History
of
The Rotary Club of Space Center (Houston), Texas, U.S.A.
Club 2010  District 589
for
Rotary Year 1973-74

President
Rex Bailey

Chartered August 6, 1964

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

Officers
Vice President
Dick Chandler
Treasurer
Fred Joy
Secretary
Harry Jennings
Editor
Gene Lindquist
Historian
Allen Heidbreder

Directors
Lionel Garcia
Art Garrison
Bill Petynia
Al Richmond
Roy Pezoldt
Dean Woodruff
Jim Wyatt

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.  There was 21  minutes, no letters or financial documents.  There was one interesting letter dated August 7, 1973 from Harry Jennings to Theo Taylor of The Rotary Club of Epping Australia regarding swapping small cultural gifts.   A thank you handwritten letter  followed a little later from Taylor to Jennings about the area and his profession.

There were 2 out a possible 47 newsletters, Blastoffs, assuming  that a Blastoff was issued every Club meeting day.  The Club Programs and Special Events  listing noted 17 programs.  The Blastoffs were legal size written on front and back in various colors such as pink, orange, and blue.  A picture of the club meeting being opened with a song. In front center is Marvin Matthews with Allen Heidbreder behind him.  The Club continued to meet at the Nassau Bay Resort Hotel.

The January 1, 1974 Semi Annual Report of Club Membership noted a membership of  125 with no Honorary members.  The  Club's Roster  is based on the January 1, 1974  Semiannual Report of Club Membership.  Six previous presidents were on the membership roster.

The avenue of services committee members are shown in  Committee Members.

Information in the available Board Meeting minutes noted that $2,433 was given to service projects bringing the estimated total amount given since the Club was Chartered in 1964 to $15,706. Although there is no documentation regarding the Drug Awareness Program, this is the sixth year for the program. The amount of monies made from fund raisers since the first recorded fundraiser in 1968 is $15,706 the same as the amount of donations.

The committee to plan the ten year anniversary was established on   March 20, 1974 with Don Kirk, Dick Allen, and Martin Gracey as members.

A previously written   History by Walt Wicker contained the following tribute to Harry Smith.  "Space Center Rotary posthumously awarded its first Paul Harris Fellowship to Harry Smith, following his death in August 1972.  He was a charter member of the club, and his activities are best described by a quote from a tribute as written by Gene Lindquist.  "For the past nine years Harry Smith became widely known in the Clear Lake and Houston areas because of his untiring efforts to help out in many civic programs and for the tremendous part he played in the development of Clear Lake City, an Humble Oil and Friendswood Development Company project..."   “During these years he was actively engaged in serving many worthwhile civic endeavors.  He was a charter member of the Space Center Rotary Club and served as a Director for 1971-72, a charter member of the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce Blue Coat Committee and its chairman in 1971-72.  He was also elected to the Chamber's Board for a three year term, 1971-74.  He was a longtime member of the Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo and each year took large part in the general overall stock show activities.  He helped organize the Stock Show's "GO-TEXAN" Committee and for several years was chairman of the NASA-Clear Lake Area "GO-TEXAN" Committee, and was very active on the Lamb Auction Committee for the Stock Show."  Harry's wife, Pat, received this award during a luncheon meeting of Rotary on July 30, 1973."

The following information about the beginning of the Shrimporee (Shrimpeel was the original term used in the Board meeting minutes) was taken from a previously written History by Walt Wicker .
"A group of Rotarians headed by Ben Andrews from the Brazosport Club initiated this event as a sponsor.  President Rex Bailey appointed an ad hoc committee in December 1973 to study the feasibility of such a project.  The Committee report to the Board early in 1974 stated that 100% participation by club members was necessary to insure success for the project.  Some sixteen committees were required in planning, procurement, preparation, and finally clean-up.  Activities were to start two months prior to the event.  Brazosport's 10 years of success and a net profit of approximately $10,000 for 1973, with that club's members willing to furnish manpower and recipes, was apparently all the encouragement the Board needed to vote "for" this event........Galveston County Park (League City) was selected as the site, July 20 as the date."

The undated write-up below provides additional information on the history of the Shrimporee.
"Marvin Matthews, who is deceased and a former president of Space Center Rotary, was the founder of the Space Center Rotary Club Shrimporee and Auction.  A friend of his told him about the Brazosport Rotary Fishfry and Auction.  Marvin got several people in the club to go down and watch their event.  They were very impressed.  Along with them on that trip were Al Jowid and Don Ojick.  The idea for the event was proposed to the club board and approved.  Marvin became chairman, Al Jowid volunteered to fry fish and Don Augic agreed to handle the auction.  Those involved in the planning felt that the hard work during the event would give the members an excellent opportunity to get to know each other better whether it made an money or not."

The 65th Rotary International Convention was held June 9-13, 1974  in Minneapolis-St. Paul MN, USA .  There were 10,015 in attendance and no record of anyone from Rotary of Space Center, Houston attending.

No record could be found regarding District 589 Conference.

Rotary year 1973-74 was placed in the archives in July 2009.