Texas REACT State Council History 1976

Compiled by Keren Pratz, Council Historian




IN THE BEGINNING...

No formal records about the work of REACT in Texas were available for this first historical effort prior to the May 26, 1976 letter that was mailed to Texas REACT delegates inviting them to a meeting in Austin on June 19th. The delegates who received it were:

NORTH GULF COAST AREA -
NORTH CENTRAL AREA -
EAST TEXAS AREA -
CENTRAL AREA - Only two Teams were listed from CENTRAL AREA and no delegates were named for either of them:

A letter went out from REACT International on June 9, 1976 to all REACT Teams in Texas inviting them to a meeting to be held at the Villa Capri Motor Hotel in Austin on June 19th. It was hoped that this would be a strong step toward the establishment of an effective state REACT council in Texas.

When the roll call was taken on June 19th, the representatives from the North Gulf Coast Area were as invited, except O. L. Boatman represented Harris County REACT, and Ron Sparks of Brazoria County REACT #2988, Robert Tanosec of Montgomery County REACT #2477 and Paul Margraves of Chambers County REACT #C-595 were also present. Those from North Central Area were as invited, except that Gene Attaway represented Chisholm Trail REACT. The East Texas Area was represented as invited except no one is listed as attending from Sulphur Springs. Six Central Area Teams were represented, though there still were no named representatives from Tem-Bel REACT or Bexar County REACT. The other Central Texas Teams and their delegates were: Blue Bonnet REACT, Wilma Richardson who had volunteered to take minutes of the meeting; Lake Country REACT #3222, Danny Thomas; Kerr County REACT #2811, Gene Meyers; and Central Texas REACT #2769 at Lampassas, Larry Blaine. South Texas was represented by: Hildalgo REACT #2976, Bob Hawbaker, and Tip-O-Tex REACT #2279, Wallis Marrow.

A news release dated June 29, 1976 and written by Joe Ferguson of Hidalgo County REACT identified those in an enclosed picture, in addition to himself, as Pat and Dennis Gaines, Dakato and Joe Aschbacher, and Doris and Bob Hawbaker. He noted that Don Sparks of Brazoria County REACT had served as Chairman and that they had voted to divide the state into eight geographical regions. Each region would form a council and elect two representatives to serve on the state council. Structurally, the avenue of communications remained directly to the teams through National Headquarters and from the teams to National Headquarters. The council of teams would assist in providing cooperation and coordination between teams within the given area. Other purposes of these councils were to provide representation to law enforcement officials and other official agencies; to provide representation to State and National REACT meetings; to provide national headquarters with local guidance in matters related to eligibility of new teams, status of chartered teams and organization of new teams to expand REACT coverage. The release also announced that the next meeting of the state council would be at the Villa Capri Motor Inn in Austin on August 14, 1976 at 1 p.m.

Ron Sparks and Don Wilkerson were elected to represent Texas State REACT Council at the International REACT Convention to be held in Deerfield, Illinois on August 6-8, 1976.

Pat Gaines forwarded the minutes of the June 19 state council meeting to Ron Sparks on July 26, 1976 along with a report of the July 25 meeting of the regional council for Highway Districts 16 and 21 (later renamed Region 3). Representatives were present from six of their seven chartered teams and two unchartered teams: Raymondville and Portland. In all, 22 people were present. Bob Hawbaker of Hildalgo County REACT was elected Chairman, and Mrs. Gaines was elected Secretary. Their delegates to state council were Dennis Gaines and Ed McIntosh. Their alternate delegates were Afif Mattar and J. W. Blackstone. The minutes of the August 14. 1976 meeting were recorded by Wayne McKnight of Dallas. The twelve elected delegates present were: Ed McIntosh of Portland, Dennis Gaines of McAllen, Ray Adkins of Beaumont, Jim Craighead of Pasadena, Jim Rodgers of Temple, Alan Fitzpatrick of San Antonio, Sharon Svoboda of Dallas, James Powell of Wichita Falls, Ray Allen of Tyler, W. M. Gilliam of Huntsville, O. L. Boatman of Pasadena and Bernie Parker of Grapevine. In all, 45 people attended the meeting. Gerald Reese of REACT International reported from the International Convention that 40 channels would be available for CB beginning January 1, 1977, and Channel 11 would be restored as a general talk channel. REACT had received their tax exemption from the IRS. He announced that November would be celebrated as National REACT month with special promotional materials to be mailed to each team. The very productive International meeting had been attended by representatives from 30 states.

The next State Council meeting was set for November 13, 1976 with the constitution committee meeting at 8 a.m. and the general meeting to begin at 1 p.m. Reservations were to be handled through James Marshall of Travis County REACT.

An August 24, 1976 letter from Pat Gaines to Sharon Svoboda noted the names and person to contact of four formerly approved teams: Trinity Valley REACT #3235, Dayton, John C. Tipton; Cass County REACT #3276, Hughes Springs, Joe Pylant; Comal County REACT #3351, New Braunfels, Gerald A. Halbardier and Wheatheart REACT #3280, Perryton, Leo Shuler. The 12 teams approved at the August 14, 1976 State Council meeting were: West Brazoria County REACT, Brazoria, Yvonne L. Pruitt; Brazos County REACT, Bryan, Roy C. Wiggins, President; San Jacinto County REACT, Coldsprings, Earl C. Guynes, President; Collin County REACT, McKinney, Robert D. Lambert, Board Chairman; Mineola Lake County REACT, Mineola, Jim Blankenship; Portland Area REACT, Portland, Ed McIntosh; Willacy County REACT, Raymondville, Faye Fugett, Secretary; Aransas County C.B. Radio Ass'n, Joyce Lee, Treasurer; and San Angelo REACT Ass'n, San Angelo, John D. Branham.

