Texas REACT State Council History 1990/TITLE> </HEAD> <body TEXT=#000000 LINK=#0000ff VLINK=#ff00ff body BACKGROUND = backgray.gif > <img align=left src="react2.gif" width=100 height=100><br><br> <H2>Texas REACT State Council History 1990</H2> <H3>Compiled by Keren Pratz, Council Historian</H3> <p> <br><img align=middle src=alum.gif><br><br> <font size=+1> <H2>SLUMP IN COMMUNICATIONS IN '90</H2> <P> The Council suffered from a lack of communications in 1990. Only three "BREAK-9's" plus a supplementary meeting notice to Teams and Council officers were published during the year and few awards were given. Teams got discouraged and stopped sending regular information about their Team to the newsletter editor and the Awards Committee Chairman. <P> Nineteen Teams were represented by 102 members at the March 3 meeting of the Council in Brownwood. Brownwood school students signed the Star Spangled Banner in Sign Language to open the meeting. Al Moore led the Pledge of Allegiance and F. E. Healer led the Invocation. There was a silent prayer for Curtis Bell who was absent because of ill health. A card was passed so all could wish him well. Later in the meeting attention was drawn to a jar at the front of the room for donations for Curtis' daily kidney dialysis. Mayor Bert Massey and Police Chief Joe Don Taylor welcomed us to Brownwood. <P> San Angelo REACT Association's new communications van was available for viewing during the lunch break and after the meeting. <P> Delegates were: Stacy Elms and F. E. Healer from Area II, Ed Williford and Philip Aikin from Area IV, Frank Graves and Keren Pratz from Area V, Ivan Knox and LaVada Thomas from Area VI, J. L. Riley and Dan Frazel from Area VII,Weldon Pittman, Sr. and Dorothy McLemore from Area VIII. <P> Richard Pratz read REACT International's new mission statement: <P> <FONT SIZE=+2>"To enhance the personal safety of every citizen through volunteer members who provide emergency services through radio communications." He noted that REACT's objective is "to become the foremost recognized supplier of private emergency communications offered, made up solely of volunteers."</FONT> <P> Rena Pittman showed a ceramic pin in the shape of the state of Texas with the word REACT on it that is available on order from Dorothy McLemore for $2.50 each. State Council gets $.50 for each pin ordered. <P> Lee Besing reported on the formation of the Texas REACT Amateur Radio Club. The Council approved the proposed by-laws for TRARC as part of the State Council. <P> A plea for help with the state Special Olympic Games held in San Marcos on May 23-25 was well worded by Allan Tyler. <P> Stuart DeLuca told Teams how to request Safety Break Funds from HEB Grocery Corp. <P> LaVada Thomas presented the Emma Knox Award to Rose Bell of Rockwall County REACT. Weldon Pittman, Sr. served as auctioneer of items donated for a ways & means fundraiser. A total of $284.50 was raised by the sale and auction. <P> Allan Tyler presented the Area II Travel Trophy to San Angelo REACT Association whose seven members attending traveled 623 miles. The Area V trophy was awarded to Team 3622 of San Antonio whose five attendees traveled 785 miles. The State Travel Trophy went to Area VIII with 30 members present (23 of them from Rockwall County) for a total of 4,914 miles. <P> Eddie Howard of San Angelo offered the use of his trained search dog to REACTors searching for lost individuals. Emma is trained for city or wilderness work. <P> Brownwood REACT served a free supper after the meeting. <P> Volume II, Letter 2 of BREAK-9 was dedicated to the memory of Executive Vice President Curtis Bell who died March 21, 1991. REACT friends flew to Corsicanna from as far away as California and Wisconsin to serve as Navarro County Law, Fire and Emergency Management officials were honorary pallbearers. <P> The newsletter began with an article on how to publicize your Team during May, National REACT Month, and ended with a copy of a proclamation signed by Mayor Lila Cockrell attesting to the fact that May was "National REACT Month" in San Antonio. Bobby Jones again requested Team disaster equipment and training information, though the requisite form was not included in the newsletter. <P> A reprint of the February 10, 1990 announcement by REACT International of Ron Mayes' resignation was included as well as a three page letter to all Councils and Teams from James E. Bear, President of the REACT International Board of Directors. (In retrospect, it is interesting that the main points that he asked convention goers to be prepared to discuss in Spokane were actually the topics featured in the controversial pre-convention discussion groups called before most of the delegates even got registered in the hotel on Sunday.) <P> This BREAK-9 