-
September 2018 2018
Page 1 of 6 SIR Branch 35 Trail Tips
Branch 35 web site: www.sirinc2.org/branch35/ September 2018
3rd Wednesday, September 19, 2018 Elks Lodge, 4249 El Camino
Real, Palo Alto
Social Hour 11 a.m. – Lunch 11:55 a.m.
Please, IF BRINGING A GUEST OR
NOT ATTENDING!
CALL 650-823-0702
or E-MAIL sir35notify(at)gmail.com
by SATURDAY, Sept. 15 (Leave name and badge #)
PROGRAM
Speaker: Jeffrey Bass, President and CEO of the Hiller
Aviation Museum
Topic: All You Would Like to Know about the Hiller
Aviation Museum Our September speaker will be Jeffrey Bass,
President and CEO of the Hiller Aviation Museum. He joined the
Museum in 2007 with over 20 years of science museum experience in
exhibit and program design, planetarium show production, museum
operations management, and direction of a dome IMAX theater. He is
knowledgeable in aviation, physics, and astronomy. Jeff studied at
San Jose State University with graduate degrees from University of
Michigan. He also holds a Private Pilot Certificate.
Jeffrey will give an account of the 20-year history of
helicopter manufacturing by the Stanley Hillers, father (Sr.) and
son (Jr.) from the 1940s to the 1960s and the history of Hiller
Aviation Museum. Stanley Hiller, Jr. founded the Hiller Aviation
Museum, a
Smithsonian Affiliate museum, in San Carlos in 1998. Today there
are over 50 experimental and production aircraft developed and
built by the Hillers and other leading aircraft innovators,
including Igor Sikorski. The Museum reflects Stanley Hiller, Jr.’s
own participation in Northern California aviation history in which
he produced innovative aircraft the world had never seen, from
personal flying platforms to ramjet tipped rotorcraft. It is
visited by over 98,000 people each year including over 10,000
children from regional K-12 schools. Since opening, the Museum has
served over 1.2 million visitors.
The Big Sir Says . . . In what NEW activity would YOU like to
participate? I hope you were present for the August meeting where
Derek Southern, President of SIR Inc. presented Jim Schlatter’s
Honorary Life membership and Bob Simon’s Senior Honorary Life
Membership. Our team of HLM’s managed to keep Jim in the dark until
his wife, Mary, showed up to join him on stage! Derek also joined
the Branch Executive Committee meeting prior to lunch. Toward the
end of the meeting he made a statement that surprised me: “Seems as
if you need more activities?! Walnut Creek Branch 8 (which is his
home branch) lists 40 events.” Ouch! Well, I had to go check it out
and he is correct that Branch 8 has a plethora of activities, many
of which include spouses and significant others (SOs). Since I have
“harped” on getting our Gentle Sirs enrolled for activities, it
only seems right to keep refreshing them and adding new ones. I am
also of the opinion that we would be best served adding more
activities for spouses and SOs. So, here is my request: Go to the
SIR Branch 8 website at www.sirbr8.com/sir-branch-8/ and, for
inspiration, look at their activities listed on the right side of
the main text; keep in mind any ideas you come up with (personally,
I have to write them down to retain them these days); bring them to
September’s meeting, or send them to Joe Mullen, Branch 35
Activities Director at [email protected]. We will discuss the
list before the October Branch Executive Committee meeting and have
a ballot on the tables at that meeting to select the Top 5. Now,
you know the next thing I am going to ask…are YOU willing to Chair,
Co-Chair, and Recruit candidates to Chair. That would make
launching an activity much easier. Joe is not alone in his
leadership of activities. Duncan MacVicar has agreed to take
ownership of helping form groups for Spouse/SO activities. Ben
Gikis has been Chair of “Events”, which has included Giants games,
Annual Picnic, etc. Any new event activities could receive coaching
from Ben, as well. This is not fully thought out as of this
writing, but Derek “spurred me” into thinking about why haven’t we
been as good at adding FUN activities to Branch 35 as has Branch
8!? My hope is that we can add a few popular activities for 2019
that include our spouses and SOs and keep our branch active and
FUN!