The North Central Texas REACT Council was formed at a meeting on September 18, 1976 with representatives present from Chisolm Trail REACT, Cleburne; Collin County REACT, McKinney; Dallas County REACT, Dallas; Kemp REACT, Kemp; Lamar County REACT, Paris; Metroplex REACT, Fort Worth; and Texoma REACT, Wichita Falls. They thought that they were the last area in Texas to form a Council. Ray Slaughter of Dallas County REACT was elected temporary Chairman and Wayne McKnight of Dallas County REACT was elected temporary Secretary. They took the Southern California REACT Constitution and by-laws and adapted them to the Council's specific needs. They planned to meet in Dallas on November 20 to elect officers and adopt by-laws.

A letter from Wayne McKnight on Operation REACT Watch of Dallas letterhead to Pat Gaines dated September 26, 1976 says that he had received a print-out from Dallas County REACT that listed 107 teams in Texas and he asked her to verify that number.

A letter from Pat Gaines to Don Wilkerson dated September 27, 1976 enclosed a map with the REACT regions colored in and numbered. The highway districts which made up each region are as follows: 

	District			Region
	6 & 24				1
	7, 8 and 22			2
	16 & 21				3
	12, 13 and 20			4
	9, 14, 15, 17 & 23		5
	4, 5 and 25			6
	1, 2, 3 and 18			7
	10, 11 and 19			8 
	plus Walker County

Pat Gaines wrote to Governor Dolph Briscoe on October 15, 1976 explaining REACT's objectives and thanking him for his help and support of REACT, and the help and support of the citizens of Texas, as well as that of the state's law enforcement agencies. On October 18th, she wrote the state council delegates reminding them of the planned November 13th meeting and urging them to have their mayors proclaim November as REACT month using a sample proclamation that she furnished. She said that arrangements had been made for President Gerald Ford and Governor Dolph Brisco to make proclamations on the national and state level. An additional note to Glenn Taylor of El Paso noted that Ron Sparks was now living in Arkansas but had told her that Taylor was trying to organize a council in Region 1. She offered her assistance. She wrote to Sharon Svoboda on the same day and told her that she did not have the names and addresses of delegates from Regions 2 and 6.

Stuart DeLuca, Executive Officer of Travis County REACT, sent to Ron Sparks, on November 4, 1976 his suggested criteria by which a nearby team could judge whether or not an applying group might prove successful as a REACT team. These draft guidelines for establishing and evaluating a REACT team were provided to all delegates and alternates at the Nov. 13th meeting to be considered for adoption in June.

Minutes of the November 13, 1976 meeting of the State Council list the following delegates: Region 1, Glenn A. Taylor and George R. Robinson; Region 3, Dennis Gaines and J. W. Blackstone; Region 4, Jim Craighead and Jonnie Appleman; Region 5, Alan Fitzpatrick and Jim Rodgers; Region 6, Ivan S. Knox and Daniel Ray Barber; Region 7, Sharon Svoboda and Bernie Parker; Region 8, Art Finley and William Sohne.

The Council voted to accept Dallas County REACT's offer to print the State Council Constitution at no cost to the Council. The proposed Constitution and by-laws was adopted with the change that two meetings be held each year. The November meeting was to be in Austin with the June meeting rotating from Region to Region at a site available for family recreation.

Nueces County REACT of Dibold asked that their application for charter be canceled. In addition to the Teams already mentioned, it was noted that Region 4 had approved an application for Southeast Texas REACT #3516 in Buna and that Region 5 had approved an application from Kingsville. The Council voted to recommend to International that the Bluebonnet REACT charter be revoked. A Mr. Cohen of Granbury had called Bernie Parker asking for the status of a four month old charter application that the state council had not seen. Cedar Creek's application would be processed by Region 7. Atlanta, Texas had been granted charter #3456.

The following counties requested and were granted permission to participate with Region 8: Ellis County, Navarro County, Freestone County, Leon County, Madison County, Grimes County, Limestone County and Montgomery County.

In order to begin with a full slate of officers, it was approved that the runner-up for the presidency be named chairman of the board. That person was Jim Craighead. The other officers elected were: President Alan Fitzpatrick, Vice President Glenn Taylor, Sr., Recording Secretary Wayne McKnight, Treasurer Mike Lucky and Corresponding Secretary Pat Gaines.

A loose note in the 1976 file shows that Bastrop REACT was organized in the summer of 1976 and was issued charter #3416 in October, 1976.

A letter from Pat Gaines to Sharon Svoboda lists teams to be dropped: Edinburg, which had disbanded, Fort Worth #2310 and Harlington #2895. Pat was able to provide an address and telephone of a point of contact in Kingsland for Hill Country REACT #3479.


Created October 9, 1995 by Lee W. Besing .
Last update: October 9, 1995