Report 03

of 214
Final Report Attachment
What were your reasons for participating in a GSE? Did this exchange meet your
expectations?

As a Rotarian who had been involved in hosting and arranging activities for three inbound GSE
teams, with my previous District activity was coming to an end due to conflict of interest, I was
considering the possibility of joining the Group Study Exchange committee. This was prevented
when I accepted an invitation to become District Vocational Service Chair, but fortunately the
chance to apply for selection as GSE Team Leader remained as a way to extend my International and
Vocational Service to Rotary and the community. The opportunity to be involved in the professional
development of a team of young professional members of the community by leading them in this
international program is one of the dream “jobs” in Rotary. I was pleased and fortunate to be
selected.
The GSE exceeded my expectations in every respect. The best way to review this is by using the
objectives of GSE.
Rotarian involvement
GSE proved to be an excellent opportunity for me to extend my International and Vocational service
to Rotary and the community. I got a lot pleasure from leading the team and was very proud of the
way the team carried out their task and the great success that they achieved.
It was a pleasure and a privilege for me to have the opportunity to lead this team of young
professionals. I have a great deal of pride in the achievements of the team in successfully executing
this Group Study Exchange, the excellent quality of the presentations delivered (which was
demonstrated by the many compliments which I received as team leader) and also the conduct of
the team as ambassadors for our country, Rotary District, their sponsor Rotary clubs and their own
vocations.
There is always great interest from Rotarians in visiting GSE teams. I was told by Rotarians at many
of our presentations to meetings that the GSE presentation is amongst the highlights of the calendar
at many clubs. It was obvious that Rotarians appreciate the opportunity to learn about the country
and lifestyle of the visiting team from the GSE presentations.
I was able to observe that the Rotarians in the host District received the same enjoyment from
hosting and arranging visits as I have previously experienced. It is a most enjoyable way to give
international service whilst at the same time learning about visitors and sharing lifestyle and culture
with the visitors.
Cultural experiences
Group Study Exchange provides a unique cultural experience of life and work in another country and
culture. Whilst there may be some activities which tourists may also do and enjoy, the opportunity
to see the real life experience at the same time makes it very different. Being able to meet a broad

of 214
spectrum of the community through Rotary and the various vocational visits allows normal
conversation on a broad spectrum of normal life topics that would not be available to casual visitor.
Fellowship opportunities
The fellowship opportunities within the GSE experience are second to none. This starts during the
preparation phase in building a team of members, from various places and communities, who had
not previously even met each other. There is work to be done, but there is fun and the development
of friendships at the same time. The team became friends through our team building and that stood
us in good stead whilst on GSE. Although towards the end of our GSE there were occasional spats
where tiredness and irritability overcame the resilience and general good nature of team members,
there were far more good and fun times. There were many opportunities for laughter and frivolity
along the way and I am sure we will all remember those.
Every activity during the GSE was an opportunity for our team members to create and build
friendships with all the District 5870 Rotarians and their families.  In particular, I would emphasise
the host families both for each team member and also as a group, area coordinators and the guides
and hosts of daily activities.
On each day and planned activity we had the pleasure of the company of our hosts and guides. They
in turn took pleasure and pride in being able to show us around their activity and their part of the
world, whilst at the same time getting to know our team.
The District GSE coordinator was very involved in making the arrangements and we had the pleasure
of Karen Bogisch’ company at a variety of activities. It was good to be able to get to know her after
the long term correspondence leading up to the GSE. Her group of area coordinators played an
important role in preparation for hosting and participation in the activities they had arranged. Along
the way they all became good friends to our group.
Finally the host families as individuals and as groups played an important role in hosting the team.
Club meetings with limited time and full program made even busier by a GSE presentation are not
the best social environments. Therefore our best opportunity to get to know the members and
families were the informal dinner arrangements with the host family groups plus other Rotarians
where possible. It was for this reason that where there were limited group functions it was agreed
with the area coordinators to add some additional group dinners in each area, thus allowing each
team member to share fellowship with host families other than their own.
I found Rotarians everywhere with the same friendliness and characteristics, that I have found in
other countries. This was a chance to Rotary in action, observe projects in progress, characters and
new ideas that foster different clubs that can increase membership, see old friendship rekindled and
new ones formed. Great ideas like the Roll of Fame, which recognises significant ongoing
contribution by Rotarians, observed at the District 5870 conference can be transferred to other
Districts. We also observed that our visit presented an opportunity for clubs to extend their own
fellowship around the activities involved in hosting the visiting GSE team.

of 214

Vocational Experience
The vocational visits are an important part of the Group Study Exchange experience; however they
are only a part of the vocational benefit from participation in GSE. Apart from these visits, GSE
activities include a broad range of vocational experiences and opportunities to use a develop skills
outside the team member’s normal work environment, including:‐
Project management
Every team member has been involved in each aspect of preparing for our exchange which included
many activities including research and creating the presentation to a common standard, travel
preparation, developing our clothing and uniform requirements, selection and procurement of gifts,
and developing our PR requirements (business cards, brochure, social media presence, Google map,
etc.)
Teamwork
Teamwork is an important pre‐requisite in most vocations. Many organisations go to great lengths to
achieve team building. The GSE was an excellent example of the importance of team building and
the benefits achieved in executing a task. As a vocational experience, GSE is an intense and often
high pressure situation with the team living and working together over an extended period. During
our preparation this team managed to build an excellent team spirit as a group of friends with the
ability to work together. This stood us in good stead as we executed our tasks as ambassadors for
our District with very few problems. I would suggest that this high pressure grounding in teamwork
would benefit every team member in future situations.
Virtual teams
The team was made up of members from places spread widely across the District. The monthly
meeting were invaluable for preparation, discussion and developing the team spirit, however the
majority of work was required to be done between meetings and therefore for the most part we
operated as a virtual team and all had the opportunity to use skills and technology appropriate for
disparate locations, including email, cloud storage of information, social media and online
collaboration and video conference.
Ambassadors
The team and each member were selected to be ambassadors for their own vocation, their sponsor
club, our Rotary District and our State and Country. This required that every member was able to
network and socialise with new groups of people almost every day and be able to easily discuss
aspects of Australian lifestyle and culture and represent our vocation and various organisations. The
team and every individual achieved a high standard as ambassadors in all the facets they were
required to represent.

of 214

Social media for PR
Social media is having an increasing impact on society. In our application it became a public relations
and communication method for our part of the Rotary program, however the knowledge gained
from our experience can be equally important in a business and vocation context. It is therefore a
useful skill to have developed. A review of our social media strategy and an overview of the social
media activity is included in the review of Team Public Relations in Appendix 2.
Presentation and Public speaking
One of the key elements of the GSE is delivering a presentation to the host clubs. The team
successfully researched topics about interesting aspects of our country and lifestyle and developed a
very professional presentation. Each team member had the opportunity to introduce themselves,
their vocation, their sponsor club and then their selected presentation topic. An important part of
developing the presentation was developing and maintaining a common standard of the
presentation whilst every team member played an equal role in creation and delivery. The team
maintained the professional image and presentation delivery throughout the exchange. Although
some team members had previous speaking experience which also helped others to improve their
own skills, we all benefitted from the improvement in personal confidence and delivery as the
exchange progressed. This is an invaluable skill in very vocation.
Networking
The ability to quickly assimilate in a new group of people in a variety of environments is an excellent
vocational skill. Every team member has developed this requirement to gain the best of their
vocational and Rotary club visits and to varying degrees develop additional networks of friends and
professional contacts.
Vocational visits

My discussions with each team member, my own observations following their vocational visits and
the reports of the majority of team members indicate the vocational visits were beneficial to team
members. This makes me confident that every team member was able to derive professional benefit
from the visits. The impact on future career development is in the hands of team members as they
choose how to make use of both the knowledge derived from the visits and also the skills they have
had the opportunity to exercise in the whole course of GSE.
How did the materials or training that you received from the Foundation and your sponsor
district prepare you for the exchange? What specific suggestions do you have for improving
the orientation process?

