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1962-1963
Officers |
Directors |
|
Dr. Thompson E. Potter |
President |
Frank H. Gee |
Volney H. Whaley* |
1st Vice President |
Finley F. Fiske |
Robert Barrie |
2nd Vice President |
Montford A. Mead |
Leon H. Rosen |
Secretary |
Melvin C. Brown |
Jacob M. Ford, II |
Treasurer |
Dr. Paul M. Beck |
Gilbert R. Pickett |
Sgt at Arms |
|
Jack W. Clayton |
Asst Sgt at Arms |
|
* Whaley replaced Earl Miner
The president of Rotary International was Nitish C. Laharry of Calcutta, India. Everett Brown from the Maryville club was governor of District 603.
Our 1962-63 Rotary year started out with a bang, after my own inauguration, with a report of the 1962 convention by Frank Gee, retiring president. Early in the year, Rotarians Jake Ford, Mont Mead, Stan Cox and James Hower were chosen for and played important positions in the United Funds Drive, the first two named being director and executive director, respectively. At this time, we were saddened by the departure of one of our oldest and most respected Rotarians, Dr. C.M. Chilton, who passed away at the age of 94.
Bob Barrie and Stan Cox were honored by supreme achievements in the Safety Organization, and the "I like St. Joseph" group, spearheaded by Carl Schuchardt and Waldo Burger, started the movement to bring a branch of the Tarkio College here. Our newly elected first vice-president, Earl Miner had to resign because of his transfer to New York City, and the Club felt a distinct loss in this. He was ably replaced by Vol Whaley, who will assume the presidency of the Club next year.
Death and transfers and many new members seemed to be a mark of my year in the presidency. We took in more new members than we had for many years, but also lost a good many. However, the membership increased approximately eight, despite the tremendous turnover.
In the early part of the year, one of our respected members, Lester Miller, past president and president emeritus of the Boy Scouts, died after a long illness. Rev. John Cowan was appointed to the newly created City Health and Welfare Board, and our golf tournament at Moila Country Club was even more of a success than previously. We were saddened by the death of Harry Korns in a street accident.
At about the same time we had our memorable deer hunt in Sheridan, Wyoming, in October 1962, in which about 25 members participated, all getting a deer and having a splendid time, thanks to the arrangements of a committee headed by Dr. Ernest Wadlow and Glen ridges. About this time the Cuban missile crisis was on us, and at our annual banquet, Dr. Nicholas Nyaradi of Bradley University presented a most memorable address, which made a great impression on all the Rotarians present.
A summer activity, that was enjoyed by a large number of Rotarians and their Anns, was a special bus trip to the Kansas City Starlight theatre. This committee was ably headed by O.E. Gookins, and represented a lot of planning on the part of the committee.
Our old friend and Rotarian, Erba Smith, passed away after a long illness, and also, in November 1962, Rotarians Wilbur McDonald, Herb Warres, and President Tom Potter were recognized in the paper as among the 12 members in this community of the American College of Surgeons.
A memorable program was given on December 4, 1962, by Donald Voorhees, nationally known conductor of the Bell Telephone Hour, who also was here to guest conduct the St. Joseph Symphony Orchestra. The year was brought to an end with our traditional successful students Christmas Party. This seemed a fitting climax to a year in which we had increased our participation as a 200% club in the Rotary Foundation program for the year 1962. It was also a fitting climax of many fine programs secured by our hard-working program committee under the continued able leadership of Dr. Walter Kimball.
In January 1963, Past President Frank Gee was nominated for Rotary District Governor by our club, and also a very extensive article on Rotary International appeared in several national magazines. Rotary took large steps forward this year under the leadership of the first Asian president of Rotary International, Nitish Laharry.
Many business successes, promotions and notable achievements of various Rotarians were continuously listed in our papers, resulting in more than the usual number of recognitions and fines at our weekly club meetings. In the spring, club president, Dr. Tom Potter was elected president of the St. Joseph Symphony Society in the beginning of its fifth year, and Rotarian Carl Schuchardt was elected president of community Concerts for the coming year.
