Issue 2010-12Issue 2010-12 June 2011 and he put all five of his children through college. Now, tell me again what it is that you can’t do.” Rotary Chooses the Ambassadorial Scholar

1District 5240 - Rotarians in Motion

Issue 2010-12 June 2011

Editor B r a d H e n d e r s o n

[email protected]

Publisher W a y n e S n y d e r

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Communications Committee V i c k i A r n d t

Te r r y B e c k e t tA n d y L u p a n o w

D a v i d S a i n t - A m a n dW a l t S t e p h e n s

B r e n d a C r e s s e yB r a d H e n d e r s o n

W a y n e S n y d e r

District Governor D e e p a W i l l i n g h a m

District Governor-Elect W a d e N o m u r a

District Governor Nominee Elect F r a n k O r t i z

District 5240 Websitew w w . r o t a r y d i s t r i c t 5 2 4 0 . o r g

Website CommitteeTe r r y B e c k e t t ( C h a i r )

W a l t S t e p h e n sW a y n e S n y d e r

Editor’s/Publisher’sCorner

Article SubmiSSion criteriA

• Articlesmustbeoriginalandnotpublishedelsewhere.

• ArticlesshoulddealwithRotarysubjectsonly.

• Articlesshouldbee-mailedinMicrosoftWord

formatonly;appropriatepicturesareencouraged.

• Entriesshouldbereceivednolaterthanthe15th

dayofthemonthprecedingdesiredpublication.

• Authorsacceptthattheirarticlesmaybeedited.

• Theauthor’sname,contactinformationand

RotaryClubmembershipshouldbeapparent.

• AllsubmissionsshouldbesenttoBradHenderson

You know the old Marvin Gaye Song, “It Takes Two?” Well, how about 10? 20? Or even 50?

One person can create a vision. It takes two people to help each other communicate this vision into an action plan. And, to coin and old African proverb, “it takes a village” to actually translate the action plan into reality.

As I re f lec t on my l imi ted career as your E-Magazine editor during the Rotary year (2010-2011), I can remember the vision of our District Governor, Deepa, to Inspire; and her unique encouragement “to make a change” within our District. For the editorial and production staff, this One Crazy Indian Woman urged us to throw out the old ‘newsletter’ format and directed us to start fresh with a new ‘look,’ include a steady flow of Rotary Foundation news, and change our communiqué altogether.

In addition, Deepa desired clubs to promote some “Hands On” “High Visibility” activities in our District. Over the past few months, you have come through for her. Together, various Rotary clubs have submitted contributing articles that the Rotary In Motion e-mag staff have used to embellish this fellowship.

This month we celebrate throughout the world, Rotary Fe l lowships . To become product ive wel l - rounded individuals , we humans need this – not just strong personal values such as Rotary Objectives, but we must be part of a solid community of clubs fostering intra-relationships and pooling our resources – working one with another.

Instead of going it alone, district Rotarians have banded together and used their fellowship and collaboration as tools to get a job done. Pooling resources and working together has displaced what once seemed like mountains of effort into feasible molehills of coordinated tasks.

In this issue you will find several unique projects and activities where a broader base of influence has been capitalized – this is the determination to affect a greater whole. You may have to forgive the production staff for some latency in sharing this news (ref. May commemorative issue), but the shared experience is worth noting and is not to be lost.

It has been a pleasure to serve as your editor.

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2 District 5240 - Rotarians in Motion

June 2011 Issue 2010-12

Rotary Club Distributes Dictionaries to Local Third GradesDuring the weeks of April 18 and 25, the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise (RCSBS) teamed in pairs to distribute almost 750 dictionaries to local

third grade students. The eleven elementary schools who participate i n t h i s p ro g r a m are Monroe,

Washington, Franklin, Harding, Roosevelt, Adelante Charter School, Open Alternative School, Santa Barbara Community Academy, Peabody Charter School, H o p e School, a n d M o n t e V i s t a School.