The materials provided by the Rotary Foundation were sufficient to allow our team to gain basic
knowledge and conduct our preparations. These were supported by other District officers
particularly our GSE Chair and previous GSE team leaders who were able to share knowledge and
experiences.

of 214
How has your experience changed your outlook on your host country and sponsor country?
What professional experience did you gain from the exchange? What was the most
important aspect of the exchange?
The most important aspect of the exchange was the fellowship which District 5870 and its members
have shared with us. Every host and member went out of their way to ensure that we had the
opportunity to enjoy an exceptional experience. In the process many new friendships have been
formed along the way.
The vocational experience has been excellent and I have no doubt that every team member will
benefit by some improvement in their career as a result. As previously described, the vocational
component is far greater than the individual vocational visits, but much broader in cross functional
group vocational experiences and the development of skills and experience developed as a team by
participation in the total GSE experience.
Personally I have benefitted from the experience of leading the team and from the individual
vocational visits. In some cases the outcome is knowledge or an idea that can be applied, but in
other cases the result is a seed from which further learning and work will develop over time. Some
of the group vocational visits have presented ideas and methods that can be synthesised into our
own vocational journey as opportunities occur.
My outlook on the host country is quite different from my expectations. There is certainly more to
experience that one would expect and certainly many things are different from the media
presentation. However the exchange certainly does also engender an appreciation of the benefits
and lifestyle that we enjoy in our own country.
The culture which we experienced in the geographical area of Rotary District 5870 is created by a
rich history and also the multi‐cultural background, which was much greater than I expected. We
were very fortunate to experience a sample of so many places of interest that made us more aware
of the multi‐cultural history and also the historical events that have shaped our host district. The rich
history was a personal highlight for me.
The most abiding memory for me will be the warm welcome which we received in the district and
that each host and guide opened and shared their lives with us for our short time together. This
warm and welcoming nature of people was epitomised for me in a historical quote shared with me
by one host PDG John Salem; “The string is on the outside”. This quote reflects the welcome they
offered. In history the farm houses had to be “locked” to prevent animals getting inside and that was
done using a lock bar and this could be opened from the outside by a string attached to the bar. The
quote says you are welcome to come in.
The patriotism of United States citizens and also the very strong passion and pride that Texans have
for their state was always noticeable and seemed to be strongly rooted in the history of the state as
we found during our visits to various historical places of interest.
We found that the cultures and lifestyle between the two countries share many common aspects,
but there were also many differences. There are so many points of difference between the two
countries. These may be opportunities for us to learn new ideas and improvements, but equally
there are behaviours, practices and ideas where we believed that our host country would have the

of 214
opportunity to learn different ways from us. Some of these are important aspects of life and
lifestyle, but some are simply different preferences.
Although I grew up in a country in a state of civil war (not Australia) and therefore guns were an
essential element of life, I was astounded by the prevalence of guns and the lack of control exercised
over them. Many are left lying around in offices and cars. We heard so many arguments for and
against the right to carry arms and the advantages, disadvantages and reasons; however the
outsider perspective would be that this cannot be a safe environment.
There were many differences in system of government and we had opportunities to learn about
these at State level in the Texas State Capitol and local government at the City of Corsicana. This also
impacts on administration of government and civil society and political practice very different from
ours. Religion and religious practices had a very different emphasis than we are used to
experiencing, but also varied in different areas.
There are differences in sporting preferences of our countries and whilst the main sport American
Football which clearly has extremely strong community support was out of season we were able to
experience baseball and rodeo.
Economically we saw significant differences in cost of living and a different level of income. This also
translated into a different view on shopping experiences and the range from the low price mass
market Walmart to the sustainable and organic whole foods. We also had opportunity to discuss
with people the impact of these different businesses on the community and life.
The intense rivalry and alumni support for schools, colleges and universities which seem to have a
strong base in these being so important in the local sporting culture seemed to be very different
from our own experience.
Other differences from experience in our own country included significant difference in mineral
rights, a farming and taxation culture that did no seem to be sustainable, differences between city
and rural culture, access to and usage of the internet and the drive through ATM.
In closing, we found the slogan “Don’t Mess with Texas” everywhere. To an outsider it seems like an
aggressive statement of the pride and status of their state, however I later found that this had
actually started as a Department of Transport campaign to stop people from littering, especially on
their road system.
Give specific examples of activities that you and your team participated in during the
exchange.

I have included the team’s presentation at the District 5870 conference as an appendix to this
report. It provides an overview of our GSE, with pictures and notes of our thoughts as we prepared
to deliver our final presentation. It also includes our thanks to everyone in District 5870 that worked
hard to make it a memorable exchange and made our team feel like Royalty along the journey.
The host District provided a very comprehensive program and itinerary that allowed our team to
experience the history and culture that exists in this part of Texas. We also had the opportunity to

of 214
gain a wide variety of vocational experience in both individual experiences and cross functional
group experiences. Our hosts were also flexible to change allowing them to make additional
arrangements for both vocational experiences and also activities and places of interest which suited
the interests of team members or the whole team.
As ambassadors from our country and Rotary District we had the opportunity to make our
presentation to meetings at 12 club meetings (shown below) involving members from at least 16
clubs and some visiting members from additional clubs. Also we had the chance to share some of
our GSE experiences and offer our thanks and farewell in a final presentation at the District
conference.
Centennial; North West Austin; Combined Killeen Clubs; Marble Falls; La Grange / Giddings;
Yoakum; Corsicana; Navarro County Corsicana; Fairfield; Mexia; Austin University Area and
Capitol of Texas

We have also attended many social functions and visits to places of interest. All hosted by the
wonderful Rotarians and families from District 5870. The District 5870 members have treated our
team like royalty, leaving us the richer for many new friends and for the wonderful memories that
we will carry with us for life.
Our evening activities consisted of a balanced program that allowed both individual social activity
with host families and other group dinners and activities that allowed team members to share
fellowship with a wider group made up of the combined host families and other Rotarians. Over the
36 nights of the exchange the activities included:‐
• 15 nights with host families
• 14 informal dinners with group (5 were changed from host family to allow group fellowship
activity and two were followed by other night time activities).
• 3 formal dinners or presentations including conference dinner.
• 2 team dinners during the rest break

I hope the following record of our activities will allow readers to share our journey and for team
members that it will be a reminder of our journey of shared experience and learning and the fun and
enjoyment we have shared along the way.
Group vocational visits
Texas Bioscience Institute
This facility in Killeen is a combined junior college (first two years of university) and research centre
for biological sciences. We were given an interesting tour of two of the main research areas for
Cancer Research and Genetics and then a visit and discussion of the junior college. This gave me a
little more understanding of their college system and answered a few of those nagging questions like
what is a college (compared to university), what are freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors?
This facility which is making use of the buildings from a closed down industrial facility enables high
school students to make a start on some college education and also makes college more accessible

of 214
for students in this community at lower cost than some of the major universities. We certainly found
out that college education is an expensive undertaking and compared to own education system,
there is no support and subsidy unless you are one of the lucky ones to gain sports scholarships.

Agricultural extension officer and ranch tour
The visit started with a presentation by the local agricultural extension officer. This presentation
included discussion of the nature of agriculture in Texas highlighting the products with production
volumes and trends and also discussing the prior year drought and effect on different types of
agriculture. This highlighted the importance of agriculture as both a source of food production and
as an important part of the Texas economy. I found this both interesting and informative.
The presentation was followed by a field trip to two ranches which gave team members an insight
into the process of cattle breeding programs and the different parts of the feedlot beef production
cycle. Obviously the most direct vocational benefit was for Kylie but was certainly of general interest
to other team members.

