Our sleepy chapter, of all things, recently hosted the South Central Section Fall Conference. It was a large undertaking for a chapter with so few members. It became a special evening during which we awarded a Wright Brothers Award and listened to a young pilot in training to become an astronaut. As Mary, chapter president, put it, we experienced in one evening fifty years of the past and fifty years in the future.
As far as we could tell, as of this week, Carol Morris is the first female recipient of the prestigious Wright Award, given to pilots who have flown for fifty years or longer. In the photograph above, Monica Randolph Graham (Fort Worth Chapter) pins one of the Wright Brothers Award pins on her dress. Dan Vengen, in Wichita Falls to bestow the honor, presented Carol with two pins: One that is given to the recipient, and one that is given to the spouse of the recipient. He asked her which one would she like to have, and she replied, "Both." Congratulations to Carol Morris. |
Yayu Monica Hew joined our chapter recently, and was then asked by Mary Latimer to serve as the guest lecturer at the Conference. Monica talked about her life and what led to her decision to become an astronaut. She wishes to travel to Mars, and she wishes, too, to facilitate anyone's travel to Mars. Currently, she is studying for her IFR rating with Mary and Lawrence Latimer in Vernon, Texas.
A group of approximately one hundred people gathered in the conference room of the Wellington Center in Wichita Falls. Chapter president Mary Latimer at the information table in the lobby of the Wellington Center. Note the Mars banner at right in honor of Yahu Monica Hew. The easy to read schedule laid out by LaVena Wilson (Wichita Falls Chapter) shows the itinerary planned for the participants of the Conference. There were plenty of activities, from the popular Wine and Paint to the private air show at Danaher Airport. |