T h i s program began in 2008 with then Rotar y Pres ident Dennis Johns. RCSBS members decided in lieu of giving gifts to the weekly speakers to use those

funds to help p u r c h a s e dictionaries. The Rotary District 5240 Simplified Grant funds h e l p t o underwrite

the purchase of the dictionaries. Each speaker who visits Rotary receives a card stating that 15 dictionaries will be provided to local third graders with their name in it. To date, RCSBS has

distributed almost 2,900 dictionaries to the local schools. This project has been well received by the students and the schools

Red Cross Heroes Of 2011Each year, the American Red Cross Kern Chapter presents the Red Cross Real Heroes Luncheon to honor those residents of Kern County who have acted courageously and selflessly in a time of emergency. Often at great risk and sacrifice to their own personal safety, comfort, and well-being, these ordinary individuals have acted courageously and heroically by reaching out to help others in times of greatest need. Tragedy was averted and lives were saved.

This year, The American Red Cross Kern Chapter was pleased to announce a fellow Rotarian from the Kern River Valley area as one of their recipients for 2011.

Real Heroes Award in the category of Medical Professional, is Dr. Holly Spohn-Gross (RC Kern River Valley) – a podiatric surgeon who lives in the Kern River Valley. (read more about our Local Hero and her duty to service above self ).

A Living Example of Rotary By Jon Morse, PresidentRotary Club of Westlake Village SunriseOne thing I have learned through Rotary is that when we do something to improve the life of one person it creates a ripple effect and we also improve the lives of others we will never meet, and in ways we could never imagine. This is a true story that made that concept very real to me.

When I attended the Rotary President Elect training I made it a point to get outside my comfort zone and meet

new people. One day I had lunch with Creesie Page, President Elect of the Crenshaw-Watts Club.

Creesie is a delightful lady and we had a great conversation. During lunch she told me how she grew up as one of five children in Louisiana. Her father had a limited education and worked as a laborer. However he was determined that all of his children would go to college. He would not have it any other way and against all odds he made it happen.

Today, Creesie is an educator and is a living example to her children and other people’s children that they do not have to accept mediocrity. However her father’s influence goes beyond that.

On the wall of my law office I have a sheet of paper with the three letters CPF in large print. In April 2010 I had to write a legal brief and I was unable to find anything to say. I stared at that sheet of paper and by the end of the day I had the brief written. Another time I was worried that I did not have enough work in the office. After staring at the letters I made the phone calls I had been putting off, and one of them produced a referral for new business.

Whenever I have a problem I think is too big for me I use these three letters to help me solve it. Those letters stand for “Creesie Page’s Father”. When I stare at those letters it plays a tape recording in my head which says,

“Jon, Creesie Page’s Father lived in the deep south during the days of segregation. He had a fifth grade education, he worked in a salt mine,

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(Continued on Page 3)


Issue 2010-12 June 2011

and he put all five of his children through college. Now, tell me again what it is that you can’t do.”

Rotary Chooses the Ambassadorial Scholar for 2011The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise (RCSBS) is pleased to announce their candidate, Mary Dinh, has been selected out of 72 clubs by the Rotary District 5240 Scholarship Committee to receive an Ambassadorial Scholarship grant of $27,000. This grant will allow Mary to continue to pursue her study in a developing country in Liberia, Malawi, or Kenya. Mary’s preference is to work for a non-profit group, Liberty & Justice, utilizing her engineering skills to solve manufacturing problems while learning about this group’s unique business model aimed at empowering disadvantaged Liberian women. She would like to mentor engineering students at the University of Liberia to step into manufacturing engineering positions at Liberty & Justice. Mary would also like to work with Rotary projects that address basic human needs such as water, lighting, or clean cook stoves, where she can contribute her engineering skills and field experience.