Guardian Glass (Corsicana, Texas)
Manufactures glass for the commercial, residential, interiors, automotive, energy/solar and technical
glass industry segments. Its products include both float and value‐added coated glass‐products.
From an engineering and production management perspective this was beneficial for me as a
vocational experience, however it was equally a very interesting view of the production process for a
material (glass) that affects everyone in the course of life. The process is a combination of batch
(material mixing) process with continuous process (glass float process) with further interest in the

of 214
quality systems in the process, cutting and packing. The process control systems were also
interesting.
Marble Falls bridge building

After the Marble Falls meeting we went on a
tour of the city and then loaded onto a barge
which is being used in construction of a new
bridge over the river / lake.  The purpose of
the barge trip on the lake was to provide a
unique view of road bridge building activity.
This was particularly relevant to Joanne’s
vocation and of interest generally.
The engineer provided a commentary of the
engineering and construction for the bridge
which was very interesting.

City of Corsicana
The team met with the chief executive and management team of the City of Corsicana. This is a
direct vocational experience for Mick, but was also of cross functional value to the vocation of other
team members. It was also a good experience as general interest to provide an insight into the local
government system in Texas.
One of the most significant differences in comparison to our own local government is the inclusion
of police and emergency services at local government level.
Luminant – Big Brown Power Plant and Mine
We visited the Big Brown facility, a combination of open cut coalmine and 1,150mW power station.
This started with a presentation that gave an overview of the company, power station and mining
operations. The most important focus was the reclamation after mining operations are completed.
The mine has some significant achievements
An important engineering vocational take away experience was a presentation slide with the
following quote; “Arguing with an engineer is like wrestling with a pig in mud – after a while you
realize he is enjoying it”.

of 214
Probably the most impressive aspect of the visit for all team members would be the bus trip out into
the open cut mine to have an opportunity to get up close and personal with the massive dragline.

Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) Power Plant
LCRA is the primary wholesale provider of reliable, competitively priced electricity in Central Texas.
Supplying wholesale power to 42 city‐owned utilities and electric cooperatives and one former co‐
op, LCRA serves more than 1.1 million people in one of the nation's fastest growing regions, helping
fuel the growth of rural communities, towns and cities. This is a substantial power station with three
generators (2 x 600mW and one 450mW)
An opportunity to have a tour of a public utility such as this power station is rare these days. This
was a good general interest visit for most team members to see a power station. Having worked
previously in power stations the power generation equipment was known to me, so the emissions
control adaptations and the recycle of waste product into saleable materials (everything has a place
to go, mostly into construction) were the most informative vocational aspects for me. Scrubbers
have been retro‐fitted to remove sulphates which are subjected to chemical conversion with calcium
carbonate to make calcium sulphite which can be marketed as a bi‐product.
Industrial Country Market
With the world facing climate change and the necessity for energy conservation and growth in
renewable energy usage, this unique business and educational centre was an interesting eye‐
opener. Our tour was guided by the colourful owner Dan Brech who was entertaining whilst being
informative. He expounded some very interesting views on a variety of subjects including
government policies.
The business is a family owned and operated retail operation billed as “Non‐General, General Store”,
educational & gardening center. In addition there water gardens, art gallery, educational facility and
production greenhouse. All are stocked with goods and information and still growing! The whole
operation is 100% off grid, uniquely sustained by the sun, wind and rain.

of 214
Further their business and home life is a classic example of the lean business methods and
functioning waste minimization cycle (reduce, re‐use, recycle, recovery, waste disposal). Reduce‐ the
family is in the process of building a new form of energy efficient home building with very low
energy consumption requirement (again 100% off grid) and Dan was able to explain to us some very
interesting construction techniques and technology ideas. Re‐use and Recycle – are implicit in many
garden art items constructed and available for sale.
Their and leading by example hands on experience is a solid basis for sharing knowledge and
experience by educating visitors. They provide education opportunities to school classes and also
offer to the public classes on Texas solar energy, hydroponic gardening, water harvesting and guest
lecturers in fresh herbs and beekeeping.

Tour of Businesses in Shiner, Texas
We were taken on a tour of businesses in Shiner (population 2,069; 2010 census). This city and its
businesses are a case study of the economic impact of successful entrepreneurial and historical
businesses. The city has three businesses that have national and even international impact. These
are Spoetzl Brewery, Kaspar Wire Works and Boedeker Plastics which between them employ more
than 600 people. Taking into account employees and dependants gives an idea of the impact of their
success in a relatively small community. The city and its businesses were therefore excellent from
the perspective of vocational experience, demonstrating some excellent stories of entrepreneurial
and business success, as well as being of general interest from an historical and economic

of 214
perspective in this area. The tour by the team included and Kaspar Wire Works and Boedeker
Plastics was one of my own vocational experiences.
Each of them has a secret to their current success: Spoetzl Brewery changed to marketing their
product as premium brands, Kaspar did not rest on their laurels but rather maintained an
entrepreneurial process of product extension and new product development often building on
previous success, and Boedeker offered a service that was willing to sell to the customer what they
wanted custom made or cut to required size compared to existing plastics businesses selling what
they had as whole sheets or lengths.
Spoetzl Brewery
Our visit joined the regular guided tour of the business in which they show visitors (customers)
through the process from prescribed viewing areas whilst talking about the history of the business
and the beer production process.
Spoetzl Brewery is the oldest independent brewery in Texas. The brewery produces the popular line
of Shiner Beers, including their flagship Shiner Bock, a dark German/Czech‐style beer that is now
distributed in 43 states.
Founded in 1909, a group of businessmen incorporated Shiner Brewing Association and placed
Herman Weiss in as the company's first brew master. In 1914 Kosmas Spoetzl, a German immigrant
brewer, co‐leased the brewery with an option to buy in 1915, bringing with him a family recipe for a
Bavarian beer.
During the prohibition, Spoetzl kept the brewery afloat by selling ice and making near beer. At the
end of Prohibition only five of the original 13 Texas breweries were still intact. Larger beer plants,
such as Anheuser‐Busch, moved to Texas making life harder on the smaller independent breweries,
but Spoetzl kept things small and simple, never going more than 70 miles for business.
In the 1970s and 1980s the brewery's Shiner Beer and Shiner Bock had less than 1 per cent of the
Texas market. In 1983 Spoetzl produced 60,000 barrels of beer; in 1990 only 36,000. Sales improved
after Carlos Alvarez of San Antonio acquired the brewery in 1989: Production grew to 100,000
barrels in 1994, and over the next ten years, production nearly tripled.  The company now has 85
employees.
The secret of success, the Shiner product had been sold as a low price beer. Alvarez changed this and
marketed the product as premium brands at higher prices. Proving that low price does not always
sell more product.
The brewery is owned by The Gambrinus Company, a family‐owned company in San Antonio. As of
2012, it was the fourth‐largest craft brewery and tenth‐largest overall brewery in the United States.

of 214
Old portion of brewery, Hospitality room & gift shop
Shiner Brew Kettle Old
Shiner Hospitality Inside
Shiner Product
Kaspar Wire works
The Kaspar Wire Works was one of the hidden gems of our exchange; although there were so many
of those you could lose count. A very interesting visit to a business started by using a waste product
and developed into an innovative and entrepreneurial organization with more than 100 years
history.
As a manufacturing process it was extremely relevant to my vocation and as such I requested that
my vocational visits be amended to include a return visit to consult with their information systems
analyst to learn how their process information is managed.
We were given a guided tour by one of the company managers which passed through all the various
parts of the business. Throughout the tour we were given commentary on the business processes,
products and history of the organisation. This was a very good overview of mass production
processes, the equipment used and products produced. There was opportunity to see a large variety
of production processes in progress, including wire cutting and forming, metal fabrication, and a
variety of mass production coating processes (painting, powder coating and electroplating).

of 214
Kaspar Wire Works, Inc. began its grand existence more than 100 years ago when August Kaspar
made and sold his first wire basket. August recovered some of the smooth wire being discarded by
rancher changing fences in favour of barbed wire and fashioned for himself a crude looking basket
intended to help him carry hay and corn shucks from the barn to the animal stalls. A neighbour saw
the basket and bought it for a dollar. He made a second basket which was sold to another
neighbour, again for one dollar…the humble beginnings of Kaspar Wire Works.
Today, more than 100 years later, the company manufactures thousands of wire, tubing and sheet
metal products, truck accessories (Ranch Hand) and is the world's largest manufacturer of coin‐
operated newspaper racks (Sho‐Rack). Kaspar Wire Works uses state‐of‐the art machinery in all
aspects of its operation, employs more than 400 people and occupies more than 550,000 square
feet in the small rural Texas town of Shiner. The business is proud of its history and growth but also
about maintaining the founder’s principles of Quality, Integrity, and Service through three
generations.