Cheers,
Stan READ ABOUT NEW MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE ON PAGE 6
http://www.sirinc2.org/branch35/http://www.sirbr8.com/sir-branch-8/mailto:[email protected]
-
September 2018 2018
Page 2 of 6 SIR Branch 35 Trail Tips
ROSTER CHANGES
Active Members: 341 Net Monthly Change: +1
EMAIL/PHONE CHANGES Roger Potash [email protected] To correct
August
Trail Tips
NEW MEMBERS
SEPTEMBER ANNIVERSARIES: 10+ YEARS
SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS
During the social hour before every luncheon, 11:00 a.m.
Bring a few and take a few – FREE! After the meeting, residuals
go to Friends of the Library of Los Altos. Share some great books
that you don't think you will read again.
Rehearsal: 2nd Wednesday, September 12, 10:00 a.m. in the Choir
Room, Los Altos Methodist Church. Pre-Meeting Rehearsal: September
19, 11:00 a.m., Elks Lodge. Parody Writers: Bob Simon, David
Skurnick Accompanist: Don Cameron Bob Simon will write the parody
for the September meeting. All are welcome to join our singing.
Every Monday and Thursday, starting at 8:00 a.m. at the
Rinconada Park Courts – Located on Hopkins Avenue, off Newell near
Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto. We play a relaxed doubles spin in open
format. Sirs and non-Sirs alike are welcome.
Fourth Friday --- September 28, 2018. Meet at 10:00 a.m. Wives
& Guests are welcome. Location: El Corte Madera Creek Open
space Preserve Driving Directions: Take Highway 84 west, to Highway
35, turn right onto Skyline. At about 3.7 mi. you come to Skaggs
Point, a paved vista point on the right. Park here to begin the
hike. No fee for parking. Allow for 40 minutes in driving time from
vicinity of the Elks Lodge. Carpools are encouraged. Hike Details:
We will hike about 5.6 miles on trails southwest of Skyline. Trails
are El Corte Madera Creek, Resolution, Fir and Tafoni. Most are
shaded and within the redwood forest, with some open sun areas. We
will see what is the most interesting tafoni sandstone formation on
the peninsula. Also, we will see evidence of the “Resolution”
disaster. Bring a trail lunch and water Wear appropriate clothing
and hiking shoes. There are no restrooms. Contact me by phone or
email if you plan to attend this hike. This will let us know who to
expect and we can provide additional driving directions and hiking
details. We can coordinate car pools if desired. I send out an
email reminder about a week before each hike. If you are not
receiving the email and would like to be included, let me know and
I will add you to the list.
2Nd Thursday— September 13, 2018 11:00 AM Wives and guests
welcome Rain cancels; Helmet required Mountain View to Alviso
Ride: We begin the ride at the La Avenida Trail Head and follow
the
Stevens Creek Trail for 1.5 miles where we connect with the Bay
Trail.
We continue the ride 3.5 miles on the levees and old service
roads as
we cross the waters north of Moffett Field. We follow the trail
to downtown
Alviso where we will have lunch at a restaurant. The ride is 9.5
miles one
way. We will return on the same route for a roundtrip of 19
miles. There
are no optional shortcuts. (There are some optional ways that
have
streets). This ride can be ridden on a road bike, but there is
packed gravel
and some prefer a wider tire bike.
Directions: Meet at the La Avenida Trail Head at end of La
Avenida Ave.
From the intersection of Hwy 101 and Shoreline Blvd, head north
on
Shoreline Blvd. toward the Computer Museum. La Avenida is the
first
street on the right, but you can’t turn there as it is a one-way
street.
Instead go past the Computer Museum to Pear Ave; turn right.
Ingo Way
is the next street; turn right. La Avenida is the next street.;
turn left. (It is
a two-way street here). Go four blocks to the end of the street.
