 For 30 years, the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club has successfully conducted more than 40 hands-on community and international service projects, here in San Diego and in Mexico. This past March, the Club completed their seventh project for the US Marines on the Camp Pendleton base. Here is a link to the 12 minute video about the project that we think you will enjoy watching. |
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April 8 was the final in the District 5340 Music Competition at the Dove Library in Carlsbad. District Governor Mel Gallegos, District Governor-Elect Marta Knight, Music Competition Founder Bob Hartsfield (Carlsbad Hi-Noon) and Bob Kreisberg (Carlsbad Hi-Noon) heralded the wonderful skills of each of the contestants. Gaby Beltran on the flute was the grand prize winner of $2500 scholarship; each of the other contestants receiving $500. Special appreciation is extended to each club who promoted the competition and to each of the talented students who participated.  Photo (L-R) Brett Morey, bob Hartsfield, Gaby Beltran and Bob Kreisberg |
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District Governor-Elect, Marta Knight recently was the guest speaker at the Coronado Rotary Club where she shared the inspirational story and photos of her family, her travels, her childhood, her beloved parents and her family's journey towards citizenship in the United States. What a great story! Bravo Marta!  Photo (L-R): Karen Laedlein, Everyone-a-Reade Chair; President, Ivan Dunn; Marta Knight, DGE; and Paul Laedlein, Community Services Director. |
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 Saturday, April 27 is Rotarians at Work Day, so once you are done with your service project, you're going to want to cool off and enjoy the Quintessential Festival (Q-Fest) which runs from 1-5:00 p.m. What is a Q-Fest? Simply the best party in San Diego with 30 of San Diego's finest craft brewers, a dozen wineries and distilleries, including several wineries from Valle de Guadalupe in Baja. The party has live music, corn hole games and food for purchase - all in a relaxed community dog-friendly park near UTC mall. The best part is this charity event supports 55 local non-profits and local programs through the Rotary Club of La Jolla Golden Triangle. Come celebrate with hundreds of fellow Rotarians, Rotaractors, and friends 21 years or older in the community and use this as an opportunity to invite others you know. Catch the wave at the Surfers Unite tent in the garden, learn about upcoming events and receive a special gift. Tickets for the Q-Fest can be purchased online at www.lajollagtrotary.org or at the door. See you there! #Q-Fest. |
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 Escondido East Rotary Club would like you to join them for a deep pit BBQ honoring the military, local police and fire responders on Saturday, May 11 at Kit Carson Park in Escondido. The event is from 11-2:00 p.m. Come listen to live music and enjoy the deep pit BBQ sandwiches that are slowly cooked over night in one of the last deep-pit BBQs. There will be three big bounce houses, games and prizes for the kids. All fire personnel, military members and, police all get in free! Come say thank you and enjoy a great afternoon with fellow Rotarians. |
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 Are you ready to have a fantastic evening at the 16th Annual Encinitas Rotary Wine and Food Festival? This special event will take place on the green at the beautiful Encinitas Ranch Golf Course on Saturday, June 1, from 5-8:00 pm. Guests will enjoy strolling around this beautiful property, sampling fine wines, spirits and beer from around the world. For your enjoyment, you have the opportunity to taste the best dishes and desserts from local restaurants! Funds raised at the Encinitas Rotary Wine and Food Festival will go directly to charities supported by the club. You can find more information about the charities, activities for the day, and ticket pricing by going to the event website. The event has sold out the past five years, with over 1200 people in attendance, so please purchase tickets early. |
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 On February 27, 2019, the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club honored famed local artist James T. Hubbell with the 2019 Peacemaker of the Year Award. The award is bestowed on community members (or an organization) who by their actions have made a significant difference in promoting tolerance, understanding, conflict resolution and peace. This reflects Rotary’s mission of helping build goodwill and peace in the world. James Hubbell, along with his wife Anne of almost 61 years, founded the Ilan-Lael Foundation in 1982. The name, translated from Hebrew, means a tree that unites the physical and the spiritual. It is reflective of James Hubbell’s art, which integrates nature and community in a unique magical setting. The Ilan-Lael Foundation creates space to connect people, art and nature for a more sustainable and harmonious world. “The Foundation was started many years ago to engage conversations and many hands-on projects exploring the power of art to foster friendships and understanding among nations. Art brings diverse people together and transcends barriers,” says Hubbell. In 1994, James Hubbell helped found the Pacific Rim Park Project, which was organized to build “friendship parks” around the Pacific Rim. He launched this project to create a global conversation between San Diego and the Pacific Rim nations, exploring the transformative power of art and the artistic process. It is a way to bridge cultures, establish new connections and helps identify emerging Pacific Rim communities. It is an example of art diplomacy that helps build pathways to peace. The parks are constructed by students from Pacific Rim nations. Each park has a pearl element design. The pearl, weighing 400 pounds, contrasts the Pacific’s image of a Ring of Fire and historical conflict to the Pacific draped with a string of pearls that will someday link all nations in the Pacific Rim. In 1998, a park called “Pearl of the Pacific” was built on Shelter Island in San Diego. Students from China, Mexico, Russia, and the U.S. came together to help build it. There are now seven friendship parks in the world: the U.S, Mexico, Russia, Taiwan, the Philippines, South Korea and most recently China. The San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club’s Pathways to Peace Committee selected James Hubbell for this award based on his vision of the Pacific Rim Park Project and his continual dedication to promote peace and understanding throughout the world in the construction of these parks. His art and architecture in California and throughout the world demonstrate the way nature and art can truly dance together as one. “Beauty should be visible for all to enjoy and to be inspired. It changes lives,” said Hubbell. He will always be known as a visionary with unique and breathtaking creations, using art as a catalyst to unite people of diverse cultural backgrounds. For more information about James Hubbell and the Ilan-Lael Foundation, visit www.jameshubbellart.com, www.ilanlaelfoundation.org and www.pacificrimpark.net. |
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On April 5, members of the Old Mission Rotary traveled 200 miles south of the border to assist the VIDAI public health program in a settlement of tomato farm workers in San Quentin Baja. Twice a year, 150 facility and students from San Diego State, UCSD, the UABC Medical School in Tijuana and members of the Old Mission Rotary Club spend several days in Colonia Lomas de San Ramon to provide medical, dental and public health services to the Mexican-Indians who live at the colonia. For 15 years, Old Mission Rotary has concentrated on improving the Colonia's school - La Escuela de Salvador Diaz Ramon in Lomas De San Ramon. The strategy has always been to ask the leaders of the community what they need. Old Mission Rotary has funded a kitchen, a library, an 1800 square foot covered patio, a covered walkway, a computer center, and painting of the school. On Saturday, April 6, a new water purification system became operational at the Salvador Diaz Ramon School. The Aquacycl system was installed in stages over the last few months. The Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary provided the initial $6000 in seed money. The bio-electrochemical water reclamation system represents the first time ever that this school has had unlimited access to safe drinking water and it is the first time students have been able to serve themselves drinking water from the school kitchen. Given the high incidences of diarrhea and dehydration that are experienced in this community of agricultural workers, this improved access and water quality will work to significantly enrich the quality of life and education for the 300 students and staff at the school. The picture below shows Gerry Hosenkamp and Stan Vogelsang of Old Mission Rotary being recognized by the San Diego water technology company, Aquacycl, for the contributions made towards the bio-electrochemical water treatment system installed at the Salvador Diaz Ramon School in San Quentin Baja.  |
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 Kudos to the 3 Rotary Clubs in Oceanside. The City of Oceanside issued an official city proclamation designating April 27th as Rotary Day in Oceanside, which just happens to be Rotarians At Work Day. The proclamation was presented by the mayor and city council on Wednesday, April 10th at 5 pm at the regular city council meeting and was televised live on the community television station, KOCT=TV. They honored the three Oceanside clubs for more than 170 years of combined service to the community. |
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 Registration for the 2019 Governor's Dinner is now open. It will be held on June 27th at the La Jolla Marriott. Cost of the dinner is $50 for Rotarians and their guests and $30 for Rotaractors. Join us for our annual District Awards and Inductions Ceremonies. This will be the final event of our Rotary Year as Marta Knight prepares to take her place as the District Governor for 2019-20. Register by clicking here. |
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 The La Mesa Sunrise Rotary Club is holding its 18th Annual Bowling Fundraiser on Friday, May 10, 2019 at Parkway Bowl in El Cajon beginning at 6:00 p.m. It will be the battle of the teams. Will yours win? Don't miss out on an opportunity to win a team or costume prize. All profits benefit the Club's Foundation's projects. You may sign up online at the Club's website. |
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 There is a new Rugby team in Town. Established in 2017, San Diego Legion is part of the Professional Major League Rugby (MLR) Organization. Join the San Diego Coastal Rotary Club on Saturday, April 20 for an afternoon game of Rugby. Tickets are $25, Five dollars from each ticket will be donated to END POLIO and another five dollars will go to the San Diego Coastal Rotary Club's Free Little Library Project. Date: Saturday, April 20, 2019 Time: 2:00 p.m. Location: Torero Stadium, USD Football Field 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, A 92110 To learn more, please go the event Facebook page. To purchase tickets, please go to the event website. |
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 Hello Fellow Rotarians, I want to again personally invite you to attend the District 5340 Foundation Gala on Monday, April 29 from 6-9:00 pm at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine. This will be a celebration of The Rotary Foundation and our District's support of the Foundation. Our MC will be Amy Scruggs from the Rotary Club of Rancho Santa Fe. We only have one week until the event so please take the time to register now! Join us and come together to enjoy fellowship, a great dinner and hear Director-Elect Johrita Solari speak to us about the work of The Rotary Foundation. Do you want to make it easy on yourself when you attend the Foundation Gala? You can take advantage of a "special event" guest room rate for that night. To book a room at this special rate, go to the La Jolla Regency Hyatt website and select the date of the Gala and then click on "special rates" and enter code 50751 in the corporate/group field and click on "check availability". This will pull up your special discounted rate, per night, based on availability. I hope you'll join us, and I look forward to seeing you all at the Gala! Mel |
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Torrey Pines Rotary was represented at our recent District Assembly. Max Gurney (L) was recognized by District Governor, Mel Gallegos for his service in the US Army in World War II. Gordon Shurtleff (R) is looking forward to being recognized for 50 years of perfect attendance at the Honolulu RI Convention in 2020!  |
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The Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary presented a grant on March 26, 2019 in the amount of $8,000 to the Adaptive Sports and Recreation Association. The non-profit provides sports and recreation programs for children and adults with physical disabilities to ensure opportunities equal to their able-bodied peers. Program Director, Lindsay Holzhammer stated they believe that every athlete should have the opportunity to play the sports they love. The money will be used to fund two adaptive sports wheelchairs.  Photo (L-R): Old Mission President, Bob Chalfa; Art Pratt Foundation President, Lee Kaminetz; Art Pratt board of directors members, Eric Benink, Mark McAnelly and Judi Copeland. Adaptive Sports and Recreation Association Program Director, Lindsay Hotzhammer accepted the grant on behalf of the association. |
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 The Rotary Club of Bonsall will be holding their 24th annual fundraiser - Bear, Brew and Blues on June 15, 2019 from 5:30-10:00 pm at the Pala Mesa Resort. This fun event includes live music, dancing, wine and handcrafted beer along with Brats and tasty bites from local restaurants. The music will be provided by Bill Magee Blues Band who was voted Best Blues Band in San Diego by the San Diego Music Association and Reader Magazine. ITS ALL INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF ADMISSION! All proceeds will benefit local and international charities. Tickets may be purchased here, with reduced prices for those who are designated drivers! |
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 Join us for a meeting of District 5340's Friendship Exchange (RFE) an RI authorized program which allows Districts to exchange visiting teams of Rotarians for Friendship, Service, Vocational, and Cultural Exchanges. The group will meet on April 15, 2019 at 9:30 am at the Rotary District Office located at 2247 San Diego Avenue, Suite 236, San Diego, CA 92110. The meeting will be in the conference room. For more information on the RFE programs, click here. |
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Assistant Area District Governor, Alex Robertson attended the District Training Assembly held this past weekend. His allegiance was split between Rancho Bernardo Rotary and his native Scotland.  |
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Coronado Rotary Club celebrated "Jim Laslavic Day" after his recent retirement from a 30-year broadcasting career and 10 years in the NFL with the Detroit Lions, the San Diego Chargers and Greenbay Packers. Jim has been a long-time Rotarian and a driving force in the annual golf tournament for the past 20 years, raising over a million dollars for the Club Foundation. Congratulations to one of the nicest guys ever! Happy Retirement Jim.  Photo: Jim Laslavic and his lovely wife, Susan at the Coronado Cays Yacht Club. |
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 Route 78 Rotary Club will hold its 6th Annual Mariachi Festival on Sunday, April 14, 2019 at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. This signature event begins with an outdoor pre-concert VIP "Tacos & Tequila" reception from 12:30 - 2:30 pm. Special performers include:
Proceeds support college scholarships, school materials, literacy programs and leadership opportunities for youth in North County. This festival always sells out so get your tickets early! For more information, please go the event website or the club website or email questions to info@Route78.org. |
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 District 5340's Four-Way Test Speech Contest is in full swing! A field of nearly 130 student contestants have been hard a work giving outstanding speeches all over the District. After the sub-regional contests conclude on March 20, the field will have been narrowed to the top 12 competitors. Those top 12 speakers will be headed to the regional finals to be held on April 5 at the Chula Vista Noon Club and on April 10 at the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Club. These two contests will again narrow the field, leaving the top six of the best of the best student speakers in the District. These six students are set to face off at the District Finals to be held on April 25 at Club 33, Liberty Station Conference Center located at 2600 Laning Road. Their meeting is at noon with sign-in starting at 11:45 am. You must make a reservation for this noon meeting as it draws a huge crowd. For more information email Nancy Vaughan at nancyfly@aol.com. |
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On Tuesday, March 12, Old Mission Rotary hosted one of the second round competitions of District 5340's Four Way Test Speech Contest. The Four Way Test Speech contestants have between 5-7 minutes to speak and must relate their topic to the Rotary Four Way Test. Competition Chair, Eric Benink, shared the Mark Twain quote: "There are two types of speakers - those who get nervous and those who are liars." Kun Sreypick Chhea argued that education is a human right. She immigrated to the US from Cambodia and she contrasted her school experiences in her native land to here at City Heights Charter Prep Academy. Her personal experiences made her talk very engaging and credible. Kun was sponsored by the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club. She is a junior and is thinking about attending USD to study environmental science. Alyssa Chavez delivered a poignant talk about organ transplants and her frustration at the lack of organ donors when the need is so great. Alyssa is a junior at Hoover High School and is a member of the Interact Club. She is interested in journalism and was sponsored by Rotary Club 33. Cole Mullins is a junior at Coronado High School and started out life struggling with his speech. Speech therapy gave him confidence to tackle the challenge of public speaking. He is a member of the school's Interact Club. Cole is looking forward to an East Coast college experience and hopes to study medicine or dentistry. Cole was sponsored by the Coronado Rotary Club. Kai da Luz focused his speech on the outrageous cost of higher education. He proposed a plan, inspired by the post-war GI bill where students can work at government jobs to subsidize their tuition. Kai is a sophomore at Saint Augustine High School and looks forward to studying either medicine or law. Sophia Rogers was on fire! She passionately called upon women to express themselves with anger and rage. She is upset that woman are stereotyped as quiet and docile. She argued that feminism needs to be fueled by fury and transformed into action. Sophia is a senior at Helix Charter High School and will attend Vanderbilt University next year where she will dual major in communications and political science. She was sponsored by the La Mesa Sunrise Rotary Club. Cole Mullins and Sophia Rogers were selected to advance to the next round of the competition.  Photo: (L-R): Old Mission Rotary Club Chairman, Eric Benink with contestants Kai da Luz, Alyssa Chavez, Kun Sreypich Chhea, Cole Mullins and Sophia Rogers. |
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Susan Rutan, the International Committee Chair for the La Jolla Rotary Club is organizing a group to go to Puerto Rico to help with relief efforts there. Even though Hurricane Marie hit in September 2017, there is still a huge need for volunteers to help rebuild homes and offer relief to low income families in need. We have a profile of the three families that have been approved for assistance and the stories will pull at your heart strings. The Committee is partnering with SBP - an international volunteer organization who will take care of all logistics. No previous experience is necessary. They need volunteers to help with the labor costs to rebuild these families' lives. |
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 The Rotary Smiles International Foundation has released upcoming mission clinic dates. The are:
If you'd like to volunteer at one of these clinics, please click here and complete the volunteer application. |
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Thousand Smiles Treasurer and Old Mission Rotary Club President, Bob Chalfa, presented on the Thousand Smiles Foundation at the Rotary District 5340 Conference on Saturday, March 2, 2019. Thousand Smiles, a 501(c)3 foundation provides free maxillofacial (cleft palate) surgery as well as general dentistry procedures to children from impoverished families in Mexico. Rotarian, Bob Chalfa was one of the founding members of the organization. The clinics are run once a quarter at Thousand Smiles' permanent medical facilities in Ensenada. This project is totally funded by donations including, but not limited to, Rotary International grants, other foundation grants, Rotary club donations and personal donations. The project is completely managed and run by volunteers.  |
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 The Old Mission Rotary club is looking for talent for their "So You Think You've Got Talent San Diego" contest and Rotarians are asked to spread the word among family and friends! Performers are given an audience of over 200 and the stage at the magnificent Francis Parker Crivello Hall Theater. Come bask in the applause of San Diego's finest business people and professionals. Acts have included comedians, magicians, dance troupes, cirque performers and musicians of all types. All performers are contributing to an exciting and entertaining philanthropic event. First price winners receive $1000; runner up receives $500 and the second runner up receives $250. Each contestant or group is allocated approximately seven minutes for their performance. The deadline to enter the contest is April 19, 2019. If you are selected to perform, the gala is on the evening of Saturday, May 18, 2019. Email any questions you may have to gottalent@oldmissionrotary.org. To apply click here. |
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 POLICE CADETS - FIRE EXPLOYER PROGRAM FUNDRAISER The Escondido East Rotary Club is sponsoring, in cooperation with the Escondido Police Cadets and Escondido Fire Explorers. a fresh, live flower basket sale. Flower baskets are to arrive May 8th for pickup - just in time for Mothers' Day! Proceeds will go to both the Cadets and Explorers, our future 1st responders. For further details and to place an order now, click here. Please order by March 29, 2019. |
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 Don Glover, a Rotary District 5340 Assistant Governor for the past three years and former Rancho Bernardo Rotary president (2014-2015) was inducted into the Rancho Bernardo Hall of Fame at its annual dinner gala on March 9, 2019. Don, along with two others, was singled out for his long history of volunteerism in the Rancho Bernardo community of San Diego. As former Rancho Bernardo Rotary president, Mike Fugua (2017-2018) so aptly put it, "Don consistently looked for opportunities to assist the local community and his infectious enthusiasm resulted in record participation by our members in both fundraising and participating in community events." Among other volunteer efforts, he served as the Spirit of the Fourth Celebration coordinator for two years ( 2016-2018) and worked on many other aspects of Rancho Bernardo's Independence Day celebration. It was clear from those in attendance at the gala, that Don is admired and lauded for all his volunteer work in Rancho Bernardo over the years. He's been a sterling example of putting Service Above Self. |
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 Thank you to our presenters who were all very professional, prepared and informative. We heard so many compliments about your presentations and I am passing that on to all of you. It was a pleasure to hear about your clubs and programs, all of which we benefited from. Thank you to the clubs who served as hosts in the Hospitality Suite - Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club, La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club and the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club. Special thanks to Conference Co-Chairs - Jim Hughes, Mike Steiman and Karen Steiman and to our tech folks - Mike Metts and RYLA. We were able to use RYLA equipment which saved us a lot of money on the conference. Mike Metts worked the entire weekend setting up, operating the equipment and breaking it all down. Larrry Potter, who brought a lot of his own equipment as well, also worked the entire weekend. Philippe Lamoise assisted Mike and Larry. Angie Gallegos prepared several of the PowerPoint presentations. Thank you to Clara Harris and Larry Potter who presented a very beautiful Celebration of Life ceremony for those Rotarians we have lost during the past Rotary year Stan Prowse rang the Rotary bell for each Rotarian remembered. Joy Prowsee offered the final prayer. I was honored to be the "flower girl". Rotary International President, Barry Rassin sent us the best Presidential Representative possible in Tusu and Dorcas Tusubira from Kampala, Uganda. There were great additions to the conference. Philippe Lamoise and Dugan Moore served as their aides. We couldn't have had the fabulous conference we enjoyed without the tireless efforts of those mentioned above, all of whom are dedicated and generous Rotarians in District 5340. |
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 Rotary District 5340 Outing Future games include the following: Tuesday, May 21st @ 7:10 p.m. as the Padres take on the Diamondbacks Sunday, July 28 @1:10 p.m. as the Padres take on the Giants Tuesday, September 10th @7:10 p.m. as the Padres take on the Cubs
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The Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary presented a grant in the amount of $4185 to the Community Resource Center (CRC) on February 26, 2019. CRC works to end hunger, homelessness and domestic violence in North County. As a provider of integrative services, CRC's programs include a domestic violence emergency shelter, hotline and prevention/education outreach, a Therapeutic Children's Center, professional counseling, legal advocacy, food and nutrition distribution center, homelessness prevention and rental and housing assistance. All of CRC's programs are designed to assist participants to successfully navigate their paths of safety stability and self-sufficiency.  Photo: (L-R) Old Mission Rotary President Bob Chalfa, Art Pratt Foundation President Lee Kaminetz CRC Executive Director John Van Cleff and Art Pratt Foundation board members Eric Benink, Gary John Collins, Judy Copeland, Sherrie Suanico and Mark McAnelly |
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 Every three years, the Council on Legislation meets to consider changes to legislation that governs Rotary International. April 14-18, 2019 is the next Council in Chicago. Each district has one representative at the Council. Past District Governor, Janice Kurth is District 5340's representative for the 2019 Council. She is inviting all Rotarians to review the proposed legislation and send her comments/opinions regarding the proposed enactments via email at Janice@janicekurth.com. All of the enactments can be obtained on our Rotary website. Scroll down to "Resources" then "Council on Legislation". Click on "2019 Council on Legislation Proposed Legislation" and a file containing the document will be downloaded to your download folder on your computer. |
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On Saturday, February 23, 2019, another successful Peace Forum was hosted by the Joan Kroc School of Peace Studies ad Pathways to Peace - District 5340. The theme of Human Trafficking was very compelling and engaging. Participants learned several things from an excellent platform of speakers. There are multiple avenues in which Rotarians can help as part of Rotary's peace effort, especially at the local level to help communities reduce human trafficking. A big thank you goes out to all the clubs that attended. It is the Committee's hope that participants were inspired to participate with some of our local organizations in helping reduce human trafficking in San Diego. It should be every club's goal to become a peacebuilding club. The next peace program hosted by District 5340's Pathways to Peace Committee is slated for April 6-7 when our Model UN program will occur. Watch for an email soon to let you know how you can register/participate that weekend. Be prepared to be wowed by high school students from around San Diego as they become empowered with skills that propel them to move towards peace through conflict prevention and resolution in just two days! You do not want to miss this event. .jpg) |
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San Diego Rotary Club 33 hosted Hoover High School Cardinals Interact Club who participated in the Club's 4-Way Test Speech Contest on February 23. A record 23 students presented their speeches to a packed room of Rotarians, family and Cardinal's Interact staff. The First Place prize of $500 went to Alyssa Chavez who spoke on organ donation. The Second Place prize of $400 went to Leslie Leyva who compared the benefits of education to experience. Emily Sabory, last year's winner and Valedictorian for the Hoover Class of 2019, educated the Club about the alarming rate of sexual assault on college campuses, winning the Third Place prize of $300. The Fourth Place prize went to Cuong Nguyen who presented on balancing the mindset of negativity. These courageous high school students worked hard to write and develop their own speeches and to fine-tune their delivery skills with the help of 30+ Club 33 Rotarians, who wanted to give back to these disadvantaged students, served as mentors . These students don't have speech and debate coaches, classes or debate teams at Hoover. Mentors worked with these students since October of last year. There were few dry eyes in the house as Rotarians watched these students transform from scared and unknowing to confident and skilled.  |
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 A big thank you goes out to Past President of the Rotary Club of San Diego South Bay, Mr. Ibrahim Sultan, who recently received a letter from the Lebanese Welfare Association for the Handicapped (LWAH), an organization that works tirelessly for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, thanking him for his donation of two electric power wheelchairs that will be of great assistance to LWAH patients. |
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 The Rotary Club of Coronado proudly presents the 23rd Annual Jim Laslavic Charity Golf Tournament on Friday, March 15, 2019 at the Coronado Municipal Golf Course. The event provides a day of fun and challenging golf as well as an opportunity to sponsor military golfers and support worthy causes. Funds raised from the event will benefit numerous local, regional and international projects including Wounded Warriors, CHS scholarships, Polio Plus, Thousand Smiles and the Big Brothers/Sisters' "Operation Bigs". For more information on the event and to register, please visit www.coronadorotary.org and click the link for Golf Tournament or contact Bob Rutherford at 619 994-6416. Pictured above are Coronado Rotary Golf Tournament Co-Chair Bob Plumb, committee member Ken Kaminski and Co-chairs Jim Laslavic and Jim Palecek. |
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 2019 District Training Assembly March 30, 2019 8:30 to 12:00 p.m. Joan Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at USD TIME IS RUNNING OUT! Don't forget to register today for the 2019 District Training Assembly! Held only once a year, the District Training Assembly provides a great opportunity for officers, committee chairs and club members - new and old to learn from Rotarians how to manage programs, projects and best practices. The District Training Assembly is especially beneficial in educating members about Rotary, programs and resources available in the District. Bring your red badgers! Online registration is open and classes are filling up, so don't delay! Visit the District website today to register and select your classes. Applying for a Grant(s)? Any club planning to apply for both a District Grant or Global Grant MUST have two members attend both grant sessions. For District Grants, the session is free and must be attended by two members of the club. This session is part of the morning training agenda. If you are applying for a global grant, then two members of the club must attend the District Grants Seminar. This no-cost seminar runs from 12:10 to 2:00 p.m. |