From a historical building to a million
newspaper racks and warehouses of
automotive products

The secret of success of entrepreneurial extension of product range and new product development
is epitomised by the newest part of the business, water treatment technology. By the 1990s the firm
had the largest electroplating plant in the Southwest. In its efforts to introduce more
environmentally acceptable processes it was finding available technology and methods ineffective
which led to its development equipment and treatment systems for electrocoagulation of heavy
metals, initially for its own use and subsequently as new products and extended to other
contaminants of water.
Individual Vocational Experience
Boedeker Plastics, Inc.  Shiner, Texas
Mike Raindl (General Manager)
Boedeker Plastics was an excellent case study of the combination of business information systems
and operations. The Apprise ERP system plays an important role in operations including
procurement, inventory control and manufacturing.

of 214
At the beginning of the tour of the facility Mike Raindl described the business as the “wood shop of
plastics” which is differentiating factor from competitors. Material is supplied to customer
specification and requirement, rather than by whole sheet or length, and no order too large or small.
They supply plastics for a variety of high tech industries which have a wide variety of applications
and use many material specifications and properties. I was interested in a business with supply to
customers around the world being sited in a small town in central Texas. Mike responded that whilst
this was considered when starting up and may appear to be a concern, UPS provide easy access to
world‐wide distribution systems however the access to a supply of loyal and diligent employees from
the local population has been a critical success factor. This was demonstrated by an employee
turnover of zero, with Mike himself being employee number 3 of the business and now general
manager. This led to discussion which provided an insight into some quite unique employee
recruitment, training and retention strategies. No matter what position you may eventually hold
everyone starts at the bottom with cutting and distribution and trains in all parts of the business to
gain a full understanding of business and customers.
The business provides all forms of plastic materials cut and processed to order. I was able see
examples of the manufacture of products ranging from a large 1.5metre gasket for the gas
extraction industry to a tiny machined 8mm tool holder used in robotic surgery.

All stock is coded
for complete traceability.
The industry's widest range of
inventory available from stock
Kaspar Wire Works
Celia Glass, IT Director
Following visit to Kaspar Wire Works as a group vocational visit, I was fortunate that my host Gery
Maneth was able to respond to my request to arrange this additional vocational experience to allow
me to have discussion of the ERP system used in this organisation. I was able to discuss with Celia
the transition from manual and card systems the Apprise ERP system, and especially the benefits
which the organisation achieved in product costing, bills of materials and manufacturing execution.
Being able to relate the discussion to the operations of the business from the tour the previous day
was an important part of the experience.
Business Ink
Rich Barbee, VP Business Development
Rich Barbee was a Rotarian, host family and my guide for the first vocational day.  The visit to his
business was an extremely interesting mix of ERP system, business process and operations

of 214
management in a very unique type of business. Business Ink services their customer requirements in
converting customer data into targeted communications. Since their customers include government
and public agencies and individual consumer finance and health data, quality control and process
management are essential systems to manage critical issues such as privacy protection, compliance
with customer business specifications and on time delivery.  An interesting walk through the process
from first engagement with the customer, data collection and management, conversion to
deliverables, construction of customer specific process, fulfilment of packages and distribution to
consumers.
Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
Chris Rolfsen, Global Supply Chain Manager; Steve Whitman, Global Product Supply Planning
Manager
Was given an overview of their ERP systems where they use a composite of components from many
ERP systems in a “best of breed” system.  They use SAP for advanced product and manufacturing
process planning. Master data is a key issue in ERP operation with accuracy and updating always an
issue. An extremely important take away from this visit was discussion of their system of business
rules for automated update of planning master data, using the sequence of Completeness, Accuracy,
Consistency, Validity, Yield, and Utilisation.
McLane Advanced Technologies
McLane Advanced Technologies is a global logistics, information technology, and training solutions
company built on over 100 years of global supply chain, warehouse, distribution, and technology
experience. McLane was founded by in 2004 to provide logistics information technology to the
United States Army. The program, known as the Standard Army Maintenance System involved the
development, testing, and fielding of the logistics and maintenance system to the entire United
States Army.
This visit provided a different view of ERP systems since McLane completed in house development of
their ERP system purpose built for the defence industry requirement. They also provide training and
support to users. I was given a guided tour and also a presentation on the history and operations of
the organization.
The history of the business was interesting in the leadership in development of supply chain
management. Founder and CEO, Drayton McLane Jr., had previously been President and CEO of
McLane Company. He had used computer‐based technology to enhance the distribution system and
was largely responsible for expanding the family business (started by grandfather as a retail grocery)
from a three million dollar a year operation into a 19 billion dollar enterprise. It was then acquired
by Walmart and its process and technologies integrated to form the basis of its grocery distribution
system. He was also owner of the Houston Astros.
Huber Corporation
Richard L Lewis, EH&S Manager; Tom Sieter, Process Engineer
Huber Corporation mines Ground Calcium Carbonate at Marble Falls, Texas. This visit was related to
my engineering profession and mining industry association. I was given a presentation as an
overview of their products,  processing (including safety) which includes both underground mining

of 214
operations and processing of the mineral into products with a particular focus on particle sizing of
the mineral to achieve specifications to meet their customer’ needs. This included discussion of
some of the types of the equipment used to produce the particle sizes.
In many years of providing engineering products to the mining industry I had never been into an
underground mining operation, so being given a tour of their underground operations was a new
experience.

SAP
I was given an opportunity to meet with Carrie van Sickle, Principal Retail Solutions for SAP. She gave
a presentation on a current project, in retail pricing solutions, which she had in progress. This was a
completely new aspect of SAP for me, which was very interesting and informative, and an increase in
my professional knowledge base. We were also able to have a discussion about SAP as a company, a
product and share experiences in the area of SAP implementations.
McComb School of business
Ashish Argawal, Assistant Professor (Information, Risk and Operations Management)

of 214
I had expressed a variety of different areas of vocational interest. This visit covered a very useful
conjunction of two of the main ones, ERP systems and supply chain management. The McComb
School of Business uses the SAP enterprise resource planning system for a practical component in
the course on information systems for supply chain management students. I was able to enjoy an
interesting discussion around the curriculum for the course and the use of SAP.  The curriculum and
case study reading list were an important take away to form the basis of continuing vocational study.
I had already found it interesting that the university was offering an undergraduate degree in the
important business function of supply chain management. McCombs business school is also home of
the Supply Chain Management Center of Excellence which was created to develop and communicate
new knowledge about supply chain management, supported by many big names in industry Proctor
and Gamble, Chevron, Shell, Dell, Conoco Phillips, Halliburton, Accenture.
I also found another interesting activity within the supply chain management study. Students in an
operations management class follow a product upstream through the supply chain, starting at an
Austin Target store and ending up in factories located throughout the Pearl River Delta region in
southern China. (A Toy’s Story ‐ http://www.utexas.edu/know/2012/07/24/supply_chain/  )
Caterpillar
Ethan L. Pauly, Manufacturing Engineer
Caterpillar was high on my wish list since they are suppliers of components used in our business and
also in the process of roll out of an SAP system. This was not on my itinerary so I am very grateful to
Steve and Kaye Neal for arranging this extra vocational visit for travel to and the day in Waco that
made it possible together with some other extra places of interest.
Discussion of their experience in the system development and preparing for roll out in their
organisation provided a useful and interesting background related to a much larger organisation in a
similar industry to mine. The guided tour of the manufacturing process at this Caterpillar operation
was the highlight of this visit.
From the perspective of manufacturing process management it was interesting to see some
different methods of processing the cutting of steel plate.