Park on
the street, next to the curb. . If you plan to ride or have
questions please contact Jim Lunt as above or Gordon Tong at
408-242-0557 or [email protected].
This activity consists of pot luck dinners for couples held on a
bimonthly basis. We currently have two groups meeting regularly,
making new friends and having fun. Contact Alan Gaudie for more
information and/or to join.
Justin Go (Marjorie) 510-710-1800 35604 Goldsmith Drive
[email protected] Fremont, CA 94536 Lockheed Martin
Computers, Book Club John Manning (Barbara) 415-828-4736 1271
Springer Road [email protected] Los Altos, CA 94024 Self Employed,
Boston U., Standord U.
Hiking, Bicycling, Baseball, Book Club, Dancing, Cooking, Dining
In Hal Toppel (Carol) 408-730-1166 1454 Kyle Court
[email protected] Sunnyvale, CA 94087 Atkinson-Farasyn LLP
Travel, Hiking, Bicycling, Bocce Eli Wismer (Elaine)
650-248-5412 26480 St. Francis Road [email protected] Los Altos
Hills, CA 94022 Hologic
Bridge, Golf, Travel, Dining Out
Bob Simon 19 Wayne Dexter 11 Peter Barba 17 Pete Peterson 11 Art
Hammar 13 Bob Herman 10 Larry Dike 12 Mike Hurley 10 Jon Saxe 12
Ray Salazar 10 Walter Weber 12
Brian Beattie Tony Guichard Pete Pierron Lou Becker Jim Harvey
Steve Rosenblum Bob Booth Michael Ibarra Greg Ross Eric Butte Miles
Johnson Clarke Schiller Gerry Cooley Bob Jones Freddie Schwalbach
Rick Crego Harold Kaye Art Strosberg Tom Dehaan Stu Kennedy Tom
Taboada Jim Dunaway Ron Nakamoto Van Van Hauser Gil Eakins Bill
Patterson Jim White Mickey Ellingson Herb Petersen James Yoshida
Chris Goodman
BOOK SWAP TIM TOPOLE 650-793-0838 [email protected]
TRAIL BIRDS DAVID SKURNICK 650-473-9263 [email protected]
TENNIS BILL SCHICK 650-948-8768 [email protected]
HIKING DELL SMITH 650-968-5006 [email protected]
BIKING JIM LUNT 408-252-6804 [email protected]
DINING IN ALAN GAUDIE 650-964-6510 [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
-
September 2018 2018
Page 3 of 6 SIR Branch 35 Trail Tips
Member Profile P RON NAKAMOTO 408-440-2330
[email protected]
This monthly article highlights one of our branch members. We
hope that you enjoy knowing a little more about your fellow members
and the interesting life they have had. If you have someone you
would like to nominate or if you would like to help author an
article, please email ron.nakamoto(at)yahoo.com.
Vijay Kumar I was born in the exotic land of Burma, a land ruled
by a monarchy that dated back to the 9th century. Burma was
colonized by Britain in 1886. The British initiated war and annexed
portions of Burma to eventually create the province of Burma as
part of British India. Because of its location, trade routes
between China and India passed directly through Burma. World War II
disrupted the colony when the Japanese invaded and conquered the
country and subjugated its
people in 1942. I remember chaos and street violence was rampant
and my mother carefully locking the windows and doors during this
time. My father wanted to move back to India where he had founded a
young children’s school called “Shishu Shala” (Young Child’s
Special Home) in Ajmer, India. But, because ship travel was
dangerous, my father decided to travel the long (1,800+ miles) land
route. He died alone on this journey, contracting a disease with no
medication. My mother and I remained in Burma. It was a tough time
to exist. After the war ended, my mother decided to honor her
husband’s dream and move back to India and start a school in Ajmer.