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 The 15th Annual Rotary Model United Nations Conference will be held April 6-7, 2019 at the USD Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (Kroc Institute). Visit the Kroc Institute that weekend to see high school students from Southern California, Mexico, British Columbia and Costa Rica serve as ambassadors of foreign countries and debate current UN International issues. The Model UN Banquet Gala Dinner is being held on April 6, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at the Mission Valley Crowne Plaza Hotel. The guest speaker is Charles Chauvel, the Parliamentary Development Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme, and former New Zealand senior Parliament Member. To register, pay and select your preferred entrée please click here. For additional information you may go to www.modelunrotary5340.com. If you have further questions, please contact Pauline Lim-Endresen at Pauline@paulineandbjorn.com. |
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 Engage both members and the public with your Rotary Club Facebook page - telling the story of the fun and impact of your club and Rotarians as People of Action! The webinar is scheduled for Thursday, February 28, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. PST. You don't need to be a marketing professional to use simple techniques to increase engagement and awareness of your club with Facebook. The webinar will be conducted by Anabella Bonfa from the Rotary Club of Irvine California. Join the webinar to learn how to:
You will leave with tools to put to work right away! Register Now! |
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On February 14 2019, Supervisor Kristin Gaspar presented, on behalf of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, a proclamation to Rotary District 5340 honoring Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). The presentation was made at the Escondido Sunrise Rotary Club in the presence of RYLA Committee members Jim Ponder, George Beitner, Kelly Mayberry, Ron Liberman and District Governor, Mel Gallegos. The honor proclaimed by Chairwomen, Diane Jacob and all members of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors stipulated April 13, 2019 as RYLA Day and further commended Rotary members who voluntarily participate in RYLA for their outstanding service, leadership, and commitment to the youth of San Diego and Imperial Counties.  |
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 Photo L-R: Rotarian, Kim Muslusky of the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club and Rotarians, Gloria and Bob Chalfa of the Old Mission Rotary Club. The Thousand Smiles Foundation was well represented at PETS (President-Elect Training Seminar) over the weekend of February 8-10 at the LAX Marriott. Their next promotional roadshow will be at the International Convention in Hamburg, Germany in June 2019. During the February Thousand Smiles Clinic in Ensenada, the team performed two cleft lip surgeries, three cleft palates, three bone grafts, one complicated extraction, four ear tubes and provided 110 children with general dentistry services. |
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 Photo L-R: Participants of the 2019 Four-Way Test Speech Contest at Old Mission Rotary on February 12, 2019. Photo depicts event chair, Eric Benink with Reality Changer students, Ariana Bermudez, Aaron Russam and Angel Vargas. Old Mission Rotary conducted the club round of District 5340's Four-Way Test Speech Contest held on February 12, 2019. Students have between five and seven minutes to deliver a talk that is judged on content, organization, delivery and application of the Four-Way Test. Club judges were Rotarians, Cynthia Drake, Pat Esparza, Tara Simpson and Marge Cole. Rotarian, Mark McAnelly served as the official time keeper. This year's chair was Rotarian Eric Benink who once again organized a fun and inspiring event. It is the Club's tradition to invite students from the Reality Changers program to participate in this event. Reality Changers is a non-profit organization based in San Diego that provides tutoring and mentoring services to high school students aspiring first-generation college students in San Diego County. Reality Changers has a 98% success rate for getting participants into college. Speaker, Angel Vargas of Hoover High School challenged the notion of standardized testing in secondary education. Speaker, Ariana Bermudez of Patrick Henry High School spoke on the topic of the stigma of mental illness in our society; and Speaker, Aaron Russam of San Diego High School focused his speech on the struggle of minorities in the USA. All three were excellent speeches. The Club ultimately selected Ariana Bermudez as the winner of the Four-Way Test Speech Contest. |
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 Escondido Rotary Club's 16th Annual Coeur de Cuisine Gourmet Gala is returning February 24, 2019. This major fundraiser has become a social highlight throughout the North San Diego County region each February. This sophisticated fête features the finest chefs, vintners and brewers, and you will sample food, beverages and desserts from more than 40 different local businesses. Net proceeds from this event will help fund scholarships, and community-level programs that positively impact people of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances. The highlight of this event is honoring members of the community who best exemplify the Rotary ideal of Service Above Self by making a difference through philanthropy or charitable work. This year the Club will be honoring Jackie Skay and Jay Grossman, Tickets and sponsorships for the 16th Annual Coeur de Cuisine are available through the website; www.coeurdecuisine.com. |
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 The District Conference is fast approaching and we are preparing for the annual Celebration of Life event, which closes out the conference each year. The Celebration of Life is a ceremony in which Rotarians who have passed away during this Rotary year are celebrated and honored. Clara Harris who has been chairing this event for many years is asking that club presidents submit names of those in their club who have passed. She will need full names, length of Rotary service, and positions they held during their tenure. Please forward any information you have to Clara Harris at chsplu@cox.net. If you have questions, you may call her at 619 469-5433. |
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 The Rotary Club of El Cajon is proud to announce its 29th annual fundraiser entitled "Rockin' Rotary". This year's event is slated for Saturday, April 13, 2019 from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Elks Club Lodge located at 1400 Washington Street in El Cajon. A delicious meal, entertainment and dancing to the music of a rock and roll band along with many exciting silent and live auction items await you. In addition, there will be an opportunity drawing for chances to draw from a selection of fun prizes. The Rotary Club of El Cajon is celebrating its 93rd year of providing support for its local and international communities. Proceeds from this event will help the club provide grants to a variety of community organizations including, but not limited to, the Boys and Girls Club, Youth Symphony, Salvation Army, and East County reading programs. To learn about sponsorship opportunities or to obtain tickets, visit the Club's website at www.elcajonrotary.org or call 619 977-6397 or by email at: djbanker5@gmail.com. |
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DISTRICT TRAINING ASSEMBLY Held only once a year, the District Training Assembly (DTA) offers training on a variety of subjects to Rotarians, including current and incoming officers, directors and committee chairs to help them become effective leaders. ALL Rotarians - especially Red Badgers - are welcome and encouraged to attend. Come learn about Rotary programs, tips on program and project management and best practices from other Rotarians. DTA is also a great opportunity to meet and connect with other Rotarians. Classes fill up quickly, so don't miss out - REGISTER TODAY! Registration ends March 27, 2019. MANDATORY TRAINING Two members of any club planning to apply for a District Grant MUST register and attend the District Grants Seminar (Session 4 of DTA), which will be held from 12:10 to 2:00 p.m. There is no charge to attend. |
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Four clubs gathered for their first multi-club social of 2019. On January 24, 2019 at the Pala Mesa Resort, the Rotary Clubs of Bonsall, Fallbrook, Fallbrook Village and Valley Center gathered for Rotary fellowship. The event was attended by 100 Rotarians, including District Governor-Elect, Marta Knight and District Governor-Nominee, Steve Weitzen. Pictures below include group photos; a photo of Presidents with DGE Marta Knight and AG Devon Richardson; Presidents Greg Carlson from Valley Center, Karen Utley from Fallbrook Village, Connie Fish from Fallbrook, DGE Marta Knight, Tom Kennedy from Bonsall and AG Devon Richardson.   |
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The Rotary Club of San Diego South Bay just concluded their second District-funded project in the Philippines. On January 7, 2019, the Club donated a mini ambulance to a community in Pasay City who desperately needed the ambulance to transport the sick and badly injured to the nearest clinic or hospital. The mini ambulance was necessary due to narrow streets in the area. On January 8-10, 2019, the Club also donated school supplies to 300 first and second grade students in three different elementary schools in the Metro-Manila area. School faculties and local town officials were appreciative of the donation.  |
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 Facilitators are needed for the 2019 RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) Conference. Join 280 enthusiastic high school juniors from throughout the District at this outstanding Rotary youth leadership program scheduled for April 12-14, 2019 in beautiful Idyllwild. Join the fun and be inspired! As a facilitator, you will have the unique opportunity of helping guide students through a proven program promoting leadership, self-awareness, and community building. Details and an application are located at www.ryla5340.org or contact Paul van Roon at paulvanroon@icloud.com for additional information. There is NO COST to your club to participate and there are only a few positions remaining. PLEASE APPLY SOON! |
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On January 29, 2019, the Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary Club presented a grant of $6200 to Kitchens for Good. The mid-city non-profit breaks the cycles of food waste, poverty and hunger through utilizing surplus and cosmetically imperfect food. The program focuses on training people to thrive in careers in the culinary industry, combating hunger with nutritious meals for families in need, while funding programs, creating jobs and supporting local farmers. The Art Pratt funds will be used to purchase a used van.  Photo: (L_R): Kitchens for Good Co-Founder and Senior Director, Aviva Paley; Art Pratt board members, Judy Copeland, Gary John Collins, Sherri Suanico, Mark McAnelly; Art Pratt Foundation President, Lee Kaminetz and Old Mission Rotary President, Bob Chalfa. |
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Ocean Discovery Institute Receives Grant  Photo (L_R): Old Mission Rotary President, Bob Chalfa; Ocean Discovery Institute Donor Relationships Coordinator, Deborah Seitz; Art Pratt board members, Mark McAnelly, Judi Copeland, Gary John Collins, Eric Benink; and Art Pratt Foundation President, Lee Kaminetz On January 22, 2019, the Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary presented a grant of $6500 to the Ocean Discovery Institute (ODI). The ODI uses ocean science to empower young people from the underserved San Diego community of City Heights. They provide continuous science opportunities paired with mentoring to some 6000 students in San Diego. The Art Pratt grant will be used to purchase much needed replacement snorkeling gear for the program. Many of the kids from City Heights have never seen the Pacific Ocean and are now learning how to swim through the Ocean Discovery Institute. |
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Rotary Club of San Diego-Paradise Valley Medical Mission Team .jpg) The Rotary Club of San Diego-Paradise Valley Medical Mission Team is on their way to the Philippines for their annual medical mission. They will be gone from January 27 through February 22, 2019. The team will provide free medical care to the underserved areas of Calapan, Mindoro, San Fabian, Pangasinan, Batangas, and Nabua. Camarines Surgical Services will provide free medical consultation, minor surgeries, dental care, hygiene, corrective eye glasses, reading glasses and feeding program. The Club is aided by Phillippine Rotary clubs, volunteer doctors, dentists, surgeons and nurses from the Philippines and the United States. |
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The Coronado Rotary Club is sponsoring a new club - the Coronado Rotaract Club. "This is the best thing to happen to Coronado in years and years," boasts Heidi Nevitt, advisor of the newly formed Coronado Rotaract Club and longtime member of Coronado Rotary. The Coronado Rotary Club has sponsored many other Rotaract clubs in San Diego, including the Pacific Beach and USD Rotaract Clubs, and recognized it was time for Coronado to have their own Rotaract club. The opportunity presented itself with Natalie Bailey, a Coronado High School (CHS) graduate '11, the current youngest member of Coronado Rotary and liaison to CHS's Interact Club. At their kickoff last week, Natalie explained that "this is a great opportunity for the 20s-30s professionals in Coronado to come together and make a difference in a fun and social environment. The members of the Coronado Rotaract board came together mid-December to make this vision a reality and on January 10 held its kickoff meeting to introduce the group to the community. Already, the group has hit the ground running with members participating in the Rotary monthly beach cleanup and planning a Tijuana trip at the end of January to help Hacienda Orphanage where they will assist local children in painting a mural. Several other activities are in the works to be completed over the next few months. The first Coronado Rotaract Club business meeting will be held at the True Rest Conference Room in Coronado on Wednesday, February 3 at 6:30 p.m. with meetings to be held the 2nd Thursday of the month thereafter. .jpg) Photo: Coronado Rotary Adviser Heidi Nevitt (third from left) and Coronado Rotaract President Natalie Bailey (right) brought Rotaract District representatives and Pacific Beach Rotaractors to a recent Rotary meeting. .jpg) Photo (L to R): Coronado Rotaract Board Alyssa Ballard (Treasurer), Demi Waitley (Service Director), Bridgett Nielson (Secretary), Mandy Rowe (Vice President), Brooke Bernardy (Membership Director), Natalie Bailey (President), Curtis Nixon (member), George Bailey (member). Not pictured: Becka Runyon (International Service Director) and Kyle Runyon (Professional Development Director)  Photo: Coronado Rotaract Board and potential members at the kickoff meeting. |
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On behalf of the Airport Volunteer Committee, we want to say thank you to the 60 District 5340 volunteers and service dog that served as greeters at the San Diego Airport this past weekend. Travel-weary incoming District Governors were happy to be warmly welcomed by friendly local Rotarians. Thanks to our "We Are Everywhere" shirts, we were easy to spot.  |
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 Special Message from your Queen: Dear Fellow Rotarians, We have heard you! Several would love to attend part of the conference but can't make all three days. We get it and came up with a pricing option to suit everyone's availability. Full Conference: $250 Friday Only: $125 Saturday and Sunday: $195 Rotaract and Youth Exchange: Still $20 (sorry we cannot provide any meals for that price) Remember there are still great deals to say at the Catamaran Hotel when you sign up. Don't wait much longer! Register NOW here. Get inspired March 1-3, 2019 at the Catamaran Hotel in San Diego.  Hey Jude Gallegos Your Queen of Clubs See you in Hamburg, Germany June 1-5, 2019 Register here: http://www.reconvention.org/en/hamburg/register |
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RI President-elect Mark Maloney announces the 2019-20 presidential theme, Rotary Connects the World, to incoming district governors in San Diego, California, USA. |
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Lets keep Newsbits story page alive! Let us know what you are doing in your club. This is the perfect place to share your club's efforts in Making a Difference in the World. Please send your story with photos to sandyp304@gmail.com by Friday of each week to be included in the upcoming edition of Newsbits. Weekend Activities: Rotary International Assembly - District Governor-Elect, Marta Knight arrives for a week of exciting learning and fellowship. - January 13, 2019  Rotary Leadership Academy Graduation - University of San Diego: Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies - January 12, 2019.  |
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Thank you for volunteer service supporting Rotary's International Assembly 2019, the final week-long training session for District Governors-Elect an their partners from the entire World. Over 500 local volunteers help make this event happen through hosting, greeting, transporting, touring, answering questions, and giving directions. RI President-Elect Mark Maloney and his wife Gay would like to meet you and thank you for supporting his International Assembly by hosting an exclusive reception. Thursday, January 17, 2019 Manchester Grand Hyatt There is no cost to attend; this is a special "thank you" to all who volunteered to make International Assembly 2019 a success. BE SURE TO REGISTER EACH VOLUNTEER WHO WILL BE ATTENDING INDIVIDUALLY, INCLUDING ANY SPOUSES THAT PARTICIPATED IN OUR VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY. One registration per person, please. Our volunteers are also invited to attend Rotary's International Festival Gathering immediately following the reception from 7:30 pm to 10 pm. Parking at the Hotel is not included and is expensive. You can save on the cost of parking by any of the following means: Ride the Trolley and get off at the Kansas City BBQ Stop, directly across the street At either bar or restaurant on the ground level of Hotel, ask for validation of your self-parking ticket, validation good for 3 hours free parking. Flat $5.00 parking lot on the Seaport Village side of the Hotel ½ price ticket vouchers will be available (self parking $30, ½ = $15.) |
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 Do you want to make it easy on yourself when you go to the Foundation Gala? You can take advantage of a special event guest room rate! To book a room at this special rate simply go to the La Jolla Regency Hyatt website and enter the dates of stay then click on "special rates" and enter code 50751 in the corporate/group field and then click on "check availability". This will pull up your special discounted rate per night, based on availability. This code also provides you with a 50% discount on your nightly destination fee. It's active and, as of now, the discounted rate is $264 versus the regular rate of $279. Please be advised that you should book soon. You can always cancel later should you decide you don't want to use it as there is no penalty if you cancel 72 hours prior to arrival date. |
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With nearly 45.5 million household television viewers in the United States of America and internationally in more than 200 countries, the Rotary float in this year's Tournament of Roses Parade exposed the cause of Rotary in a very dramatic way through a very high-profile float theme of SERVICE ROCKS. The design is a rockin' Crocodile playing a keyboard and surrounded by sea animals and 20 Rotarians all promoting Rotary and how service rocks! The Float Committee is comprised of 83 members from 27 Rotary Districts in the USA and Canada. For the past 39 nears, the Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee have led volunteers to raise funds, choose a float design chooses riders and supervise 800 Rotarian volunteers to decorate the float. This year's chairman was Walt Stephens. A big thank you goes out to Walt and his committee and to the many Rotarian volunteers who helped support and decorate this years float.  |
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Applications are now being accepted for facilitators for our upcoming RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) conference being held on April 12-14, 2019 in beautiful Idyllwild). RYLA is a leadership conference for approximately 280 high school juniors from throughout the district. The primary intent is to encourage students to become effective servant leaders; an added result is they emerge confident, enthusiastic and empowered. The program includes exceptional speakers, small group discussions and fellowship activities all within an atmosphere of trust ad respect If you have some experience working with youth, are in good health and are committed to the principles of Rotary youth and the development of young people - you are qualified! RYLA is an extraordinary Rotary youth program you will not want to miss (ask any club members who have participated in the past). In addition, there is no cost to you or your club to participate. The application process is simple. Go to the RYLA website and click on the "facilitator" tab and then click on the "application" link. Complete the application and click "submit". You'll be on your way to one of the most rewarding experiences as a Rotarian. If you have questions, please review the information on the website or contact Paul van Roon, who is the facilitator coordinator, at paulvanroon@icloud.com or by calling 619-980-2334. |
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 On New Year's Day, look for District 5340's 2019 Rose Parade - Rotary Float with a theme of "Service Rocks". A big thanks goes out to Rotarian, Walt Stephens who is chair of the Rotary Float Committee and to all the committee members and volunteers who are working tirelessly to create a magnificent float worthy of another award. Set your DVRs so that you don't miss your opportunity to beam with pride as the float appears on your TV screen. |
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 A big thank you goes out to District 5340 Rotarians who registered to help as volunteer greeters at the airport and hotel and as hosts for the upcoming District Governors conference. REGISTRATION FOR THESE EVENTS ARE NOW CLOSED. |
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The Santee - Lakeside Rotary Club, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Ensenada, helped provide food, toys and clothing to 500 families this holiday season. The day-long event, held on the campus of a rural school located about 40 minutes outside of Ensenada, included interactive activities such as educational games and outdoor fun for 300 young children. The Rotary team included both Rotaract and Interact club member participation. The partnership between the clubs has blossomed into a collaboration that has led to numerous shared projects having a large impact on children and families in Mexico.  |
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Members of the Old Mission and Uptown Rotary clubs met at the Copely-Price YMCA in City Heights on December 4, 2018. Rotarians enjoyed lunch and then proceeded to wrap toys that each member donated for the YMCA holiday party, which was held this past Saturday. The YMCA had nearly 2000 children from the underserved City Heights neighborhoods attending. For many children, these toys will be the only ones received this holiday season.  Continuing the spirit of giving, the Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary awarded an $8,000 grant to the Copely-Price YMCA. The Executive Director of the Copely-Price YMCA and Old Mission Rotarian, Julian Villegas explained that the funds will be used to expand the preschool facilities at the YMCA, which serves the surrounding City Heights community.  Photo: (L-R): Art Pratt Foundation board member, Gary Collins; Copley-Price YMCA Executive Director and Old Mission Rotarian, Julian Villegas; and Art Pratt Foundation board members, Lee Kaminetz and Sherrie Suanico. |
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June 1-5, 2019, the annual Rotary International Convention will be held in Hamburg, Germany. March 31 is the last day for the preregistration discount. Sign up now and be sure to book housing as soon as possible. You want to be staying as close to the convention as possible! District 5340 will have a reception at the convention. The details are not yet set, but we will keep you updated as information becomes available. For more convention information click here. |
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On Saturday, December 8, Santee-Lakeside Rotarians gathered to help the Santee Santa's Foundation get ready for this year's Christmas outreach. Santee Santa's has been bringing the spirit of the holidays to Santee for over 60 years. Rotarians John Morley and Sam Modica have been providing leadership to this non-profit organization for some time. Initially started and operated by the Santee School District, the Santee Santa's grew so large that a non-profit was formed to operate and coordinate this 100% volunteer organization, each year bringing comfort and joy to Santee residents by providing food and gifts, especially during the holiday season. The Santee Lakeside Rotary Club has offered both financial and volunteer support to this worthy group of compassionate citizens. For the past several years, the Club has taken on the task of putting together nearly 1000 boxes to be used to bring food and toys to families in need. Many also help sorting food and toys and boxing items for delivery, including distributing poinsettias to senior shut-ins in local mobile home parks. .jpg) |
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.jpg) Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, friends of the surfing community and, of course, members of Surfers Unite will gather at La Jolla Shores on December 12-16 for the 2018 Stance ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championships. There is still time to signup and volunteer. Don't miss this opportunity to extend the invitation to your Interact Club members, neighbors and friends. More details on this International Surfing Association event can be found on our site: http://surfersuniterotarianfellowship.wildapricot.org/event-2966435. |
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 The East County Rotary Leadership Team is hosting a meeting on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 from noon to 1:30 p.m. Past Rotary International President (2000-2001), Frank Devlyn will be the guest speaker. Join us for a very informative meeting. El Cajon Elks Club 1400 E. Washington Avenue El Cajon, CA 92019 Lunch: $17.00 This may be one of the last times to hear from a Rotary International representative during International Assembly since the International Assembly is moving to Florida in 2021. All Rotarians and guests are invited. This is a great opportunity to show how strong Rotary is in District 5340! Our goal is to see at least two members from every club in attendance and we encourage attendees to bring their club banners. For more information, contact Bonnie Welch at bawelch@Pacbell.net. |
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The Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary awarded a grant on November 27, 2018 to the San Diego Rescue Mission. The funds of $8,716 will be used to refurbish a computer and study center for the children of homeless families. Ameatra Smith of the San Diego Rescue Mission accepted the check and was so excited that her very first grant request for the organization was approved! In addition another grant in the amount of $2,499 was presented to Clairemont High School's Clairemonster Robotics Team on November 20, 2018.  Photo L-R: Old Mission Rotary President, Bob Chalfa; Ameatra Smith from the San Diego Rescue Mission; Art Pratt, board members Erick Benink, Mark McAnelly, Sherrie Suanico, Lee Kaminetz and Gary Collins.  Photo L-R: Erik Benink and Judy Copeland of the Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary with robotics engineers, Charlie Jenkins and Keegan Holmes. |
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 Rotarians! Your helping hands are urgently needed. Minnesota Rotarian, Amanda Ottman reached out to our district this week. Amanda was a Rotary Peace Fellow and now works for the Amerian Refugee Committee. Her work has brought her to San Diego this week to assess needs in relation to the current migration movement. Amanda has connected with the local Rapid Response Network, an organization serving people who were detained by US Immigration during the past months that are now being released into the US for asylum processing. They are being dropped off at different locations with no assistance, and Rapid Response Network is mobilizing to help with temporary shelters. An average of 75 people have been arriving to the shelters each night, and people stay between 24-48 hours. Rapid Response Network has to move to a new shelter location by Friday and needs help. Starting at 6:00 am Thursday and continuing throughout the day helping hands are needed to help pack up the old site (Kearny Mesa) and also set up the new site in Chula Vista. If you can help, please contact Amanda right away at 612-214-3389. Safety and security is a top concern, and location will be given if you volunteer to help. Please note that you will not be allowed to share the location or post anything regarding this volunteer work on social media. |
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 Twelve generous supporters of Rotary's polio eradication efforts will have the opportunity to play golf with legend Jack Nicklaus, a Rotary ambassador for polio eradication. Nicklaus plans to thank the next 12 individuals who make a new donation of $250,000 or more to the PolioPlus Fund by inviting them to play golf with him at the Bear's Club in Jupiter, Florida, USA, on March 12, 2019. There, donors will be divided into three groups of four, and each group will play 18 holes of golf - six with Nicklaus. Donors who prefer not to play golf may allow one friend or family member to golf in their place. Space is limited to the first 12 donors. To qualify, donors need to complete a Gift of intent Form and make the full donation by January 22, 2019. Contact Harvey Newcomb III, director of principal gifts at The Rotary Foundation for more information. Please see the gift intent form for details. If they wish, the donors will also be inducted into the Arch Klumph Society in recognition of their support for Rotary's polio eradication efforts. Please contact Steve Brown for more details.  |
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District Council Dinner January 26,2019 Registration is now closed and the event is sold out. There will not be room for walk-ins. |
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 Join your best Rotary friends at the 2109 District Conference at the beautiful Catamaran Hotel in Mission Beach. You can learn what is going on in the District, participate in sharing ideas and successes, take a cruise on the historic Bahia Belle and enjoy the beach and the tropical setting of the resort. There is new updated pricing for registering. Registration is open. Click to register here. Friday morning we will feature an International Project Fair with Rotary clubs from Baja California (District 4100) to connect with our fellow Rotarians south of the border and discuss joint service opportunities. Additionally, we will feature sessions to give your Club an opportunity to showcase your activities. If you want to participate, contact Jim Hughes, District Conference Chair at jim@hughesheritageplaza.com Take advantage of the special reduced hotel rates at the Catamaran Hotel during the conference. We secured a $179 a night rate that includes free parking. You will find the link for the hotel registration when you register for the conference. See you there! |
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 On December 3rd, the East County Rotary Leadership is sponsoring a free Human Trafficking Awareness Seminar to bring awareness to the community about the impact human trafficking is having on our youth. In addition to having speakers, there will be time for break-out sessions with experts in the field. Every Rotarian, friend, family member or neighbor is welcome. Most people do not know how prevalent this problem is - affecting boys and girls in our own communities. Parents need to know the warning signs - and kids need to understand the "grooming" process. Awareness is key to battling this very serious and dangerous business of preying on our youth. Please join us. |
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 Rotary District 5340's Nominating Committee is pleased to announce that Daniel Gensler from the Rotary Club of Coronado will officially serve as District Governor Designate (DGD), leading District 5340 during the Rotary year 2021-2022. Gensler was selected by District 5340's Nominating Committee to serve, pending any challenges from clubs across the District. No challenges were received, and the selection has become final."We had a terrific slate of candidates to choose from, and I'd like to extend a special thanks to all of the dedicated Rotary members who interviewed for this important role," said Immediate Past District Governor Scott Carr, who served as Chair of the Nominating Committee. "We are incredibly proud of Dan's accomplishments and for his continued commitment to Rotary. He is an incredibly warm, giving individual who has a tremendous amount of experience at both the club and district level. On behalf of the all of the Nominating Committee members, as well as District Governor Mel Gallegos, we congratulate Dan on his terrific achievement." Gensler is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ who has owned his own financial planning and investment firm since 1995. He served as President of the Coronado Rotary in 2006-07. Since then, he has served many roles within the District, and currently serves on the Foundation Committee for Rotary District 5340. |
