My story is about "A Woman Reporter Who Became a  Senator and a Furniture Retailer Who Became A Rotarian and a Rotary International District Governor, all this happened as a result of one woman not being allowed to become a member of a Rotary Club. Back in the year 1972, Judy Barr Topinka was proposed as a member to the Cicero, Illinois Rotary Club, Judy's membership proposal was rejected.

Next Judy had  been nominated as a member in the Berwyn Rotary Club and was again not permitted to become a member. At this time Judy was a star reporter for the Berwyn and Cicero life publications. She had been covering my career as a local Interior Designer who had a long list of celebrity clients who were major league players from the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Blackhawk hockey players including some top executives from corporations such as Mc Donald's.

Because of her rejection, Judy turned her fortunes to state politics and she urged a Rotarian who worked for her newspaper and belonged to the Berwyn Rotary club to propose me as a member. I has no idea at the time what I was getting into but I trusted the good intentions of Judy Barr Topinka, so I joined the club and started my Rotary career and in 1973.

At this time Judy won her first office as a Illinois State Representative and the  rest is history.  To this day Judy tells the story, that if she had become a Rotarian she would have stayed with the newspaper as a reporter and Irv Kaplan might not have become a Rotarian. I am still friends with Judy who has since served as a State Rep, State Senator and State Treasurer and today serves as out Illinois State Comptroller.

How about that, go figure,

PDG Irv Kaplan, Member RGHF