She named it “Shishu Shiksha Sadan” (Young Child’s Education
Institute). A former schoolteacher herself, she secured support
from insurance company executives where my father had worked and
some of the first students were the children of this company’s
employees. Because the new school was a follow-on to my father’s
original school, there was no issue with a woman running it in a
male dominated society. The school ran on Hindu principles to
include daily school prayers and a vegetarian diet. At age seven, I
enrolled at Modern School in New Delhi which was a boarding school
paid for by my stepfamily whom had become wealthy with many
business ventures that thrived after the war. I spent weekends with
my uncle’s family who lived near the school and was also a teacher
at the school. With this family I enjoyed family meals, visited
other family members who lived in New Delhi and played with other
children whose families lived nearby. During winter and summer
breaks, the husband of one of my mom's school teachers came to
Modern School to chaperone me by train from New Delhi to Ajmer,
where I lived with her during my vacation breaks. This man also
worked in the insurance company where my father had worked. On one
of those trips to Ajmer there was a fierce rainstorm, which stopped
the train and delayed its travel by over a half day. My mother was
very relieved when we arrived safely. My escort’s children became
my lifelong friends and one of his four sons became a medical
doctor and is practicing and living in Michigan. Modern School was
unique. Besides classical education, it had a swimming pool,
playgrounds for soccer, field hockey, cricket and other sports. It
also had a recovery building for children who became sick. I
enjoyed all sports. I learned to swim freestyle, backstroke,
breaststroke etc. I played soccer, field hockey and practiced
military style marching and enjoyed competitive sprints in the 50,
100, 400 and 1500-meter races. I learned to play the classical
native musical instrument called the Sitar. I did well in
Mathematics. At graduation, I received “First Division” (A-average)
with distinction in Mathematics and qualified to join the
Engineering College of Delhi Polytechnic in 1958. I passed Pre-
Engineering exams at Delhi Polytechnic in April 1959 before my
stepfamily asked me to return to Burma and prepare to immigrate to
America. Post World War II Burma held elections and became an
independent nation until the military took control of the country
in the early 1960’s. The military government embraced Communism and
soon proceeded to seize all businesses. My stepfamily was worried
about losing all their assets and would no longer be able to
finance my future education so they made a decision that I should
immigrate to America as soon as possible and complete my education
there. At this time, India’s immigration quota was small but
Burma’s quota was comparably easier so my stepfamily applied and
was granted a visa for me. My mother was informed by mail and she
accepted the family decision. I arrived in Honolulu on my
eighteenth birthday. I settled in San Francisco and soon started
working in a retail store in the area. I improved my English and
enrolled at U.C. Berkeley in 1962. Do you remember the “Free Speech
Movement” at Berkeley, led by Mario Savio? Well I dug up a photo
for you to reminisce over what it was like to be a student at
Berkeley during that time. I personally didn't attend any FSM
meetings because I was on an immigrant permanent residence (green)
card and did not want any trouble. As military service was
mandatory and every male was eligible to be drafted (including
immigrants with green cards), I joined the USAF Reserves. I served
on active duty for six months and then remained a Reservist for
five and one half additional years. After graduating from U.C.
Berkeley, I worked for a year in the Insurance industry at
Fireman's Fund Company in the Actuarial Department. I passed the
Society of Actuaries exams in Math and Statistics but instead of
continuing in the Insurance industry, I applied and was accepted at
IBM. I received training and worked as a software programmer for
several years. I eventually moved on to work for several other
companies until I retired from BMC in 2006. My specialty was
Assembler and Machine language programming which was a skill in
high demand at that time. At Memorex I developed software programs
that tested creation of small records from minimum up to maximum
size space for Memorex’s disk drives. It checked the directory to
ascertain that it recorded the name of record, correct size of the
record and file and other record information. It checked the data
to see if it was entered correctly from computer to disk. My
program altered information and inspected the directory; it also
deleted the records and checked the directory to see if the
deletion had been correctly recorded. My programs continued testing
all the time to insure that the disks functioned fine all the time.
This test program continued to be used for many years at Memorex.
Afterwards, my biggest challenge was to enhance and test IBM's 360
and 370 Operating System software. I specialized in that area until
I retired. During my vacation breaks, I travelled to India to visit
my mother and also to Burma to visit my stepbrother and his family.