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 5.54 TONS to be precise! A recent Saturday's work effort saw the culmination of six months planning by Seven Oaks Community Center and the Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club. Twenty-five Rotarians and family members spent six hours unloading residents' cars as well as traveling to their homes to pick up furniture, bedding, patio furniture and other older and no longer used items clogging garages and closets. Three 40-foot roll off dumpsters, provided free of charge by EDCO Waste Disposal, were filled to capacity. Councilman Mark Kersey's office provided free "dump tickets" for use at the Miramar Landfill. As a result, no cost was incurred by Seven Oaks residents. Reusable furniture, accessories, and fixtures were given to local charities. Seven Oaks Community, comprised of 1,249 single-family homes and 410 condos, is a 55+ community developed in the 1960s during the initial development of Rancho Bernardo. Given residents' enthusiasm and appreciation, Seven Oaks Clean Up Day is likely to become an annual event. The Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club was founded in 1964 and has a long history of commitment to community service. |
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In accordance with the provisions of Rotary International Bylaws Article 13, Rotary District 5340 created a Nominating Committee to review and interview candidates. This year's Committee included several past, current, and future District Governors. and was chaired by Immediate Past District Governor Scott Carr. Gensler is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ who has owned his own financial planning and investment firm since 1995. He served as President of the Coronado Rotary in 2006-07. Since then, he has served many roles within the District, and currently serves on the Foundation Committee for Rotary District 5340. Any challenges (per Rotary International Bylaws, Article 14.020.8) to the selection of District Governor are to be received by Scott Carr, Chair of the Nomination Committee, by close of business on Friday, November 16, 2018. Challenges may be sent to 2247 San Diego Avenue, Ste. 236, San Diego, CA 92110 or via email to scarr@rotary5340.org. If no challenges are received, the selection of the Nominating Committee becomes official. |
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Escondido East Rotary Club Rotarian, Glen Burford will be riding in the Ride to End Polio charity event in Tucson, Arizona on November 20, 2018. Money raised will help continue efforts to eradicate polio. Rotary District 5500's Ride to End Polio is dedicated to Rotarian, Mike Harris who founded the ride in 2009. Their 2017 ride raised $11.7 million, including the generated $47 million for Rotary's efforts to eradicate polio, enough money to buy tens of millions of vaccinations, protecting countless children worldwide from this terrible disease. For more information go to the Ride to End Polio website. District 5340 Governor, Mel Gallegos was present at the Escondido East Rotary Club meeting to hear about Glen's efforts.  Pictured: Escondido East Rotary Club President, Josh Banks with District 5340 Governor, Mel Gallegos and Rotarian, Glen Burford. |
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The MCAS Miramar Enlisted Recreation Center has a program that connects single men and women with home hosts for sharing Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. These are soldiers who cannot be with their families or loved ones during these traditional holidays. The applications will ask questions to coordinate preferences for both the Marines and the hosts. You will be required to pick them up on base and return them after dinner. You can apply online separately for each of the two holidays. There is a limit of two service members per holiday. Use the application forms for the host family and NOT the service member. To learn more and to obtain application please go to the website. THANKSGIVING IS COMPLETELY FILLED. Opportunities still exist for Christmas. |
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The Chula Vista Sunrise Rotary Club has been collecting spare change since July for their new Pennies for Polio jar in honor of World Polio Day this past week. The Club's co-presidents, Chris and Rochelle Carroll, challenged members to "fill the jar." The Club recognized World Polio Day with an inspirational presentation from polio survivor, Tish Caligner who contracted polio at the age of 10. Living with her family in Panama, Tish had broken her arm playing outside and was taken to the hospital. It was in the hospital that she was exposed to the deadly polio virus. Tish shared the stories of living with polio as a child and the challenges she has overcome along her journey. Tish was awarded the Club's Inspiration of the Month Award. After reviewing the historic timeline of Rotary's involvement with polio eradication, club members rose to the challenge of filling the jar. This, small but mighty club's efforts overflowed the top! Next week, the Club will use a coin counter to see how much change they collected and will be donating to End Polio Now, with (of course) a contest to see who can come close to guessing the amount in the jar. What a great way to recognize World Polio Day!  |
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Coronado Rotary hosted its annual "End Polio Now" Wine Tasting Fundraising on October 5, 2018. About 150 Rotarians and guests gathered in the welcoming garden at Jim Kaufman's home for a party with a very vital purpose, the worldwide eradication of polio. Generous donations for special events, such as an afternoon sailing on the bay, a panella dinner in the home of the buyer, an evening of music, art champagne and hors d'oeuvres. More generous donations were raised through a silent auction and Raise the Paddle segment. Proceeds from the event, chaired by Pat Flynn and Sue Maack, raised $70,000. The donations will go to support Rotary International's Global Polio Eradication Initiative and will include funds that will be tripled by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. On October 24, 2018, Rotarians will mark World Polio Day. It is a day to celebrate how far we have come - from an estimated 350,000 cases of polio per year down to just a few in 2018. But to achieve eradication, we must reach zero cases, and stay at zero worldwide for three consecutive years. DID YOU KNOW:
If you would also like to make a donation to End Polio Now, please visit coronadorotary.org and click on the End Polio Now link to the right of the website. .jpg) Photo by Dan Hutchinson |
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 The Rotary International Assembly Host Hospitality Night is scheduled for January 16, 2019. We are seeking clubs/members to volunteer to host incoming District Governors-Elect (DGEs) from around the world. Take two or (you determine the number) for an evening of fellowship and dinner. You can host in your home, your club meeting site or a site of your choosing. You will be reimbursed $20 for each guest you host. We guarantee the experience will be priceless! Register today! If you have any questions, you may direct them to Michelle Candland at michellecandland95@gmail.com. |
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Dear Fellow Rotarians, You spoke and we listened. Due to many other events that have already been scheduled during November, including: the Zone Institute, Thanksgiving and various club plans; we have decided to postpone the Foundation Gala until April 29, 2019. This will also allow for those of you who will be attending the Rotary International Convention in Germany to be able to plan your trip accordingly. We look forward to seeing you at the dinner on April 29th! Please let us know if you would like a refund or to just transfer the registration to the new date. We are so grateful for the support and dedication to the principles of Rotary by the wonderful Rotarians in our District! Yours in Rotary Service, District Governor Mel Gallegos |
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.png) Don't let this page be blank. We all have stories to tell. This is how we can share our successes and inspiration with each other. We are pretty good at promoting our fundraisers but how about telling us how it went. It may just increase participation the following year. Do you have phenomenal Rotarians that you'd like to recognize? This is the place to do it! Tell us about them. Many clubs have achieved great things through grant projects. Why not share your story with a narrative and pictures so that we can learn how you touched the world. Submission of stories is easy. Just write up a draft and send to our editor, Sandy Pugliese at sandyp304@gmail.com. You don't need to be a professional writer, Sandy will help with editing and she is great at making photo collages. All you have to do is send the pictures. If you want captions under your photos, simply tell us what you want said or who is in the picture. Please try to send the draft and photos together so there is no delay in getting your story posted due to waiting for the missing piece. All items sent by the end of the business day on Friday will be in the following Monday's edition of Newsbits. District 5340 is a very large district. We need multiple communication channels to stay connected. Newsbits can help! |
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Now is the time for clubs to select their teams of student ambassadors for our 15th Annual Rotary Model United Nations Conference. We train high school students to be effective negotiators, consensus builders and peacemakers by debating current day international issues that are presently being addressed by the real United Nations. Students also learn important skills in conflict resolution, analytical thinking and public speaking. Here is what you need to know:
More information can be found at www.modelunrotary5340.com or by contacting Keven Cahill, Chair, Rotary Model UN program at kcahill558@gmail.com. |
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1. District Council at SEA180
Celebrate our Rotary Foundation! We have done so much through the Foundation. Polio Eradication, grants to help us do small and large projects. We want to celebrate with you. So plan for an evening of good food, fellowship, a special message from Rotary International Director-Elect Johrita Solari and dancing! |
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 Rotary International District 5340 2019 Foundation Gala Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine Click here for map and directions Keynote Speaker - Johrita Solari Rotary International Director Elect 2019-20 Zones 26/27 April 29, 2019 6pm to 9pm Cost - $95.00 -- Rotaractors $45.00 Dinner selection of Filet of Beef or Vegetarian Black tie optional and bring your dancing shoes! |
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This year on Saturday, Oct 20 from 2 pm to 5 pm, Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club will host their only fundraising event for the year. For the third year, this event will be held at Webb Lake Park in Rancho Bernardo (RB). The funds from this event support such programs and organizations such as: • Support for Abraxas High School in Poway • Support for veterans via Team Red White and Blue • Providing introduction to STEM careers via scholarships for AAUW Tech Trek summer camp at UCSD • An AIDS orphanage in South Africa • Support for a children's hospital in Uganda • A house build project in Mexico • Support for the Ed Brown Senior Center in RB
This event has been building on the success of previous year's events and the positive feedback about the event and the venue. The club's marketing has brought many attendees from the Los Angeles area, many who have now attended past BEERnardo events. This event is a community event because Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club relies on the support of volunteers from other organizations in RB who are recipients of grants from the club as well as volunteers from the Rotary Club of Rancho Bernardo. This year's event will be offering beer tastings of the best of local craft beers. There will also be wine and food for purchase at the event. Live entertainment and games will contribute to a great experience for our guests who will have seating in the shade provided by the trees in the park. Plan to attend this fun event in the north San Diego hub of the craft beer scene in San Diego. To volunteer contact the club at:tmg@san.rr.com For further information and ticket purchase, go to: ranchobeernardofestival.com |
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 The 2019 Rotary Rose Parade Float is coming along and District 5340 is looking to secure an additional $2500 in support. Please contact Brett Morey directly at bretthmorey@gmail.com since he is the Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee District 5340 advisor. Clubs or individuals who contribute $1000 or more can select a date to come up to Irwindale and decorate the float (up to 15 individuals) prior to New Year's Eve. The Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee team has the available dates and latest information as the District contributed the annual budgeted funds of $4000. The operating budget for the float is $100,000 yet this is the only Rotary advertising you will see on TV. The Tournament of Roses is viewed by over 70 million viewers around the globe each year with over 700,000 in attendance. Rotary International does not fund this endeavor as it is the generosity of fellow Rotarians like yourselves that have made this a tradition for well over 35 years. The Rotary Rose Parade Float has also won the Princess Award the last two years in a row and we are going for a repeat! Check out the following site for online donations, photos from last year and current information: Rose Parade. |
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 For all those involved or interested in Rotary's peace initiatives, you don't want to miss attending the District Peace Leadership Seminar on Saturday, October 20th. PEACE LEADERSHIP SEMINAR Saturday, October 20, 2018 9:00 am to 12:30 pm Ronald McDonald House This seminar, presented by District 5340's Pathways to Peace Committee, is designed to educate, motivate, and engage our Rotary club Peace Chairs, those with an interest in becoming a peace chair in their club, or those with an interest in what Rotary and our District are doing to influence peacebuilding and conflict prevention and resolution. Peacebuilding efforts have been developing rapidly throughout our Rotary world and District 5340 is very much engaged. Practically every service project and program Rotary does throughout the world brings increased prospects for less violent resolution of conflict. Pathways to Peace is focused on ways to advance this aspect of Rotary. Seminar participants will hear how their involvement can advance Rotary peace objectives. We will discuss key responsibilities for Peace Chairs, how clubs develop and connect to programs and ways to involve club members. The seminar is free, but registration is requested for planning purposes. Contact Seminar Chair, Sandra Schrift at Sandra@schrift.com with questions and suggestions. |
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 Ride the hidden, unridden, and forbidden Point Loma in the 6th Annual Jim Krause Memorial Charity Bicycle Ride to support pancreatic cancer research on November 10, 2018. Jim Krause was a past president of the Point Loma Rotary Club; an avid cyclist and philanthropist who left a legacy of Service Above Self after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. The ride includes 10/25/62 mile exclusive scenic routes to accommodate different levels of bicycling experience. Spend Veteran's Day weekend at the Bay Club Resort on Shelter Island with the special Stay & Play package. The public is invited to the free Health Lifestyle Expo at Oggi's at Liberty Station from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm where they can enjoy local vendors, music and refreshments. For more information, on Ride the Point, visit the website or follow them on Facebook. |
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 At the 2018 Foundation Seminar, attendees were given a glimpse of a new campaign that aims to nearly double the number of local Rotarians that join the Paul Harris Society. Named after Rotary’s founder, the Paul Harris Society recognizes Rotary members and friends of The Rotary Foundation who elect to give individual contributions of $1,000 or more each year to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus Fund, or approved Foundation global grants. Membership in the Paul Harris Society is easy to maintain, so easy that many Rotarians are already eligible through their support of the Rotary Foundation. Donors who join the Society can contribute $1,000 each year to the Rotary Foundation, either automatically via Rotary Direct or through one-time donations. Yet, many don't realize that this global program actually started right here, in our very own district. |
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The Rotary Club of Poway-Scripps provided Valley Elementary School's running club with a fast start to its fundraising efforts with a $350 donation. This is the first year the children are testing the new lanyard tracking system which replaces the old fashioned method of tracking laps on a note card. Rotarian Jan is holding the real check at the right of the picture below.  |
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Congratulations is extended to Rotarian, Fary Moini of the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club for winning one of six Women in Leadership Awards at The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce's Women in Leadership Award Luncheon held Friday, September 28 at the Town and Country Hotel. Fary was nominated by two Santee-Lakeside Rotarians, Sandy Pugliese and Elana Levens-Craig. Both became inspired by Fary's efforts to construct the Jalalabad Rotary School in Afghanistan when they participated in RYLA as facilitators and heard Fary speak. Opened in May 2004, the school serves 6000 girls and boys. Funds were subsequently raised to build dorms for female teachers and to pay salaries for eight female teachers so that Afghan girls could continue their education. Fary's all-volunteer team also funded computer labs in Jalalabad as well as at the Nargarhar University, and connected these labs with programs at San Diego State University. Fary's leadership achievements include being invited to the White House to be recognized as a Champion of Change. She served as Rotary International's representative to the U.S. National Commission to UNESCO from 2005-2010 with responsibility for:
Pugliese and Levens-Craig, both active in the San Diego East County Chamber, believed Fary's story needed to be told, and in doing so, the story of Rotary was put in front of several hundred men and women in attendance.  |
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 We are excited that you'll join us in Hamburg for the Rotary International Convention held June 1-5, 2019. To make sure you have a great convention experience, we'll send you the Convention News every two months through Newsbits. Each edition will be filled with information and tips to help you plan your visit. Book your hotel now. Rooms are selling out quickly. To make sure you find a room at the best possible price, we encourage you to book your hotel through Experient as soon as possible. Do you have an idea or project that you want to share with your Rotary family? Breakout sessions can inspire attendees, help them polish their leadership skills, and give them new ideas for projects, fundraising, strengthening membership and more. Help us build a breakout program that reflects Rotary's diversity. We're seeking breakout sessions in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Submit your proposal by Sunday, September 30, 2018. If you have any questions, contact us. The Hamburg Convention's Host Organization Committee has planned outstanding cultural events and fun activities for all attendees. Go the HOC site to purchase tickets for dance and music performances, bike tours, host hospitality night, and more. Don't miss your chance to experience Hamburg like a local. The House of Friendship offers a unique opportunity to showcase your service project, celebrate your Rotary achievements, talk about your Rotarian Action Group, or sell your Rotary merchandise as a licensed RI vendor. Go to the Exhibitor's page of the Convention to learn more and apply. Invite fellow members to "capture the moment" in Hamburg by using materials in the convention promotion kit and showing the promotional video at special events and club meetings. Be sure to check Rotary's official convention website regularly for the latest information on the convention. You can find answers to questions about registration, transportation and more in the Frequently Asked Questions. |
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 The Quack is Back! The Rotary Club of Del Mar's Chili & Quackers Challenge returns to Del Mar Powerhouse Park on Saturday October 20, 2018 from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. Join us for a fun afternoon at the beach and enjoy chili, hot dogs and beverages as well as face painting for the kids and a steel drum musician before heading down to the shore to watch the Del Mar lifeguards launch a duck flotilla into the waves. The "adopters" of ducks that float ashore first will win valuable prizes. Quackers: Adopt one or more ducks to be released by the Del Mar lifeguards. If you duck comes home first, you'll win one of several great prizes. Adopt your duck in advance - they may sell out! Chili Cookoff: Individuals and restaurants will face off to find the best chili in multiple categories as voted by the tasters. The event is free to all and adopting a duck or chili tasking is completely optional. All proceeds from the duck adoptions and chili tastings benefit the Rotary Club of Del Mar's service projects. Visit www.delmarrotary.org for complete details and to adopt ducks and purchase chili tastes. Come and have as much fun as those below:  |
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Nine members of the Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club as well as four other Rotarians, two each from the Encinitas Rotary Club and the Del Mar Rotary Club made a trip on August 16, 2018 to the Tijuana Kumiai Rotary Club to view current and future projects that the Tijuana Kumiai Rotary Club and its District 4100 identified as needed. In addition to prioritizing projects, Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club and the Tijuana Kumiai Rotary Club decided to become Twin Clubs, establishing a partnership to further international understanding and to foster goodwill through long-standing fellowship and international service. On Thursday, September 13, 2018, Francisco Javier Carrillo Mejia, President of the Tijuana Kumiai Rotary Club and several members of his club were guests of the Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club's dinner meeting. Also present was Mel Gallegos, 5340 District Governor. In addition to signing the Twin Club Certificate of Recognition, they presented each other with banners of the respective clubs. It is hoped this will be the beginning of many collaborative projects.  Photo: President's Dawson and Mejia exchanging Rotary club banners.  Photo: Rancho Bernardo President, Doug Dawson, District 5340 Governor, Mel Gallegos and Tijuana Kumiai Rotary President, Francisco Javier Carrillo Mejia following the signing of the Twin Club Certificate of Recognition. |
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Thinking out-of-the-box and away from traditional meeting norms of morning or noon Rotary clubs, the San Diego Coastal Rotary Club wanted to be unique in its approach in attracting young, middle-aged professionals to their club. They looked at the best design/time frame for those professionals who have to work standard, full-time hours and who needed flexibility in order to be able to participate in Rotary. They also wanted to attract Rotarians who desired alternative meeting times in finding a make-up club to attend. The result of this effort yielded a group of fun-loving and hard-working Rotarians on a mission to make the world a better place! They have weekly dinner meetings on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m., allowing those with a full-time job to still join a Rotary club. To learn more about the San Diego Coastal Rotary Club, you can visit their Facebook group or their website.  |
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 The Del Mar-Solona Beach Rotary Club will present its 22nd Annual Bocce Tournament on Sunday, September 30, 2018. The Tournament begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Surf Cup Sports Park (the old Polo Fields) east of Del Mar. New this year is the addition of San Diego Craft Beers. Join us for a day of fun and fundraising. Spend the day enjoying craft beer selections from some of the finest craft breweries in San Diego while playing bocce on over 30, well-tended grass courts. Connect with clients and enjoy family and friends while benefiting youth and humanitarian programs. During breaks in play, bid on silent auction items and meet representatives from Reality Changers, Just in Time Foster Youth and other past and future beneficiaries of tournament proceeds. Past tournaments have raised over $625,000 collectively. For more information, visit our website. |
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For the past 25 years, husband and wife team, Antonio Grillo-Lopez and Maria S. Marxuach Grillo have been supporting education in the ways of grants, scholarships, and fellowships - at all levels. Grillo-Marxuach Family Scholars have attended or are currently attending Yale University, University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, University of California Los Angeles, Duke University, the Joan B. Kroc Institute of Peace and Justice Studies at the University of San Diego (USD), Preuss School in San Diego, University of California San Diego, Sacred Heart College in Puerto Rico, The University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Boston, and others. Every year they provide support for 15-20 students at these institutions. These students are of an elite group that includes Bachelor's Master's and Doctoral degreed candidates as well as Post-Doctoral researchers. Upon graduation or completion of their research, each is granted the title of Grillo-Marxuach Family Scholar. A couple of years ago, this wonderful couple decided to establish two scholarships for Masters degree candidates at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Studies at USD. It was their choice to partner with the Rotary International Foundation (RIF). The agreement made with RIF was that every year they (couple) would donate $63,000 and RIF would provide $30,000 in Global Grant money. The RIF deducts $3,000 for their administrative costs. Thus from a total of $90,000, the couple donates 70% and the RIF provides 30%. Every year, two candidates (International, with preference for Puerto Rico and Latin America) are awarded these scholarships. This year's scholarship winners are Jennifer Rivera from Puerto Rico and Veronica Musa from Argentina. These students join the two that completed their first year and are now starting their second year at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Studies at the USD: Valentina Rivera Munoz from Puerto Rico and Paloma Wlethorn Kochan from Brazil. Two new scholars are added every year. The scholarships pay for one year of studies towards a degree such as a Masters degree in Social Innovation. Should the degree require a second year, such as the Masters degree in Peace and Justice, USD and the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Studies will cover the expenses for the second year. The agreement with the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Studies is that scholars will be known as Grillo-Marxuach Family Scholars. A fund, the Grillo-Marxuach Scholarship Fund, has been established at USD to receive and dispense all monies pertaining to these scholarships. For more information, you can refer to the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Studies website. Both Antonio and Maria would like to acknowledge and express gratitude to Patricia Marquez, Dean of the Joan Kroc Institute of Peace and Justice Studies for USD for her untiring support and to Dr. Cynthia Villis, Assistant Provost of USD for her work in making these scholarships possible. Dr. Villis is also the past president of the Rotary Club of La Jolla Triangle, who writes, submits and administers the Global Grants. A special thanks was offered up to Steve Brown, past district governor and past trustee of the RIF and to RIF for partnering with them on this outstanding and impactful endeavor.  Photo: Maria S. Marxuach Grillo, Antonio Grillo-Lopez; Scholars, Valentina Rivera Munoz and Paloma Wiethorn Kochan |
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Santee Lakeside Rotary Club President, Elana Levens-Craig attended her very first Rotary International Convention this past spring in Toronto, Canada and came home inspired. While at the convention and in the House of Friendship, Elana came across a booth for Soles4Souls, a non-profit social enterprise that creates sustainable jobs and provides relief through the distribution of shoes around the world. She was pretty sure most of her club members had shoes in their closets they no longer needed. The Club enthusiastically backed this project and set a goal of collecting 300 pairs of shoes during the month of August. Members not only raided their own closets but they also reached out into the community via social media for donations as well. The end result, nearly double the goal, was 583 pairs of shoes! This is an amazing start to Elana's presidential year and the collection effort is a true reflection that Rotarians are People of Action!  Photo: Rotarians Sandy Pugliese and Elana Levens-Craig showcasing shoes while Elana's husband, Scott Craig began the boxing process. Packing Solutions provided the storage and the transportation to Soles4Souls located in Riverside County. |
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Rotarians experienced in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering or computer programming are needed to mentor an 11th grade class on a robotics project that may be included as a future experiment on the International Space Station. Mentors would need to commit to meet with students at Chula Vista’s High Tech High once a week for about two months beginning as soon as possible. The school will work to accommodate your schedule. To volunteer or ask questions, contact Dan Dredla, president of Chula Vista Rotary, at 619-502-5839 or e-mail Daniel.dredla@sharp.com. |
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 Come join in on the fun! Rotarians are invited to be Advisors at District 5340's LEAD (Leadership, Ethics, Aspirations & Determination) Conference. Best of all - there is NO CHARGE to Rotarians or their club for serving as a LEAD Advisor! LEAD is a two-day weekend leadership camp for 9th grade students (Delegates) where they will discuss issues of ethical responsibility, improve leadership and communication skills, develop a positive outlook on service and life, and have fun with new friends. Delegates from middle schools around our District will attend and we need 12 or more Rotarian Advisors to help direct activities. If interested, please go to the LEAD website and click the Advisor's link and follow the instructions to complete the application. You may call Paul Pierce at (760) 942-9911 or email him at pepjr@peplaw.com, if you have questions. |
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Rotary District 5340’s Model United Nations Program trains high school students to be effective negotiators and diplomats by debating current-day international issues that are presently being addressed by the real United Nations. Our 2019 Model United Nations Conference, which basically simulates a United Nations General Assembly Conference, will be held at the University of San Diego, Institute of Peace and Justice, on April 6-7, 2019. We expect to have teams from Southern California, as well as from Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Honduras, Dominican Republic and British Columbia, Canada! One of the most exciting things about putting on our Model UN Conference is selecting current global issues that the UN is tackling itself and preparing the Resolutions for our Conference. We are looking for colleagues who want to give back to the youth in our community, and who love to read and write and/or who have some background or strong interest in international relations, law, political science or government or community relations. We would thoroughly enjoy partnering with some creative folks to help us draft our two Resolutions for our 2019 Model UN Conference. This is a very rewarding experience as you get to see how the Model UN students analyze and interpret the proposed solution to the problem that you posit in the Resolution and the myriad of approaches they take to modify and reach consensus on those issues.