of 214
Places of Interest, History and Culture
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
The Bob Bullock Museum in downtown Austin is the Texas State History Museum and tells the
“Story of Texas” through the three themed exhibits each occupying a full floor: Land, Identity and
Opportunity. The feature short term exhibition at the time of our visit was a history of Texas music
which documented the state’s contribution to world music. This made an interesting start to the
museum visit. Many of the interactive and film presentation exhibits almost transport you back into
history with a feeling of being there.
Early in our visit we experienced the special effects show, The Star of Destiny, in the Texas Spirit
Theatre which is a part of the museum. The film narrated by the character of the historical figure
Sam Houston provided a vivid introduction to the history of Texas.

Some unique features are a demonstration of the pride which Texan’s have in their state and special
history, including the 35‐foot‐tall bronze Lone Star sculpture which greets visitors in front of the
museum, and the colourful display of enduring themes from Texas’ past built into the terrazzo floor
in the Museum’s rotunda.
The first floor exhibit “Encounters on the Land” describes the story of Texas as one of people and the
land. The Texas of today is the sum of all the encounters on the land reflecting how people
responded to the land and each other. A tour through history from native peoples that occupied the
land for at least 11,000 years before Europeans (Spaniards, and later the French and others)
discovered the New World in the 1500’s and progression though life size exhibits that recreate the
life on the land of pioneers (including the Spanish missions), slaves, immigrants and others.

of 214
The second floor exhibit “Building the Lone Star Identity” explores two centuries of conflict and
compromise and the visions of the people of Texas. This history progresses from the Mexican State
of Tejas y Coahila in the 1820’s, the American settlement and growing separation from Mexico,
“visiting” Stephen Austin in his jail cell in Mexico City and “viewing” the battles of the revolution,
including the Alamo. This was followed by the history of Texas as a free Republic and then the
annexation as a state of the United States; just in time to be pulled in to the U.S. Civil War. A mural
timeline of the war showed how cotton and slavery defined the Texas identity, and even her
borders. Finally seeing how the Lone Star identity was expanded and redefined as immigrants from
other states and countries settled and sought opportunities.
The third floor exhibition “Creating Opportunity” describes Texas as a hard land, vast and diverse,
that people for centuries have seen as a place of possibilities. This was shown through exhibits
showing the diverse history of opportunities; from ranching (with the influence of longhorn cattle
and the introduction of barbed wire), to the diversity of geographic regions, the discovery of oil,
leading to Texas becoming a major international force in economics, politics, and technology. Texas
was the place to locate key military bases and defence‐related industries during World War II.
Exhibits also explored milestones in technology, medicine, and space exploration.
Institute of Texan Cultures

The Institute of Texan Cultures in HemisFair
Park in San Antonio is a museum which
provides an appreciation of the multicultural
nature and history of the state of Texas. The
displays represent the large number of
nationalities and cultures which have
contributed to the history of Texas and
demonstrate their impact on the
development of Texas.
The cinematic overview of the cultural
diversity of the state projected onto the
central dome roof was a special introduction.
There were some live displays of some
historical aspects of life in the state. These all
provided another experience feeling for the
history and development of the state and
more background to the experience we felt in
our interaction with Texans of pride in
themselves and their state.

of 214
The Alamo Mission
This was another of the great experiences which our team had the privilege to enjoy. I am sure the
visit is one of those which would be classified unforgettable by anyone that has the opportunity to
visit this site. An informative and enjoyable experience was that our hosts arranged a member of the
museum staff to give us a verbal presentation. The 15 minute presentation covered the history
leading up to the siege and battle of the Alamo and the course of the major parts of the remainder
of the Texan Revolution. This brought much of the history to life.

The Alamo, originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero, is a former Roman Catholic mission
and fortress compound and was the site of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. The siege and battle of
the Alamo was a defining moment in Texan history. Almost all of the small numbers of soldiers were
killed in the heroic defence against the massed force of Mexican soldiers led by General Antonio
Lopez de Santa Anna. This set the scene for the remainder of the Texan Revolution and eventually
defeat of the Mexicans by the army led by Sam Houston.
San Antonio River Walk
During the San Antonio day trip we enjoyed
the Mexican lunch on the banks of the river
with passing tourist boats, whilst some ducks
decided they should have their own feast on
one of our lady team members. This was
followed by the scenic river walk to reach the
Alamo.
We closed of the day with a visit to local
Mexican market centre which allowed us an
opportunity to see some of the local arts and
crafts and purchase some gifts and souvenirs.

of 214
Hero’s Night Out
The Centennial club took us to Hero’s Night Out as a demonstration of a community service project
in their area that they have supported. This was an inspirational demonstration of what can be done
when people care about others. This non‐profit organisation providing support for returned veterans
started from a considerate gesture by the founders, Wes and Judy, to provide a meal for a family
they met at a veteran’s hospital while visiting one of their many foster children. From this small
beginning developed a community organisation providing an essential link to assist veterans an
essential link to assistance with return to civilian life, receiving their rightful benefits, loan
applications, job applications, life and job skills training, and also an organisation that cares and a
community centre to meet with others in similar situations.

Round Top Festival Institute
In the small town of Round Top (population 80) is the Round Top Festival Institute where young
classical musicians are educated through an intensive summer music education program whilst also
participating in a series of public performances. Our hosts treated us to a personal guided tour of the
Festival Hill Institute campus and particularly its magnificent central feature the 1,100 seat Festival
Concert Hall. This concert hall with its beautifully hand‐crafted interiors, glowing woodwork, grand
staircases, hand‐crafted chandeliers and keen attention to detail inherent in the design would
certainly be the pride of any major city worldwide.

of 214

Lady Bird Lake & Mt Bonnell
We had a picnic lunch in the scenic park overlooking one of Austin’s favourite sites, described as an
Austin jewel. The Barton Springs Pool is a 1,000 foot long natural limestone pool, fed by several
underground springs. The fresh spring water we were told is delightfully cool (68 degrees F) even in
record breaking heat. The early Native Americans called it a place of healing.

Under a pecan grove at the entrance to Barton Springs Pool we found Philosophers' Rock which is a
larger‐than‐life‐size bronze sculpture of three renowned Austin writers. J. Frank Dobie, Roy
Bedichek, and Walter Prescott Webb used to meet at Barton Springs every afternoon and hold forth
in what has been characterized as "Austin’s first literary salon." The men met on a rock at the edge
of the pool that Bedichek dubbed "Philosophers’ Rock." The statue is an unforgettable depiction of
three good friends engaged in an informal but intense discussion. A monument to friendship, ideas,
the glory of nature and the joy of conversation,
Lunch was followed by a stroll down a scenic trail through lush green parks next to the peaceful
lakes to a spot looking out across Lady Bird Lake (previously Town Lake) towards the city of Austin.
This is a view quite reminiscent of the view of the City of Perth from the South Perth foreshore (as
shown in our GSE team photos). The area filled with bird life and swans on the lake and also people
making the most of the facilities with bikers and hikers on the trails and canoes and rowboats on the
water. This part of Lake Austin flows for five miles through the heart of downtown Austin.

of 214

In the afternoon we continued the scenic tour with a visit to Mt Bonnell.  This is a scenic lookout and
historical point of interest in a beautiful park looming almost 800 feet over Austin. A nice bit of much
needed exercise climbing the stairs. And at the top, the chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful
overlook of the Colorado River and the homes on the river.

