Thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of our members and sponsor companies, Pioneers has reached our landmark Centennial Anniversary - 100 years of sharing the rewards and fellowship that come with volunteering to make a difference. We have achieved a century of making a positive, tangible impact in our communities.
We will be celebrating our Centennial in countless ways and we have initiated this Pioneers’ Centennial blog to provide a channel for sharing more frequent communication about these opportunities with our members. We encourage you to check our blog for Centennial updates, news and information weekly.
In the year ahead, there will be an opportunity for everyone to participate in our first-ever Pioneers International Centennial Project and help ensure that families across the United States and Canada
The telecommunications industry has made an everlasting impact on the lives of people. It continues to make an impact as it grows and changes every day. The same is true of Pioneering. You and your fellow Pioneers accomplish great things because of your commitment to making life better for the people of your community. That's a fact you should take great pride in. Just think of how many hearts we've touched through the past 100 years and how our own lives have been enriched in the process. As we all come together during the Centennial, I want to say thank you to each and every one of you for the part you played in this momentous occasion. I look forward to celebrating with you!
Jim Schmit
Chairman, Pioneers
Hello fellow Pioneers.
ReplyDeleteI posted a comment last week but I have not been able to view it. I must have hit a wrong key and it did not get posted. So here it is again as much as I remember saying.
It was a great 33 years that I worked at Western Electric, including 3 in the military. “The Western” was a small city within the town of Cicero. There was a small park with a bandshell, a hospital, a powerhouse, a firehouse, a theater, a credit union, an AT&T stock trading office, several restaurants and a merchandise store. A couple of blocks west was Albright Gym with a stage and meeting rooms. There were tennis courts, baseball fields, a running track and a putting green. It is all gone now, replaced by a shopping center. All that remains is the firehouse tower and the cable plant buildings north of the tracks in Chicago.
In the 80s when the plant began closing and employees dispersed, or were laid off, I hung around until 1986 because I did not want to relocate and upend my family. I could have transferred to an outlying location but I did not want to spend 3 hours driving to work. I was never more than 15 minutes from my home to the Hawthorne plant or to the loop at the Butler Building (there was free street parking back then).
So, at 53, I took an early pension with the buyout. This May 31st I will have been on pension for 25 years. It has been wonderful to be able to be with my wife and family full time. We have done things together that were not easy to do when I was working. My week at Western was 38 ¾ hours. Now it is more like 60 hours. But it has been just great. We have been fortunate to be in great health. Next month we will celebrate 57 years of marriage.
Hank
OK now that my comment has posted I want to post my Facebook profile because if you click on my picture at the Followers section to view it some of the middle section is cut off.
ReplyDeleteSo here it is. I hope it is not too long for this program.
In the picture is my wonderful wife, of 57 years, Juanita Rodriguez.
All that I have accomplished was done with my wife Juanita. She has walked BESIDE me as I have walked BESIDE her in her accomplishments. VIEW HER PROFILE AT BOTTOM.
PRESENTLY I am the executive director of the Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago, www.mexfoldanco.org, executive director of Cuerdas Clasicas www.cuerdasclasicas.org, vice president of two time GRAMMY® nominee Sones de Mexico Ensemble www.sonesdemexico.com, also ●Admin Assist Asociacion de Charros Cuatro Caminos ● Member Padre Silva Retirement Home Coatzintla Veracruz. Past Admin Assist ● Sociedad Civica Mexico-Americana, Past Admin Assist ● Hispanic American Alerta Committee, Past Admin Assist ● Federacion de Clubes Unidos Zacatecanos en Illinois
RETIRED: ENGINEERING ASSOCIATE from AT&T Technologies, (formally Western Electric and now
Actel-Lucent Technologies). (33 years). Held Engineering Positions in: •Power •Standards •Test Sets •Repair
•Manufacturing Plant Consultant •Metals Mill Installation •Capacitors •Maintenance and •Ordering.
Held Office Positions in: •Personnel •Equal Opportunity and •Latino Community Public Relations.
RETIRED: Pre-Vocational Career Manager at Methodist Youth Services. Trained Wards of the State.
MILITARY SERVICE: Korean Conflict: rank of Sergeant in The Signal Corp on Okinawa supervising a civilian team replacing obsolete telephone system.
AWARDS; RECOGNITION : ●Two awards from Brighton Park Elementary School for years of service on LSC.● Alex Peloso CD Award for many years of service to the community, from Continental Community Center.●Inaugural Corazon de Jesus Award from Casa Jesus to my wife & me for our love, dedication & generosity ● Award from Casa Jesus for most years of support. ● Fraternal Order of St. Francis Wildcats Man of the year for years of community service in the arts. ● Award from The Community Education Foundation High School District 214 Arlington Heights, IL ● Award from The Museum of Science and Industry for years of volunteer service in Latino Festival events. ●Award from Western Electric Heritage and Culture Club as a founding member. ●Award from St. Agnes of Brighton Park Holy Name Society for years of dedicated service.●Award from St. Agnes of Brighton Pk as co-founder of Guadalupana Society & years of dedicated service ● Ten Casa Jesus Cardinal Circle donation recognitions.
ABOUT JUANITA: Had career as a ballroom dancer and singer. She won awards with Arthur Murray Dance Studios. Was the lead singer in her school concerts and won EVERY singing contest she participated in. She sang in a local band. Was active in social, civic, church and school organizations such as the Cordi-Marian Woman's Auxiliary. Co-founder of Bishop Placido Rodriguez Chicago Scholarships Auxiliary. Founder of St. Agnes of Brighton Park Guadalupana Society. Fund-raiser for Padre Silva Retirement Home in Coatzintla Veracruz. Very active with Casa Jesus House of Formation, St. Joseph Seminary and Mundelein Seminary.
AWARDS: ●Casa Jesus for years of support ●Inaugural Corazon de Jesus from Casa Jesus to my husband and me for our love, dedication and generosity ●St. Agnes of Brighton Park as founder of Guadalupana Society. ●Ten Casa Jesus Cardinal Circle onation recognitions.