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The nomination period has begun for District Governor. All clubs are encouraged to submit their nominations for an individual will serve as District Governor during the 2021-22 Rotary year. All suggestions for District Governor Nominee-Designate must be received no later than Wednesday, October 31, 2018 at 5:00pm to be considered. No late submissions will be accepted. Submissions may be sent to district@rotary5340.org or via mail to:
Rotary District 5340 Nominating Committee 2247 San Diego Avenue, Suite 236 San Diego, CA 92110
The suggestion for District Governor 2021-22 must be submitted in the form of 1) a completed Governor-Nominee Form, and 2) a resolution adopted at a regular meeting of the club, naming the suggested candidate (click to download sample resolution). The Club President and Secretary shall certify the resolution. A Club may suggest only one of its own members as a candidate for District Governor Nominee. |
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 District Council Dinner, October 16, 2018 Keynote speaker - Brett Morey Founder and Chair, Surfers Unite Rotarian Fellowship Utilizing Rotary Fellowships, Growing the Family of Rotary Registration and Reception begins at 5:30 pm Dinner served at 6:15 pm Choice of Beef Short Ribs and Salmon or Vegetarian Cost $45.00 Rotaract $25.00 Registration ends on October 14, 2018 Click here to register SEA 180 800 Seacoast Dr, Imperial Beach, CA 91932 Click here for map Valet Parking provided free |
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It is with sadness and a sense of great loss that I share with Rotarians in District 5340 that Terry Caster has informed me that his wife of 65 years, Barbara Caster, has passed away. I learned of this news while I am in Costa Rica observing a project that the two of them started. Barbara's legacy goes far beyond a successful family business and charitable works far to numerous to mention. What I do want to mention is Terry and Barbara have been steadfast supporters of various causes of the Rotary Foundation for many years. In my experiences with them, all decisions were made jointly. Examples include giving over $1.6 million to the Rotary Foundation for polio eradication and establishing an endowment for the Rotary Peace Centers Program at $750,000. As I write this, I am at the University for Peace in Costa Rica with Rotary scholars from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. These students come from countries that share a common basin where there is little regional water planning and thus the region is prone to conflict. When I described this situation to Barbara and Terry several years ago, their immediate collective response was "Can we do something to help this situation?" They have been supporting many aspects of a program bringing professionals together from the Central Asia region for workshops and transboundary water planning. This has evolved to the current status with the scholars studying in a program starting at the University of Peace, going on the IHE Delft University in the Netherlands, and finishing at Oregon State University. The Caster's strong faith has been a guiding light throughout their business endeavors and as they make their philanthropic decisions. Last night at the Costa Rico Rotary's Welcome Celebration, the Muslim students joined us in a prayer for Barbara and her family. The Casters' best represent this year's theme: BE THE INSPIRATION. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 1, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Our Mother of Confidence Catholic Church, located at 3131 Governor Drive, San Diego, CA 92121. In Loving Memory  Barbara Caster (1931 - 2018) |
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 As we consider membership in Rotary, there is a quote by Howard Zinn, playwright, historian and social activist that comes to mind and of which, I believe has relevancy to Rotary and this year's theme: Be the Inspiration. "I would encourage people to look around them in their community and find an organization that is doing something that they believe in, even if that organization has five people, ten people, or twenty people, or a hundred people. And to look at history and understand that when change takes place. it takes place as a result of large numbers of people doing little things unbeknownst to one another. And, that history is very important for people to not get discouraged. History is instructive. And, what it suggests to people is that even if they do little things, if they walk on the picket line, if they join a vigil, if they write a letter to their local newspaper - anything they do, however small, becomes part of a much, much larger sort of flow of energy. And, when enough people do enough things, however small they are, then change takes place". |
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 Come and celebrate our District Foundation. Learn about club grants and service projects that empowered clubs to approach challenges such as Literacy, Poverty, Water, Health, Peace and Education, with solutions that will have a lasting impact and change lives both close to home and around the world. 45th Annual District 5340 Foundation Seminar Saturday, September 29, 2018 Grossmont College, Theatre #21 8800 Grossmont College Drive El Cajon, CA 92020 Cost: Rotarians $25; Rotaract $10 Continental Breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m. Program and club presentations are from 8:45 a.m. to noon Free Flu Shots available for Rotarians and guests from 8:00 to 8:45 a.m. For more information, contact Cheryl Minshew at cminshew43@gmail.com or Marta Knight at mknight@rotary5340.org |
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 The Point Loma Rotary Club and Veteran's Village of San Diego are hosting Veteran's Fishing Day on August 26, 2018 to thank our veterans for their service. The event will include a free day of fishing therapy for 40 veterans on San Diego's premier sports fishing boat the Daily Double. The boat will leave the Point Loma Sportfishing dock at 9:00 a.m. and return at 5:00 p.m. after a day of enjoying the ocean and learning to fish. |
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The nomination period for District Governor 2021-22 will be opening in September. At that time, all clubs will be encouraged to submit their nominations for their club members to lead our district. But what does being Governor entail, and how does one even become a District Governor? To help explain these and other dark mysteries of life, District 5340 will be hosting a very special reception to connect future, past, and present District Governors with one another. The Future Governors Reception (originally titled, Everything You Wanted to Know About Becoming a District Governor* but the name was too long), will be held September 6, 2018 at 6:30pm at the La Jolla home of Past District Governor Janice Kurth. Address details will be shared well in advance to all registrants. It promises to be an entertaining and informative event. Reservations are required no later than September 4th. If you have ever thought about becoming Governor, or would like to learn how the process works, this will be the place to be. To register, please contact Scott Carr, Immediate Past District Governor today! |
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 Rotary District 5340's Nominating Committee is pleased to announce that Steven Weitzen from the Rotary Club of Del Mar-Solana Beach will officially serve as District Governor Nominee (DGN), leading District 5340 during the Rotary year 2020-2021.Weitzen is a solo practitioner in civil litigation who has owned his own practice since 1990. He served as President of the Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary in 2013-14, as well as Assistant Governor from 2015-18. Currently, Weitzen serves as Chief Assistant Governor for Rotary District 5340. |
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.png) Rotary Leadership Institute Saturday, September 15, 2018 FIND YOUR PASSION in ROTARY and develop your knowledge and leadership skills. |
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 The San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Foundation will present its 12th Annual Holes for Heroes Golf Tournament and Military Appreciation Event on Friday, September 14, starting at 10:30 a.m. at the Lomas Santa Fe Country Club in Solana Beach. |
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 Want to attend our District Council, but you really don't know what it is. Here is a glimpse of why District Councils were formed and how they have evolved to meet our growing needs. |
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 District Council, August 21, 2018
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 On July 28, 2018, the Santee Lakeside Rotary Foundation, in conjunction with the Santee Lakes Foundation, held their 9th Annual Concert at the Lakes fundraiser at the renown and beautiful Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve. Polyester Express kept the crowd dancing all night with their energetic performance and go-go dancers. |
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.jpg) Area 15, encompassing the Rotary clubs of Bonsall, Fallbrook, Fallbrook Village and Valley Center, gathered for fellowship on July 26 at the West Social House in Fallbrook. District 5340 Governor, Mel Gallegos, and his lovely wife, Jude were in attendance, along with Devon Richardson, Assistant Governor for Area 15. |
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Come to District Council to learn more! Free gift to all attendees! Special gift to the club with the most members present and the most percentage of members present! Register now at Rotary5340.org #QueenofTheClubsEndorsed |
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Find Your Passion in Rotary RLI provides an opportunity to enrich that learning through sharing experiences, ideas and making connections with other Rotarians. Facilitators are District Leaders who bring a wealth of Rotary experience and knowledge as they guide instruction. |
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 NewsBits needs your Rotary stories! Please share your club's activities, such as socials, fundraisers, and projects. It is important to document your club's successes. To make it easier, please review the following information about how to write your story.
If you supply the basic information, we will be able to format it so that it will convey your message. (A benefit to supplying a story to NewsBits is that it will be formatted it so that you can use it on your club's website. You can just copy and paste it directly from the newsletter to your website) If you are submitting an article that announces a fundraiser, please refrain from promoting sponsorship or ticket purchase. You can do that o your webpage which should be included in your article. Pictures are worth a thousand words so don't forget to include at least one photo or a logo to illustrate your story. A photo of someone smiling and doing something associated with your story's subject is always good. If you aren't sure about photos, send several. Send them as RAW camera .jpg files (save them directly to your computer without choosing a choice such as "for website or Facebook.) We will edit them to fit the space in NewsBits so we can also edit the photo itself in the process. Use the following link to submit your story: |
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.jpg) Take action, build international understanding, and make new friends around the world. Interact clubs bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self. Find out how serious leadership can be seriously fun. The 5th Annual Interact Symposium for Interact Officers, Club Members and Rotarians is Saturday September 22, 2018 8:30 am - 3:30 pm, at the Liberty Station Conference Center, 2600 Laning Road, SD 92106. |
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 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 5340 DON’T WAIT VACCINATE COMMITTEE (DWV) The year was 1994; infant immunization rates had fallen to 50% in the United States, the lowest in the world. Rotary International sent a directive out to establish District committees to educate and raise community awareness. By 1997, the compliance rates nationally and locally in San Diego had reached 75%. Today, a recent San Diego County survey shows a rate of 80.6% compliance for children aged 19-35 months of age. |
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 2019 Rotary 5340 District Conference  Special prices for rooms for the conference $179.00 per night free parking! Early bird pricing is in effect until August 31st- $225.00 Then September 1 to January 16 - $250.00 January 17 to February 25 - $275.00 Rotaract pricing - $20.00 (No meals) Take some time to relax and enjoy the beach and at the same time get to reconnect with fellow Rotarians from other clubs. You will be able to get the latest information about what is happening at Rotary International as well as in the District. Rotary Clubs from the Baja area in District 4100 will be invited to present their projects and you will also have a chance to share your ideas and projects with each other. Bringing the family? They will be close to Belmont Park, Sea World and of course Mission Beach. Enjoy a bike ride around Mission Bay, rent a kayak or just hang out at the beach. At the end of the day at the Conference board the Bahia Belle, the resort's stern wheeler for a sunset and late evening cruise around Mission Bay, enjoy a refreshment and live music! |
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The Rotary Club of Chula Vista Sunrise have a member with 10 walkers they would like to donate. If you know of someone with the need of a walker contact Marta Knight at mknight@rotary5340.org |
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Due to recent changes announced in the Governor line, all clubs are encouraged to submit their nominations for District Governor 2020-21. This individual will serve as District Governor Nominee during this Rotary year. All suggestions for District Governor Nominee must be received no later than Monday, July 16, 2018 at 5:00pm to be considered. No late submissions will be accepted. Submissions may be sent to district@rotary5340.org or via mail to: Rotary District 5340 Nominating Committee The suggestion for District Governor Nominee must be submitted in the form of 1) a completed Governor-Nominee Form, and 2) a resolution adopted at a regular meeting of the club, naming the suggested candidate (click to download sample resolution). The Club President and Secretary shall certify the resolution. A Club may suggest only one of its own members as a candidate for District Governor Nominee. |
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 As of June 30, 2018, 21 clubs in District 5340 had tentatively met the qualifications for receiving the prestigious Rotary Citation. However, due to water damage to computer systems at Rotary's headquarters, the original June 30th deadline to report has been pushed back to July 12, 2018, giving clubs extra time to qualify for the Rotary Citation. |
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 June 30, 2018 marks the official end of the Rotary year 2017-18. At the stroke of midnight, 63 clubs will have new leadership in place, ready to "Be the Inspiration," the 2018-19 Rotary theme. Mel Gallegos becomes District Governor of Rotary International District 5340, with Marta Knight rising to the role of District Governor Elect. New leadership will also take over in Rotary International, as Barry Rassin officially becomes President of the organization. "As we close the books on 2017-18, this is our last chance to pause and reflect on the good works we achieved," said outgoing District Governor Scott Carr. "This was one for the record books, and the members of our District should be very proud of all they achieved." Some of this year's notable achievements include:
From a District perspective, we also made significant gains including:
District 5340 hosted numerous successful events, including:
Each of these programs is made possible by the tireless dedication of hundreds of volunteers. "Our District is truly filled with individuals making a difference, each and every day" added Carr. "This past year as District Governor has been the journey of a lifetime, and I wish to give humble thanks to the Rotarians of this great district who continue giving to other Rotarians, to the communities where they live and works nd to tomorrow's future generations. I wish nothing but the very best to Governor Mel Gallegos and his leadership team, as I know they will do great things in the year ahead." |
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 Currently a total of twenty-one (21) clubs in Rotary District 5340 are qualified to receive the Rotary Citation for 2017-18. This represents one-third of all clubs in the entire district, the highest percentage of clubs to achieve the annual Citation in recent memory. Those clubs currently showing as achieving the Rotary Citation include: Brawley (NEW!) Fallbrook (NEW!) San Diego (NEW!) Many clubs are just one or two goals away from achieving this tremendous honor. With the June 30th reporting deadline nearly here, there is still time for your club to join this prestigious list by completing your Rotary Citation Goals on rotary.org. |
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 At the 2018 Rotary International Convention in Toronto, Rotary District 5340 was recognized for its work in supporting efforts to end polio. Since 1985, Rotary has led the battle against polio, keeping on the pressure as worldwide cases plummeted from 350,000 per year to several dozen. Rotarians have helped immunize more than 2.5 billion children against polio in 122 countries. When India went off the list of endemic countries in 2012, we took one more step toward eradicating a human disease from the earth for only the second time in history. Now, Rotary and partners like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Health Organization are close to making that dream a reality.  During 2017-18, Rotary members from across District 5340 officially donated over $1 million to PolioPlus, ranking the District in the Top 10 Districts for Giving. This resulted in average giving in excess of $300 per member. When matching funds are added to the total, the generosity of Rotarians from District 5340 resulted in over $3 million to help fund the fight against polio."The global fight against polio continues, and our Rotary members truly stepped up to the plate," said District Governor Scott Carr. "Thanks to the generosity of our members, and the efforts of Past RI President John Germ and Past Rotary Foundation Trustee Stephen Brown, we reached a significant milestone. With every dollar being matched 2-for-1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in the global fight on polio, this is an incredible achievement, one that the members of our District should be incredibly proud of." District Governor Carr joined other governors from across the world on stage as the totals were officially announced on stage at the Air Canada Centre during the second day of the RI Convention in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. But the fight against polio is far from over. |
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 It was Red Shoe Day on June 21, 2018 and members of the Rotary Club of Poway-Scripps were in good company. They were among 1,500 volunteers stationed at key intersections in San Diego during morning drive time. Carrying big red shoes and cans, volunteers encouraged commuters to donate spare change or dollars. Red Shoe Day is the largest volunteer-driven fundraiser for San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House. Members had the honor of representing the busy corner of Scripps Poway Parkway and Community Road, just up the hill from their weekly meeting spot. Learn more about the Rotary Club of Poway-Scripps by visiting their official website. |
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 The Chula Vista Sunrise Rotary invites community members and Rotarians in District 5340 to attend the 38th Annual Orange Crate Derby on August 18-19, 2018, in the Rancho Del Rey area of Chula Vista. Although this fun family event is months away, the time to get started is now! Join the fun by constructing a masterpiece with your kids or grandchildren. Build-a-Car Clinics will inspire you on June 23 and August 4 at the YMCA Goodrich Teen Center, 820 Paseo Del Rey from 9:00-10:30 AM. There are exact guidelines on how to build a car at orangecratederby.com. All race cars must clear inspection prior to competition. |
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 The Surfers Unite Rotarian Fellowship (SURF) is going strong, and will be coming to the House of Friendship at the 2018 Rotary International Convention in Toronto. SURF will be setting up shop at Booth #232 from 23-27 June, 2018. Fellowship members that will be at RICON include Terri Miller (Membership Co-Chair), Jessica Pekke of Kenya (Treasurer), and Brett Morey (Founder and member of La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary). The House of Friendship is located in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and is open most days from 9:00am to 6:00pm (hours may vary). The HOF serves as the central point where the Rotary world comes together to exchange ideas, best practices, and project successes. Visitors to the HOF can:
If your travels are taking you to Toronto this month, be sure to drop by the SURF booth, get your photo taken, and grab some cool gear. More info on SURF is online at: |
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The first District Council Dinner of the 2018-19 Rotary Year is almost upon us, August 21st. Rotarians and Rotaractors from across the District are invited to join us for an evening of fellowship and a chance to learn more about how to help our communities. Our featured keynote speaker is John Ohanion, the President and CEO of 211 San Diego. Come and learn about this unique community service agency. Registration is now open! To learn more, please click here. |
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 The 2018 Governors Dinner is coming June 4, 2018 at 5:00pm at the San Diego Marriott La Jolla. Over 350 Rotarians and guests are registered for this annual event, which serves as the annual district awards and induction ceremony. The ceremonial baton is passed to the 2018-19 leadership within Rotary, while recognizing our regions clubs and their outstanding achievements for the previous year. The Governors Dinner program will include:
Cost per person, including three-course meal, is $49.50. For clubs that have 10 or more members registered and paid, tables will automatically be reserved. Entertainment will be provided by Larry Potter, a longtime Rotarian and Immediate Past President of the Rotary Club of San Diego Downtown (Breakfast). Join us as we celebrate the year that was, as well as the incredible year to come at the 2018 Governors Dinner! |
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The San Diego Padres and Rotary District 5340 have partnered to provide four Rotary games at Petco Park this year. At the first game held April 12, District Governor, Scott Carr threw out the "ceremonial first pitch" and Assistant Governor, Don Glover raised the Rotary flag which flies continually at Flag Court in Right Center Field. The well-attended second Rotary game held on April 29, had 36 members from the Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club in attendance. Perhaps it was tailgate party in Tailgate Park and a tour of the Flag Court orchestrated by Past District Governor, Mike Stelman that incentivized them to attend. Past District Governor, Mike Stelman was instrumental in establishing the partnership between the Padre organization and Rotary. Please support the 2018 Rotary Games at Petco Park. It's not too late; there are two more games planned - Sunday, July 15 (Padres vs. the Cubs) and Tuesday August 14 (Padres vs. the Angels). See you there!  |
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Your email inbox may be flooded with information on the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which takes effect on May 25, 2018. Because Rotary staff members process the personal data of European members, Rotaractors, program participants, and others, Rotary International is obligated to comply with this new data privacy law. But what about clubs? Are individual clubs subject to GDPR? Most clubs capture and maintain information on individuals that are relatively close, and not subject to GDPR. However, as an international organization, there are instances where clubs may need to ensure they are in compliance. For instance, if your club maintains contacts or any personal information from Rotarians that reside in the EU, that data falls under GDPR. If sponsorships or relationships involve entities that are based in Europe (such as Shelterbox UK, RIBI, etc.), or if grants are undertaken with other Rotary clubs in the EU, GDPR may apply. Even youth exchange students coming from countries in the EU could trigger a need for a club to come into GDPR compliance. |
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So You Think You've Got Talent SanDiego fundraiser has put a smile on the face of the Thousand Smiles Foundation. The 9th annual Rotary fundraiser was organized and staffed by members of Old Mission and Kearny Mesa Rotary clubs, Pacific Beach Roteract and Francis Parker Interact clubs. The event was supported by guests who bought tickets, purchased auction items and made personal pledges to the Thousand Smiles Foundation. The variety talent show has traditionally raised about one third of Thousand Smiles Foundation's annual operating budget. The Thousand Smiles Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on care of the less fortunate children in Mexico who suffer from lack of dental care and from maxilla-facial deformities such as cleft palate. The all volunteer group operates quarterly clinics in their clinic building in Ensenada.  Photo: (L-R) Master of Ceremonies, Matt Risi; first-place winners of $1000: The Del Norte High School Band; second-place winner of $500: Francis Parker Freshman singer, Isabella Walther-Meade (red dress); judges, Elena Peavy and Ron Jones; third-place winner of $250: traditional Chinese musician, Pam Chung; and judge, Joe Dyke |
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On May 6, 2018, the San Diego South Bay Rotary Club met to celebrate the purchase of a motorized wheelchair. The chair will be delivered by President, Ibrahim Sultan to the Kafarrouman Health Clinic located in the Nabatieh District of Lebanon. District Governor Elect, Marta Knight congratulated club members on their great support of the Rotary Foundation during the 2016-2017 Rotary Year and presented them with their EREY 100% Participation Banner and their 100% Foundation Giving Club Banner. District Governor Elect, Marta Knight thanked them on behalf of District 5340's Foundation Committee, noting the club was one of 13 clubs in the District to receive both banners!   |
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John Goodrich, Jr. has resigned from his role as District Governor Nominee for Rotary District 5340, effective immediately. Goodrich is a longtime member of the Rancho Bernardo Rotary, who has served the District in a number of capacities, including Assistant Governor, Chief Assistant Governor, Foundation Seminar Chair, District Conference Chair, and Chief of Staff. "John is a familiar face to many Rotary members, as he has volunteered in so many roles within our District," said District Governor Scott Carr. "I wish John and his wife Deborah nothing but the best in the years ahead." In accordance with the bylaws of Rotary International, Carr has asked District Governor Designate Marta Knight to advance one year and assume the role of District Governor Nominee, a position that she has accepted.  Marta Knight, a Past President and former Assistant Governor with the Rotary Club of Chula Vista Sunrise, becomes District Governor Nominee effective immediately. Knight will serve her term during the 2019-20 Rotary year.Rotary District 5340 will now begin the process of selecting a District Governor Designate to fill the vacancy. Information on the selection process will be posted soon. |
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Rotary International District 5340 has officially earned the 2018 Platinum GuideStar Nonprofit Profile Seal of Transparency. According to Guidestar, Rotary District 5340 is the first Rotary district across the globe to achieve this recognition. Guidestar is the world's largest source of nonprofit information, and the platinum seal is the highest level of recognition offered. By sharing metrics that highlight progress that Rotary District 5340 is making, the organization is helping Rotary members, corporate partners, and donors better understand the finances of the District, and how it strives to support clubs making a difference in the community. "This is a terrific achievement, and is in line with our long-held goal of being completely transparent across District 5340,” said Scott Carr, District Governor for 2017-18. “We are excited to convey our organization’s results in a user-friendly and easily-accessible platform. By updating our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile to the Platinum level, we can now easily share a wealth of up-to-date organizational metrics with Rotarians as well as our supporters, which includes donors, grantmakers, community partners, and the media." |
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Club presidents are being tasked with selecting the next representative on the Nominating Committee that selects the President of Rotary International. The election will be determined by Club Presidents in electronic balloting that will be sent out by May 15, 2018. All ballots will be due back no later than June 30, 2018. Every April, the RI Secretariat sends out an email to all past RI directors in half of the Rotary zones asking if they want to serve on the Nominating Committee for RI President. This year, a total of four candidates expressed an interest. |
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 With significant media attention being paid to #MeToo and sexual abuse and harassment, particularly in the workplace, it is important that all Rotarians abide by norms and proper decorum when working together with other Rotarians. This is especially true at all club meetings, community projects, and service events. The #MeToo movement started in October, 2017 with the public disclosure of sexual assault allegations made against producer Harvey Weinstein. As publications continued to receive accusations of misconduct by Weinstein, media attention to sexual abuse and harassment grew exponentially. Soon after, thousands took to social media using the #MeToo hashtag, and a movement was born. Many point to #MeToo as triggering a tidal wave of similar stories, which began an international movement against sexual harassment and assault. While the media has increasingly highlighted the issue, Rotary International and Rotary District 5340 have always maintained a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment. |
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Members of the Rotary Club of Poway-Scripps were up to their necks in junk on April 14 as they participated in the 2018 Clean Up Scripps Ranch Day hosted by the Scripps Ranch Civic Association and Windemere Realty. There were a lot of heavy lifting, stacking and tossing of items as the Rotarians helped residents move junk from cars and into dumptsters. The community did a tremendous job of removing debris and no longer useable items from their homes and yards and were able to fill three large dumpsters.  |
