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Information Technology (IT) Pioneers

Retirees and former employees of Unisys, Lockheed Martin, and their heritage companies

About the VIP Club, page 2

   The VIP CLUB was created in 1980 as the Sperry Retirees Club, a non-profit, social and service organization [IRS cat 501C(7).]  By 2010 we had grown to over 1,500 members, a 2,000% increase from the initial 75 members.  Members are retirees, former employees, spouses, and retirement eligible employees of Unisys, Lockheed Martin (LMCO), and their Twin Cities 'predecessor’ companies illustrated in our Legacy icon at the right. The VIP Club provides a forum for retirees to remain connected with work colleagues and the 'computer' community. A synopsis flyer is available for printing.

  The Executive Board meets periodically to conduct business of the club including program planning, newsletter production, and website maintenance. UNISYS is our host company, although their Roseville operations moved to Eagan in 2017 - they continue to print our newsletters and allow us occasional use of their conference rooms.  Every April, the Club honors our members who are an asset to their communities through individual volunteer activities - this volunteer luncheon continues the tradition of recognition that Sperry started in the late 80s.

   In addition to this web site's Legacy Anthology; volunteers are preserving our Legacy at the University of Minnesota's Charles Babbage Institute in Minneapolis, MN and with an artifact exhibit and posters at the Dakota County Historical Society's Lawshe Memorial Museum located in South St. Paul, MN. 
 This Legacy is coupled with a corporate sister division; see notes from Unisys Blue Bell and EMCC history in Pennsylvania. The Unisys Blue Bell Retirees' Group web site was http://www.ubbrg.org until April of 2017. Our Newsletters page  has links to their last few NEWSBITS issues.

The Board

A Constitution governs the VIP CLUB; defining the Board as President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, four Directors, and the Immediate Past President. The Constitution directs the Board to enact operational Bylaws with four goals:

  1. The Club shall provide an opportunity for social interaction of its members,
  2. The Club shall provide services and information appropriate to the interest of its members,
  3. The Club shall provide a mechanism for member services to the community, and
  4. The Club shall provide a forum for information on the heritage and on-going action of the sponsoring business entities and their predecessors.

We are all volunteers, welcome help with any aspect of services and social activities. We conduct Club business at Board meetings on the first Wednesday morning of even numbered months. Board Associates who coordinator various activites participate in these meetings as needed or as they wish. Club members are always welcome to attend Board meetings, please notify the President by the Friday before any meeting if you have an issue for the agenda.

2024 Officers and Directors

Position Name Phone   651-483-3709   Committees E-mail  
President Jim Andrews 651-357-6033 james.r.andrews@comcast.net All, Webmaster
Vice President Les Flugum 952-431-6352 flugum2020@gmail.com Programs
Treasurer Paul Hove 651-738-4908 paul@paulhove.com Membership
Secretary Boni Westberg 651-429-2534 volunteerboni@gmail.com  Programs Planning
Director Dick Lundgren 952 288-5141  Rflundgren@aol.com Various
Director Gish Devlaminck 651-470-8905 membership@vipclubmn.org Membership
Director Eric Spring 651 454-1154 ericpspring@gmail.com Programs
Director Open      
Past President  Harvey Taipale 651-280-7332 hjtaipale@comcast.net All
*Ex-Officio  Dale Phelps  and Joe Schwarz Various
  Associate Mary Beth Ruhland 651-470-9519 clubnewsltr@vipclubmn.org Newsletter
Legacy
Lowell Benson 612-850-2299 webmaster@vipclubmn.org Asst. Webmaster,
Legacy Committee

*Members Emeriti; former board members who continued to support board activities long after their board tenure.

Committees

 We coordinate 'Social Events' at various facilities. These events generally are the second Wednesday of various months as announced in the newsletter and Social Activities tab. If you'd like to hear about a specific topic or from a local speaker, call or send a note to the programs activity coordinator. These Coordinators could always use help, please call them directly for an assignment.