Unfortunately, the military dictatorship made it increasingly
difficult to visit. In the late 1960s - I obtained a visitor's visa
to enter Burma from the Burmese Embassy in Thailand. But when I
arrived at Rangoon airport, the Burmese officer at the airport
refused me entry - saying that although I was born in Burma, I was
a US citizen - not a Burmese citizen. I was forced to take another
flight from the airport to return to Thailand. Later, Burma seized
the assets of all businesses. My stepfamily was forced to leave
Burma without their assets. I have never been back to Burma.
mailto:[email protected]
-
September 2018 2018
Page 4 of 6 SIR Branch 35 Trail Tips
My wife, Elizabeth came to San Francisco from Britain. It was
easy for British citizens to secure a visa to come to America as
Britain and certain European countries did not have immigration
quotas. Elizabeth stayed at a friend’s home in San Francisco and
after a few dates we hit it off. Over time we decided to get
married and did so at a friend's home in Marin County. We moved to
Mountain View and have two children, Amba our daughter and Jay our
son. I remember that they were both good swimmers, swam for their
High School teams and earned a few medals. Amba, competed in the
Sentinel Triathlon in 2003 which entailed a 1,500-meter swim, a
40km bike ride and concluded with a 10km run. She graduated from UC
Davis, worked briefly for Cisco systems - but later switched
careers and has now become a leading Real Estate agent in this hot
market. My son swam from San Francisco to Alcatraz Island and back
several times. He graduated from San Jose State College in Civil
Engineering and is now a Civil Engineering manager for Partner
Engineering Company in Pasadena, Calif. I have two granddaughters,
one from each child. I invest in stocks and spend time daily to see
if the markets are advancing or declining. I invest in our local
technology companies - Facebook, Apple, Netflix, Google (FANG)
stocks and a few others. As a member of the Sierra Club I used to
participate in their Sunday hikes and later their social potlucks.
Now, I go to Mountain View's Senior Center daily to exercise and
participate in their local activities. I am still fluent in Hindi
and sometimes read some Hindi newspapers and other literature. I
have been sending out emails to friends with humorous cartoons,
jokes and short articles for many years. It is a great way to stay
connected with others. Here is a recent release:
If you want to get on my email list, just send me a message at
[email protected] . I would like to conclude with this message
to my fellow Sirs; Be good to your family. Help your children and
grandchildren get well educated so they can get good jobs, then
everybody will be well set in life and be happy.
*******************************************
Assistant: Walter Weber 408-371-8925,
walterweber08(at)comcast.net Oct. 6, 2018 Fleet Week: - Motorcoach
leaves VTA parking Lot G (SE corner, Capital Expy & Hiway 87)
at 11:30 AM to take us to San Francisco Pier 3 to board the San
Francisco Belle, a landmark that evokes the city’s
turn-of-the-century Barbary Coast energy. There is no better
vantage point to see the Fleet Week Air Show than the Bay directly
under the planes. Indulge in a hosted buffet lunch, including
sparkling wine, coffee, tea, and soft drinks, and enjoy background
music from the on board D.J. Then step onto the outer deck to watch
the jaw-dropping precision of the famous Blue Angels! The cost is
$171.50 per person, send check made out to ‘TravelCenter Trust
Account’ to Jim Hohenshelt at 2626 Estella Dr., Santa Clara, CA
95051. Deadline for payment to Jim is Sept. 30. Watch for a
brochure on the travel table. Escorts Jim Hohenshelt (408-394-7226)
or Roy Jordan (408-735-8765).
