8, 1989 and a pictured directory were in the Club Assembly Manual.   

The annual couples trip to New Braunfels was held November 10-12.  Pictures are in the November 27, 1989 Blastoff.

A picture of the Group Study Exchange is shown in the  July 31, 1989 Blastoff .

The International Youth Committee  hosted a district wide gathering of the Summer Exchange Students on July 8 at Banana Bend in Cosby, Texas.  The caption under the picture July 31, 1989 Blastoff    noted there were six students, a first time for Rotary ever.  Additional pictures are in the  November 6 1989 Blastoff.    Kevin Biekert from Clear Lake Hight School student captured the votes earning him a scholarship from the Club. Kevin has chosen Australia as his home for a year and will be going to his final interview December 9.  Gregory Buchanan, also from Clear Lake Hight School, is the other very promising applicant.  Both students are from Interact.  A very interesting and informative article in the  April 30, 1990 Blastoff   gives in sight in to the short-term youth exchange program and Dr. David Taylor's dedication to the program.  Read more about the program and Dr. Taylor's involvement.  More  interesting  correspondence reagarding the process that Dr. Taylor went though for the summer exchange students.  Read three letters, ltr1, ltr2, ltr3,  to Dr. David Taylor regarding the breakthrough on the Russian Exchange
.
One of the few pieces of correspondence dated June 20, 1990 contains meeting minutes and other information about the Club's International Youth Committee chaired by Alan Wylie. It gives some good insight into the workings of the committee. 

The following grand prize winners, one 8th grader from each Intermediate school in the Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD), received a plaque and an all-expense trip to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama:
Tobianna Palmiter, League City Intermediate School; Amy Brown, Seabrook Intermediate School; Kevin Knight, Clear Lake Intermediate School; and Becca Kerstiens, Webster Intermediate School.  The following first prize winners, one boy and one girl from each Intermediate school in CCISD, received a plaque and a summer season pass to Astroworld:
Brian Register and  Ann Sutton, Clear Lake; Nathan Travis Woodall and Heather Bartish, League City; Nate Braeuer and Amy Byington, Seabrook; and Jacob Monnat and Amy Meseberg, Webster.  View photos of winners, principles, and teacher involved with the contest.  This was the second year for the drug essay contest.

The Club remained active with its sister club in Aeropuerto, Mexico.  Pictures and caption  ( April 30, 1990 Blastoff ) provide some insight into the warm relationship.  An agenda dated February 1, 1990 for the Aeropuerto Club contains information about the activities planned and the number of guests.

Bill Predmore won the Rotary International Golf Championship  in Hawaii making him the #1 Rotary golfer in the world.  He followed in the steps of the past champion, Floyd Boze.  Pictures in  November 27, 1989 Blastoff .   The November 27, 1989 Blastoff also contains pictures of the merry group at the second annual Rotary Couples event at Wurstfest in New Braunfels.

Hilmar Zeissig was the District 5890 (589) GSE Chairman.

The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA)  Foundation had its  second stellar event  on February 15, 1990  at the Hyatt Regency, Houston, Texas and presented  Dr. Lew Allen   with the National Space Trophy. The Foundation added four Stellar Awards in 1989 to honor individuals who have made career long contributions to the space program.  The event raised funds for space-related education and drew positive public attention to the importance of continuing achievements in space.   View photo gallery of Club members at the banquet.  

There were eight  Paul Harris Fellows  named for the Rotary Year bringing the total for the Club to 150 since the first Paul Harris Fellow was given by the Club in 1972.

The 81st Rotary International Convention was held June 24-27, 1990 in Portland OR, USA.  There were 21,053 in attendance and no record of anyone from Rotary of Space Center, Houston attending.