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Rancho Santa Marta in Baja California, Mexico was the beneficiary of a joint project between the Santee-Lakeside Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Ensenada. A new Rotary Computer Center, financed with a $35,000 global grant was officially dedicated on April 20. Rancho Santa Marta is a non-denominational Evangelical Christian Ministry providing a school and home for at risk and special need Mexican children, youth and adults with disabilities that provides a safe and loving environment allowing them to develop physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually and educationally. The school and home lies on a large 450-acre working ranch property near San Vicente, a town 130 miles south of San Diego on the Baja California peninsula. The Santee-Lakeside Rotary Club has a long-standing supportive relationship with Rancho Santa Marta. This is the first joint effort with the Rotary Club of Ensenada, which has sparked an endearing partnership between the two clubs.  |
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At its April 18, 2018 meeting, club president Karen Herreros, and immediate past president Pauline Getz, inducted Dr. Bita Tahvildari into the club. Tahvildari is a dentist at Heavenly Smiles Dental in Poway.  Photo: Left to Right: Karen Herreros, club president; Pauline Getz, immediate past president; and Dr. Bita Tahvildari, inductee |
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 For more information, please call Herman Curumilla at 619 213-3397 or by email at hcurumilla@yahoo.com |
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Over 70 members and guests of La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club, including Rotaract students from UCSD, recently completed a project assisting the US Marines at Camp Pendleton. Over two Saturdays, the group was joined by marines to renovate their "Desk Sergeant's Building" (the Base Police Department). They rebuilt counters and glass barriers, installed new interior doors, restroom wall surfaces, new laminate flooring and provided new LED lighting. About 15 thousand square feet of walls and doors were painted by the volunteers and marines. This was the seventh successful project that the club has accomplished in the Camp since 2008, demonstrating the respect that the members have for their Marine heroes.  |
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The Rotary Club of Coronado organized a massive tree planning in one of the areas burned near Julian in the Cedar Fire several years ago. After a District-wide invitation, Rotarians from more than 14 clubs joined together on Sunday, April 15 to meet RI President, Ian Riseley's, challenge to plant a tree for every member. Two hours - That's all it took to plant 1000 cedar seedlings. Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors came together and had a great time digging holes, enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery and eating tacos. Now that's the power of Rotary!  |
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The Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary Club presented a grant to Resounding Joy on March 27, 2018. The Resounding Joy organization is all about spreading music throughout the community through several different programs for public schools, the elderly and veterans suffering from PTSD.  Photo: (L-R) Art Pratt board members - Judy Copeland and Mark McAnelly, Resounding Joy founder and CEO - Barbara Reuer, Art Pratt board president - Lee Kaminetz, Art Pratt board members - Bob Chalfa, Bob Self and Drew Ambruster. |
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On April 3, the Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary presented a grant to the Del Norte High School Music Program. The program is made up of more than 200 students and a booster association. The funds will be used to install lighting for their traveling semi-trailer truck that is used to transport equipment to shows and competitions.  Photo: (L-R) Ben Russ of the Del Norte High School Music Boosters, Gary John Collins, Bob Self, Lee Kaminetz and Mark McAnelly of the Art Pratt Foundation, Lori Martin of the Del Norte High School Music Boosters, Judy Copeland and Bob Chalfa of the Art Pratt Foundation. |
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Tanya Pulley, a member of the Pacific Beach Rotaract Club is doing a ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles in support of HIV/AIDS patients. It was just three months ago that Tanya purchased her first fixed gear bicycle. This is a bicycle that is absent of gears and doesn't allow you to stop pedaling. According to Tanya, it is a beautiful experience feeling one with t he bicycle and the road and an even greater one for the cause. Tanya heard some whispers of a team that would ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, a 545 mile journey, on a fixed gear bicycle to raise money for a much needed cause and she decided to be part of it. With the purchase of the bike, she was able to join the Team Cretins of the AIDS/LifeCycle. The AIDS/LifeCycle is a life changing experience, serving as one of the largest single HIV/AIDS fundraisers in the world. This ride provides an opportunity for people within the community to start a dialog and get involved, while providing over 70% of all money raised going directly to the patients. last year, the event raised over $15.1 million for critical HIV/AIDS services provided by San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LBGT Center services. The funding from the ride provides resources to expand critical services in need. The fight against HIV isn't over, so Tanya pledged to raise $10,000 to fund life-saving services. She is going to push her body through climbs of just under 25,000 feet for a week to prevent others from suffering alone. This efforts gives Rotarians in District 5340 an opportunity to help out one very dynamic Rotoractor do something amazingly special. Tanya is looking for donations to help her achieve her goal. If you or your club would like to help out, please go to http://www.tofighthiv.org/goto/takearide and make a donation.  |
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The District Membership Team knows how to throw a great party, and we're doing it again! Thursday, April 5, 2018 from 6-9pm, we are taking over the courtyard at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in historic Liberty Station. Tickets are only $25 and are on sale right now.  Rotarians from across San Diego and East County are invited to join in on this wonderful opportunity to experience high-energy Rotarian fellowship and fun. Meet and greet other Rotarians from around the District. Enjoy the best of Rotary and your membership! Tickets include music, craft beer from Stone, wine, light appetizers and snacks. Eat, drink, be merry and socialize with Rotarians from around the District. Rotarians are encouraged to wear their club shirts to show your Rotary spirit. Venue is outside under the stars; so please dress accordingly. To register, please go to: www.RockinRotary.com. |
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Rotarians, including Youth Service Chairs and those involved with Interact Clubs as Rotarian Advisors, please extend an invitation to high school students to attend the Interact "Bondfire" event at Crown Point on Friday, April 27, 2018. This event is free and a wonderful opportunity for high school students to invite friends for games, fun s'mores and learn a little bit about Rotary in the process. We will have members of Rotary, Rotaract and even an RI staff member present. Registration is through Surfers Unite Rotarian Fellowship. All fellow SURF members are encouraged to attend. We are also looking for Rotarians and Clubs to sponsor upcoming events so please contact Brett Morey, District 5340 Youth Service Chair and Founder of Surfers Unite Rotarian Fellowship (surfrotary@gmail.com) directly if interested.  |
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There is a special smile that lights up the faces of many Coronado Rotarians when asked what Jerry Winters has done to help others during his 25 years as a Rotarian. "He is one of my heroes; a very generous humanitarian in a quiet way;" " Jerry spearheads responses to help after a disaster;" "We probably know only 10% of what he does;" and "He is always there to help others." These are only a few of the accolades our club members have for Jerry. It is no wonder that the Rotary Club of Coronado selected Rotarian, Jerry Winter, with its 2017-18 Peacemaker Award. The Peacemaker Award is designed to recognize individuals who are making a difference in promoting understanding, tolerance, conflict resolution and helping build good will and peace. Jerry was selected for his humanitarian efforts. Fellow Rotarians inspired him and, in turn, Jerry inspires others. His generosity and passion to help others makes an important difference to those in need. Jerry became a member of the Coronado Rotary Club in 1992 and he says this about Rotary: "I have always wanted to help people that were less fortunate than myself. I have belonged to a different service club in the early 70s but it wasn't very active, so I gradually stopped participating. I had been invited to attend Rotary meetings in the past and liked the approach. When Galen Coffman invited me to attend the Coronado Rotary in 1992, I jumped on it. " "Rotary is like family to me. I found so many people with so much enthusiasm, ready and willing to help at a moment's notice. The Rotary Foundation is a perfect place to put money to get the 'biggest bang for your buck.' and I was more than happy to help out." Jerry has been involved in numerous projects, including People for Trees, Thousand Smiles, and a well system project to provide clean and inexpensive water to the new Children's Hospital in Blantyre Malawi. He also supported the District by becoming a District 5340 Rotary Foundation mentor, making presentations about the benefits of supporting the Rotary International Foundation. Congratulations are extended to Jerry Winters for making a difference in the lives of others.  Photo: (L-R) Coronado Rotary Club President Kevin Rugee, Rotarians Jerry Winter, Ray DeLagrave, and Peace Projects Committee Chair Susan Enowitz. Photo by Dan Hutchison. |
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The San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club cordially invites you to join us for a fun and inspiring morning at our Brunch Benefit on April 29 from 9:30 to 12:30 pm at Fireside on the Patio, 2855 Perry Road, San Diego, CA 92106. Come experience the Rotary motto of "Service Above Self." See, hear about, and feel the impact that the organizations we support have on our youth, our community and our world. For more information, contact Claire Remillard at cbremillard@gmail.com. .png) |
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We are on the brink of creating history - we, as Rotarians, have played the central role in bringing the world close to the eradication of polio. And we, as Rotarians, will be the ones to deliver the final blow that eliminates this horrific disease. As vice-chair for the End Polio Now: Countdown to History Committee, I am part of the Rotary team that is leading the charge that will bring down this dying but savage beast. We have the benefit of a 2-to-1 match to our Rotary Foundation by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation of $100,000,000 per year for every $50,000,000 Rotary contributes towards eradication over a three-year period. The news on the front lines is encouraging. Only three endemic countries remaining:
In 2017, there were only 22 cases of polio - 14 in Afghanistan and eight in Pakistan. There are currently only three cases of polio in 2018, all in Afghanistan where I continue to personally be involved. All of the endemic countries face the problem of brutal conflict that challenge access to the populations that most need the vaccinations. Nevertheless, progress has been remarkable even under these conditions. District 5340 has stepped up to the plate in a very big way, with Rotarians in this district having contributed over $930,000 this Rotary year for polio eradication. I encourage everyone in our generous district to keep polio at the forefront of their philanthropic endeavors. If so, our district could make its own history by crossing the $1,000,000 mark in giving to polio eradication this Rotary year. Please let me know how I can help. You can reach me, Steve Brown, at stephenRbrown@att.net or (858) 692-3310.  Photo: Rotary Polio/UNICEF USA |
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On Wednesday, February 28, the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary club bestowed the 2018 Peacemaker of the Year Award on Sean Sheppard, founder of the non-profit organization - Embrace - and creator of an innovative program called Game Changer. The award is given annually to a San Diego community leader who has made a significant difference in promoting tolerance, understanding, conflict resolution and peace in the region. February was Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month as designated by Rotary International. Sheppard became the first Peacemaker recipient to be named a Paul Harris Fellow by the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Club. Game Changer regularly brings together law enforcement and civilian community members to discuss problem and devise solutions - together. These stakeholders talk face-to-face, share a meal and sit together at a sporting event - the great equalizer - where some of the biggest changes happen. the model's mantra is that a change in perception leads to a change in behavior, which can lead to change in outcomes - more peaceful outcomes. Over a 13-month period, Game Changer hosted 36 events with more than 450 members of law enforcement and the community in California and Ohio. " I am beyond honored to receive recognition from such a distinguished group of humanitarians and philanthropists right here in San Diego," stated Sheppard. "To be honored in the name of Paul Harris is extremely humbling. The recognition is a testament to what can happen when enough people consistently come together in the name of peace and understanding. There is no peace without understanding," Sheppard added. The Peacemaker Award has been given by the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club for the past 10 years. The selection process is a total club effort led by Peace Committee Co-chairs - Sandra Schrift and George Shipp. To learn more about Sheppard and his peace-building efforts, visit www.gamechanger1.org.  |
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Members of the Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club recently worked closely with the Homeowners Association board of directors of the Seven Oaks Retirement Community in order to obtain new "Neighborhood Watch" signs, determine the desired locations and schedule their installation. The goal is to Make a Difference in the community. The old signs were smaller in size, had faded over the years and were now difficult to read. The new signs have already begun to be installed and when the community service is project is complete, 80 new signs will have been installed.  Photo: Clockwise from top: Dick Norfolk, Dan Malloy and Jim Hyldahl. Not pictured is Don Glover, another member of the team. |
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We have incredible turnout for this year's premiere training event, the District Training Assembly. Be sure to attend this year's District Training Assembly on March 24th if.....
All of this and more is available to all club members in District 5340. Take the opportunity to learn more about how to make a difference. Online registration has closed, but walk-ins will be accepted at the door. Attendees, can also stay for the Grants Management Seminar taking place immediately after the conclusion of District Training Assembly. District Training AssemblySaturday, March 24, 2018 8:30 - 12:00 pm University of San Diego Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Registration Fee: $25 ONLINE REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED / WALK-INS WILL BE ACCEPTED |
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 Rotarians at Work Day is coming up on Saturday, April 28, 2018. Did you know that this worldwide Rotary initiative started right here in District 5340? That's right and we need to brag about the many projects we do!We'd love to showcase projects planned by Rotary clubs in District 5340 - both leading up to and after Rotarians at Work Day. Let us tell your story. To do this, we need your help. If each club president or club chair for Rotarians at Work Day would send Mari Pullen an email at maripullen@gmail.com outlining what your club will be doing, we'd greatly appreciate it. We love pictures of Rotarians in action. Let's make this year's Rotarians at Work Day the best yet. |
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.jpg) The 14th Annual Rotary Model United Nations Conference will be held April 7-8 at the USD Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (IPJ). Visit IPJ that weekend to see high school students from Southern California, Mexico, British Columbia and Costa Rica serve as ambassadors of foreign countries and debate current UN international issues. Our keynote speaker for the banquet dinner on April 7 at 6:00 pm at the Mission Valley Crowne Plaza Hotel is Kevin M. Kennedy, former UN Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the crisis in Syria. To register for the gourmet dinner please click here select and pay for your entrees. If you have further questions, please contact Erik Mjoen at erikmjoen@cesab.com. For more information, you may also visit: www.modelunrotary5340.com |
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On March 13, 2018, Old Mission Rotary Club was treated to an amazing Four-Way Test Speech Contest. It was a regional competition made up of six students sponsored by clubs across Rotary District 5340; the competition was brilliant. Once again, Old Mission Rotary Club's Four-Way Test Speech Contest Chairman, Eric Benink, organized a flawless event. District 5340 Four-Way Test Chair, Dick Goodlake, was also in attendance. Rotarian sponsors from Club 33, Brawley, La Mesa Sunrise and Coronado were at the event with family, friends and teachers. Contestants were introduced as speakers A through F and had between five and seven minutes to present their topic and discuss it in the context of the Rotary Four-Way Test. The first speaker was Rose Fierenza who discussed the responsibility of voting in a democratic society. Ivan Jimenez discussed how humor can be used to enhance communication and expose the truth. Kaseba Chibweth talked about the perception of beauty in our modern society and how destructive the notion of beauty can be. Luis Lopez discussed second chances in the context of his own life. Jasmine Jimenez passionately promoted the medical use of stem cells and discussed the collision of science and theology. Olivia Blore pleaded for the modern world to protect the elephant population from slaughter by poachers with an international ban on the ivory trade. The winners were: 1st Place - Kaseba Chibweth, cheered on by her immigrant mother from Zambia 2nd Place - Jasmine Jimenez 3rd Place - Luis Lopez The Four-Way Speech Contest Finals will take place at Liberty Station Conference Center on Thursday, April 26 from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m.  Photo: (L-R) Olivia Blore, Rose Fierenza, Ivan Jimenez, Kaseba Chibweth, Luis Lopez, and Jasmine Jimenez  The Four-Way Test Speech Contest depends on dedicated Rotarians to make it a success year-after-year. Eric Benink (R) is the Old Mission Rotary Four-Way Test Speech Chairman; Dick Goodlake from the Fallbrook Club serves as the District 5340 Chair. |
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 Rotary District 5340 is pleased to announce the expansion of our relationship with the San Diego Padres. This year's partnership includes four top-tier games with special discounts available exclusively for Rotary members. In addition, clubs now have a central point of contact within the Padres organization, with new options available for hosting club events. The district has organized dedicated Rotary nights for the past several years, providing the opportunity for Rotary members and guests to connect while enjoying America's pastime. "Rotary has had a long partnership with the San Diego Padres," said Kevin Forrester, a member of Encinitas Rotary who serves as Padres Liaison for Rotary District 5340. "From our Rotary Flag Court to special events featuring Rotarians before the hometown crowd. We are very excited for the upcoming 2018 series of events, and thrilled to share the opportunity with clubs to host their own events with the Padres." Civic leaders and members of Rotary were instrumental in Major League Baseball coming to San Diego. James Mulvaney, a longtime member of the Rotary Club of San Diego, served as President of the old Pacific Coast League’s San Diego Padres from 1955 to 1968. He also played a critial role in Major League Baseball coming to San Diego in 1969, later serving as Vice President and General Counsel of the San Diego Padres National League Team. |
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On Tuesday, February 20, 2018, the El Cajon Rotary Club continued a 35+ year tradition of holding their Annual Past Presidents' Day. Each president in attendance is recognized an given a minute or two to review their year or pass along a funny story or two, and, the stories can go on and on! This year, there were 21 past presidents in attendance: Lynn McDougal 1971-72; Vince Bacino 1975-76; Cal Bender 1984-85; Dave Waters 1989-90; Ross Provence 1992-93; Ed Maguire 1993-94; Allen C. Brown 1998-99; Jim Sheehan 2000-01; Bobbi Pearson 2001-02; James Davis 2002-03; Ginger Poutous 2006-07; Alison Cummings 2008-09; Max Wright Jr. 2009-10; Stuart Scott 2010-11; Lawrence McKim 2011-12; Roger Holtsclaw 2012-13; Tim McDougal 2013-14 (Lynn McDougal's son); Humbert Cabrera 2014-15; Erick Lundy 2015-16; Cheryl Minshew 2016-17; and this year's president, Charlie Cole who conducted the ceremonies. The Club enjoyed lunch, old friendships and some good old stories.  |
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The final numbers are tallied and the Rotary Club of Coronado is proud to donate $100,858.85 to the "End Polio Now " Rotary International Campaign. The donation will receive a 2-to-1 match from the Gates Foundation, resulting in $302,576.55 to help eradicate for good the polio virus around the world.  Pictured are Coronado Rotary President Kevin Rugee, Past Rotary District Governor and Coronado Rotarian Marilyn Sanderson, End Polio Now Rotary Co-Chairs Sue Maack and Pat Flynn, and Rotarians Ron Vernetti and Jim Kaufman. Photo by Dan Hutchinson. |
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 Rotary international District 5340 has unveiled a new Financials section on the website, designed to serve as a single resource for individuals looking for financial detail on the organization. Rotary International District 5340 (the “District”) is a not-for-profit unincorporated association formed in 1941, and is an administrative district of Rotary International. As a 501(c)(4), the District regularly files state and federal income taxes, and serves the role of supporting over 60 clubs in San Diego, Imperial, and Riverside counties. In addition, to support staff, the District organizes events, such as District Conferences, membership mixers, Foundation Seminars, and more. It also serves as the steward for grant funding awarded by The Rotary Foundation, and distributes hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants each and every year. "Transparency is absolutely critical in our operations as a District," said Scott Carr, District Governor for Rotary District 5340. "We absolutely need to maintain an 'open book' policy with our constituents that we serve, the women and men of Rotary in Southern California. Ensuring that our records are available for all to see ensures that our members, our partners, and our beneficiaries can trust us to not only promise, but then deliver on those promises." The new Financials section is available online under the "About" section, and be accessed at: |
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 On March 1, 2018, Rotary District 5340 joined members of the Jessop family and the San Diego Rotary to celebrate George Carter Jessop Day. Jessop was recognized at a special program at the Rotary Club of San Diego for his achievements in Rotary, and for his never-ending commitment to giving back to the community.Jessop served from 1985-86 as District Governor of what was then known as Rotary District 534. A member of the San Diego Rotary for over 50 years, Jessop remains a legend in the local community for his work with the 125 year-old Jessop's Jewelers. In recognition of George Carter Jessop Day, President Bob Russell from the San Diego Rotary presented George with a proclamation from Mayor Kevin Faulconer and the City of San Diego, declaring March 1, 2018 to be George Carter Jessop Day. In addition to a plaque, the club also presented a special video produced by Rick Clark. Clark is a member of the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary, one of the clubs that Jessop helped form during his time as District Governor. Clark's video featured Past District Governor Pat Crowell and Past Rotary International President Rick King discussing the important contributions made by George Carter Jessop. |
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 May is Drowning Awareness Month and a good time to find out about a great local organization teaching water safety to underprivileged children in our community. Speaker Sonja Nystuen would like to come and speak at your club about her organization called Out of the Board Swim (OTB). This organization builds confidence in kids by building confidence in the water through water safety programs. There are many opportunities for Rotarians with different skills and availability to partner with OTB. Volunteers help lead and assist with surfing lessons, water safety and environmental awareness workshops, organize beach clean ups and take photographs. The kids also love volunteers who simply want to supervise them and play at the beach. if you love the water and would like to volunteer to make your community better, this is an organization that you will want to know about. For more information, please contact Rotarian, Jenny Parker at jenny@jparkermd.net. |
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For no apparent reason, there were a number of special guests at the La Jolla Rotary Club's December 12 meeting, including District Governor, Scott Carr. No one asked about the high attendance that day, but half-way through the club's President's time, it became evident. Past President, Bill Burch called Rotarian, Penny Shurtleff to the front to help him unveil a San Diego County Proclamation. Little did Penny know that the proclamation listed many of her accomplishment during her 30 years in Rotary, and proclaimed the day "Penny Shurtleff Day" throughout San Diego County. Most notable among the multiple "whereas" phrases, included Penny being the first woman to join the Santa Rosa Rotary in 1987, and her spearheading the La Jolla Rotary Club's Senior Citizens Committee from 2003 to present. With the room on its feet in applause, and tears on her husband, Gordon's cheeks, Burch told Penny that Gordon is nuts about her and that the club loves and respects her deeply. Congratulations is extended to Rotarian Penny Shurtleff on her many accomplishments and this very public recognition of her efforts.  |
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On Tuesday, February 20, the Old Mission Rotary Club hosted a Four-Way Test speech contest for high school students from the Reality Changers program. The competition is part of the larger Rotary District 5340 contest. Winners of each Rotary club will compete at sub-regional events and the top candidates will compete at the District level and beyond. The Four-Way Test speech contest encourages high school students to prepare and give speeches that apply the Four-Way Test to everyday activities and issues. Ariana Bermudez is a 10th grader at Patrick Henry High School and she talked about growing up fast in the inner city. Her neighborhood was full of drug addiction, domestic violence and the working poor. To Ariana, school was a welcome refuge. She is looking forward to studying engineering in college. Blair Garcia is an 11th grader at Hoover High School and grew up in Central America without parents. As a young boy, he escaped the hardship of day-to-day life in comic books. His epiphany was realizing that each individual must aspire to be "superman" and that the world needs heroes. Salvador Bravo is a 10th grader from Madison High School and discussed living with a disability. He is hard of hearing and has been the victim of bullying over the years. He refuses to let a handicap hold him back and he would like to study engineering so as to improve life for the deaf and hearing impaired. Daniel Areola is an 11th grader at Helix High School. He discussed how his love of music brought joy and inspiration into his life in the tough inner city. He would like to be a social worker after college. The judges selected Blair Garcia and Ariana Bermudez to continue on in the completion. Rotarian, Erick Benink organized the Old Mission Rotary Club contest and served as the program moderator. The club judges were Michelle Tondreau, Judi Copeland, Gary John Collins, Brian Dempsey and Steve Nunez. Mark McAnelly, dressed in a fluorescent lime green shirt, served as the official timekeeper! Alex Reyes, Chief Inspiration Officer of Reality Changes accompanied the contestants to the competition. Reality Changers offers a way out of the inner city and dangers of drugs and gangs. The non-profit is focused on inspiring and educating first generation college students through mentoring and tutoring.  Photo: (L-R) Alex Reyes of Reality Changers;Daniel Areola of Helix High; Salvador Bravo of Madison High; Blair Garcia of Hoover High; Ariana Bermudez of Patrick Henry High; Old Mission Rotary Reality Changers, Liaison Steve Nunez; and Old Mission Rotary Four-Way Speech Contest Chairman, Eric Benink. |
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On Tuesday, February 13, The Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary presented a grant in the amount of $5,977 to Aquam Technologies LLC. This cutting-edge water technology company offers the only packaged treatment plant that can deliver a 4-hour treatment time, reduce total sludge volumes and recover energy as direct electricity without releasing methane. The Art Pratt Foundation grant will be used to set up a water treatment plant at the school for a migrant farm camp in San Quentin Baja. Old Mission Rotary has been active for a decade in assisting the Mestizo Indian population in the tomato farming region and now will be funding equipment that will supply fresh water to the children at the school. The local public water supply is heavily contaminated with agricultural chemicals.  Photo: (L-R) Art Pratt Foundation board members - Judi Copeland and Bob Chalfa, Aquam Founder and CEO - Cameron Manners, Art Pratt Foundation President - Lee Kaminetz, Art Pratt Foundation board members - Mark McAnelly and Drew Armbruster. |
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 The 7th Annual Rotary District 5340 / University of San Diego Joan B. Kroc School of Peace & Studies' Peace Forum took place Saturday, February 24, 2018 at the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Theatre at USD. Dr. Cynthia Villis, Assistant Provost at USD and a member of the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary, served as host of the forum, featuring a number of presentations on:
Dr. Patricia Márquez, Dean of the USD Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies was also awarded the 2018 Pathways to Peace Award. The Pathways to Peace Award is the Rotary District's major award given for exemplary performance in the field of peace building and peace making. Honorees have made a significant, distinguished difference in advancing conflict prevention and resolution, promoting understanding of the advancement of peace and human rights through their contributions and efforts for peace building. The award was presented by Scott Carr, District Governor and Joy Prowse, Chair of the Pathways to Peace Award. Dr. Márquez' research focuses on the intersection of business and social value creation, with an emphasis on alleviating poverty through free market mechanisms. Since her arrival at USD in 2007, Dr. Márquez has developed the Center for Peace and Commerce (CPC), the Social Innovation Challenge and the USD Changemaker Hub. Dean Márquez was also awarded the Paul Harris Fellow, the first time a recipient of the Pathways to Peace Award had earned the distinction. Named after the founder of Rotary, Paul Harris Fellows power the Rotary Foundation and its peace-building projects across the globe. "The annual Peace Forum is a vital link between Rotary and the peace building taking place at the University of San Diego," said Carr. "Peace is a major priority of Rotary and its Foundation. The Rotary Foundation, one of the highest-rate charities ever ranked by Charity Navigator, has six main areas of focus. And every single one of these areas, every path we take, leads back to peace." To see a photo album from the event on Facebook, be sure to visit: |
