I was born in Cooperstown, New York, June 23, 1949. (I may be able to claim being the first American-born President of our club!) My wife, Terry, and I were raised in Napa, California from the age of 6, thus claim the distinction of having lived in two of the greatest wine-growing regions in the world! Terry and I were married shortly after graduating from high school, and I soon left for the 9-month active duty portion of a 6-year enlistment with the US Naval Air Reserve.
Upon completion of my active duty with the Navy, I began my career in oil refining as a Refinery Technician, with Exxon USA. Some 22 years later, I ended my oil career as Vice-President of Refining for an independent refiner in Long Beach California. Along the way, I returned to college as an adult student, acquiring an Associate of Science degree in Business Management from Rancho Santiago College.
Having grown weary of the struggles of the oil industry and life in Southern California, Terry and I set about looking for a business opportunity in a place we would choose to live. There were a few contenders, but Kelowna ended up the clear choice. After maneuvering our way through the immigration system, we were finally successful in being admitted to Canada, and completed the purchase of a local sign company, "Prosign," in April of 1991.
I joined Rotary later in 1991 and have served on the fund-raising, minor donations, awards, and golf tournament committees over the years, as well as the Pleasantvale Homes Society Board. I served a three-year term on the Board of Directors as Director of Fund Raising and after a break, re-joined the Board in 2000 as Vice-President. I was elected President in December of 2001. Throughout my time in Rotary, I have attended many District events, including assemblies, seminars, and training, and Terry and I have attended four District Conferences and one International Conference. I am a Paul Harris Fellow and a Foundation Benefactor.Terry and I have two grown children, Jeff and Rachel, who now both live in the Kelowna area. My personal interests include golf, fly-fishing, and skiing.
The year in review:It was indeed a great honour and a pleasure to serve as President of the Rotary Club of Kelowna from July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2003! I was privileged to have a highly motivated Board of Directors with whom to work for "my year." Together, we set goals for all of the Rotary "Avenues of Service," and I am proud to report that we received both the Club Citation and Presidential Citation for our work in achieving those goals.
I think every President has projects and accomplishments that stand out in his or her mind, and I am no different.Our 2002-3 International President, Bhichai Rattakul set his theme as "Sow the Seeds of Love," in the world, our communities, and our club. To that end, we established the "Member Care" committee, to stay connected with members who may need support, and to reduce attrition. A "Fireside" with 20 in attendance was held, and an email network was set up to send a weekly summary of events and announcements at the meeting, as well as to keep members informed about illnesses, deaths, etc. in a timely way. All of this went a long way toward helping to exceed our membership goals, adding 19 new members for a net growth of 9.
We continued our club's tradition of making a strong commitment to youth by way of another successful RYLA conference, hosting an inbound student from France, sending a student from Kelowna to Argentina, supporting the "One-to-One Literacy program both financially and with volunteers, and conducting another successful Student Public Speaking competition. Another "Real World Interviews" program was carried out with Grade 10 students at Kelowna Secondary School, and initial contacts were made about starting an Interact chapter there. We also continued our support of Junior Achievement and bursaries to senior secondary school students.
The Rotary year 2003-2003 also marked the "rebirth" of Rotary's drive to eradicate polio, this time termed "Fulfilling our Promise." The Club enthusiastically supported one of the most ambitious goals in the District, a pledge to contribute $32,000 over 3 years! By year's end, we were already well on the way to achieving that. It was a proud moment when, in June 2003 at the International Conference in Brisbane, Australia Terry and I were present for the announcement that the International goal had actually been met and exceeded!
In spite of the large commitment to Polio Eradication, our Foundation giving reached a new high, exceeding the club goal, and gaining us recognition as #2 in total giving for all of District 5060.
The club endorsed a $10,000 donation to New Opportunities for Women. Pooled with major donations from most of the clubs in Area 4, and a matching grant from the province, a home was purchased which now houses young mothers who are trying to escape sexual exploitation, along with their children.
Several smaller donations were made in support of causes such as Meals on Wheels, Families of Children Utilizing Services, the Kelowna Food Bank, Crimestoppers, BC Special Olympics, Kelowna Gospel Mission, CNIB, the Salvation Army.and several more. All of this was, of course, made possible by the proceeds from our annual golf tournament and other fundraisers held throughout the year. Other efforts at "Sowing the Seeds of Love" in our local community included the kick-off of an Organ Donor Awareness campaign, working at Pleasantvale Homes, and hosting the annual "Seniors' Barbeque."
Our club once again played a major role in raising the funds to meet the Area 4 commitment of $350,000 toward building the "Rotary Centre for the Arts" by working tirelessly on selling raffle tickets all summer.
In the area of International Service, we continued follow-up on the Amreli, India water/sewer project with member Murli Pendharker visiting the site once again. We also applied for a matching grant for a new project to build toilets in Sri Lanka, and supported a project in Brazil.
The various Club Service committees worked tirelessly on a variety of projects including completion of archiving our historical records, updating our rosters, scheduling informative and interesting programs, holding great social events, recognizing Vocational Service Excellence, publishing an award-winning newsletter, and so much more!
I had the "luck of good timing" to be President in our club's 75th year. Our Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Gala was held at the Kelowna Golf and Country Club on June 10, 2003. History, fellowship, and awards were shared amongst members and their partners, as well as the District Governor-Elect, the Asst. District Governor, and several past District Governors. Club member and Past RI Vice-President, Harold Henderson was recognized as having attended the 25th, 50th, and 75th anniversaries! It was truly a historical evening and for me, a wonderful way to end a memorable year.
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