Monument Hill & Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites
The state park ranger gave us a guided tour of the brewery and the house.  This site gave us an
insight into the history of early immigrants to Texas and the contribution of the German immigrants
to the area.
The Kreische Brewery site consists of the Kreische house and outbuildings, which were built in 1855‐
1857 and the ruins Kreische Brewery, built in the 1860's.  In the 1870s the Kreische Brewery was one
of the top three producers in the state.  Although the brewery fell into ruins after his untimely death
in 1882, his children occupied the house into the 1950s. Even though the brewery is ruins, they are
now preserved and the ranger was able to guide us through the process and in doing so explain the
history. The house is preserved with period furniture and clothing and provided an insight into life
conditions in the area in the 1800’s.

of 214

The Monument Hill site is a tomb and monument to the brave men who fought to keep the Republic
of Texas free from 1842 to 1845. The tomb has the remains of some of these men which were
brought to La Grange during the Mexican‐American War in 1847‐48. The history provides another
part of the story of Texas Independence along with the Alamo, and other state sites.

of 214
E.A. Arnim Archives & Museum of Flatonia
This quaint little museum was opened after hours to give us a special guided tour. The ground floor
of the Museum’s main building showcases goods and furnishings for home and office, advertising
memorabilia, antique children’s toys and clothing, all of which reflect the development of Flatonia
from its founding in 1873.

The second floor is a Veterans Museum; a tribute to the men and women from the Flatonia area
who served in the Armed Forces, and as a reminder to the sacrifices they have made for their
country. A “Wall of Honor” displays photographs of individual veterans. Exhibit rooms display
uniforms worn by local servicemen and women, memorabilia brought back from foreign wars and
news articles reflecting the times and action in various wars.

of 214
The outside barn exhibition contains a wide array of farm implements and a collection of vehicles
ranging from a genuine covered wagon to a 1926 Chevy truck. In addition, displays of laundry
mechanisms spanning a century or more, a complete farm kitchen features everything a
hardworking farm wife needed, from butters churns to a wood burning cook stove.

Courthouses and Fayette County Courthouse
In most of the cities and towns the court house is the central public building, which includes not just
the court but also most administrative functions for the management of the city or town. In most
small towns it is the most dominant building on the central square. We found most of these to be
historical buildings and also impressive architectural features.
Like many of the small towns and cities, the courthouse in the central square is an interesting
architectural structure. However, I found the interior just by chance an interesting exploration,
including a small piece of history, the bust and story of the Count de Lafayette after whom the
county is named was a Frenchman who came to fight in the American Revolution.

of 214
American Experience Day
Shopping Experience
We started the day with a shopping experience. Our starting point as requested by team members
was Wal‐Mart. Although my contact on the Georgia GSE team to District 9455 responded on
Facebook that this is not an American experience, for us as visitors and considering the size and
reach of this retailer and effect on consumers, it is an important view on economic activity and
conditions. This also opened discussion about employment practices, competition and other issues
that some consider unethical which in turn influences their own shopping choices. This did show that
our countries are affected by similar issues in economics, consumerism and impact of large
sometimes monopolistic businesses.
By contrast, we followed this with a visit to Whole Foods Market Rooftop Plaza for a view of grocery
shopping with a difference at a retailer with a mission – “we seek out the finest natural and organic
foods available, maintain the strictest quality standards in the industry, and have an unshakeable
commitment to sustainable agriculture”. Growth from one small store in 1980 to more than 340
stores seems to indicate that are doing something right.

Opposite ends of the retail spectrum
Livestrong Foundation
Our visit to the Livestrong Foundation was inspired by our team’s resident sports fanatic, Mick who
was reading the biography of Lance Armstrong whilst travelling and supported by the flexibility of
our hosts to adapt our visits to align available opportunities with additional interests.

of 214

The Livestrong Foundation, founded in 1997 by cancer survivor, cyclist Lance Armstrong, is a
nonprofit organization based in Austin, Texas that provides support for people affected by cancer.
The Livestrong Foundation states that its mission is 'to inspire and empower' cancer survivors and
their families. It also aims to provide practical information and tools for people affected by cancer.
The guide gave us a good overview of the operations of the Foundation as he guided us through the
building. The building was a converted paper distribution warehouse. He highlighted that as the
building was being developed for the Foundation, Lance Armstrong had two goals, that the building
should be energy efficient and that it should be COOL (not temperature). Since the building is LEED
certified to the highest level as an energy and recycle efficient building, that objective was achieved,
and our tour through a variety of very interesting artworks throughout proved that it certainly meets
the COOL objective.

Although later to become controversial as a result of allegations of doping during his cycling career,
the Foundation remains a tribute to Lance Armstrong’s personal triumph over cancer and to the
application of personal fame, fortune and contacts to create an organization with a purpose for the
greater good in society. It was well worth the visit.
We also went across the city to visit Lance Armstrong’s bike shop, called Mellow Johnny’s (a word
play on “Maillot Jaune” for yellow jersey) and also the coffee shop within (“Juan Pelota café” –
another word play associated with the Lance Armstrong anatomy).

of 214

Broken Spoke
Advertised as Last of the true Texas Dance Halls, The Broken Spoke is Texas' most definitive dance
hall. It's has a musical history that dates back forever. The advertising says,” visit The Broken Spoke
and experience a true Texas Honky‐Tonk. You never know who's going to show up”, so Jo took them
at their word and rustled up Desperate Housewives star in the midst of our visit.
The members of the Austin Cosmopolitan Rotary Club gave us an enjoyable evening with dancing
lessons in Texas style; however I noticed that the team deserted the team leader in this activity.
South Congress Avenue
The South Congress area is a nationally‐known
shopping and cultural district famous for its
many eclectic small retailers, restaurants,
music and art venues and, more recently,
food trucks. The tour along South Congress
Avenue allowed us to view a street lined with
restaurants and smaller shops whilst
discussing the cultural and nightlife
experience. We visited a small store, “Ten
Thousand Villages of Austin”, a fair trade store
with jewellery, home décor and other gifts
handmade by artists from around the world.
Every item has a story behind it from what
country it came from to the person involved
and the transaction was done via fair trade.
The fit with the overall objectives of Rotary
made this a very appropriate visit for a Rotary
exchange.
The area has food choices from expensive
restaurants to low price tasty trailer food, so
lunch was another of those unique
experiences, a stop at a square featuring a
number of food trucks serving a variety of
different food options. This was followed by a
move to another food truck for the special
dessert treat.

Congress Avenue Bridge/Austin Bats
The Congress Avenue Bridge is the home of nearly 1.5 million bats. Every evening people line the bridge waiting
for the bats to appear. We joined the viewing, but unfortunately the bats chose not to appear by the time we had
to move on to our next engagement.

of 214
Sixth Street
Austin's official motto is the "Live Music Capital of the World", and over one hundred venues stage
live music every night. Although it is spread to other areas, the nucleus is Austin's most famous
night location, Sixth Street. This is a busy street lined with clubs, restaurants, pubs and
galleries. It is transformed after dark to a City sponsored multi block party every
weekend.
A visit to Sixth Street was therefore a cultural necessity and we all enjoyed listening to
the live band at the selected venue.
Round Rock Express baseball game
Attending a local sporting event was the last stop of the day for our “American experience”. One of
the significant differences we have between countries is the choice of sports to play and view. A visit
to the local baseball was an opportunity to enjoy one of the local sports preferences, along with the
food and entertainment associated with a visit to a sports stadium. In interesting comparison with
our own Australian sports lifestyle.