What Who What Who
Annual Holiday Party Jim Andrews & Boni Westberg Newsletter Staff Richard Lundgren, 952 922-9587
Don Naaktgeboren, 952 927-8051
Joe Schwarz, 651 698-9698
Annual Reunion Picnic John Westergren, Keith Behnke, and Eric Spring   Photo Identification @ Lawshe Museum Jon Simon, 651 463-7367
Bob Pagac, 952 431-3981
Annual UNIVAC Old Timers Reunion Paul Hove, 651-738-4908
Boni  Westberg, 651-429-2534
Programs Committee Keith Behnke, 651 894-2182
Dick Lundgren, 952 288-5141
Legacy Committee Chair John Westergren, 651-456-3380 Recreation Activity Communications Keith Behnke, 651 894-2182
Exhibit concept coordination Keith Myhre, 655 344-2828 Roseville Good Old Days Dave Kleba
Liaison, Charles Babbage Institute Dick Lundgren, 952 288-5141 Sunshine - bereavement cards to families of deceased members. 
Boni  Westberg, 651-429-2534  
Liaison, Lawshe Memorial Museum Harvey Taipale, 651 748-5083 Volunteer Breakfast Coordination Harvey Taipale, 651 748-5083
Jim Andrews, 5651-357-6033
Membership Committee Gish Devlaminck, 651-470-8905
Paul Hove, 651-738-4908
Web Site Updates Jim Andrews, 651 451-7502 , 651-357-6033
Newsletter Editor, Chief Mary Beth Ruhland, 651-470-9519      

Elections

The annual Board election process begins in August of each year when the President appoints a three person nominating committee chaired by the Immediate Past President. The candidate slate for the following year is provided to the Club members in the Newsletter preceding the election and/or at the Club general meeting/program preceding the election. All club members are eligible to volunteer to be a candidate for election to any of the Director or Officer positions [except for the Immediate Past President which is not an elected position.] Floor nominations at the election meeting are in order - the person being nominated for the position must be willing and able to serve in the position. If a Board member resigns during his/her year of service, the Board appoints someone to serve in that position until the next election.   

Revision History Log*

We track major changes to our site for the convenience of readers. Note that the revision date of each page and chapter is at the bottom of the left navigation section. 

  • February 15, 2022: Changed the style sheet for all Club pages to simplify reading on cell phones, etc.  Legacy Chapters stayed the same.
  • December 13, 2020: Changed a navigation tab from Club to About Us - changed newsletter contact email address to clubnewsltr@vipclubmn.org.
  • May 14, 2020: Updated the Legacy icon that has our corporate lineage listed.
  • December 9, 2019: Updated several pages with 2020 board information.  Added section 4.3 to the People C-F chapter and added section 6.6 of the Exhibits chapter.
  • August 27, 2019: Removed deceased Trish Myhre's name from several volunteer positions.
  • December 26, 2018: Updated Club pages to show 2019 officers.
  • January 8, 2018: Provide a Site Map tab, i.e. table of contents on the major page/chapter navigation section.  Updated Club pages to show 2018 officers, etc.
  • September 15, 2017: Updated the Exhibits page to show the transfer of shadowboxes from Roseville to Eagan.
  • May 18, 2017: Completed the page to chapter conversion for the Legacy Anthology - have yet to update the people, index chapter notations.
  • May 3, 2017: Completed the updates to the Legacy, Legacy Engineering, Legacy People, and Legacy Location chapters. Yet to be updated are the Legacy Systems and Legacy Computers chapters. Posted the Stories for April and May.
  • March 15, 2017: Posted the Stories, formerly the Article for the Month, for January, February, and March.
  • January 29, 2017: Posted a new format 'Our Legacy' page/chapter - only about 60 more legacy chapters to do.  Also posted an 'Article for the Month' for November and December of 2016, see the Our Stories tab.
  • January 24, 2017: Activated new format Club pages, Legacy chapter/page conversions will take place in the March through May time frame.
  • The October 2007 through December 2016 chronology of previous updates is in printer definition format (pdf).

*As of November 2009, changes to the Announcements section of the home page are not listed.

 

On this Page

  1. Board
  2. Committees
  3. Elections
  4. Revision History

Page 2 edited 8/19/2024
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