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Here's what I remember. I don't have any dates
but I presume that you have those.
Some time before the founding of the South Coast Chapter of CPCU, when there
was only the
Los Angeles Chapter, Mert Munson, CPCU, a longtime friend and
president of the LA Chapter at the time, asked me to form a South Bay chapter.
Evidently the
national society felt that LA was too big and needed to be
subdivided. Other new chapters were also created by the same process. Among them
were San Fernando and
San Gabriel.
I believe there were a couple of others but I don't recall them. Of all the
chapters that were founded at that time I believe that only South Coast and San
Gabriel survive to today.
Mert made available to me a mailing list of LA Chapter members whose mailing
addresses were in the South Bay. Some of the individuals, like Alan Morris,
worked in the big city but commuted from the local area. Others, like myself,
worked in the South Bay but commuted to the Wilshire area for CPCU meetings. I
sent out a mailing with an invitation to attend an organizational meeting at the
now long-gone Velvet Turtle Restaurant on Sepulveda across the street from Sears
Roebuck. there was a surprisingly good turnout and everyone in attendance was
ready to pitch in. The rest of the evening was spent in organizational matters.
I had told Mert that I would organize the founding of the chapter but that I
didn't wish to be president and expressed that same desire (or lack of it) to
the assemblage. That was when Alan Morris stepped forward and volunteered. A
better choice couldn't have been made and Alan is the one individual who
actually got the South Coast chapter off the ground. He was on such a roll that
we reelected him to a second term.
That's about the end of my early memories. Our very successful chapter has
been brought to real fruition by a succession of very able leaders and I'm sure
that, because of those strong early beginnings, we stand tall among all of the
chapters in the national society.
Bernie Baron
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