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Saturday, January 27 was a day in which Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club members, Rotary Interact students and Teen Volunteers in Action completed their tree planting project at the Sikes Adobe park, part of the San Diego River Park. On the previous Wednesday, a dozen Rotarians prepared for the planting by cutting poultry netting (i.e., chicken wire) and shade cloth and then Saturday the larger team led by Chairman and President-Elect, Doug Dawson planted 70 trees in various areas around the Sike Adobe historic farmstead. After several hours of labor, everyone gathered for refreshments and a celebration where Doug presented a check in the amount of $1000 to Ranger David Vidal and Executive Director of the San Diego River park, Kevin McKernan. Coupled with the 14 trees planted at Abraxas High School in December, this puts the Rotary Club of Rancho Bernardo at 20% above its goal and commitment to Rotary International's goal of one tree for every member worldwide.  Photo Left to Right: Debbie Lindgren, Mark Lindgren, David Maldonado, Teen Volunteers in Action.  Photo Left to Right: Mike Fugua, Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club President, Keveing McKeran, Executive Director of the San Dieguito River Park, Rancher David Vidal, President-Elect |
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Final notice! Applications are currently being accepted to serve as a facilitator at this year's RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) program scheduled for April 20-22, 2018 in beautiful Idyllwild. Your commitment would include a required half-day training meeting on Saturday morning, April 14. if one of the reasons you joined Rotary is to serve youth, now is your opportunity. A three and on-half day commitment from you is a wonderful and fulfilling way to serve the youth in our district. RYLA is a leadership conference for approximately 280 high school juniors from throughout the district. it's primary intent is to encourage students to become more effective servant leaders, but the result is students emerge confident, enthusiastic and empowered. The program includes exceptional speakers, small group discussions and fellowship activities all within an atmosphere of trust and respect. if you have some experience working with youth, are in good health and are committed to the principles of Rotary and the development of young people - you are qualified. it is an extraordinary Rotary youth program that you will not want to miss. Please go to ryla5340.org, click on the facilitator tab. Please make sure you do the following:
You are now on the way of one of the most rewarding experiences as a Rotarian. If you have any questions, please contact Paul van Roon, the RYLA co-facilitator coordinator at 619 980-2334 or paulvanroon@icloud.com. |
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Members of the Rotary Club of Poway-Scripps took some time away from community service projects for a beloved club activity known as Spouse Swap Bowling, which is just a fancy way of saying you can't bowl with your spouse. There were high scores, low scores and everything in between. The club plans this family-friendly activity a couple of times a year. This is a good reminder that clubs should make time for club socials that include the family and allows for a little goofiness and lighthearted fun. Activities such as this builds camaraderie and lasting friendships and provides a glimpse into family life of each Rotarian and visa versa.  |
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Seven clubs are participating in this year's District 5340 Instrumental Music Competition. They are Rotary clubs of Del Mar, La Mesa, Carlsbad Hi-Noon, San Marcos, Encinitas, Coastal and Escondido. There will be two regional competitions - South and North with the final competition being held at the Museum of Making Music where the $2,500 scholarship will be awarded. Please join us and encourage everyone to attend at least one of these events and hear the achievement these great students have achieved.  |
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In today's society where our children are more vulnerable than ever, child fingerprint kits makes a lot of sense for parents who want to be able to provide the maximum assistance to policing agencies should the unthinkable happen. The Santee Sheriff's Department has always been responsive to the Santee-Lakeside Rotary Club when requesting kits to take on the road. Their partnership in providing the necessary tool kits to make this happen is essential to the club's success. This past fall, the Santee-Lakeside Rotary Club fingerprinted children at the Grossmont Healthcare District's annual Kids Care Fest, held last year at the Lakeside Rodeo grounds and this past month did the same thing at the City of Santee's 2nd Annual Healthy Lifestyle Expo held in Trolley Square. This is one of the club's community outreach programs where Rotarians can interact with community in an engaging fashion sharing safety tips for their children all-the-while sharing the many benefits of being a Rotarian. This is also a great outreach to get your red badgers involved in community service. Senator Joel Anderson knows the importance of community outreach and acknowledged the club's effort with a Certificate of Outstanding Service right on site of the event itself. .jpg) |
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On January 30, 2017, the Art Prat Foundation of Old Mission Rotary presented a grant of $5315 to the Fleet Science Center. The funds will be used to upgrade the security surveillance system for their 95,000 square-foot facility. This is particularly important as the museum offers so many youth and school programs. The science museum and planetarium is located in Balboa Park at the east end of the El Prado Drive walkway. The Fleet Science Center connects people of all ages to the possibilities and power of science to create a better future.  Photo: (L-R): Chris LaZich, Fleet Center VP of Adjustment; Art Pratt Foundation members Bob Chalfa, Mark McAnelly, Lee Kaminetz and Gary John Collins. |
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 Do you have a new club position in Rotary year 2018-19? Do you want to learn the latest buzz from Rotary International? Do you want to network and connect with other Rotarians, find new projects, meet new friends? Do you want to do a District Grant in 2018-2019? Then you want to attend the District Training Assembly! We will meet at the fabulous Joan Kroc Center for Peace and Justice located on the campus of the University of San Diego. The District Training Assembly will be held on March 24, 2018 from 8:30 a.m. to noon, followed by the Grants Global Management Seminar at 12:10 p.m. Be the Inspiration! Register Today! |
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.jpg) Calling all President-Elects! There will be a Rotary District 5340 2018-19 Presidents Rally on Saturday, January 27, 2018 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the 211 Connections Center located at 3860 Calle Fortunada, Suite 101, San Diego, CA, 92123. All presidents are asked to attend as we prepare for PETS! To register please click on this link. |
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Last Thursday, the 18th of January, District 5340 welcomed 135 Rotary International members to come together to assemble "comfort kits" to support the American Red Cross of San Diego/Imperial Counties. This was the first event of its kind for an RI International Assembly. Coordinated for the Partners of District Governor Elects to provide a hands-on opportunity to participate in an RI community service event. Amongst the crowd were also partners of past, current, and future RI presidents. Chaired by Assistant Governor and San Diego Rotary - Club 33 member, John Neuhart, the event helped create 2000 emergency kits which are given in time of need to victims of fires, flood and earthquakes. The event raised $8,000 and accumulated over 400 volunteer hours and was a huge success; as on of the volunteers expressed her appreciation, saying, "I wouldn't have wanted to spend my afternoon any other way. Thank you for this opportunity to help others!" San Diego Rotary Club wants to thank the Red Cross, Liberty Station Conference Center, Sodexo catering and all of the participant volunteers. |
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 In May 2017, Brett Morey, Past President of the Rotary Club of La Jolla Golden Triangle and Rotary District 5340 Youth Service Chair set out to start a new Rotary Fellowship just weeks before the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta. With the encouragement and support of District Governor Scott Carr and fellow Rotarians Brett boarded a flight to Atlanta with one of his 16 surfboards and hit the ground running. While at his second Rotary International Convention he gathered over 150 signatures from numerous countries and built an incredible leadership team of Rotarians and Rotaractors from Australia, Hawaii, throughout the U.S. Surfers Unite has since completed over 15 service projects, gained final approval from Rotary International and now has over 300 members in over 20 countries. |
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 Compassion for African Villages, a 501c3 organization, is partnering with the Rotary Club of El Cajon Sunset, the La Mesa Sunrise Rotary Rotarkidz: Box of Books and the Robert Massaquoi Foundation to provide educational resources to needy school children in Liberia. Their most recently completed book drive resulted in 30,000 being shipped to Liberia. The clubs' efforts have started up again with a large amount of text books being donated by the Santee School District, which were secured by the Santee-Lakeside Rotary Club. There is a short timeframe to get these books sorted, packaged and crated; a call for help is being requested. If you have the time, please contact Betty Howland at howlandbetty@yahoo.com, or simply show up during the time and dates noted above. |
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 Photo: (L-R) Old Mission Rotary LEAD chairperson, Lydia Stewart; students Nathan Skowrenski, Bill Champion, Ashay Madden, and Morgan Gurrola; Jean Farb Middle School Principal Courtney Rizzo and AVID instructor, Donna Rankin. On January 9, 2018, Old Mission Rotary Club was thrilled to welcome the LEAD students from Jean Farb Middle School in Tierrasanta. The club's LEAD chairperson, Lydia Stewart, convinced the club directors to fund not two, but four eighth graders to the Rotary leadership event. The LEAD (Leadership, Ethics, Aspirations & Determination) Conference is a leadership and personal development program for 8th grade students that has been held annually since 2009. Talented young people attend a two-day (Saturday and Sunday) camp developed, presented and hosted by the Rotarians of District 5340. LEAD encourages young people to discuss ethical responsibility, improve leadership and communication skills, become self-motivated to reach goals and develop a positive outlook on life; all while having fun making friends. This year's event took place at the Cuyamaca Outdoor School over the weekend of October 13 and 14, 2017. Jean Farb Middle School has participated in LEAD for many years and is supported strongly by Principal, Courtney Rizzo and AVID Advisor, Donna Rankin. The school is small with only 450 students that include many children who live in the Murphy Canyon Navy Housing complex. These kids come and go as their military families are transferred. Jean Farb Middle School is particularly proud of their AVID program, a college readiness program designed to help students develop the skills they need to be successful in college. Old Mission Rotary was both charmed and impressed by the four students who each took a few minutes to talk about their experiences at LEAD. |
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 Photo: (L-R) Art Pratt Foundation board member, Drew Armbruster; Foundation president, Lee Kaminetz; past Old Mission Rotary president, Bob Self; Air and Space Museum Development Director, Diane Sutherland; Art Pratt Foundation board member, Bob Chalfa; and acting Old Mission Rotary president, Stan Vogelsang. The Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary presented a grant of $8,000 to the San Diego Air and Space Museum on January 9. the San Diego Air and Space Museum is an aviation and space exploration museum in Balboa Park and is housed in the former Ford Building. The museum is divided into many galleries with exhibits emphasizing the contributions San Diego has made to aviation. Sections include the Theodore Gildred Rotunda, Special Exhibit area, World War I Gallery, Golden Age of Flight Gallery, World War II Gallery, Modern Jet and Space Age Gallery and the Edwin D. McKeller Pavilion of Flight. The funds from the Art Pratt grant will be used to remodel the storage and restoration area in the basement of the museum. |
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 Rotary District 5340, in cooperation with Rotary International, has launched a new branding campaign targeting air travelers coming to and from San Diego International Airport (SAN). The ads, featuring Rotary's People of Action, are being featured throughout San Diego International Airport from January 10-24, 2018. The ads are targeted to visitors coming to San Diego for 2018 International Assembly, as well as business and leisure travelers using the facility, "We are incredibly proud of the new Rotary branding campaign that welcomes visitors to San Diego," said Scott Carr, Rotary District 5340 Governor for 2017-18. "What better way to welcome People of Action than with a multi-media campaign geared for them." Located minutes from downtown, San Diego International Airport (SAN) is the busiest single runway airport in the United States, and third-busiest single runway in the world. The airport, formerly known as Lindbergh Field, features advertising managed by JCDecaux, one of the largest advertising providers in the global media industry.. Rotary District 5340 negotiated with JCDecaux to create a People of Action campaign that would run 10 second video clips at 20 different locations throughout the terminals. In addition, the People of Action campaign includes seven 6'x6' backlit ads. The campaign is timed to coincide with International Assembly, taking place January 14-20, 2018 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in downtown San Diego. "Advertising at San Diego International Airport was a natural complement to the increased Rotary presence we will have at the airport during International Assembly, including all of our volunteer greeters," added Carr. "This was also a terrific opportunity to work with the team that created the People of Action campaign at Rotary's headquarters in Evanston, Illinois. We are incredibly grateful for their help and financial support in turning this hair-brained idea into reality." The digital and backlit ads will be visible through January 24, 2018. If you see them, let us know! Look for the ads, take a selfie, and send your photo to district@rotary5340.org. |
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 With the conclusion of the 2017 Council on Resolutions (COR), the Council has released a brand new Report of Action. The report, which is available for online download, includes several parts, including:
The Council met in late 2017 to review a total of 38 resolutions submitted for consideration. Resolutions spanned a wide range of topics, including:
The Council adopted 17 resolutions, of which 15 were recommendations to the RI Board and two were recommendations to The Rotary Foundation Trustees. The Board and the Trustees will consider these items at their upcoming meetings. In Rotary District 5340, our District Representative to the Council on Legislation is Dave Breeding, Past District Governor from the Rotary Club of Fallbrook. Our Alternate District Representative is Janice Kurth, Past District Governor from the Rotary Club of Del Mar. If you have any questions about the Council on Legislation and the process for submitting new resolutions, please do contact either Dave (davebreeding@gmail.com) or Janice (janice@janicekurth.com) to learn more. |
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 The Rotary Club of Camp Pendleton does amazing things for the enlisted men and women stationed at Camp Pendleton. The experience of one young Marine and her wedding dress will bring tears to your eyes and she is only one of the 450 families helped every month at the Club's Warrior Warehouse on the base. Donations from around the community to the Warehouse makes stories like this possible. In the Marine's voice to Linda Sundram, President of the Rotary Club of Camp Pendleton: "My name is Nicole and I was told you are the woman to thank for my new wedding dress! I wish I could thank you in person because you have no idea how much this means to me! I have been dealing with so many other Marine Corps related stuff lately due to my medical board/discharge process, the wedding and other things, that the dress was the last thing that on my mind!" Anyone knows that a wedding dress is high on all brides' list. To be so inundated with "stuff" not allowing time to find such an important item, made this donation a gift that this bride will never forget. This is what Rotary does; it sees a need and answers the call. Kudos to the Rotary Club of Camp Pendleton for making this Marine a happy bride. |
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 Dr. Kevin Glynn, a Rotarian with the Old Mission Rotary Club and a retired Pulmonologist and Medical Director for Scripps Health, recently published a book entitled Gasping for Air: How Breathing is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It. Dr. Glynn is passionate about public health. He has been a member of the Rotary District 5340's "Don't Wait to Vaccinate" Committee and was involved in the Rotary support for the film "The Invisible Threat". Tuberculosis (TB) worldwide strikes over nine million people and results in 1.5 million deaths each year. San Diego has a higher than average rate of TB than the rest of the USA; 57 per 100,000 personas as opposed to 3 per 100,000 persons. This is due to San Diego' position along the Mexican border. Dr. Kevin Glynn has redirected his energy and expertise into educating the public about the alarming rise of TB cases in San Diego and is available to make presentations to Rotary Clubs in District 5340. Club program chairs can reach Dr. Glynn at kevpglynn@san.rr.com. |
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Photo: courtesy of The Coronado Times Flags on the Avenue is a unique Coronado Rotary Club community activity. Eight or nine times a year, club members place flags on Orange Avenue, the main thoroughfare in Coronado. These flags commemorate Veterans Day, Memorial Day and other holidays or when a Navy ship arrives. Each time, you will see 20 plus Rotarians walking the center median posting the flags. It's a very moving experience. Watch the video for the full story. |
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The seven sustain Districts each sponsored a walker for the Float. District 5340 was represented by Brett Morey from the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club. Riding in front of the Float was John Matthews, Rotary International Director for Zones 25/26 and Paul Netzel, Chair of the Rotary Foundation Trustees. |
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 10 Reasons to Attend!
There are even more reasons to attend the Environmentally Sustainability and Peace Conference. Visit www.environmentandpeace.com to find your reason. Join with more than 500 other leaders to exchange ideas and take action! |
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 Due to the Christmas Holiday, there will be no Newsbits published next Monday. |
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Rotarians from the Santee-Lakeside Rotary club joined Rotarians in Ensenada to provide food, blankets, and clothing to over 500 families this past Sunday. Throughout the day, there were interactive games and activities for all the children as well as educational classes for the parents. According to Elana-Levens-Craig who coordinated efforts on the US side, recipients were extraordinarily grateful. "I can't describe the feeling of being around so many good people who give back to their community and embody the Rotary motto of "Service Above Self," wrote Levens-Craig on her Facebook page. Several Rotary clubs in East County helped raise money and provided candy for the celebratory piñatas. The day's events were planned by the Rotary Club of Ensenada. This collaboration was a spin-off of a joint meeting between representatives of both the Santee-Lakeside Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Ensenada regarding another project - Rancho Santa Marta, whose programs are a home for homeless, orphaned or abused children and a kindergarten, elementary and junior high schools with a special education mainstreaming program for children with learning disabilities. The Santee-Lakeside Rotary Club has supported Rancho Santa Marta for a number of years; most recently, building a computer lab for the school's junior high. Levens-Craig was so moved by the interaction between the two clubs that she wanted to do a joint project. Her enthusiasm yielded positive results, not only with her own club but other local clubs who donated cash and candy to help make this event a success. One thing is for sure....there will be more collaboration between these two clubs.  |
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 As part of a major overhaul of its Youth Protection policies, Rotary District 5340 has unveiled a new online quiz to help Rotarians understand some of the roles and responsibilities of working with youth. The online quiz is now part of the Youth Certification process, and features a variety of multiple choice questions. With every answer, additional information is provided to further enhance knowledge and understanding of the subject. "We are very excited to launch this new initiative, which will help further our goals of educating Rotary members about the dangers our youth face," said Scott Carr, District Governor. "This launch of the new quiz is a good first step in helping bolster our Youth Certification, and will begin to have additional features added in the coming weeks." Rotarians seeking to achieve full Youth Certification can complete the quiz for no charge by clicking here. |
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 We are very proud to announce that Brett Morey, member and Past President from the Rotary Club of La Jolla Golden Triangle, has been selected to represent Rotary District 5340 at the 129th Rose Parade presented by Honda.  This year's float theme is Planting the Seeds of Service. District 5340 is one of seven sustaining districts that support the development and construction of the Rotary float. This year, the float will have a total of 12 walkers and six riders, including John Matthews, Rotary International Director Zones 25/26 and Paul Netzel, Chair of The Rotary Foundation Trustees."Brett was the perfect choice to fill this prestigious role," said Scott Carr, Governor for Rotary District 5340. "He has been an incredible representative for Rotary, both locally and across the globe. He is well-respected within our District as Chair of Youth Services. And as an added bonus, the headshot photo he provided us makes him look 14 years-old, so he should have no problem finishing the parade route." Brett Morey joined Rotary International as a member of the Rotary Club of Brentwood in 2002, transferring to the Rotary Club of La Jolla Golden Triangle in 2008. He served as President of La Jolla Golden Triangle in 2013-14 and is the Rotarian Advisor and Founder of the University City High School Interact Club. As District 5340 Youth Service Chair, he oversees al of the District's youth programs, and has the opportunity to cultivate the next generation of leaders. The theme of the Rotary Float this year, Planting the Seeds of Service is very special to Brett. His grandparents, Howard and Esther Runge, were early pioneers of the Imperial Valley. Growing up, Brett spent time during each summer on the ranch, while breaking away to go surfing in North County San Diego. |
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 Recently, Escondido Sunrise Rotary Club's past president, Mike Dunlap presented Brad Roberts from the County of San Diego a check for $150,000 to construct two handicapped accessible cabins at Dos Picos Country Park in Ramona.These two cabins will be numbers 12 and 13; encompassing over $1 million raised through contributions by non-Rotarians for this great purpose. Cabins have been placed on Dixon Lake in Escondido, Camp Pendleton's San Onofre Beach campground, and a number of San Diego County parks. Cabins by the Lake is a charity fund established by Mike Dunlap and supported by the Escondido Sunrise Rotary Club. The charity has also funded two Global Grants providing Braille devices and exercise equip0ment for a special needs facility in Brazil. |
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 February is Peace Month for Rotary. On Saturday, February 24, 2018, the District Pathways to Peace Award for 2017 will be presented at our District Peace Forum in the Joan Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Center at USD from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The Peacemaker of the Year Award honors members of Rotary and the community who have made a significant difference in promoting peace, tolerance, understanding and conflict resolution, locally or globally. They must have demonstrated their commitment by concrete action to bring about the change called for by rotary's Mission Statement: building goodwill and peace in the world. The recipient of the award can be from the greater San Diego community and need not be a Rotarian, but should have strong ties to the service area of the nominating club. Each club must submit its Club Peacemaker of the Year as its nominee for District Peacemaker. Clubs should submit a completed Peacemaker of the Year nomination form, which includes a description of the nominee's qualifications for both the Club and District awards by January 15, 2018. Please email the completed document to joyprowse@stanprowse.com. |
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 There are just a few days left before the discount for early registration to the Rotary International Convention in Toronto, Canada expires. The 2018 convention is being held June 23-27, 2018. Early registration ends December 15. You can save over $150 if you register by that date. In addition, you can still pick up the closest hotels and get the best deals. Remember, there is another big event happening at the same time. Making arrangements in advance is advisable. As the months go by, Newsbits will keep you updated. Read more for links. |
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Recently, there was a changing of the police guard at Rotary Club 33 San Diego where Mounty Mo handed over the task to San Diego Police Chief, Sherry Zimmerman. Club president Bob Russell and Alex Robertson, District 5340 promotional chair for the Rotary International Convention 2018 and President of Torrey Pines Rotary Club and District 5340 Assistant Governor.  |
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 Please consider donating new or gently worn clothing to those who proudly served our country allowing us to enjoy its freedoms and cherish the values of its democracy. Please note above the specific items needed, however all clothing donation are welcome. Donations need to be made by January 4. For more information, please call Bonnie Maloney at 760-613-6889. |
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 Rotary District 5340 is proud to announce that John Neuhart has been named Assistant Governor for Area 10, which includes the Rotary Club of San Diego. The mid-term appointment of Neuhart as Assistant Governor becomes effective January 1, 2018. Within Rotary, the Assistant Governor acts has a vital link between the Club, District leadership, and other clubs in the region. Assistant Governors make themselves available to club leadership, offering support, ideas, and guidance throughout the year. The Assistant Governor also guides club officers in finding resources from Rotary International, as well as tips and best practices from other clubs across the District. Neuhart's appointment is a departure from tradition. In previous years, the District Governor Elect became the automatic appointee to fill the role of Assistant Governor for the Rotary Club of San Diego. The appointment was limited to a one-year term, until the next District Governor Elect took over the role. While the practice was designed to help bring club members closer to the next leader of the District, it sometimes had the opposite effect. "When you look at this tradition in practice, the District Governor Elect is really on the cusp of becoming the leader of this dynamic district," noted Scott Carr, District Governor. "Their hands are full planning events and putting together their leadership teams. As their commitments increase, it becomes more and more daunting for the District Governor Elect to devote the time and resources needed to successfully serve as Assistant Governor. So in reality, a tradition intended to bring together club members with the district's future leader often would result in the club members seeing less and less of their representative. We knew a change was needed." |
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Five clubs - Escondido Rotary, Escondido After Five, Escondido Sunrise, Escondido East and Escondido Route 78 worked with the City of Escondido to purchase and plant 94 15-gallon trees at six city parks. Approximately 70 Rotarians, family, friends, Interact and Rotaract volunteers worked simultaneously at the parks on Saturday, November 18 to complete the project in under two hours. By planting the trees in the parks, the City of Escondido will water and maintain them, providing sustainability to the project. These five Rotary clubs work together throughout the year on community and international projects. Key members from each club hold a monthly "summit" to discuss and coordinate collaborative efforts.  |
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Facilitators are needed for the 2018 RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards). Join the fun and be a part of this outstanding Rotary youth leadership program scheduled for April 20 through 22, 2018 in Idyllwild, California. RYLA is a three-day leadership conference for high school juniors from throughout District 5340. Details and an application (click on the facilitators tab) are available at ryla5340.org. Please see your club RYLA chair if you have any questions. You may also contact Paul van Roon at (619) 980-2334 or email him at paulvanroon@icloud.com. We welcome your participation! |
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Now is the time for clubs to select their teams of student ambassadors for our 14th Annual Rotary Model United Nations Conference. We train high school students to be effective negotiators, consensus builders and peace makers by debating current-day international issues that are presently being addressed by the real United Nations. Students also learn important skills in conflict resolution, analytical thinking and public speaking.