Congratulations Jim Schlatter
New Honorary Life Member We all like happy surprises. And Sirs
at the August 15 meeting of Branch 35 saw Jim Schlatter get a very
special one when he was given an Honorary Life Member Award. It was
obvious Jim was surprised, yet a review of his service to the
Branch—the basis of his new HLM—suggests that choosing to recognize
him was not at all surprising. Jim has served the Branch 35 Golf
Club for over a decade as Treasurer. Over $100,000 passes through
our Club’s books each year, under Jim’s expert management, passing
State audits with flying colors. He is also the Club’s Tournament
Certifier, a member of the Handicap Committee, and a go-to golfer
when it comes to rules issues. For 10 years, he co-chaired the
annual Golf Club Banquet. Some years ago, Jim stepped in on very
short notice when there was a need for a Trail Tips editor. While
keeping the newsletter publishing, he was also instrumental in
moving it from print to online, significantly reducing costs. And
some of you will remember Jim as one of our luncheon speakers,
recounting his experience attending the Masters Tournament one
year. Everyone who knows Jim, or has been on the receiving end of
one of his many favors to others during his 15 years of membership
in Branch 35, will know that no one is more deserving of the HLM
award. Jim, we congratulate you and wish you the very best. May you
continue to be well above par in your service to SIR, and well
below it as you swing your club on the course!
Every Friday, 10:00 a.m. to noon. Wives and guests are welcome.
Location: Bocce Ball Courts (between second and last wing), Los
Altos Senior Center, 97 Hillview Ave. (just off San Antonio Rd.)
Parking near baseball fields. The big news on the Bocce front is
Sir Branch 35 is now entering the University Club of Palo Alto
(UCPA) Bocce Ball League Tournament for the fall of 2018. League
registration is currently open and ends on Wednesday, Sept. 5,
2018. We will field a team of at least 4 players (we can have 10 on
the team) each week starting Sept. 11 and ending Oct. 4, with
playoffs held during the weeks of October 16th and 23rd [date and
times TBD]. Games start at 6:15 pm at the UCPA and last for 1.5
hours. The UCPA has two Bocce courts; the teams can be all men, all
women or co-ed. The UCPA is located at 3277 Miranda Ave., Palo Alto
[650-493-3972], which is just off of Junipero Serra.
(CONTINUED)
TRAVEL ED PAUSA 650-324-0322 [email protected]
INVESTMENTS
BOCCE BALL NORM PASS – SCHEDULE/ CANCELLATIONS 408-737-7639;
[email protected]
FRED SCHWALBACH – PLAYER
DEVELOPMENT 408-257-9713; [email protected] JOHN RICHARDSON -
SUPPORT 650-996-7787; [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]
-
September 2018 2018
Page 5 of 6 SIR Branch 35 Trail Tips
Would you like to join our team? We need 8 members and the cost
for the 5 weeks of play (one day per week) and 2 weeks of playoffs
is $75 per person (plus tax and gratuity, or $96.46 total), with
light refreshments, beer, wine, iced tea and lemonade. Payments are
made at the first match; checks made to “University Club of Palo
Alto”, or in cash with receipt provided. Peter Thurston (current
Sr. Little Sir of our Branch) and John Richardson will be the
Co-Captains of our Team. If you would like to be a part of the team
and/or have any questions about the Tournament please call Peter or
John.”
The SIR Financial Investment Group will meet on Wed. Sept. 5 at
1 PM in the Los Altos First Republic Bank. Two topics which were
suggested for discussion at this meeting are "Who will handle your
investments when you are no longer on the scene?" and "Do you have
an investment in your portfolio which you like but might not be a
good choice for widows and orphans?" And, of course, we always
welcome new members.
Every Tuesday, 1:00 p.m., at Homestead Lanes, Homestead &
Stelling, in Cupertino. With this session ¾ complete, there are
only 6 points separating 1st and 8th place. The last four weeks
should be exciting as we close in on the winner. If you have been
thinking about joining, this is a good time to participate in our
handicap league. All bowling levels are welcome. The cost is $15
per week.
