History
of
The Rotary Club of Space Center (Houston), Texas, and U.S.A.
 Rotary International District 5890 (589)
Club 2010
for 
Rotary Year 1998-1999

President     
Dick H. Gregg, Jr.  

Chartered August 6, 1964

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

Officers
President Elect
Ron Blilie
Secretary
Bill Geissler
Treasurer
David Baldwin
  Sergeant at Arms
Johnny Gibson

Directors
Ava Lunsford
Tim Kropp
Marilyn Musial
Tamara Anderson
Claire Taylor
Jim McDonald
John Christner
Mark Humphrey
Jim Saxe
 

"We, who volunteer, result from the good deeds of some other volunteer, someone who touched our lives in a positive way, someone who caused us to consider public service as a means of repayment of the earlier gift we received.  Rotary allows us to return that gift, to be that inspiration."   Dick Gregg Jr. President Space Center Rotary


The Club continued to meet at the Nassau Bay Hilton each Monday at noon with interesting programs from guest speakers and several programs regarding the Club’s activities, Greg Turley was the Program Director.  Jerome Bourgeois led  the members in songs and the members shared in saying the pledge to the U. S. flag and prayer.  Golf under the leadership of Bill Predmore was a favorite fellowship activity. The Christmas Holiday Dinner at Lakewood Yacht Club provided an opportunity for more fellowship.

Two of the Club members were former District 5890 governors, Floyd Boze 1981-1982 and  Billy Weseman  1993-1994.  Vince Lipovsky, a chartered member of the Club, 13 past presidents, and Floyd Boze continue to attend the weekly Club meetings. The Club’s membership at the end of the Rotary year was  161  members based on the 1 July 1999 Semiannual Report Worksheet and Report. There was a listing and a  directory  of club members.   

Donations of $33,953 were given to local service projects,  the Rotary International Foundation, and the Space Center Rotary Club Endowment Foundation.  The Club's financials for the Rotary year can be viewed by clicking  the   Administrative Budget   and Service Budget.

Three Board meeting  Minutes were  available and the Directors for the avenues of service and some committee members can be reviewed by clicking on  committee members.

There were 2 out of a possible 47 issues of the newsletter, the Blastoff.  It was printed on eleven by eight and one half inch paper on both sides and folded the long way like a book in black ink printed by Barrios Technology.  It contained the call to order, future events, the song of the day, the Directors' reports, make up locations and other information associated with the Club such as  fundraisers and fellowships, and general information.  Inserts were also used for additional pages.   Sheila Self was the editor, there were no pictures in the newsletters.

The 25th  Annual Shrimporee and Auction  was held September 12, 1998 at the Bay Area Community Center next to Landolt Pavilion, Clear Lake Park, Seabrook, Texas. Constable Bill Bailey, Judge Louie Ditta, "Shrimp Chair Rick Clapp?", Judge Steve Phelps,and Commissioner Jim Fonteno (view photo) and Rotary International  District 5890 Governor Bob Franklin were the chairmen. Rick Clapp was the Shrimporee Chairman.  A brochure on the Shrimporee gives the organizations that were supported by the proceeds for the Shrimporee.  Documents from Rotary year 1999-00 notes the total amount of the fundraiser was $27,000.    The total amount of money made from fund raisers since the first recorded fund raiser in 1968 is estimated $660,479.  

This year's Excellence In Law Enforcement Awards committee, chaired by Gerald L. Hurley, had the great privilege of meeting a tremendous group of nominees.  Each one of them represents the best of Law Enforcement, going far beyond the basic requirements of their duties in servicing our families and businesses. It was not easy narrowing down the group of four finalists to a single Officer of the Year for 1999. They are all winners and deserve the recognition and appreciation of all the citizens they serve. Although only one will be recognized as the Officer of the Year, they are all Distinguished Service Award winners and invaluable to our community. The aforementioned was from a brochure on the awards.  There were no records of the finalists or the officer of the year.  The money spent as recorded in the budget was over $2,500 for the awards.