Solicitation of Interest for the Herbert Gee Fencing Scholarship
Dear Fencing Colleague,
Many of us were fortunate enough to have been influenced by the work of Herb Gee while he trained minds and bodies in the world of fencing in San Francisco public schools. A growing group of the late Mr. Gee's former students would like to recognize his achievements by creating a scholarship fund in his name.
The goal is for the fund to support an annual scholarship award in the amount of $1000 for one boy and one girl fencer graduating from a San Francisco public high school. Candidates will be evaluated on academic performance, fencing contributions in team competition, and an essay submittal. The first award is planned for the end of the current athletic season, so we are moving quickly to meet this date.
We have volunteers to oversee most of the paperwork tasks involved in setting up the trust. Now we need to know if you or other "Rusty Blades" would be interested in contributing to this fund to help a deserving fencing student meet the high cost of getting a good education. Mr. Gee gave us skills that transferred from the fencing strip to the real world. Think about how fencing influenced your life and consider helping a young fencer move ahead in an increasingly competitive world.
Due to the limited time available in this first year, it appears that we will not meet the requirements for making your contribution tax deductible; only in this first year. Contributions for awards in subsequent years would, however, be tax deductible. The goal is to establish a trust that funds its own management costs and two annual awards to deserving young fencers.
Let us know how you would be willing to contribute to the Herbert Gee Fencing Scholarship. Contact Raymond Chiu or Dolores Hong Koffman.
Sincerely,
Kathryn J. Aanestad
Member, Board of Directors
The Herbert Gee Fencing Scholarship
The Herbert Gee Fencing Scholarship committee has reviewed the candidates' applications and awarded two $1,000 scholarships to Ida Ngoi-Ngai Sun from McAteer High School, coached by Mr. Gerard Biagini and to Gordon Maung of Galileo High School, coached by Gordon Wong.
The following is a copy of Raymond Chiu's fabulous speech he presented at the San Francisco Unified School District Scholarship Presentation on May 26, 1998 to the Board of Education, audience, and all of the awards recipients. Other Rusty Blades in attendance were Connie Louie Handleman, Tat Ming Ko, Hoi Ko, Dolores Hong Kofman, Gordon Wong, and Kathy Aanestad.
Ray's Speech
"Board members, teachers, coaches, parents and students, my name is Raymond Chiu. I am a vice president at Sybase, Incorporated, responsible for the World Wide Web or Internet Computing Business Group. Sybase is the third largest relational database company in the world with close to a billion dollars in revenue and about 6,000 employees worldwide. Together with me to present the scholarship awards today are Mr. Gerard Biagini and Mrs. Dolores Kofman.
It is an honor for me to represent all of my fellow fencers to make this speech and to announce the start of the Herbert Gee Memorial Fencing Scholarship Foundation and scholarship program.
Mr. Herb Gee was the former fencing coach of Galileo High School and the school accountant. Herb passed away last year. We were all sadden by his death. Shortly after his death, many of us felt the loss of this great man. He has given so much to each one of us. He has helped not only the Galileo students but also the students from other high schools, San Francisco City College and State University. We gathered together several months after his death to discuss ways to show our appreciation to him. We want to give something back to the community so we decided to establish this scholarship to memorialize him.
I came to know Herb when I started fencing in my senior year in high school. Why did I decide to join the fencing team? It is because when I was a little boy in Hong Kong, I always love to watch American TV programs and movies. I remember the show "Have Gun Will Travel" and all the Errol Flint fencing movies. I used to have to walked two to three miles in order to see the movies.
I came to America when I was 12 years old. I didn't speak any English so I had to learn to speak English very quickly. I was rejected by my fellow FOBs for speaking English or trying to learn to speak English (by the way, it stands for "fresh off the banana boat"!) I remembered being laughed at all the time for wanting to speak proper English. Most of them spoke Chinese among themselves and wanted nothing to do with me because I was trying to be white. They didn't realize that speaking proper English was the only way to advance in America.
I was fortunate to have teachers, like Herb, who helped me from the very beginning. I started in seventh grade at Francisco Junior High. I was selected by a Spanish teacher to be a teen teacher and a traffic boy. It gave me a chance to learn to speak English and to stand in front of the class to teach the other students to speak English.
After school, I had a paper route in the Marina Green District and this gave me another opportunity to speak English. All the retired couples loved to talk to me and didn't really care about my English as long as there was someone to talk to. For me, it was an opportunity to get a free Coke, an apple, a chance to practice my English and to be able to get a great tip at Christmas time!
In high school, fencing was the chance to learn the English language, the opportunity to belong, and most of all having a father figure like Herb to guide me. My parents were always busy because they had to work to pay back the money we borrowed to come to America. I joined the team in my senior year and Herb was there to encourage me and to watch after me. I remember taking the IQ test in high school and felt very bad afterward. I told Herb I felt like a moron! I don't understand most of the words in the test! He didn't reject me for having failed the test; he just kept me focused on fencing. Well, I made it to the All City within one year and won second place in the individual tournament! So did my grades too, it went up to 3.45 when I graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and was on the Dean's List for my junior and senior years. Herb was there at the graduation. He was there to show me that he believed in me and I can make it in the world. Herb was there to give my bride to me when I got married and he was there when my son is baptized and be his Godfather!
Herb was everywhere! It didn't matter where the tournaments were; he was always there with his cooler of Gatorade and the salt pills! Like one of our member said, having him at the tournament we felt safe and supported! After the tournaments, he would drive us home and make sure we are safe!
This has been a long speech so I will close with the following comments.
To all the students, strive to be a better human being! Leverage off your God given talents and enjoy what you do. If you go after titles and money you will fail in life.
To all of the teachers and coaches out there! You are a Herb Gee. You are our mentor, our guiding light, our role model, and most of all -our supporter with the Gatorade and the salt pills! Don't give up on us because of our grades, our lack of potential or our poor English! It might just be- we are slower than other people in growing up and learning! Your faith in us makes the difference between success and failure! Thank you!
I will now announce the winners of the scholarships.
The winner of the boy's Herb Gee Scholarship goes to Gordon Maung from Galileo High School, coached by Gordon Wong.
The winner of the girl's Herb Gee Scholarship goes to Ida Sun from Eugene McAteer High School, coached by Gerard Biagini.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank a very special lady-Anne Heinline who has encouraged me and helped me and the rest of my team members to make this scholarship possible! Thank you, Anne!"
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