For more information please go to: www.modelunrotary5340.com or contact Rotary Model UN Program Chair, Kevin Cahill at kcahill558@gmail.com. |
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 At the recent Zone Institute, Rotary District 5340 was awarded top honors for its work supporting The Rotary Foundation. The District also received recognition for its work in improving the branding of Rotary International. The awards were announced at the 2017 Zone Institute, held November 10-11, 2017 in Reno, Nevada. District 5340 earned the coveted 1st Place award for total contributions to The Rotary Foundation during the 2016-17 year. The top honor recognized District 5340 members as contributing $1,093,862 to The Rotary Foundation, the highest total of all districts within Rotary Zone 26. The District also received awards in many other categories, including: 2nd Place - Contributions to the Annual Fund 2nd Place - PolioPlus Contributions 1st Place - Endowment Fund Contributions 2nd Place - Other Giving 1st Place - Paul Harris Society Members 1st Place - Rotary Direct Members 2nd Place - Sustained Foundation Achievement Over Five Years 3rd Place - Most Improvement in Brand Adoption by a District "This is an incredible achievement for all of the Rotary members within our region," said District Governor Scott Carr. "Rotarians are truly generous people who believe in The Rotary Foundation. These contributions help power the good works Rotarians do both locally and across the globe. This is truly a remarkable achievement that every Rotarian should be incredibly proud of." |
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 Two significant things you need to know regarding the Rotary Convention this coming June: December 15, 2017 is the last date for the early bird registration discount. After the date, it goes up $100. Another major event is occurring the same weekend of the Rotary Convention. Hotels will become a premium so book now! The RI Convention website below has a link to local hotels. There was a hint at the recent Zone Institute event, who one of the guest speakers may be. Last weekend, Alex Robertson, District 5340 Promotional Chair for the 2018 Convention, was introduced to "Mounty Mo from Toronto, with a photo of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau"....get the rhyme? Locally, while the Rancho Bernardo and Coronado clubs battle it out for the "largest numbers of members attending to-date", other smaller clubs are seeking the title with the "largest percentage of members attending." Could your club take that title? Winner will be announced in June. Helpful convention links are below. Future updates will occur through Newsbits. |
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 The Rotary Club of Coronado Binacional invites Rotarians to come to their Immigration Informative Session being held on Monday, November 20 from 5:45 to 8:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Agave Grill at 625 H Street in Chula Vista. Topics include:
Immigration attorneys, consultants and guest speakers will be there to answer all your questions. A suggested donation of $20 for individuals and $30 for couples is requested, with proceeds being donated to the Binational Rotary Club Coronado for different projects. For more information on the seminar, call 619 955-6473 or by email at globalicmsusa@gmail.com. To download the event flyer click here: Download flyer. |
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 Photo: Sherrie Suanico is Old Mission Rotary's newest member. she experienced her "Rotary Moment" as a volunteer at the Thousand Smiles November Clinic in Ensenada Sherrie Suanico has been a member of Rotary for just a month and has already experienced her "Rotary Moment" during her first trip to the November Thousand Smiles Clinic in Baja Mexico. The newest member of Old Mission Rotary jumped right in to assist dentists and nurses as they treated children; some with appalling dental conditions. The Thousand Smiles Foundation is dedicated to providing free maxillo-facial surgeries and dental work to underprivileged children in Mexico who suffer from facial deformities such as cleft lip and palate. The Foundation owns a modern dental clinic in Ensenada and its clinics are completely staffed by volunteers, mostly from The United States and México. Thousand Smiles is a Rotary International project and has been the recipient of several grants from The Rotary Foundation and individual Rotary Clubs. Its Board of Directors now consists of Rotarians from California Rotary District 5340 and California District 5330 and NW Mexico Rotary District 4110. Four two-day clinics are held yearly on the first Friday and Saturday of February, May, August and November. |
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 The San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Foundation held its 2017 Holes for Heroes Military Appreciation Event on Friday, September 15, at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club. More than $180,000 was raised, making it the most successful fundraising event in Holes for Heroes’ 11-year history. The proceeds benefit local military charities, including: Freedom Dogs, Honor Flight, Pegasus Rising, One More Wave Surf Corporation, Veterans Village San Diego, Physician Advocates for Veterans, USO, Armed Services YMCA San Diego and Camp Pendleton, Homefront San Diego, Angels of America’s Fallen and Operation Bigs. These beneficiaries greatly improve the quality of life for our wounded and combat military veterans and their families.
To date, Holes for Heroes has raised nearly $1.2 million and has honored more than 330 wounded and combat military veterans, support teams and family members at its events. This year, the golf tournament drew 154 players, including 30 military veterans.
At the dinner that followed, Holes for Heroes Event Coordinator, Don Willis paid a special tribute to Honor Flight, a non-profit organization that sends volunteers to escort WWII, Korean and Vietnam veterans from San Diego County to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at the Memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice. More than 200 people attending the dinner honored three WWII veterans: Bob Ruiz, a B-24 pilot with 35 missions over Germany who received of the Distinguished Flying Cross; Nelson Robinson, a P-47 aircraft mechanic with the famed Tuskegee Airmen; and Joe Renteria, a Navy combat and intelligence photographer with Admiral Halsey in the Pacific. These heroes truly represent the greatest generation.
Special thanks to our Sponsors: Gilbert J. Martin Foundation, CUBIC, DAV Industries, Jack-in-the-Box, Senior Resource Group, YMCA San Diego, Lang Family Foundation, Glen Carlson, Sunroad Auto Group, ViaSat, Sycuan Casino, Gray Dog Food Safety, Barney & Barney, Carleton Mgt., Kansas City BBQ, Peoples Mortgage, Lang & Brown CPAs, WAXIE, McGregor & Assoc, Desert Highlands, Westin Kierland Resort, Lomas Santa Fe Country Club, Escondido Golf Car, Wailea Golf Club, Coca-Cola, Loftus & Stone Families, Steve Bridge, MD, Lloyd Pest Control, the Sayer, Green, Alpert, Fisher, Ferguson and Petree families, jetBlue, Harris Ranch, Cleveland Golf, Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade, San Diego Business Journal, San Diego Beer n Wine Co., Mauna Lani Resort, Peabody Hotel, Marriott, Hyatt Regency, Phoenix Rennaissance and our auction item donors.
The 2018 Holes for Heroes Military Appreciation Event will be scheduled soon. Visit www.HolesforHeroes.org for updates. |
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 Photo: (L-R) Rebecca Williamson, Development Officer for the College of Health and Human Services at SDSU; Dr. Stephanie Brodine, Professor Department Head for the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at SDSU; Old Mission Rotary President, Bob James Jr.; Executive Club Secretary, Stan Vogelsang; and members of the Art Pratt Board of Directors, Judy Copeland and Bob Self. On October 24, 2017, the Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary presented a grant of $5,000 to the VIIDAI Program (Viajes Interinstitucional de Integracion Docente, Asistencial y de Investigacion). This story is the result of a 15-year ongoing commitment by Old Mission Rotary with the support of District 5340 in supporting VIIDAI, a joint effort of UCSD School of Medicine, SDSU School of Public Health and the UABC Medical School in Tijuana. Twice a year, 150 facility and students from the three Universities and members of Old Mission Rotary Club spend several days in Colonia Lomas de San Ramon in San Quentin Baja to provide medical, dental and public health services to the native Mexicans who live at the Colonia. Like many poor areas of Mexico, water, sewage, garbage collection, electricity, and other basic forms of infrastructure are lacking. Old Mission Rotary has been working to improve the lives of the people of this poor but proud community of Mexican Indians originally from Oaxaca Mexico. Old Mission Rotary projects include the construction of an industrial kitchen which feeds 350 people daily, the funding of an 1800 square foot permanent outdoor metal shade structure and the paint and equipment required to paint the Salvador Diaz school. What impressed the Rotarians the most over their many visits was how the entire community turns out to help themselves. Old Mission Rotary is very proud of the team that has made the long and dusty drive down to San Quentin over the years. |
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 Photo: Bob James Jr. ringing the bell for the last time as a member of the Old Mission Rotary Club. For many who know Bob James, news about his decision to pursue a professional opportunity in the Central Valley is hard to hear and accept, especially for his home club - Old Mission Rotary. Bob works for CBRE Group, Inc., which is the largest commercial real estate services and investment firm in the world and he could not turn down an offer to re-locate from San Diego to Fresno, California, where he will have wonderful new opportunities in the company. Bob James Jr. has been very active in our Rotary District 5340 and has served as the District membership Chair and has been the Master of Ceremonies at many District events. We will miss him and wish the very best for Bob and his wife, Kathleen! Thank you Bob for making such a difference in the world. |
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 In the wake of the devastation suffered by Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricane Maria, the REPAIR Puerto Rico Committee of the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club is dedicating their efforts to raising funds to help the island and its people to meet their immediate needs (drinking water, food, clothing, shelter, medicines and medical care). |
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 PDG, Pam Russell has been asked by Director-Nominee Mario Cesar de Camargo and Past RI Director Joses Pretoni from Brazil to help find a homestay for the cousin of PDG Claud Dias from District 4530, Dra. Christiane Souza. Her mother is also a current Rotary club president. Christiane is studying English at the Embassy English School in Downtown San Diego. She is in San Diego now and will need a place to stay from November 25, 2017 through March 10, 2018. Ideally the homestay would be somewhere near the downtown area or near to public transportation. If you can help out with a place to stay, please contact Pam Russell at 619 723-3651 or pdgpam0809@gmail.com. |
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 The RI International Assembly is coming back to San Diego this January and we're looking for Rotarians in the San Diego area to host visiting DGE's from around the world for a few hours the evening of Wednesday, January 17, 2018. The tradition of hosting two people to 20 continues to be one of the highlights of the entire week of intense training for the DGE's. You will pick them up at the hotel no earlier than 5:45 p.m. and returning them by 10:00 p.m. Please go to www.clubwebrotary.org/hospitality/hosts.html to sign up now! If you have a specific language preference, please be sure to note that on your sign-up page. You will be notified who you will be hosting by the first part of December so you can begin communicating with them in advance. This is an awesome opportunity you won't want to miss! |
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 #9 Realize There Is No Finish LineThis is number 9 of 10 tips provided by Tom Gump, president of the Rotary Club of Edina Morningside, Minnesota, USA, and a District 5950 trainer. Realize there is no finish line. Even if you are at the size that your club wants to be, there are always reasons people leave. And new insights always benefit a club. You're either growing or you're dying. |
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Our mission team CaboSmiles in partnership with Rotary Clubs of Los Cabos, Rotary Club of Carlsbad, the San Diego International Global Rotary Club and the Smiles Advisory Panel (SAP) located here in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico just completed a marvelous week of patient care for children challenged with cleft facial and orofacial differences. 66 patients were screened and given specialty evaluations and treatments from our experienced team consisting of Speech and Language, dental, ENT, developmental services, pediatric anesthesia, and CranioMaxilloFacial surgeons. This also resulted in assuring that 21 patients were able to undergo comprehensive facial cleft and speech augmentation surgery including lip, palate, nasal, and facial bone reconstructions under pediatric anesthesia. In order to make best use of our anesthesia availability, multiple simultaneous procedures were performed on many of the cases yielding a total of 60 surgical procedures being accomplished with an estimated calculated monetary value yield of just over $417,000.00 US at this single clinic week alone. Patients that did not have surgery were not missing out: in addition to their other specialty treatment care, their staged procedures were all still updated and in line for their operations being done at their appropriate ages on future mission dates. Many, many expressions of gratitude goes out to the support the Smiles International Foundation receives from this Cabo San Lucas community, from the SOLMAR FOUNDATION housing our teams at their resort hotels, the numerous restaurants like Subway, The Buzz Coffee House, Sheraton, and the members of SAP providing delicious meals during the week's clinic hours, and the loan of transporting vehicles for clinic as well add airport logistics by both Rotary and The SAP team members. The HOSPITAL de ESPECIALIDADES with owners, Drs. Avalos and Ibarra, deserve very special credit for allowing our full team to occupy their clinic and operating rooms this entire week as a continuing partnership of support between us for this community. GRACIAS A TOTAL!!  |
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#8 Celebrate When You Get a New Member This is number 8 of 10 tips provided by Tom Gump, president of the Rotary Club of Edina Morningside, Minnesota, USA, and a District 5950 trainer. Celebrate when you get a new member. This gets the club excited about getting more members. Our club makes a poster of the individuals after they have been voted in and we put it in the front of the room at our next meeting. We do the same thing we when we induct a new member. |
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 November is Rotary Foundation Month. Clubs are encouraged to spotlight The Rotary Foundation and the many ways clubs can support its efforts. District 5340 Rotary Foundation Chair (2016-2019) and Past District Governor, Janice Kurth is making herself available to attend your club meeting and share the good works of the Rotary Foundation and provide guidance on how clubs can increase their contributions to the Rotary Foundation. This presentation is especially important to clubs with new members who may not know of the Foundation's efforts or about the many programs such as Every Rotarian Every Year! To schedule a presentation, you may contact Janice directly at Janice@janicekurth.com or by phone at 619 823-7861. |
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The San Diego South Bay Rotary Club held an installation dinner for their newly chartered Rotaract Club. The dinner meeting was held at Jimmy's Family Restaurant on Plaza Blvd. in National City, which is where the club will meet going forward. The Rotaract Certificate of Organization was presented to President, Ryan Manalac. The Club chartered with 21 members in June 2017, with Romero Villanueva serving as their club advisor. Members were all related to Club members or were invited by Club members to join. Most of the Rotaractors attended the School of Creative and Performing Arts in San Diego. One of their members - America Capelo is a very talented cellist and plays with the Youth Symphony. Many of the members graduated in June and are going to different colleges. The Rotaract Club is planning its first service project, serving meals at Father Joe's Village with their sponsoring club, San Diego South Bay Rotary Club. At the installation dinner, Assistant Governor, Marta Knight welcomed members to Rotary and into the District 5340 family and shared with them the many things the District does. Besides presenting the Certificate of Organization, Marta had the privilege of pinning each new member and provided each of them with their Charter Member Certificate. Officers for the club are: President, Ryan Manalac, bananalac1999@gmail.com; Vice President, Karlo Medrano, shmarlol@gmail.com; Secretary, Alyssa Talentino, alyssamaritolentino@gmail.com; Treasurer, Joyce Rocacorba, joycecamillerocacorba@gmail.com.    |
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 Earning the Rotary Citation is an incredible honor for clubs to achieve. Formerly called the Presidential Citation, the Rotary Citation recognizes Clubs that are strong and making a positive difference in their communities by achieving goals related to Rotary’s three strategic priorities: to support and strengthen clubs, focus and increase humanitarian service, and enhance Rotary’s public image and awareness. Rotary has published a brochure that helps explain to clubs both required and optional steps to take to achieve the award. This year’s Rotary Citation will recognize clubs that complete activities that support these priorities, as well as clubs that are making a difference. Clubs will have the entire Rotary year — 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018 — to achieve the citation’s goals. Achieving the Rotary citation is no easy task. To help, Rotary has just launched a new dashboard to help clubs track their progress in achieving the Rotary Citation. To visit the dashboard, please visit: (Login required) For more information on the Rotary Citation, and to learn how Rotary, Interact, and Rotaract clubs can participate, please . |
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 For this Rotary year our RI President, Ian Riseley has requested that every Rotarian throughout the world plant a tree. We want to do our best to plant as many trees as possible to help his mission of addressing environmental sustainability. In our District 5340 projects are underway, but it can be a challenge for clubs to find the right "tree planting" organization for which they can volunteer. To this end the Solana Beach ECO Rotary Club has compiled a list of those in San Diego County that could be approached. The list is attached. Let's have every club make a connection with one of these organizations. Happy planting.
Tree Planting Possibilities (compiled by Niels Lund, president of Solana Beach ECP Rotary Club (info@sbecorotary.org). Click read more to see listing.
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#7 Talk About Rotary Wherever You Go Talk about Rotary wherever you go. At church, temple, work, neighborhood gatherings, family gatherings, parties, etc. You'll be amazed how easy it is after you practice for a while. Getting a lot of "no" answers built my confidence because it didn't hurt as bad as I thought and most people were actually happy they were asked, even if they responded negatively. The same will be true for you. It's always a good time to recruit. |
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Have you ever been to a Project Fair? Bill Stumbaugh from the Club Rotario de Bahia de Caraquz and Rotary Foundation Cadre for Basic Education and Literacy is inviting Rotarians to consider attending the 13th annual Rotary District 4400 Project Fair in Guayaquil, Ecuador, November 17-19, 2017. The Fair, one of the longest running in the Rotary world, continues to unite Rotarians from all over to conduct Global Grant projects in the six area of project focus indicated by The Rotary Foundation. This year, 40 projects will be featured with presentations by the sponsor D4400 rotary clubs as well as time to meet with individual club leadership to ask questions and learn more about the sponsoring club, its project history and commitment. Regarding the Rotary Club of Bahia de Caraquez for which Bill serves as past president and currently their Rotary Foundation Chair, they will present two proposals for community potable water projects that follow a model they developed and have now replicated five times with the support from Rotarians from other countries and The Rotary Foundation. To get more information about the Fair and how to register, go to www.rotaryecuador.org and click on the description of the Fair. You will also find information about the many travel and visitor opportunities awaiting you in beautiful Ecuador including Pacific coast beaches, Andean highlands, the Amazon basin and the Galapagos Islands. Ecuador is a bird watchers paradise as the home of various orchids and other tropical plants. Ecuadorian gastronomy is rich and varied partaking of the sea as well as tropical and temperate cultivations of a very broad mix of fruits and vegetables. Of course, if you have questions about the Project Fair, travel in Ecuador and Rotary Foundation projects in Ecuador, Bill invited you to contact him at stumbaughw@gmail.com.  |
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Advertised as the only IPA beer festival in San Diego County, the 6th Annual Rancho BEERnardo Festival is co-sponsored by the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club and URGE Gastropub. The Festival will feature over 50 IPA craft beers, other beers, and regional wine selections. For entertainment, there will be live music, games, and other fun activities. There will also be gourmet food available for purchase. This is Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club's biggest fundraiser of the year, with proceeds going to numerous local, domestic, and international charities.