Mary’s parents were both refugees of the Vietnam War who immigrated to Flint, Michigan, when she was one year old. Mary earned BS and MS degrees from UC Berkeley in Mechanical Engineering. She went on to work as a research and development engineer with Guidant Corporation and then

taught physics for 1.5 years at Wenchi Secondary School in Ghana, West Africa. Mary has been a development engineer at UC Santa Barbara since 2002 where she started a chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB). With EWB she has implemented projects in Peru, Kenya, Thailand, Mexico, and Maili. Starting this fall, Mary will pursue a Master’s in Business Administration from Colorado State University in Ft. Collins.

While supporting EWB’s efforts over the past nine years, Mary developed a close working relationship with RCSBS in 2004. RCSBS helped support a number of EWB’s projects, most recently in Kenya. In 2007, RCSBS awarded Mary a Paul Harris Fellow, she was also sponsored as a Group Study Exchange team member to India in 2008. Mary is part of the RCSBS family and will always be welcomed to share her stories of her continuing journey. We are proud in what she has accomplished and know she will continue to make her mark on the world as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Mary’s autobiography and “Statement of Intent” can be found on our website: clubrunner.ca/santabarbarasunriserotary. Ambassadorial Scholarships are awarded annually to grad students to study abroad for

one year. Selection is based upon an interview/application competition.

Rotary Club Awards Graduate Assistance Grants to El Puente Community Students On behalf of The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise (RCSBS), Rotarian Graham Guess awarded four outstanding El Puente students $500 each to put towards undergraduate education. The El Puente Graduate Assistance

Grant began three years ago. The recipients of this year’s grants are: Francisco Haro, Abraham Ruiz, Abraham Rodriguez, and Chelsea Sandoval. Candidates wrote an essay on where they had come from, what they had learned from this experience, and how this applied to their future plans. Rotarians David Velarde and Graham Guess interviewed all candidates before making their selection. The four awards were presented at the June 10th Commencement Ceremony for the El Puente Community School Class of 2011, a total of

21 graduates.

RCSBS has supported the El Puente School for the past 10 years awarding Student of the Month awards as well as maintenance at the school. The special heroes behind the El Puente graduates are their parents, the 21 committed school teachers, and Honorary Rotarian and school Principal, Cecilia Molina, who stand behind the students to help them become “the best they can be”.

One Minute Reads(Continued from Page 2)


June 2011 Issue 2010-12

Deepa’s Message

Well Friends; The end of the 2010-2011 Rotary year in District 5240 is at hand!

You may remember…I began my year as your Governor with a “Let Us Begin” personal letter sent to each of you asking you to begin the “journey of the 2010-2011 Rotary year” with your club President and myself. Now we have traversed that path and we have come to the journey’s end. I hope all of you have felt that “To finish the moment, to find the journey’s end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is (was) wisdom.”

It is fitting that we end each Rotary Year in the month of June which is designated by Rotary International as “Rotary Fellowship” Month. Our founder, Paul Harris, believed in the value of fellowship such that “The 1905 members of the Rotary Club of Chicago, so valued the friendship of their fellow-members that they put a ban upon religious and political discussions, fearing that they might become disturbing factors, and they were richly rewarded for their foresight.”

As has been said, “The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it’s the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friend.” I hope you have all known and felt that I considered each of you my friend and I believed in you! Of course there were many good reasons for me to have done so.

You allowed me to ask the question, “Why Rotary?” and you rose to the challenge of “dreaming...” dreaming big for our clubs, our local and global

communities and for humanity for whom we have taken a solemn oath “to serve.” Thank you for responding to the challenge of serving.

Just to remind you, the following were my “challenges” as we began the year together:• B e c o m e

engaged in your club activities and participate in your club (or group) projects;

• Think “outside the box” and help energize your club and make it thrive;

• Spread the Rotary message particularly to youth and under-represented groups;

• Help your club with its retention goals;

• Help your Club President achieve his/her goals for the year;

• Work together within your club, within your service avenues and within your group;

• Understand the role of The Rotary Foundation in steering our planet towards peace and support its efforts through your generosity and program participation;

• INSPIRE each other to achieve our collective dream and be the number ONE District in the world.