Our club gave a tremendous contribution to the community with the Free Enterprise Forum, at which Dr. Hyaradi returned and spoke not only to the general public in an all-day forum, but to each of the High School assemblies. This extensive enterprise, which required much planning, was ably headed by second vice-president Mel Brown. The Rotary District Conference in April, in Maryville, was a very inspiring and well-attended affair with about 20 Rotarians and their Anns attending. It was held on the campus of Northwest Missouri State College, under the fine leadership of District Governor Everett Brown. Dr. Nyaradi appeared on the program.
A few days later, under the sponsorship of our club, he gave an address at a joint Civic Club meeting of all the service clubs of St. Joseph, attended by 900 people.
Again we were saddened by the death of one of our former presidents, Fred Karr. As previously mentioned, our club was most unfortunate during the year in losing many of our long time outstanding and faithful members.
A fitting climax to the 1962-63 year took place in two different spheres, the first being our traditional enterprise, the Rotary Boys Camp at Camp Marvin Hillyard, attended by 80 underprivileged boys, and the second being the first Rotary International Convention to be held close to home in many years, at St. Louis, Missouri. This was attended by the president, Dr. Tom Potter, Vol Whaley, Frank Gee, Leon Rosen, Mel Brown, William Guenther and our own executive secretary, Bernice Johnson. The convention was the usual tremendous affair attended by approximately 13,000 Rotarians from all over the world, a very worthwhile and inspiring experience for all.
My year in the presidency was culminated by this convention, and in handing over the reins in June, 1963, to newly elected president, Vol Whaley, I am sure that the Club has been strengthened, has had a worthwhile year, and will continue forward to new accomplishments, charitable and community activities, and valuable experiences for all. As a contribution to the more proper functioning of the club, the president formulated and introduced for passage a comprehensive by-law revision in two spheres that were brought into focus more sharply y two main overall events of the year, namely, the International Convention, and the designation of Frank Gee as District Governor. These two by-laws had to do with choosing, sending and financing delegates to Rotary International Conventions, so that we would always be represented, and brought some order out of no previous specific method of doing this. In regard to the District Governor, the amendment was adopted in that he, or any officer of Rotary international, including a Rotary International committee, would e a member of the board as long as he held such office, irrespective of any office held in the local Rotary Club.
The members, officers, board of directors, committee chairmen, and hardworking members of committees did a splendid job, and we are very thankful for all their energy and efforts.
Notable Events of Fiscal 1962-1963
·
July 7: Lester
B. Miller, past president of this club and retired Boy Scout Executive
died at the age of 65.
·
July 18: The
largest space vehicle ever sent aloft, a balloon which inflated to the
height of a 13-story building, was rocketed 922 miles above the Atlantic
Ocean as a forerunner of an advanced Echo communications satellite.
·
October 23: President
J.F. Kennedy ordered a United States "Quarantine" blockade of Cuba.
Continental Can Co. doubled the size of its plant on the Easton
Road.
·
August 23: Annual
golf tournament at Moila. 114
golfers; 173 attended dinner.
·
October 9: The
Club donated $225 to the Bantam Football League.
·
October 23: Thirty
Rotarians and their wives left for Sheridan Wyoming, for a Rotary Deer
hunt sponsored by the Sheridan Rotary Club in the Big Horn Mountains.
Dr. E.E. Wadlow and Glen Bridges were in charge of the
arrangements.
·
January 23: 12
degrees below zero on January 23, 1963
·
January 22: James
M. Hower was reelected as president of St. Joseph Community Concert
Association.
·
January 16: Fire
swept through a Woodbury Chemical Co. warehouse at 720 South 4th
Street, destroying the building and its contents.
·
January 22: A
bill calling for a Missouri University branch here to provide third and
fourth year college work was introduced into the Missouri House of
Representatives.
·
January 30: Barent
Springsted, Jr., was elected chairman of the Salvation Army Advisory
Board.
·
January 31, St. Joseph tied for second place in its
population class in a National Safety Council rating of cities with low
traffic fatality rates. Walter
D. Ladd is head of the Safety Council in St. Joseph.
·
November 16: Don
K. Spalding, potentate of Moila Temple, welcomed George M. Klepper,
imperial potentate of the Shrine of North America.
·
December 6, 1962: Donald
Voorhees, conductor of the Bell Telephone Hour Orchestra, was the guest
conductor of the St. Joseph Symphony Orchestra.
·
May 4: By Laws
amended.
· June 1963: Rotary International Convention held in St. Louis, Mo. The Rotary Club entered a float in the Apple Blossom Parade.