To learn more go to ranchobeernardofestival.com |
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 The Rotary Club of Del Mar is hosting its 6th Annual Chili & Quackers Challenge, a chili cook-off and ducky derby, scheduled for Saturday, October 14, 2017 from noon until 4:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Powerhouse Park, 1658 Coast Blvd., Del Mar, CA 92014.A great afternoon of fun for families - duck race, prizes, chili tasting, hot dogs, and beer/wine for mom and dad. The Club's number 1 goal for this event is to raise community awareness about Rotary in the North County and beyond. Funds raised will help local projects such as helping the Del Mar Lifeguards get better equipment allowing them to keep the beaches safe and to help with rescues. Funds also support an international project where a team of Rotarians from the Del Mar Rotary Club and other clubs teach Ethiopian nurses and doctors resuscitation of newborns to reduce infant mortality - a truly novel program as it is designed to teach the teachers, making it sustainable. So far more than 450 individuals have been trained an notable reduction in infant mortality has been demonstrated in just three years time. Link to details: Event site, tickets and add to calendar. |
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Club Coronado Rotario Binacional is requesting support to aid Mexico. The Club Rotario Coronado Binacional has joined forces with the human rights Mexico-based organization called Pro Libertad y Derechos Humanos en America A.C. Their president, Lic. Ignacio Benavente Torres, has secured access to two (2) military planes "Hercules" with the capacity of 50-100 tons, as well as two (2) "Black Hawk" helicopters that will be placed at the hangars of the Tijuana airport. Club Coronado Rotario Binacional will be collecting ongoing contributions from our fellow Rotarians for the whole month on Fridays from 4-8 pm and Saturdays from 9-8 pm at the warehouse in Otay Mesa (511 Alta Road, San Diego, CA 92154). These donations will then be transported by the human rights organization via trailer to the Tijuana airport, and have already cleared customs due to Mexico's state of emergency. The Tijuana Rotary Club and, possibly the other six (6) clubs in Tijuana, will be lending their support to this cause; making this a true bi-national initiative. If you have any questions, please contact Bertha at bertuchi@gmail.com or by phone at 619 723-3249. |
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The Santee Lakeside Rotary Club—through its Foundation—offers college scholarships to high school student at three local High Schools: Santana, West Hills and El Capitan. Each year three students are selected to receive these scholarships. They are given to students who would otherwise be in danger of not graduating. The Club offers Mentors to the selected sophomores and helps them achieve a minimum grade average for the remainder of their high school terms. The students must maintain a grade average, be drug and alcohol free and perform a minimum number of volunteer hours within the community. In order to fund these scholarships, the Club/Foundation began holding an annual Concert as the fundraising vehicle. The very first of these ventures, Symphony at the Lakes, cost more money to stage than the proceeds of the ticket sales. In the next year, the event was scaled-back and rebranded as Concert at the Lakes. It was a jazz oriented performance and raised a small profit for the scholarship funds. In the years to follow, the event was expanded and morphed into an evening of Rock and Roll with dinner being added to the event. The attendance steadily rose from year to year. The Santee Lakeside Rotary Club Foundation entered into a partnership with the Santee Lakes Foundation as a means of selling more tickets and having more volunteers for the event. We added a silent auction component to the event as well. Then, in 2015, the Concert was rained-out. For the first time in over one-hundred years, it rained on that July date in Santee! The event had to be cancelled and refunds were offered to all tickets holders and sponsors. But then something wonderful happened! Many of the ticket holders donated their ticket prices back to the Foundation and most of the sponsors did the same! In the end, the rain out actually made a small profit for the scholarship funds! Even the performers allowed us to not pay them, and they came back to perform in 2016 at the same agreed to amounts. In the two years that followed, the event grew larger and larger. And on July 29, 2017, the Club/Foundation set a new record: it raised a gross income of $91,000. This was over thirty percent more than raised in 2016! To think: the Santee Lakeside Rotary Club of around 21 members raised nearly $100,000. More importantly, the Santee-Lakeside Rotary Club has branded itself in the community, resulting in an influx of new members, bringing the total membership close to 30.   |
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#6 Be Persistent There will be times that it takes literally a dozen requests to get someone to a meeting. Keep asking. They may come to a meeting, or tell you they can't join now because they are too busy or they aren't interested in joining at the moment. These are all fine answers as long as you keep track of them and keep in touch. Ask them to an event or to participate in a project. This can be a low key approach to showing them what they are missing. |
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 Coronado Rotary President, Kevin Rugee presents Barrio Logan College Institute Executive Director, Jose Cruz with a $4,000 donation to support its after school education program. Also pictured above is Rotary president elect, Ivan Dunn. Coronado Rotarians proudly supported the Barrio Logan College Institute with a $4,000 donation to support its nonprofit after school program. The mission of the Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI) is to break the cycle of poverty by preparing underserved students to be the first in their families to go to college through after school programs that begin in third grade. The program supports children who are traditionally at-risk in low-income San Diego communities. Public schools are a primary referral source and both parents and students must apply for the program. All BLCI students are the first generation in their families to attend college and most are, or will be, first to graduate from high school. Staff, students and parents form a supportive community whose goal is student access. The institute gives disadvantaged families the education, encouragement, and support they need to send their kids to college. There is 100% college enrollment attained by BLCI students. The Coronado Rotary Club supports BLCI through donations and student mentoring. To learn more about the Coronado Rotary's support of nonprofit programs, please visit coronadorotary.org. |
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 Monica Spollansky, a 20 year volunteer with TSF, spoke at the District Foundation Seminar held Saturday, September 23, 2017, providing a very emotional talk about her work with the Thousand Smiles organization. She has been in a position to help the RI Foundation take children with facial deformities and transforms them with years of free care into normal healthy individuals accepted by their society. She has committed her time to four clinics per year for many years, only taking time off when she needed treatment for cancer. This Spanish speaker, originally from Argentina, often works 12 hour days while she is at the clinic. She lives in Auburn, Northern California and drives down to each clinic with her husband and two daughters who now volunteer as well. Monica has been honored for her devotion to the needy children TSF serves. For more info to get involved, please visit www.thousandsmiles.org
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 Rotary members frequently work with youth as part of community program across Southern California. From reading in local schools and Interact programs on campuses, to Youth Exchange, RYLA, LEAD, Model UN, and MusiCamp™, youth programs are a core component of many Rotary clubs. Rotary District 5340 has published an updated Youth Protection Policy that governs interactions with minors, including a mechanism for Rotary members to become certified to work with youth in a volunteer capacity. In accordance with the Youth Protection Policy, District 5340's Youth Certification process has been overhauled to include a revised application, an online background check, and web-based training. Response to the new Youth Certification program has been tremendous. For Rotary members who have been youth certified over the past decade, they will have additional time to earn the new Youth Certification qualification before their previous certification expires. The sunset period for past Youth Certification has been extended to December 31, 2017. "Hundreds of Rotary members have already completed initial applications and background checks, and achieved provisional youth certification," said Scott Carr, Governor of Rotary International District 5340. "It has been an uphill climb in helping our members complete the third step of certification, which includes online training. From difficulties in sharing links, to incompatibilities we have uncovered with mobile devices, the training has been a challenge for many to complete. We have listened to member feedback, and are working on an all-new training module that will streamline the process, and provide the full youth certification." |
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 On September 19, 2017, Rotary District 5340 officially recognized Robert and Beatrice Tomko Day, in celebration of Past District Governor Bob and Bea Tomko. At a special ceremony in Vista, California, Bob was surrounded by friends, family, and fellow Rotarians, including several from the Vista clubs. Roughly a dozen past district governors also came out to celebrate Bob's achievements, and to look back on 63 years of service to humanity through Rotary. Bob Tomko served from 1968-69 as District Governor of what was then known as Rotary District 534. A member of the Vista Rotary since 1954, Tomko was instrumental in raising awareness and support for PolioPlus during its early days, and helped raise the profile of District 534 both locally and across the globe. |
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 The Torrey Pines Rotary Club is promoting membership with a new stand-up banner! The colorful display welcomes the lunch-time crowd at the Rock Bottom Brewery in La Jolla where the club meets. The banner emphasizes club's "Power Hour for Business People" and encourages walk-ins.Shown in the photo above is (Photo L-R) Torrey Pines President, Alex Robertson; International Service Chair, Max Gurney and Past President, Gordon Shurtleff who has a perfect attendance string in the mid 250s. Call to Action: Join the Torrey Pines Rotary Club and share your stories of how your club is promoting membership. We are in this together - We are growing Rotary to Make a Difference in the World! |
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Tip # 4 Create a letter that lists all the great things about your club. List your star members, the advantages of where your club meets, how many members it has, etc. Make sure to tailor the email/letter to the wants of any potential new member. |
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 The United Nations has recently recognized Past District Governor, Janice Kurth by nominating her for the prestigious Eleanor Roosevelt "Global Citizen Award". Announcement of the winner will occur in late in October.La Jolla resident, Janice Kurth, is a 24-year member of the Rotary Club of Del Mar. She has served the club and District 5340 in many capacities, including club president, assistant governor, chair of several committees and events, and District Governor in 2016-16. During her year as District Governor, she culminated the largest district fundraising campaign of $32 million for The Rotary Foundation. Torrey Pines (La Jolla) Rotary Club President, Alex Robertson was recently approached by a member of the board of directors for the United Nations San Diego Chapter whose responsibility is handling 'nominees' for the this award and who personally knew him as a Rotarian, and asked if he could secure a copy of Janice's biography without disclosing the organization. Alex shared the request with District Governor, Scott Carr who eagerly believed Janice was a worthy candidate noting she has participated a variety of projects including health and community development projects in Kenya and Uganda, helped build homes in Mexico, facilitated a variety of youth events, initiated a first-of-its-kind mental health project in Southern India as well as contributing to dialysis an school sanitation activities in India. Anyone who knows Janice would know that she'd try to deflect this honor to her fellow Rotarians, however, all agreed she deserved this nomination. Janice has been married to her Rotarian husband, Matt for 30 years and they have two daughters, ages 26 and 28, both of which are now Rotarians and serving on the board of directors of their respective clubs. The Global Citizen Award will be presented by Ford Roosevelt, Advisory Board member and grandson of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt. We are all hoping she is the chosen recipient and are very proud of what Janice has accomplished as a Rotarian. For more information click here. |
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Tip #3 Make recruiting the top priority of your club. You can't do everything as club president, and knowing that will give you some freedom to focus on the most important thing. Having new members - with new energy - will help you have more people to raise money for grant opportunities and club activities and programs. New members with ideas and connections can be valuable committee members and aid in your club's local service projects. The more smiling faces and energy at club meetings, the more interest there will be in others wanting to join your club. |
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 Music has been part of mankind since the beginning. It is a means of communication, expression and enhancement of one's life. Recent studies of the brain have shown that active engagement with music influences many brain activities. The findings identified the importance of music in the development of the brain with music being described as a source of intellectual, artistic, cultural, technological and economical abilities in our young people. |
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Hands of Peace and Rotary have concluded a successful District supported summer program! Every year for the past four summers in San Diego and 15 summers in Chicago, Hands of Peace brings together Israeli, Palestinian and American teens to empower young people to raise their voices as leaders of change. This summer, we have almost 100 courageous individuals between the two sites that are taking part in this 19 day process, were they learn to put their bravery and emotions to the test.
Amidst the intense dialogues, our participants also get to experience team building skills while visiting a ropes course, attending religious services at a Temple, a Mosque and a Church, often for the very first time, and putting their writing skills to the test preparing and delivering speeches at multiple events. Social activism in both San Diego and Chicago are incorporated into our programming, through projects like the Hunger Van Project, whose mission is to provide the needy with a means and path to self-sufficiency, or lectures by Azim Khamisa, who carries an inspirational message of forgiveness, peace and hope.
By balancing daily dialogue with other opportunities to build trust, mutual respect, tolerance, understanding and ultimately, action our goal is to create impactful change by developing future leaders who are committed to a positive and just peace.
Rotary members from Encinitas Coastal, San Diego Coastal, Downtown Breakfast Club, Del Mar/Solana Beach, La Jolla Golden Triangle San Diego e-Club and Chula Vista Sunrise have participated in the program through volunteering, hosting teens and attending events and offering support. Three clubs in the Chicago area support the program and the founder, Gretchen Grad, has been awarded two awards by Rotary International: 1) The Willie Frankel Award for Harmony and Understanding from the Rotary Club of Wilmette, and 2) She was named a "Paul Harris Fellow" from the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
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 The Miramar Semper Fidelis Rotary Club is sponsoring a poker fundraising event to support marines and sailors based in the San Diego area. If poker is not your game, you might consider sponsoring a marine or sailor so the he/she can play. For more information, go to http://www.rotarypokernight.com. |
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What is unique about the Carlsbad High School Speech and Debate program is the integration of the 4 Way Test into the curriculum. In Ms Curtis’s class the 4-Way Test plaque is hung in a prominent place for all the students to see, and when she wrote the curriculum for college approval, she included the Rotary Test Speech as a central component. Ms. Curtis integrates the Rotary Four-Way Test as a core portion of her classes in order to expose ALL students to the usefulness of using the test as a basis for making good decisions, as well as to motivation for competition. Both Rotary Clubs of Carlsbad, High-Noon and Evening, have been participating in District 5340 4 Way Test Speech Contest for the last eight years. Due to the integration in the classes, over a thousand promising students have been exposed to the 4-Way Test. |
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 The Old Mission Rotary invites you to come join them on September 12 at noon at the Best Western Seven Seas Hotel - 411 Hotel Circle South, San Diego, CA 92108 to hear San Diego City Councilmember, Scott Sherman (District 7). Scott will discuss various issues facing San Diego, including the development of Mission Valley and the future of Qualcomm Stadium. Parking is free and the buffet lunch is $20. For additional information, please call Matt Risi of Old Mission Rotary at (619) 993-3913. |
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 Rotary has announced the insurance assessment rates that will be charged for the 2017-18 year. The insurance assessment rates will be charged on the July Club Invoice. Rotary provides Clubs and Districts with insurance coverage under the U.S. Rotary Club & District Liability Insurance Program. The program is offered through Lockton Insurance. The policies comes with self-insured retention (SIR) for each claims, and these assessments fund the $250,000 self-insured retention of every general liability claim and $25,000 deductible of every directors’ and officers’/employment practices liability (D&O/EPL) claim, under the U.S. Rotary Club & District Liability Insurance Program. The assessment amounts depend on claims activity per state, funding needs of the self-insured retention, the cost of excess insurance, and credit for past claims history. |
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Photo: U.S. Ambassador Robert P. Jackson, Otumfuo Adontehene, Minister of Business Development Hon. Ibrahim Awal Mohammed, and Ashanti Regional Minister Honorable Simon Osei-Mensah cutting sod at the launch of a commercial groundnut processing facility in Kumasi Story taken from the U.S. Embassy in Ghana Website. On Monday, August 23, 2017, U.S. Ambassador Robert P. Jackson, Otumfuo Adontehene, Minister of Business Development Hon. Ibrahim Awal Mohammed, and Ashanti Regional Minister Honorable Simon Osei-Mensah launched a commercial groundnut processing facility at the Kumasi factory of Project Peanut Butter, an NGO devoted to combatting undernutrition by producing effective ready-to-use therapeutic foods. The groundnut processing facility was provided through a partnership between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), The Hershey Company, and Rotary International.
The groundnut processing facility will increase demand for locally grown aflatoxin-free groundnuts. Aflatoxin is a toxic carcinogen that sometimes strikes when agronomic conditions are not ideal. This has the potential to boost Ghana’s groundnut value chain, thereby increasing incomes for Ghanaian groundnut farmers. It is expected that the facility will be used to manufacture ready-to-use-therapeutic food to combat child malnutrition in Ghana and beyond.
Project Peanut Butter will use the facility to roast local Ghanaian groundnuts for “Vivi,” a groundnut-based nutritional supplement the company developed that is now a key part of the Ghanaian government’s Ghana School Feeding Program. The Hershey Company is currently providing 52,000 students with “ViVi” per day.
At the launch ceremony, Ambassador Jackson said this partnership would lead to increased incomes for Ghanaian groundnut farmers while improving health and nutrition. “Today’s launch is about the power of partnerships,” he said. “This facility will enhance our efforts to improve food security, incomes, and nutrition, in collaboration with the Ghanaian government, private sector, and communities.”
The groundnut processing facility was made possible through USAID’s Strengthening Partnerships, Results, and Innovations in Nutrition Globally (SPRING) Project, which is part of the United States’ Feed the Future Initiative. In Ghana, USAID works through Feed the Future to boost the incomes of smallholder farmers, improve agricultural productivity, link farmers to markets, and improve nutrition
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Recently, District leadership received an email from Tom Gump, president of the Rotary Club of Edina Morningside, Minnesota. Tom is also a trainer for District 5940. Since July 1, 2016, Tom's Rotary club has recruited and brought in 31 new members. Eleven of these new members are women and eight of them are under 40 years of age. The Club has gone from being classified as a "medium" sized club of 68 members in their district to being classified as a "large" club of 93 members in just over nine months. How did this happen? Tom shared with us 10 tips to attract and retain quality members. We will share one tip each week for ten weeks. By the end, we hope that you have shown some success in your membership recruitment and retention efforts. TIP #1 Know your club's strengths. if you meet in the morning, you will probably be a good fit for a 9 to 5 employee. But, if you meet at noon, you're more likely to appeal to retirees or parents of school-age children. If someone doesn't fit your format, recommend them to another club. They won't forget you and may send you someone another day. Let all the clubs in the area know you are looking for members, and they may send you some that fit your format than their own. |
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 Photo: Left to Right: Max Gurney, Senator Tim Scott and Matt Risi Torrey Pines Rotarian, Max Gurney was recognized by Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) for his service in WWII at the Lincoln Reagan Dinner, held on Saturday, June 24 at the Marriott Marquis in downtown San Diego. Senator Scott was very gracious and asked the 96-year-old veteran to stand and be recognized in front of the overflow crowd. Max served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy and was assigned to Intelligence as part of General Gorge Patton's staff. Matt Risi of the Old Mission Rotary served as Max's escort to the gala. |
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Inspiration comes in many forms, in many ways. And every day, Rotary members are inspired to support their local, national, and global communities through the good works of The Rotary Foundation.
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 The Surfers Unite Rotarian Fellowship will be holding a Life Rolls On event on September 10, 2017. This event features adaptive surfers at La Jolla Shores, and is an outstanding way to share the story of Rotary with a fantastic group of volunteers and friends while celebrating disabled children and adults. Learn more about Life Rolls On at www.liferollson.org. Check out photos and their event page on Facebook. |
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 Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary invites you to enjoy an amazing day of craft beers, ciders, food, music and fun at Carlsbad Brewfest 2017. Please join us on Saturday, September 9, 2017 at Holiday Park in Carlsbad and help us take action to end Polio. To learn more go to: https://www.carlsbadbrewfest.org/rotary-promo $5 of each ticket will be donated to your Club's PolioPlus Fund. With the Gates Foundation match, that turns $5 into $15! |
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 San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory (SDYS) announced the arrival and the departure of 24 talented international student musicians representing 12 countries for their 13th annual International Youth Symphony (IYS) program at Casa del Prado, Balboa Park. Each year, top musicians from around the world travel to San Diego with assistance and support from Rotary District 5340's International Youth Exchange program. On July 17 the international guests began rehearsals alongside top SDYS musicians, under the direction of SDYS Music Director Jeff Edmons, who enters his 22nd season with SDYS. Gary McElroy, Committee Chair of the Rotary District 5340 MusiCamp™ Youth Exchange said of the IYS program, "The objective of the Rotary Youth Exchange program is to foster world peace, international understanding and good will by extending international communication at the personal level through the exchange of high school and college age students. I believe our partnership with SDYS as an organization is a compelling match of our missions and values, which is turning students into leaders in our communities." |
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 Pictured from left to right: Dave King, Paul Donick, Don Glover, Hilda Parks (Salvation Army) Rick Bramble, Cathy Glover, Susan King, Benita Page, James Parks (Salvation Army) – others participating but not pictured were: Doug Dawson, Dave Brooks, Dick and Pat Norfolk, Jim Hyldahl, & Diane Berry.
On August 12, for the second year, the Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club assisted the Escondido Salvation Army with providing essential school supplies to over 200 children from low income families. The Club contributed over $800 toward this effort. Each student received a backpack with binders, dividers, ruled paper, folders, crayons, pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, rulers and other essential items to start school. Thirteen Rancho Bernardo Rotarians checked the students in, assisted loading backpacks and helped distribute a bag of Hallmark supplies to each family. Rotarians also served food and supervised a water slide activity. What a great way to begin the school year for these children. |
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The Old Mission Rotary Club sponsored a retro 50’s party at The Air Conditioned Lounge on Thursday, August 17.  Pictured from left to right: Erika Rodriguez of Pacific Beach Rotaract, District Governor Scott Carr and Belgica Crespo of City Heights Rotaract |
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 Calling all Interactor advisors and Interactors. Please be aware there is an Interact Symposium scheduled for September 9, 2017. This is a wonderful event to attend. Below is the link to download the registration and parent permission forms and to pay registration fees online. Click here. |
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 The next Rotary International Convention is slated for June 23-27, 2018. If you book in the next few months, you could save over $150. Also, you can pick the closest hotels and get the best deals. This will be the last convention in North America for another two years - take this opportunity - and meet new and old friends from around the globe. Two clubs - Rancho Bernardo and Torrey Pines are in place to break their historic attendance records - does your club want them to get away with bragging rights? The Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club is organizing travel trips around the Convention time to such once-in-a-lifetime places as Niagara Falls and a local winery. Keep your eye on Newsbits for future updates. For more information on the Rotary Convention in Toronto, click here. For hotel information, click here. |
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 Do you want to participate in a polio immunization exercise? There is an upcoming trip to Accra, Ghana West Africa slated for October 2017 during the 12th Annual West Africa Project Fair where you will be able to participate in a polio immunization exercise. The experiences you will have will stay with you forever. You get up early in the morning, travel with local Rotarians to a village, health clinic or impoverished neighborhood, and for the next few hours, you change. Small children come up to you to say thank you. Mothers and fathers smile at your knowing that you are giving their child a chance for a better life. You meet with the leaders in the village to learn their needs and their hopes. It is hot, dusty and it makes you uncomfortable but it is exquisite! For full information, download the full details here or contact travel@howardtours.net. |
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Barry Levine, past president of the Miramar Semper Fidelis Rotary Club and CEO of Sperry West, a US manufacturer of covert security cameras and related equipment recently spoke to the graduates of the Corporals Course for Marines on the Miramar Marine Air Base in San Diego. While he praised WWII veterans, he noted that while they served admirably, many were drafted and didn’t want to be in the military. In front of several hundred assembled Marines in the Bob Hope Theatre, he told them they were the new Greatest Generation. They have all volunteered (enlisted) to serve our country and are great young men and women wo will fight for the United State of America when and wherever they are called upon. Barry shared from experience that when they go home to see their old buddies, they will probably find, as he once did, that they are pretty much the same “kids,” while those who serve in our military often been doing important work and have learned and grown tremendously. Barry presented the highest scoring Corporeal with a ceremonial sword, engraved with the name of the recipient and made to their size. The swords are sponsored and arranged by the Miramar Semper Fidelis Rotary Club.  |
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Last year, Rotary Club of La Jolla applied for a $3,000 grant from Rotary District 5340. We took this grant along with donations from our club members and other community members and purchased an innovative playground unit that would withstand the elements of Haiti. It is a polyester-wrapped, steel reinforced climbing cable structure with six seats that the kids can still grab and play and won’t burn the children when playing in Haiti’s hot climate.
After multiple delays in shipping, unexpected customs fees and challenges, the playground arrived in Haiti in July and was erected and children were and still are ecstatic.
Rotary Club of La Jolla is looking to return to Jeremie, Haiti January 14, 2018 and assist with other projects at the children’s home in Jeremie, Haiti. If you are interested in supporting Rotary Club of La Jolla’s efforts or joining other Rotarians “Making a Difference” in Jeremie, Haiti, please contact Lora Fisher at 858.731.6694 or email Lora at lora.fisher07@yahoo.com.
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Hands of Peace and Rotary have concluded a successful District-supported summer program! Every year for the past four summers in San Diego and 15 summers in Chicago, Hands of Peace brings together Israeli, Palestinian and American teens to empower young people to raise their voices as leaders of change. This summer, we have almost 100 courageous individuals between the two sites that are taking part in this 19-day process, were they learn to put their bravery and emotions to the test. Amidst the intense dialogues, our participants also get to experience team building skills while visiting a ropes course, attending religious services at a Temple, a Mosque and a Church, often for the very first time, and putting their writing skills to the test preparing and delivering speeches at multiple events. Social activism in both San Diego and Chicago are incorporated into our programming through projects like the Hunger Van Project, whose mission is to provide the needy with a means and path to self-sufficiency, or lectures by Azim Khamisa, who carries an inspirational message of forgiveness, peace and hope. By balancing daily dialogue with other opportunities to build trust, mutual respect, tolerance, understanding and ultimately, action our goal is to create impactful change by developing future leaders who are committed to a positive and just peace. Rotary members from Encinitas Coastal, San Diego Coastal, Downtown Breakfast Club, Del Mar/Solana Beach, La Jolla Golden Triangle San Diego e-Club and Chula Vista Sunrise have participated in the program through volunteering, hosting teens and attending events and offering support. Three clubs in the Chicago area support the program and the founder, Gretchen Grad, has been awarded two awards by Rotary International: 1) The Willie Frankel Award for Harmony and Understanding from the Rotary Club of Wilmette, and 2) She was named a "Paul Harris Fellow" from the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.    |
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Your very own District 5340 Don’t Wait, Vaccinate Committee is ready to help. We’re not just about polio eradication or childhood immunizations. We advocate for and educate about all types of immunizations for all ages. If you’d like us to bring an engaging program to your Rotary meeting – whether it is to educate, inform or advocate, we are happy to do this for your club. More information can be had by clicking <here>. We promise, no needles are involved. Contact Myrna Kinter at |
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Chula Vista Sunrise Donates Walkers
The District had an amazing Peace Leadership Seminar Saturday at the Ronald McDonald House by Children's Hospital. Hosted by our Pathways to Peace Committee, we had over 70 Rotary members and guests attend, which means we were beyond capacity for the space and will need a new venue next year (a wonderful problem to have). You could feel the energy, excitement and enthusiasm for all the programs coming up ahead for the year, including our upcoming 7th Annual Peace Forum... and our clubs were instrumental in getting the word out and encouraging attendance. Huge kudos all around. 
Minnia Curtis has been teaching High School English for 28 years at Carlsbad High School in California. Over the last 11 years Minnia has coached the Carlsbad High School Speech and Debate Team, leading them to multiple Championships and National Ranking in the top 1% of teams in the USA (National Speech and Debate Association). No small feat for this team which averages 120 members and competes in 17 different speech, interpretation, and debate events.
