Jerry Rasmuson

(By Bill Dabbs, on the occasion of the presentation of the Outstanding Service Award to Jerry Rasmuson, 1999)

It is my pleasant duty to present the Outstanding Service Award to one of our most deserving fellow members. This award is presented in recognition of his contribution to society outside of his profession. This member was born in Wetaskiwin and is married with two children. He obtained his engineering degree at the University of Alberta in 1971, became an Alberta Land Surveyor in 1972, gained his professional engineering status in 1973, and a Canada Lands Surveyor in 1982. He has been active on several committees and the management of our Association for several years.

Outside of the Association, this member has also been very active. He is involved in Little League Baseball in Calgary. He was a member of the initial boards of the Bethany Care Centres in Airdrie and Cochrane. He is active as an elder at his local church and is currently chairperson of the church council. He is also an active participant in softball, but most of all, he is known for his curling abilities and what he has done for curling. He has been active at all levels of competitive curling since he began curling on two sheets of natural ice in Gwynne, Alberta. He has curled with and against the best of them over the years, but most of all, he was Chairman of the Briar Committee for the Calgary Briar in 1997. This was the Briar that set attendance records and showed that curling was a spectator sport and could be held in large arenas.

As you are all aware by now, this year's award is presented to Jerald E. Rasmuson.

Personal:
● Born in Wetaskiwin, Alberta on July 31, 1943

Education:
● First five years of education at a one room school at Crooked Lake followed by the rest of elementary and junior high at Gwynne. Attended high school in Wetaskiwin;
● Obtained ALS and DLS while working with the Department of Highways;
● Graduated from the University of Alberta in 1971 with a degree in civil engineering.

Career:
● Grew up on the family farm north of Gwynne (13 km east of Wetaskiwin). Allergic to grain dust (or hard work) so he knew farming was not his vocation;
● Began his surveying career in 1963 with Ernie Tessari in the Alberta Department of Highways office in Camrose and later in Edmonton;
● Instructed survey school in Wainwright for several years while attending the University of Alberta;
● Following graduation, moved to Calgary to work for Shell Canada in the surveying department. One of his functions was to accurately position the offshore rigs;
Later Jerry joined Honing Contractors, which he later took over and was succeeded by JTR Engineering.

Sports:
● Started curling career at the two sheet natural ice facility in Gwynne. He curled 100+ games per year in bonspiels around central Alberta;
● While in Edmonton, curled out of the Granite Curling Club with Herb Olson and participated in several NACA and one provincial championship with Wayne McElroy;
● Skipped the University of Alberta curling team in the Canadian University Championships.
● Spent summers playing baseball until his late 20s when he got too slow and changed to fastball;
● Pitched senior division fastball and played with the Calgary Burns and Cablers (Masters) teams;
● Presently trying to become a golfer, when he can remember to quit using his baseball swing.

Community:
● Started community involvement by being active in the local 4-H Club;
● Member of the executive for the University of Alberta intramural curling;
● Soon after a move to Calgary, became very active with the Calgary Curling Club in its rebuilding, serving on the Executive and as drawmaster for many bonspiels and was honoured with a life membership in the Club;
● Has been active in the Huntington Hills Community as a coach for Little League Baseball and development of playgrounds;
● Member of the initial boards for the Bethany Care Centres in Airdrie and Cochrane;
Chaired the very successful 1996 Briar in Calgary;
● Has been very active as an elder with his local church, Highwood Lutheran Church.