Good News, Recognition and Member Updates

We began our meeting with several personal updates from our members.

Congratulations to Jere, who is celebrating the arrival of a new grandchild! We share in his family’s joy and wish them many wonderful memories together.

Mike proudly showed the club his Star Award. Congratulations, Mike, on this well-deserved recognition. Mike also shared the sad news that his dog passed away. Losing a beloved pet is never easy, and we extend our sympathy to him.

Jesse recently visited the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky. He shared some interesting details about the life-size replica of Noah’s Ark, including its presentation of dinosaurs aboard the Ark. It sounds like a fascinating and memorable trip!

Bob Wales Shares His Classification Story

Bob Wales, born in 1943, recently gave the club a fascinating classification speech about his life and 30-year career as an electrical engineer.

Inspired by Nikola Tesla, Bob studied electrical engineering in Arlington and later earned his master’s degree. In 1966, he began working for Texas Instruments. When he was drafted, his security clearance and important defense work allowed him to receive a deferment.

Much of Bob’s career involved research and development for military guidance systems. At a time before modern digital controls, he worked with microwave circuits and helped develop technology designed to disrupt enemy radar and protect American aircraft from surface-to-air missiles.

These electronic jamming systems were placed aboard “Wild Weasel” aircraft, which flew ahead of other forces to locate and suppress enemy air-defense systems before an engagement.

Bob later continued his career with Ball Aerospace. Because much of his work was secret, he received little public recognition, yet his contributions helped protect countless American service members.

Bob also offered a thoughtful warning about modern warfare. He believes our nation should be extremely cautious about entering conflicts without troops on the ground who fully understand the conditions. He is also concerned about artificial intelligence being used to define missile missions and the danger of removing too much human judgment from warfare.

Bob’s story also included a touching tribute to his wife, Winkle. They met in 1969 and later worked together at the Collin County Youth Detention Center, where she especially loved serving young people. Winkle joined Rotary before Bob and helped lead him into the Rotary family.

Winkle passed away in 2022 after cancer weakened her health and COVID claimed her life. Bob’s memories made it clear that her compassion and service continue to hold a special place in his heart.

Thank you, Bob, for sharing your remarkable career, your wisdom and your deeply personal story with us.

Welcome to Our Guest

We were pleased to welcome Joseph Bradley as our guest. Joseph serves as the youth director at First Methodist Church and previously led the Little Elm Food Bank.

Joseph is already familiar with Rotary service and plans to transfer his membership to the Melissa Rotary Club. We look forward to welcoming him into our club and serving the Melissa community alongside him!

Coming Up at Melissa Rotary

We have several excellent programs ahead!

This week, we will welcome Jennifer Shelton, CEO of Real Options. In the coming weeks, we will also hear from our Rotary District Governor and a representative of The Water Project.

Each program offers another opportunity to learn, connect and discover new ways to create lasting impact—both here in Melissa and around the world.