SUMMER SESSION - WEEK #12
1ST PLACE – Arnie Satterlee, Ron Nakamoto, Darryl Walker
2ND PLACE-TIE – Rick McColloch, Gerry Cooley, Jay Jonekait
2ND PLACE-TIE – Alan Gaudie, Jim Holman, Phil Vanderwerf
4TH PLACE-TIE – Doug Anderson, John Faucett
4TH PLACE-TIE – Fred Schwalbach, Jerry Ososkie
4TH PLACE-TIE – Mark Castro, Bob Garten, Rich McGrath
7TH PLACE-TIE – Ranney Thayer, Perry Brown, Bob Taggart
7TH PLACE-TIE – Michael Ibarra, Gabriel Ibarra, Doug
Ericsson
9TH PLACE – Harold Kaye, Joe Enos
10TH PLACE – Al Delfino, Chuck Huff, John Faucett
HERE ARE THE LEADERS – WEEK #12
HIGH SERIES - SCRATCH 1st – Tim Eastham: 543 2nd – Darryl
Walker: 512 3rd – Gabriel Ibarra, Joe Enos: 483 -tie
HIGH GAME - SCRATCH 1st – John Faucett: 201 2nd – Jay Jonekait,
Ron Nakamoto: 182 -tie
HIGH HANDICAP SERIES 1st – Jerry Ososkie: 635 2nd – Rich
McGrath: 629 3rd – Mark Castro: 628
HIGH HANDICAP GAME 1st – Bob Taggart: 233 2nd – Harold Kaye: 224
3rd – Michael Ibarra: 220
Laughing Out Loud (lol) Members, here is a link to an
entertaining and humorous video. Click it or copy and paste:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOgd9hitEAE
If you know of and/or find a joke, humorous caption, or video
and wish to share it with your fellow members, please capture the
link or send the attachment to [email protected]. Ron will
warehouse and sort to present the best ones in future editions of
Trail Tips.
GOLF BOB GARTEN, GOLF CHAIRMAN 408-253-5860,
[email protected]
(Golf Committee members are listed on page 7 of the Membership
Roster.)
SIGN-UP for the following by September 15th with John Gerich,
650-969-6679, [email protected]
GOLF RESULTS
INVESTMENTS JIM DUNAWAY 408-255-9244 jedandled@sbcglobal
BOWLING BOB TAGGART 650-321-2654 [email protected] DOUG
ANDERSON 415-407-4000 [email protected] Prizes: Alan Gaudie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOgd9hitEAEmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
-
September 2018 2018
Page 6 of 6 SIR Branch 35 Trail Tips
New SIR Branch 35 Membership Management Software In May 2018 the
Branch Executive Committee asked that a technology review group be
formed to determine if commercially available cloud-based
membership management software could be used to simplify our branch
operations and to improve member access to more current contact
information. A technology review group was organized and met in
June 2018. It was decided that web-based software does exist which
could be implemented without changing any of the existing legacy
Excel-based systems such as monthly revenue collection. After
review of available membership management software, Wild-Apricot
(WA) Membership Management software was selected. The software will
replace our Excel-based master membership database with web-based
Contacts, Members, Events, Finances, Email and Website management.
Branch 35 members will be able to update their member profile
information and photo, to manage their privacy profile and to
access a searchable Directory of Active Members. Branch 35 activity
chairmen will be able manage custom email distribution lists and
mailings. Member dues processing can be automated. It is even
possible to enable online dues and event payment. The membership
management software selected is used world-wide by over 10,000
organizations. It has a polished user interface, intuitive
organization and extensive web-based tutorials, videos and help for
members, administrators and implementers. The software is hosted by
Amazon Web Services with excellent performance and availability.
The software will be implemented as a secure “back-end” membership
management website with a Member Login link from our public SIR
Branch 35 website. The technology review group reported to the
August BEC that:
• Wild-Apricot (WA) Membership Management software has been
selected
• A 30-day trial WA subscription has been completed which
prototyped all of our requirements and has proven to meet or exceed
our requirements
• A one-year subscription has been signed with cost of less than
$3 per member per year.
Next steps:
• Make the WA Directory available to SIR Branch 35 members
• Replace the current database with WA Membership Management
software
• Determine actions necessary to use WA software for other
branch processes
Peter Thurston, Technology review group chairman
-
September 2018 2018
Page 7 of 6 SIR Branch 35 Trail Tips