included the newly adopted Bylaws of the Texas REACT Amateur Radio Club and an application for membership in the group. It also included a listing of the twenty Texas REACT Amateur Radio Club members that Lee Besing knew of by April 1st, along with the call signs and telephone numbers that he knew. More than a page was devoted to information about the upcoming Amateur Field Day at the Amarillo State Council meeting. <P> On June 23, 1990, the Council met in Area VI at the Camelot Inn in Amarillo. Randall County Judge Purcell, founder of Panhandle Emergency Medical Services, gave the civic welcome and spoke of the 999 times that REACT should be better paid than just the "thank you" they get. City Commissioner Jennings noted that the United States was founded on Volunteerism with neighbor helping neighbor just as REACTors do. <P> Area II was represented by F. E. Healer and Keith Jones. Area IV's delegates were Robert Beran and Ed Williford. Keren Pratz and Tom Isaac represented Area V. LaVada Thomas and Ivan Knox were the delegates from Area VI. From Area VII there was J. L. Riley and Dan Frazl and Judy Bell and Weldon Pittman represented Area VIII. Sixteen people from Dallas County REACT were in Amarillo, but only five were able to attend the meeting. The others were involved in setting up for the Amateur Field Day Event. <P> Elections were held to fill the vacancies left when Curtis Bell died and when Judy Rogers resigned from Lake Palestine REACT. Charles Thompson was elected Executive Vice-President and Rebecca Beran was elected Secretary for the remainder of the term. <P> About 25 REACT Amateur Radio operators were setting up at the Fair Grounds for the Amateur Field Day at the REACT Community Center to last for 24 hours beginning at 1:00 p.m. <P> The Council voted to support Dallas County REACT's bid for the 1992 International convention. They turned down an appeal by the proposed Lake Athens REACT to establish a second Team in Athens. <P> J. L. Riley donated a GMRS Radio to the Council to use in a fund raiser. A belt buckle made by Dan Frazl was auctioned off and Joe West of Amarillo was the winning bidder. Teams were urged to sell ads for "BREAK-9" and they will get 25% of the cost of a one-time ad and 50% of the cost of any six-time ad that they sell. <P> Alan Tyler reported that 21 REACTors assisted at the State Special Olympics and we had been asked to be in charge of Security at the games in 1991 to be held Wednesday through Friday of the week before Memorial Day. The Council voted to take on that project. <P> Keren Pratz was elected delegate to the REACT International Convention to replace Curtis Bell who died in March. Dorothy McLemore was elected alternate delegate since she would be attending to pick up the Team of the Year award! <P> Eighteen Teams were represented by 56 people who traveled a total of 15,934 miles. Brownwood won the Area II travel trophy with three people there. McGregor had four people present and won the Area V travel trophy. Area VIII won the state travel trophy. <P> Keith Jones won the Emma Knox award. <P> The nominating committee members were: Frances Riley, Keren Pratz and Robert Beran. The Area VI Teams hosted a free Bar-B-Que Dinner at the Potter County REACT bldg. at the Fairgrounds after the meeting. <P> Volume 11, Letter 3 of BREAK-9 appeared as the June/July issue. It's first page bragged about being the first place winner of the 1990 REACT International Newsletter contest. It included a paraphrased version of the March meeting minutes which has been written from audiotapes by Henry Pittman. It included a fine report on the State Olympic games by Allan Tyler with lots of "lessons learned" to help us do a better job in 1991. For instance only 13 REACTors worked and only a few of them for the entire three days. We need at least twice that many people, and more if they can't stay for the duration. <P> A report from Stuart DeLuca noted that only one-third of the state's Teams responded to his safety break survey. Only about half of these have conducted safety breaks recently. About 25% plan to have them in the near future. While it was a pretty disappointing response to a timely and necessary request for information, Stuart was not too discouraged to continue with his plans to use HEB's donation to assist those Teams who take the time and trouble to assist motorists by holding safety breaks. <P> In October of 1990 a thin, white covered Vol 11, Issue 4 of BREAK-9 gave directions to the November 3rd meeting, announced the passing of Ivan Knox, gave the minutes of the June meeting and contained a short note from Richard Pratz thanking those who thought of him during his knee replacement surgery and the recovery period. <P> On November 3, 1990 the Council met at The Day's