Now take a look at what all of you achieved in 2010-2011 in the article entitled, “Rotary District 5240 Club Accomplishments for 2010-2011”. You have done well my friends and I am proud. Please accept my sincere thanks for making me look good and most importantly…thank you for enriching my life by being my friends. Our memories will last forever. We shall never forget that friendship and fellowship are alive and well in District 5240!


Issue 2010-12 June 2011

Rotary-UN Day Participation – A first for District 5240!Governor Deepa along with Interact Chair Donna Prenta (Rotary Club of Simi Valley) led a team of Interactors and Rotaractors to New York; where they participated in Rotary Day at the United Nations. Ms. Prenta generously made use of her considerable airline miles to make it affordable for our New Generations participants. One of our district’s Rotaractors came south from Dartmouth University. Several clubs helped to partially sponsor participants. Governor Deepa allocated some district funds for this trip. Rotary International was one of the key founders on the United Nations and always has a presence at the UN.

Thank you Interact Chair Donna and Governor Deepa for caring about the development of our youth and making this trip possible.

Six New Interact Clubs Chartered: Our clubs chartered new Interact Clubs at Arroyo Grande HS, La Reina HS Thousand Oaks, the High School at Moorpark College, Morro Bay HS, Tehachapi HS, and Simi Valley. The Simi Valley Interact Club is a community based club, a first for our district. Donna Prenta our district’s Interact Chair was an invaluable resource. Our Interact Clubs are working with their sponsoring Rotary Clubs to varying degrees on both Community and International projects as well as supplying needed man/woman power to our clubs. Interact is strong in District 5240!

11 Interact Clubs have qualified for Presidential Citation in 2010-2011

Rotaract Clubs: Rotaract is alive and well in District 5240! We have seven active Rotaract Clubs. Three are university based: at Cal Lutheran University, Cal State University CI, and Cal Poly University. Four of our clubs are community based: at Conejo Valley, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. The majorities of these clubs are strong and very active within their communities and have cooperated with each other on a number of projects and social activities. A number of International projects have been supported and some Rotaract clubs have dovetailed projects with their sponsoring Rotary Clubs.

Initiation & Utilization of DRR position in the district:Dominic Tartaglia (the Rotaract Club of San Luis Obispo) was chosen to serve as the first District Regional Rotaractor in 2010-2011. This position was previously not utilized in the District 5240 and it has great potential for providing the link between Rotaractors, New Gen Clubs and Rotary Clubs. It is hoped that this idea will be further developed by subsequent Governors.

NID Participation:In February, six Rotaractors from Ventura participated in the NID in India, lead by PDG Anil Garg. They met Governor Deepa along the way. They were sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ventura to the tune of $6000 to help offset their costs.

3 Rotaract Clubs have qualified for Presidential Citation in 2010-2011

RI Convention Attendance Sponsored:Governor Deepa promoted two Rotaractors’ full attendance (not just the pre-convention portion) at New Orleans Convention by providing $1000 scholarships to each candidate from the district’s New Generation funds

This too was a first for our district!


New Generations Accomplishments for 2010-11


June 2011 Issue 2010-12

Three New Potential Rotaract Clubs in the Works:Charter ing of three new Rotaract Clubs began in 2010-2011. These are - Santa Paula-Fillmore, Moorpark, and Bakers f ie ld . The Santa Paula-Fillmore club is the furthest along to becoming chartered. It may be another few weeks before that is accomplished. They are being sponsored by the Rotary Club of Santa Paula, which has taken the lead, along with the two Fillmore clubs. The Moorpark club is being sponsored by the Moorpark and the Moorpark Morning clubs. Their Rotaract Club is just lifting off and is in its initial recruitment phase. Moorpark Rotaract along with the Bakersfield Rotaract may not be chartered until fall but at least we have them in the pipeline.

Thank you to the Rotary Clubs of Santa Paula, Fillmore, Moorpark, and Bakersfield for helping us to establish new Rotaract Clubs within our district!