The Round Rock Express is a Triple‐A minor league baseball team with home at the Dell Diamond in
Round Rock. The league is one level below majors and the team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers,
so an opportunity to see up and coming baseball players. Our evening meal at the game gave me the
opportunity to enjoy the best burger ever in a sports stadium. A great contrast to the notoriously
bad food at our own stadiums.

Our visit was well and truly capped with the behind the scenes tour of stadium and team facilities,
discussion of the team management and training and the visit to the media management facility that
provides the in stadium commentary, announcements and entertainment as well as television

of 214
broadcast. This was a treat enjoyed equally by our hosts as they would not normally get an
opportunity to see this aspect of their sport.

Fort Hood
Fort Hood is one of the largest United States military installations in the world, and is the home of III
Corps and other US army units. Before the Breakup of the Soviet Union, Fort Hood was billed as the
largest military base in the free world (Fort Benning is larger in personnel though not in land area).
During peacetime, Fort Hood is a gated post, with the 1st Cavalry Division Museum, the Belton Lake
Outdoor Recreation Area (BLORA), and a number of other facilities that are open to the public.
We made a couple of visits to Fort Hood, the first with a group of District 5870 Rotarians as a part of
the 1st
District Conference was to the First Cavalry Division Museum. A second visit for a morning
was a guided tour, briefing and hands on review of some training facilities followed by lunch in the
base canteen.
The First Cavalry Division Museum indoor exhibition records the long history of the 1st
Cavalry
Division. It includes some history of its predecessors from the Civil War and American Indian Wars
and First World War. The Division was formed in 1921 to become one of the most famous in the
United States Army with service in the Second World War, Korea, Vietnam, Desert storm and the
War on Terror (Afghanistan), as well as peace keeping mission in Bosnia. It is now a part of III Corps.
The outdoor display at the museum features a wide selection of historical equipment. The massive
outdoor display is a sight to behold. Whether it's an armoured vehicle or aircraft, it has touched the
division in a unique way and has added to the historical significance of the First Team.

We started the day with tour of the 111 Corps headquarters building whilst our tour guide gave us a
brief history. This was followed by a briefing by the Administrative Commander of the Fort Hood
Base. This briefing covered the recent missions undertaken by 111 Corps, the logistics involved in
preparing, training and deployment of troops, the training facilities, the size and economic impact of
the base and relations with the community. The base has an annual economic impact of over
US$10billion and supports a community of over 400, 000people including over 46,000 soldiers.

of 214

Our visit to the Warrior Skills Training Centre was a special hands‐on experience. It gave us a rare
opportunity to get an insight into the sophisticated facilities and equipment and highly developed
training programs that prepare the troops at this facility for the defense of their country. We tested
our skills as drivers and gun operators in the tank simulators, and then experienced how the latest
computer game technology is used to develop tactical battle skills and sharpen reflexes. Finally we
were let loose on an urban battle simulation. How quickly can you clear the bad guys out without
killing the hostages? This exercise uses modified versions of the real weapons.

USS Lexington ‐ Museum on the bay
On the bay at Corpus Christi is a National
Historic Landmark, the US naval aviation
museum is accommodated on board the USS
Lexington which was a world war two vintage
aircraft carrier that served the defence of the
United States for almost 50 years. The flight
deck accommodates the display of examples
of US naval aircraft displayed together with

of 214
heroic stories of naval operations. There are
also displays of other equipment such as cut
away aircraft engines.
On board we were able to participate in the
variety of activities available including the
Pearl Harbour exhibition, IMAX theatre, flight
simulators, and to explore the various areas of
the ship from flight deck to bridge,
accommodation to gun batteries.

The museum also serves as an education facility and we observed the arrival of youth groups who
were about to be accommodated on board.

Pearce Civil War and Western Art Museum
The Pearce Museum at Navarro College in Corsicana provided a view of two epic historical events of
the 1800’s, the American Civil War and the westward expansion that followed. The civil war section
exhibited the course of the American Civil War in artefacts and photographs; however it also
provides a unique view of the times because it was crafted around letters and documents written
during the war, and therefore provided a view through the eyes of officers and soldiers as they
wrote during the course of the war.
The Western Art was a collection of paintings and sculptures that depict both the historic and
modern American West. The collection is a mixture of paintings and sculptures in a variety of media.
It includes some magnificent artistic depictions of scenic landscapes and of the drive to explore and
settle “The West” (unfortunately no cameras allowed).

of 214

Fort Parker and Confederate Reunion Grounds
This is a reconstruction of the original Fort Parker, and the visit to give us an insight into settler life
during the Western expansion, including the fort and living conditions, type of accommodation,
clothing, furniture and utensils. It also showed the impact of war between the settlers and the
Indians.

Our guide, Rick Price, described to us the most famous historical event of this particular fort ‐ On
May 19th 1836, a band of Indians came to Parker's Fort asking for beef, water and a place to camp.
When greeted by the Parkers the Indians attacked, taking five captives! The most famous of
these was 9 year old Cynthia Ann Parker. Cynthia Ann, who has been depicted in some movies of the
period as “The White Squaw” was adopted by a Comanche family and grew up as a member of the
tribe to become the wife of the Comanche War Chief Peta Nocona and the mother of Quanah
Parker, the last and greatest of the American Indian chiefs.

of 214
In later travels after GSE I was able to see more of this history in other parts of Texas.

University of Texas at Austin
Our hosts Kathy and Sally took us on a guided walking tour of the campus of the University of Texas.
This was a large campus with wonderful natural setting among the large city environment. There
were lots of hills, so the walking tour provided some much needed exercise (to work off some of
those meals). Walking and talking as we explored the clean and well maintained landscaped campus
with impressive building and architecture, the result of more than a century of history

Sally was able to provide an insight into student life from her own experience. Many of the Rotarians
and family members we met during our exchange were also proud alumni and Longhorn supporters.

of 214
The university was founded in 1883 and is the
largest single campus in Texas and fifth largest
university in the United States. The campus
includes many great buildings and one of the
greatest is the main building with the UT
tower which dominates the centre of the
campus. From that point there are fine views
overlooking the City of Austin and also the
Texas State Capitol which is situated 400
metres from the campus. The UT tower is
often specially lit to commemorate special
events including major sporting wins. Access
to the tower is restricted to official tours after
passing through metal detector as a result of a
mass shooting in August 1966 by sniper from
the tower observation deck.

UT tower lit entirely in orange
The university is a major entre for academic research and the magnificent campus supports over
50,000 students with great facilities and a variety of museums and libraries. In the course of the tour
we passed various dorms and halls of learning, visited the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and
Museum and Harry Ransom Centre. We made a separate visit to the Blanton Museum of Art.
UT Austin student athletes compete as the Texas Longhorns and our guided tour included various
sporting facilities (including the Darrell K. Royal‐Texas Memorial Stadium which we were able to see
inside on our visit to the Rotary Club of Austin University Area) and across the road to the Etter‐
Harbin Alumni Centre with its statues and memorials. Finally out past the Rod McComb Business
School which I would visit again for one of my vocational visits.

Darrell K. Royal‐Texas Memorial Stadium

of 214
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
On the tour of University of Texas, we visited the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
which is the most popular Presidential Library (highest long term visitation). It houses 45 million
pages of historical documents, including the papers of Lyndon Baines Johnson and those of his close
associates and others.

Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library ‐
Austin, TX

The LBJ Oval Office

There were interesting exhibits which represent some of the history of his presidency including a
7/8ths
scale replica of the Oval Office decorated as it was during Johnson's presidency. This visit
together with Lyndon B. Johnson State Park (Texas White House) and a brief stop at the George W
Bush Presidential library was an opportunity to learn about some of the history of a particular US
Presidency and the presidency in general as part of the US Federal Government system.
Harry Ransom Center
On the tour of University of Texas, we made a short stop at the Harry Ransom Center which is an
archive, library and museum specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the
United States and Europe for the purpose of advancing the study of the arts and humanities.

