WESLING MAKES AN OLYMPIAN EFFORT

SARATOGA, Calif., USA-- As you read this, Paul Wesling might be lacing up his sneakers and planning a short run through Silicon Valley.

Is this news? You might ask yourself, "If The Institute is writing about members taking a morning jog, why don't they write about mine?" But this is different -- you're not carrying the Olympic torch.

Wesling, an IEEE senior member, has been selected as a Community Hero and has been asked to be one of the torchbearers for the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay, which will pass through 42 states over 15,000 miles in an 84-day trek across America. The relay ends July 19 when the torch is used to light the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony of the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga., USA.

Wesling will be one of 60 volunteers from the Santa Clara Valley area of California to relay the torch from San Jose up to Foster City.

Understand that Wesling was not chosen because he is a good runner and can easily manage the 1 kilometer jaunt. Wesling did it the hard way -- he's made a difference.

"I think the point of this is that the 60 volunteers chosen from our area are people that no one's ever heard of, but they're out there doing good things for the community every day," Wesling said. "The bad people are always the ones in the headlines. This kind of changes all that."

Wesling has done his part by saving lives and setting an example for Boy Scout Troop 566, which he has served as Scoutmaster for the past 10 years. In 1989, he rescued neighbors from a burning house and received the Heroism Award from the Boy Scouts of America, along with commendations from the city of Saratoga and the governor of California.

In 1990, he was responsible for summoning help for a group of backpackers struck by lightning while exposed on the summit of Mt. Whitney.

Being a scoutmaster is more than a hobby, and Wesling sees a certain parallel between carrying the Olympic torch and his work with not only the Boy Scouts, but with the IEEE.

"To me, the Olympics stands up for old values, similar to building character in the Boy Scouts and helping members keep up with technology in the IEEE," Wesling explained. "You build on the past to make a better future."

Along with his work with the Boy Scouts, Wesling has also worked tirelessly for the IEEE.

He is currently vice president - publications for the IEEE Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Society and a recipient of the Centennial Medal, the CPMT Board's Distinguished Service Award and the Society Contribution Award.

There are still a few small details about the torch run that make Wesling break into a light sweat.

His friends, his wife Gail, and the rest of his family, coworkers and Scouts all have voiced one little piece of advice: don't drop it.

"I've thought about being that person who goes down in history as the one who dropped the torch and put out the flame, and I'm not sure how I could live with that kind of ignominy," he said. "But I try not to worry about it too much."