Joseph Kagle

Rotary Stats

Club: Recswusa
Been a Rotarian since: Jun 10, 1959

Achievements: Paul Harris Fellow

My Rotary Info

How long have you been in Rotary? Estimate if you do not know exact dates.
since 1959

List the Rotary clubs you've belonged to.
Washington Rotary Club, Pine Bluff Rotary Club, Spokane Rotary Club, Agana Guam Rotary Club, Penn Yan, NY, Rotary Club, Brockton Rotary Club, Waco Rotary Club, Bush Intercontinental Rotary Club, Rotary eClub of the Southwest, USA

What club offices or leadership positions have you held?
Membership and Service Bulletin Chairman Vice-President, RGHF, 2006-2007 Chairman, History Committee, RGHF, 2006-2007 President, Rotary Global History Fellowship, 2007-2010 President-elect, Rotary eClub of Southwest, USA, 2010-2011 President, Rotary eClub of the SW, USA, 2010-2011

Which was your favorite? What roles would you be interested in pursuing?
Peace Historian Chairman, Bulletin President, Rotary Global History Fellowship, 2007-2010 President, Rotary eClub of the SW, USA, 2010-2011

Have you held district or int'l offices?
Yes

If yes, list them:
Vice Chairman, RGHF, 2006-2007 President, Rotary Global History Fellowship, 2007-2010 President-elect, 2009, President, 2010, Rotary eClub of the Southwest, USA Paul Harris Fellow, 2008

What other Rotary involvement have you had? (Exchange, Friendship exchange, GSE, etc.)
On Fulbright grants, I attended Rotary Clubs in China, Taiwan, Republic of Georgia, Mongolia, Czeck Republic, Guam, and many others.

eClub works for me because...
I seem to live on the Internet and I find that virtual communication is like 19th century letter writing; you can get below the surface in knowing an individual (much more than you can sitting across from the same person at a luncheon meeting. Also eProject are more interesting since they are the future of Rotary.And...meetings can be attended: 24/7/365- any time, any place, any where.

About Me

How would you describe yourself? List qualities that friends might use to describe you.
creative, innovative and risk-taker

Some least favorite things?
dishonesty, inhumanity and war

What are your favorite things, in personal and work life?
ideas, people I trust (fellowship) and peace

Is there a quotation that gets you through the day, or is very meaningful to you?
May the beauty we love be what we do. I have never been there so you are on your own.

What type of vehicle do you drive, or doperfer another mode of transportation?
PT Cruiser and Toyota Avalon

What type of pets do you prefer?
Honey, a dog

My special skills and talents are...
Writing (prose, poetry, essays and grants), painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, arts management, teaching, curating and thinking 'out of the box'. .

Education and Occupation

Level of traditional education:
Masters Degree

Describe it:
Accredited to teach K-12 Art (museum 10 years), High School, College and Graduate School (12 years)- Studio and history of art. . Gifted education Grant writing and leadership- Museum Management Institute and the Smithsonian Institutute.

Do you have a specialty degree?
Yes

Where did you attend High School?
Perry High School, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Where did you attend college?
Dartmouth College, A.B. University of Colorado, M.F.A. University of Arkansas at Little Rock, M.Ed in Gifted Ed. Stanford University, Musuem Management Institute, a summer session.

I use my degree in my current occupation:
True

What is your current occupation?
Professor of Art and Art History, Lone Star College-Kingwood, Texas (mostly teaching Art Appreciation)

How long have been at your current occupation?
53 years

What was the least favorite job you've ever had?
Working for a Board that did not care about the quality of the art or institution (only two years)- more interested in process than outcomes.

Entertainment/Interests

What are your hobbies?
writing, tai chi, travel, creating written and visual journals

Do you watch sport? Who are your favorite teams/players?
Pittsburgh Steelers but only when the finals come about; golf- Tiger Woods.

Do you play sport? List them.
Not any more except cards but I made my way to and through college playing football. In highschool, I was active in track, basketball and football. I worked toward obtaining a black belt in judo while teaching in Pennsylvania and studying in Toyko, Japan.

Do you like to camp?
No

Food

Do you like to cook or go out for dinner?
Go out

What is your favorite meal?
Depends on the day and where we travel. Love most foods and have tried many. Italian, Mexican, Chinese, American, Georgian, Mongolian, and others.

Miscellaneous

What is your favorite book and why?
As a visual artist: 'The Horse's Mouth'. It is about the struggle to be an artist, Gulley Jimson, and the joy of pushing the boundries of art. In terms of thinking, Blink by Malcolm Caldwell. As a museum professional: Systems in Motion, a study through time of how different people arranged and lead their countries and companies. As a writer: 'The Oddysee:A Modern Sequel' by Nikos Kazanzkis, and poetry/imaginative books by many authors. Just for the joy of words: Dr. Seuss.

If you could meet your great-great grandparents, what would you ask them?
What was it like coming to America? What was my father like before I knew him and tell me something about his family?

If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be and why?
I would be me but watching from the outside. I have many heroes. Robert Frost was and still is a hero in my life.

If money were not an a concern, what profession would you choose?
Teacher, which I am. Money is not a concern. Or a ballet dancer. A writer and a working professional artist (which I am).

What is your favorite movie? Why?
Lawrence of Arabia. The ultimate adventure and a great performance. Romance. Sweep. Brilliant acting. Big Fish, a personal journey of imagination and reality. Big Fish and the Bucket List.. They mirror how I live.

What might surprise people about you?
I am a compensating introvert. My love of dance and the movement of the body. My math skills. My organizational skills and leadership. My use of nonsense.

If you could muster the courage, what would you like to do?
Dance with the New York City or Houston Ballet- too old now but I still would like to try (even with the bad knees).

If you relive one day, which would it be?
Yesterday, yesterday and yesterday:Today. today and today; plus tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow....

If you could take only three items with you to a space colony, what would they be? (Your family is already coming with.)
Something to draw with and on, Rumi's and Robert Frost's poetry and something to communicate with the rest of the world (like a global computer hocked up with the Internet or just paper to write journals). .

What is the best advice your parents gave you?
"I have never been there so you are on your own." "But when you get there, learn to do two things: meet people and situations with an open mind."

What is the best advice you have given your children?
"I am only in competition with that person I know I can become." "I only want my work to outlive me, not my titles." "Learn to laugh, love and dance in the rain." "No matter what, I love you."

If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?
An eagle. To soar, to fly, to see the world from the sky. But I have done that: it is called satellite vision.. Maybe a whale, to travel the world with friends and be unafraid of anything in the universe that I inhabit.

Describe the most beautiful sight you have ever seen:
My grandchildren with my wife, laughing together, and the outer islands of the South Pacific. The mountains of Colorado, Republic of Georgia and China. The 'sand castles' of Capadocia, Turkey. .

Family secret for treating a cold?
Don't get one. Don't give in to it if you do get one. And the best medicine for a cold is chocolate and laughter.

Where would you like to retire?
Inside myself, taking the world with me. I don't retire; I try to inspire. What does "retire" mean?

The world will be a better place when…
We learn to live peacably together. People must stop making mistakes but have learning experiences. War can be both a mistake and a learning experience. Peace is the learning.