We had the opportunity to view the two most prominent possessions in the Ransom Center's collections; a
Gutenberg Bible (one of only 21 complete copies known to exist) and Nicéphore Niépce's View from the
Window at Le Gras, the first successful permanent photograph from nature.

of 214
Austin Duck Adventures
We were given a different view of Austin when we were taken on a Sunday afternoon combined land/water
adventure tour that takes visitors on a downtown sightseeing tour before splashing into Lake Austin. The
tour was a great introduction to the city including Historic Sixth Street, the State Capitol Building, Bob
Bullock State History Museum, the Governor’s Mansion, and Lake Austin. Our driver/tour guide was
amazing; knowledgeable whilst being funny and entertaining. Blow the duck whistle at passers‐by was fun
too!! A couple of team members had a chance to “captain the ship” on the water and did not manage to
sink us.

LBJ Ranch & Fredericksburg

A day trip to Fredericksburg, approximately 100 km from Austin, takes us into an area of agri‐tourism
and historical interest. Passing through some scenic countryside we passed many agricultural
activities which include herb farms, grape culture, lavender production and wildflower seeds and
also many businesses which are combinations of agribusiness with day spas, wedding facilities, or
bed and breakfast accommodations. The Fredericksburg‐Stonewall area has become known as the
Peach Capital of Texas
Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site
The Sauer‐Beckmann Farmstead ‐ Rural Life, 1900‐1918

This is a living history farm. Life on the farmstead is presented as it was in 1918. Costumed
interpreters wear period clothing and carry out the day‐to‐day activities of farm and household
chores of a turn‐of‐the‐century Texas‐German farm family as they were done at that time. We saw
grass cutting with a hand scythe and meals being cooked on a wood‐burning stove, but also the
buildings, farm implements, furniture and clothing representative of life at that time.

of 214

LBJ Ranch
The LBJ Ranch was where President Johnson was born, lived, died, and was buried. The self‐drive
tour of the ranch allowed us to stop at sites along the way such as the President's birthplace,
Johnson family cemetery (the final resting place of President Johnson and Ladybird Johnson), and
the Johnson's ranch house known as the Texas White House.
The Air Force One aircraft used at that time is displayed at the entrance.  There are parts of the
exhibition which recognise the role of aviation in making this remote “Texas White House” possible.
The museum has exhibits recognising Lyndon Johnson’s Civil Rights Legacy. LBJ had a passion for
exotic automobiles, several of which are on display in the Ranch garage.

Fredericksburg
With nearly 20 per cent of Texas’s population claiming pure or partial German ancestry, the
Fredericksburg area has both cultural and historical importance for its German immigrant heritage.
The settlement was the first German town in Texas and the precursor to what’s now known as

of 214
Texas’s German Belt. It has become a popular place to enjoy German festivals like Oktoberfest,
German‐style beer gardens, menus laden with brats and schnitzel, and shops selling beer steins

The architectural structures of Fredericksburg are often unique to the Texas Hill Country, and are
historical edifices of the German immigrants who settled the area in the 19th Century. Many of the
structures have historic designations on a state or national level. Fredericksburg Historic District is a
collection of specialty stores, restaurants, wine bars, boutiques, art galleries, cheese & coffee shops,
and many other attractions that align Main Street in the centre of town.
National Museum of the Pacific War
Fredericksburg was the boyhood home of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief,
United States Pacific Fleet during World War II. The Admiral Nimitz Museum which is housed in the
old Nimitz Hotel where Admiral Nimitz lived during his early childhood while it was owned by his
grandfather. This section of the museum tells the story of Fleet Admiral Nimitz beginning with his life
as a young boy through his naval career as well as the evolution of the old hotel (now museum).

The Admiral Nimitz Museum located in the
historic Nimitz Hotel

Plaza of Presidents

of 214

In 2000, the complex was renamed National Museum of the Pacific War and is dedicated to perpetuating
the memory of the Pacific Theatre of WWII ensuring that the sacrifices of those who contributed to our
victory may never be forgotten. Situated on nine acres the Historic Site includes the George Bush Gallery,
Admiral Nimitz Museum, Plaza of Presidents, Veterans' Walk of Honour, Japanese Garden of Peace, Pacific
Combat Zone, and the Centre for Pacific War Studies.
The Plaza of Presidents is a striking outdoor tribute to the ten American presidents who served in the
armed forces during WWII. The Presidents from Franklin D Roosevelt to George H.W. Bush all either served
as commander in chief or in the military during the war. Ten monuments arranged in a semi‐circle chronicle
their contributions during that era.

The George H. W. Bush Gallery features a state‐of‐the‐art exhibit on the story of WWII in the Pacific and
East Asia. The route through the exhibit sequentially guides one through the entire history of World War II
in the Pacific, From Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay, the epic story of the Pacific War is told, as viewed from both
the American as well as the Japanese eyes.
Blanton Museum of Art
The Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art is the art museum and research centre of the University Of Texas At
Austin. The museum is one of the largest university art museums in the United States, housing some 17,000
works.

of 214

Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol houses the two chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the Governor of
Texas.
This visit was another great opportunity to learn more about the State of Texas, a triple bonus;
Government Building, Historic Site and Architectural Building. The excellent guided tour covers all aspects;
the system of State government, the history and features of this magnificent building, some aspects of the
history of Texas and many historical artefacts (including historical flags from the Texan Revolution) and art
works covering the history of Texas that are on display throughout the building.
Sited on one of Austin’s highest points, the Capitol commands a sweeping view towards the Colorado River
from its southern façade. The main campus of The University of Texas at Austin is situated four blocks to
the north. Wonderful views of the Capitol’s dome from many vantage points throughout the Austin area
are protected from obscuration by state law.

The Texas Capitol is an extraordinary example of late 19th century public architecture and is widely
recognized as one of the nation’s most distinguished state capitols. This is a beautiful building that shows
off many of the natural resources which are so prevalent in Texas. It was designated a National Historic
Landmark in 1986 for its “significant contribution to American history.” It was originally designed in 1881 by
architect Elijah E. Myers, and was constructed from 1882 to 1888. Texas paid for the construction not in
dollars, but in land: some three million acres in the Texas Panhandle that would later become the famous
XIT Ranch. After the local fire department condemned the operation of the building as a result of fire
danger due to overcrowding, a $75 million underground extension was completed in 1993.
If it's in Texas, it must be bigger and better. That is the motto that architects followed with the Capitol
Building in Austin. An extraordinary edifice by any measure, the 1888 Texas Capitol is the largest in gross
square footage of all state capitols and is second in total size only to the National Capitol in Washington,
D.C. Like several other state capitols, the 1888 Texas Capitol surpasses the National Capitol in height, rising
almost 15 feet above its Washington counterpart.

of 214

“Retributive Justice by H.A McArdle” The Battle of San Jacinto (April 21st
1836) the Triumph of Texan
Independence.

The Texas Rangers Museum (Waco)
On the visit to Waco for an additional vocational experience, thanks to Steve and Kaye Neal, I was fortunate
to have the chance to visit this great museum. Sadly the other team members missed out on this one.
The Texas Rangers have a heritage that began
with the earliest settlements in Texas (created by
Stephen Austin to protect settlers), though
protection against Indian raids, the Civil War and
into modern law enforcement. Since they have
played a part in every era of Texas history the
museum was another view on the history of
Texas through the activities of the Rangers. It has
artefacts from the long and successful history and
highlights the stories of the heroes and leaders
that made it so successful.

Report 03

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Report 03

Similar to Report 03 (20)

More from Steve Coady

More from Steve Coady (12)

Report 03