Jim Knight edited his first weekly bulletin for the Kansas City, Kansas Rotary Club on March 13, 1970. Fifty+ years later he edited his last. An excerpt of that War Whoop is posted below.
There are not enough words to express how grateful we are for his more than 50 years of service as Secretary to our club. Thank you Jim!
Volume 82 July 3, 2020 No. 01
This is my final bulletin after 50 plus years as your secretary and editor of the weekly bulletin. When President Dr. Dick Keim walked into my office and asked me to be the club secretary back in 1969, I never thought the position would last this long. To say it has been a privilege and an honor to serve as your secretary is an understatement. I have met most of leaders in this community over the years, and been able to call them by first names, because of my position as your secretary and because so many of the leaders in this community have been members of this club.
I had to start by using an electric typewriter at the YMCA after getting off work in the evening. I had to take the bulletin to a printer nearby and then stuff the bulletin in envelopes. Tuesday evening I typed up the bulletin, Wednesday morning I would take it to the printer and that evening I would stuff the bulletin in the envelopes and Thursday morning would take them to the Post Office. For several years I was using first class stamps. Went to a Rotary Conference and found that we could use a permit to mail the bulletins saving Rotary money over the years. The permit cost less for the year than a month of first class stamps.
Then Greg Shondell introduced email to Rotary in 2006. I was not sure that email was the way to go. I did not understand the computer and still don’t as Greg and Terry Robinson will tell you. By that time I had purchased my own electric typewriter, which I still have stowed away in my closet. To my amazement the computer was well received by members, at least I did not get many complaints. There were many days during the winter months that I looked out my window at the snow and thought about printing the bulletin and was happy to send it by email. I was so thankful that I did not have get out in the weather and drive to the post office.
When I became secretary, Abe Shapiro was our Sgt at Arms for many years. Abe was a true Rotarian as he would come early and stay after a meeting (many meetings). After Abe died, Rosemary Podrebarac volunteered or was elected to the position as the Sgt at Arms (not sure which). What a blessing she has been, covering for me when I was sick, out of town, printing the bulletin, just doing my job when it needed to be done. For some reason, someone has always stepped in when I needed help. Bill Strumillo has been faithful in coming in and staying late in putting out the materials each week. There are so many Rotarians that I could thank for staying around and picking up the materials each week. You know who you are. Many times when I was late in getting ready for a meeting, a Rotarian would step in and help.
Again I want to thank Greg Shondell and Terry Robinson for their endless hours of working with me on the computer. I am sure without their help our club would still be behind times. Thanks to Rosemary for bailing me out at the last minute so many times. And thanks to the presidents of the club for being patient with me over the years. And lastly, thanks to my wife Eva for proofreading spelling errors in the bulletin for so many years.