Respectfully submitted,Terry Schaeffer

EAG New Generations District 5240

Governor’s Comment:Governor Deepa could not have put the 5th Avenue of Service – New Generations in better hands than EAG Terry Schaeffer. From the above report you can see that significant “first time” achievements were accomplished this year. Thank you to all of you for supporting the New Generations staff in 2010-2011.

New Generations Accomplishments for 2010-11(Continued from Page 5) More New Generations

As you may not be aware – Rotary International is one of the key founders on the United Nations and always has a presence at the UN. Locally, our

District Governor, Deepa Willingham along with Rotarian Donna Prenta (Rotary Club of Simi Valley) led a team of Interactors and Rotaractors to New York, where they participated in Rotary Day at the United Nations. Ms Prenta generously made use of her considerable airline miles to make it affordable for our New Generations participants. One of our district’s Rotaractors traveled south from Dartmouth University to join in. Several Rotary clubs helped to partially sponsor participants along with some District funds. Thank you, Donna and Deepa, for caring about the development of our new generations and making this trip possible.

Interact is strong in District 5240!O u r d i s t r i c t Rota r y c lubs h a v e h e l p e d to charter new Interact Clubs at Arroyo Grande High School, La Reina High School (Thousand O a k s ) , t h e High Schoo l a t Moorpa rk College, Morro Bay High School, Tehachapi High School, and high school students in Simi Valley. The Simi Valley Interact Club is a community based club, a first for our district. Donna Prenta, our district’s Interact Chair, was an invaluable resource.

Our district Interact Clubs are working with their sponsoring Rotary Clubs at varying degrees of service on both community and international projects, as well as supplying needed workforce in support of club activities.


Check presentation to Isaiah Washington, Gondobay Manga Foundation where the Simi Valley Interactors presented him foundation with $1000.00 from selling

their Peace and Literacy Wristbands


Issue 2010-12 June 2011

Le s s t h a n 2 0 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e call the Kern River Valley home. Among

them i s Dr. Hol ly Spohn-Gross, who has made a *huge* d i f f e rence in th i s smal l community.

Dr. Holly Spohn-Gross is a podiatrist by profession, but these helping hands go far beyond the walls of the Sienna Wellness Institute in Mount Mesa (a small medical clinic on the south side of Lake Isabella)..

Several times a year, Spohn-Gross t rave l s to other countr ies , l ike Mexico, to provide free medical care for children in need.

“It’s very rewarding. It’s pretty humbling to have an experience where they’re actually asking you to take a look at their child even though there’s a language barrier,” she explained.

She’s also traveled to India to help eradicate polio and on those trips

she brings toys, clothing and other gifts for the children.

It’s a passion born out of her own challenges when she was young.

“It might stem from being born with a cleft lip and having someone do surgery for me, taking care of me for free. I feel like I owe that much to do that. that’s kind of how I got into medicine, said Spohn-Gross.

But, it’s back in the Kern River Valley where Spohn-Gross has, perhaps, made

the biggest difference.“She donates money, she gives

people shoes that can’t afford shoes. She donates countless hours of free medical help to the elderly, to the children who can’t walk,” said Paul Cromwell, President, Rotary Club of the Kern Valley

Dave Taber credits Spohn-Gross with saving his leg when other doctors told him it would have to be amputated.

“They told me their prognosis was to take my leg off above the knee. And, when I got back with

Dr. Spohn and we got it where I got in the hospital here and she did the surgery and just took off my little toe and saved my whole leg,” said Taber.

And, when insurance wouldn’t cover Taber’s medication, Spohn-Gross paid for it out of her own pocket.

“She’s my hero, and I’m sure she’s a lot of other people who live up here’s hero,” added Taber, “it’s not just about medicine.”

Spohn-Gross also sponsors families who need food baskets, and she rallied the community during the devastating wildfires.

“During the Bull fire, she started a program where we helped people that were burned out of their homes and we were able to give certificates, clothes, food, money, and she was the force behind that,” said Cromwell.

But, Spohn-Gross doesn’t consider herself a hero. She’s just glad she can help.