Inn on N.E. Loop 410 in San Antonio. Corky Bryant led the invocation and Frank Graves led the Pledge. Guest speakers Lila Cockrell, San Antonio mayor who thanked us for our dedicated service as "unsung heros" and Fred Diaz who heads the Fiesta Flambeau parade. Mr. Diaz complimented REACT for their expert and efficient communications. <P> Delegates were Stacy Elms and Eldridge Bryant from Area II, Ed Williford and Irene Carpenter from Area IV, Frank Graves and Keren Pratz from Area V, Yvonne Parsons and LaVada Thomas from Area VI, J.L. and Frances Riley from Area VII, and Judy Bell and Dorothy McLemore from Area VIII. <P> Treasurer Judy Thompson recognized the contributors to the Memorial Fund in honor of Ivan Knox who died on August 28. The Council voted to send $50 to REACT International so that his name would appear on their Memorial Plaque. <P> Lee Besing explained that BREAK-9 subscriptions would be extended to make up for missing issues and offered the job to anyone who could get the newsletter out on a more regular basis. Bobby Jones asked that a copy of the Disaster Equipment form go out in the next BREAK-9. <P> Debbie Trammel showed some prospective new Supply items. The Council approved the purchase of four dozen black caps. <P> The afternoon session began with Corky Bryant introducing his new bride, Rebecca, (also known as Becky). <P> Stacy Elms announced that no awards had been given in '89 (and yet Lake Palestine REACT won International Team of the Year!) and only two were given for 1990. These were to Team 3622 in San Antonio for January and to Brownwood REACT for April. <P> Chuck Thompson announced that QST magazine reported our June 23rd effort as "Southwest REACT ARRL Field Day." With three complete stations and five antennas, the group operated 24 consecutive hours from the Amarillo Fairgrounds amassing 2500 points to place 240 out of a field of 600. <P> Ground rules for use of the HEB Safety Break Grant were hammered out with the assistance of Stuart DeLuca. Travis County REACT will collect requests for funds and distribute them to Teams who are located within 25 miles of an HEB store and who meet the criteria established. The status of the fund will be reported at each Council meeting. <P> Teams were invited to assist Lake Palestine REACT with communications support for the Henderson County Fair. Allan Tyler was named coordinator of the event. <P> Brownwood REACT presented the State Council with a new Trophy for Team of the Year. <P> Ed Williford introduced a fund raiser idea to sell ID stickers for children and others who can't identify themselves. <P> Allan Tyler can buy 2-watt, 2 channel radios with a pair of crystals and a microphone for $164.79. A second set of crystals would be available for $35. The Council voted to buy one to serve as a fundraising prize. <P> After nominations of officer candidates, the Council allowed time for Area representatives to caucus with their members before the election to ensure that the delegates voted according to the wishes of the members. The officers elected were: J. L. Riley of Area VII as President, Bobby Jones of Area II as Executive Vice-President, Allan Tyler of Area IV as Vice-President, Rena Pittman of Area VIII as Secretary, Frances Riley of Area VII as Treasurer, and Tom Isaac of Area V as Sergeant-at-Arms. Frank Stamps of Area VI will be the 1991-92 Past President. <P> The GMRS radio donated by J. L. Riley brought in $308 and was won by Frank Graves of Team 3622. Peggy Tyler won $66 of the 50/50 pot. <P> The June 22, 1991 meeting will be in Longview and the November 9, 1991 meeting will be in Austin. <P> Fifty-seven people from fourteen Teams registered for the meeting. Total mileage was 10,562. Brownwood REACT won the Area II Travel Trophy with 1148 miles. Bell County REACT won the Area V Travel Trophy with 508 miles. The State Travel Trophy was won by Area VIII with 2373 miles. Area VI chalked up 2261 miles and Area IV had 1892 miles. <P> A $4800 budget was adopted. <P> There was a display of materials from the Spokane, WA International Convention. Dorothy McLemore picked up the K-40 Team of the Year Award for Lake Palestine REACT who also won the best small Team newsletter contest. Dorothy won two very expensive hand-made dolls at the closing banquet. Ron McCracken of Ontario, Canada is the new President of REACT International and Richard Pratz is the Secretary of the Board. Texas won the best Council newsletter contest. The 1991 Convention will be July 22-25 in Melbourne, Florida. <P> </font> <CENTER><img align=bottom src="alum.gif"></CENTER><br> <address><center>Created October 9, 1995 by <a href=mailto:puterman@stic.net> Lee W. Besing </a>.</center> <center>Last update: <tt>October 9, 1995</tt></center> </address> </BODY> </HTML>