From the Governor

 

Part of the District Governor’s club visit is being shown club projects and fund raisers. Spindletop Rotary was our second visit last July and I remember the Beaumont humidity hitting me full force when I left the car’s AC. Karen and Bobby Chapman loaded Lou and me up to see what makes up their signature fund raiser project: THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS SOAP BOX DERBY.

 

I remember seeing pictures of soap box derbies but these are always in a city that has hills….not flat Beaumont. Unbelievable, this derby is the third largest official soap box derby race in America. The local winners are eligible to compete in the world championship derby in Akron, Ohio each July. Now what about that lack of natural topography for the gravity powered cars to be able to race? Sixteen years ago, the late Jack Hauser brought the idea of a race to Spindletop Rotary just like those he was familiar with in his native Ohio. He convinced the city of Beaumont to close the Maury Meyers Bridge over I-10 for a weekend period. This bridge gives the club, the 1,000 feet of race track that the racers need in order to pick up speed to get across the finish line. The racers are loaded onto equipment that enables two racers to start the race at the same time. At the other, electronic timing equipment provides split second accuracy for determining the winner of the race.  It is up to the drivers to keep the racer in the correct lane and to stop once the finish line is crossed. After the winner is weighed (no secret barbells), the wheels and brakes are checked before the racer is transported back to the top of bridge for the next race.

 

This year, there were sixty seven young people competing for prizes and college scholarships. In addition, there were six special needs children competing in two-seater racers driven by another young person. Friday night is trial run race night. Saturday and Sunday are the official race days with losers being eliminated after a race is lost. They each get two trips down the track with the racer being switched to the other track after a race. This year some 125 people gathered to operate the derby. Spindletop and Beaumont Rotaries, spouses, community groups and Rotary friends made up the derby volunteer group. Lou and I attended the Saturday races and spotted our granddaughter, Ashley, working the finish line. All in all, Spindletop has given more than $300,000 in scholarship since the derby’s inception sixteen years ago. Our District 5910 is greatly enhanced by local club fund raisers such as Spindletop’s Southeast Texas Soap Box Derby.

 

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. This newsletter marks my last as your District Governor. Club visits, District Conference, International Assembly and monthly newsletters are “have to” District Governor duties prescribed by Rotary International. All have been done this Rotary Year of 2016-2017 with the aid of 5910 Rotary Clubs especially by my club, Angelina Rotary, and my dear wife who made all the trips with me.

 

Now as my favorite Rotary author, Cliff Dochterman, states in, As I Was Saying:  “I realize that Rotarians come and go---but District Governors just accumulate.”

 

See you on down the road in Rotary service, 

Gig Langston