“If you’re in the position and you see someone that needs you, we’re all human. And, I really feel that we all can make a difference,” said Spohn-Gross.

L o c a l H e r o


June 2011 Issue 2010-12

RotaRy youth LeadeRship awaRds

Of all the great things that Rotary does, empowering the next generation is one of the most important. It is wonderful to be a part of showing the youth in our communities, the great work that is possible when you couple giving hearts with

leadership skills. Rotarians do great work and everyone should know what we are up to and how we do it; including the high school students in our communities.

District 5240 hosts its annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) each spring. The venue is Camp Ramah, a retreat nestled in the hills of Ojai affording all RYLA attendees a private and relaxing setting for 4 days of learning, fellowship and empowerment. This year (2011) was the biggest our district has seen. We had 212 students and 38 Rotarians and Rotaractors volunteering their time. The magic of this weekend was incredible and based on our Facebook page (see following exerpt), we know that we have changed lives of many!

All of the clubs in our district are invited to send as many students as they wish. The majority of our 72 clubs in District 5240 participate. The group of students representing these clubs always includes Interact c lub members , Rotary Youth Exchange students and amazing potential leaders from both private and public schools in our district. We have enlisted the interest of our District’s Rotaract clubs and have enjoyed their involvement, enthusiasm and connection with the high school age students.

The highlights of the weekend include training in character and ethics; mediation and problem solving; leadership; public speaking; diversity training; challenges; self

motivation; and goal setting. It’s not all done in a classroom setting. The students are outside for a good portion of the weekend doing physical activities designed to teach team building skills and create awareness about the difficulties in effective communication and how to overcome them. When the students are not in session, they are treated to rock climbing, jousting, karaoke, dancing, laser tag, a talent show and very powerful keynote speakers.

Our District Governor is invited each year to speak about Rotary and to present the 6 surprise scholarships to unsuspecting students. All of the students receive certification of their training and 6 students who best exemplify the spirit of leadership will receive $500 scholarships for college tuition. Aside from walking away from the weekend with awards and new friends from all over the world, these kids will be empowered to make significant contributions in service to their communities, their country and the world. Hopefully they will do it in the name of Rotary International.

This year the students were all given T-Shirts that read:

“My mind is strong and I am capable. Watch me wield my power to make change and bring solace.

Know that my vision is important and that my legacy begins today. I share my strength with those who need it. Whether you know me or those who are influenced by me, today or tomorrow, I make a difference… because I can.”

This is something that we can all be proud of.

By Darin Arrasmith

R Y L A C o m m e n t s f r o m Facebook (unedited)at ryla i cried, and i laughed more than in any weekend before. It gave me inspiration to follow my dreams, and tools to make them come true. And I met many diverse, inspiring, wonderful people. (that’s part of the letter to my rotary club) :)

ASB President and Interact President! Gotta thank RYLA for telling me to have goals and to go for them:D

Guuys I’ll be leaving the states pretty soon and I just wanted to thank again the people who organize ryla, and all of you, my ryla family, I’ll never forget you!

“My local Rotary Club recognized my a c t i on s and s e r v i c e t o t h e



Issue 2010-12 June 2011

Quick Fix For Senior Center Earns High Praise For Rotarians

Rotarians from the Rotary Club of China Lake did some tune up work in March to prepare

for the Rotarians at Work Day on April 30. Responding quickly to a need in the senior citizen population of our community several members gave up a Friday to fix a problem. The quick response to investigate and then correc t the problem brought the following letter to the local news media and the Club from the non-profit organization’s director: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Rotary Club of China Lake, their Community Service Committee and especially Mr. Wade Tallman for the great work that they do in support of our community and its organizations.

“Recently our agency discovered that our disaster evacuation plan had a weakness in that it forced us to transport wheelchair-bound clients over a patch of bare dirt between our rear patio and the gate to the front of the building which proves problematic for the safety of our clients, our staff and our volunteers. Based on prior conversations with Mr. Ta l lman , cha i rman o f the Rotary Club Community Service Committee, we made contact and asked i f they could ass i s t us in rectifying this problem. Within an hour of contact Wade was at our facility taking measurements and planning the project. Within a week after that he had a crew of Rotarians building forms and pouring concrete to create a sidewalk to connect the

two areas. This was an unbelievably fast response and great solution to a problem that otherwise might not have been solved by our agency in

this age of extremely tight budgets and meager resources.

“We live in a small and somewhat isolated community. This means that we, as a community, must rely upon ourselves to provide the support necessary to keep our nonprofit service agencies functioning for the benefit of all. The Rotary Club of China Lake, its members and Mr. Wade Talman demonstrate this commitment to our community in the finest possible manner.”

Barry A. LowryExecutive DirectorSenior Services of I.W.V.

In addition to the five Rotarians involved, an area college student seeking to learn more about Rotary in hope of applying for a Peace And Conflict Resolution Scholarship joined the work crew for the construction project.

On behalf of Rotary International, Bill Boyd, the President of the Rotary Club of Santa

Barbara Sunrise (RCSBS) awarded the official charter for the Bishop Garcia Diego High School Interact Club to Emily Duncan, President of the Interact Club. On March 16th Emily Duncan and teacher advisor, Dr. Brian Frazier, attended the Rotary Club breakfast meeting to receive this award.

Emily, a sophomore at Bishop Garcia Diego High School, has been involved with Interact club activities almost since its inception in 2010. A Rotarian friend of hers on Catalina Island encouraged her to get involved in Interact. This ‘new’ Club currently has 15 active members.

Dr. Frazier, Department Chair of

World Languages, at Bishop Garcia Diego High School, acts as their advisor and liaison to RC Santa Barbara Sunrise. He helps guide the students in choosing projects. Together, they look for projects that would “mean a lot to people and would help the people in our community”.

Interact Club Projects include making lunches for the local Rescue Mission and serving dinner there; tutoring children weekly at St. Vincent’s (Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul); and

Santa Barbara Interact Club Receives Charter



June 2011 Issue 2010-12

As the 2010-2011 Rotary year winds down, it is good to celebrate that which we all of you have been able to achieve this year through hard work, dedication and commitment to the principles of “Service Above Self ”. I asked you to feel “inspired” about being a Rotarian and by golly…you did exactly that! To say that I am proud is an understatement

In preparation for our journey together, the following training sessions were successfully conducted mostly by COO Vicki Arndt (RC Thousand Oaks) and district staff with creativity and thinking “outside the box”.

In the Beginning2009 January Mid-Terms – 62 PENs in attendance. A Mission and Objective statement developed by COO Vicki Arndt which can be made available for future Governors and/or Education Chairs.

In the Middle2009 September President Elects’ Retreat – Total attendance 112. 58 President Elects (most with partners) in attendance. New concepts tried and executed successfully in an environment of fun, fellowship and training. Thank you to Santa Ynez Valley Rotarians for opening their homes for housing and Sunday brunches, to SYV Union High School for providing meeting facility “free of charge”, to COO Vicki and all district staff for conducting fun-filled outstanding training sessions and for arranging a hands-on high visibility service project on Sunday. All done with reduction in registration fee with a budget surplus of $2400+!

Thank you Santa Ynez Valley Rotarians and Community!

2010 January Mid-Terms – Extremely high attendance (exact numbers unknown) by President Elects and district staff. Outstanding participation by all stakeholders (10 of 12 areas represented) in the Share Allocation Committee chaired by then DRFC Brenda Cressey. Great positive feedback received from the President Elects as to the training format and content which were set up to facilitate cumulative learning on topics of interest.

2010 February PETS – 98% of President Elects in attendance. 2 repeat President Elects not in attendance but trained at a Mini PETS on a later date. President Elects were uniformly pleased, felt inspired and trained by attending both the Plenary Sessions and “With Governor” training sessions. District 5240’s reception was the most “popular site” at LAX Marriott. EAG David Saint-Amand was in high demand due to his mango margarita recipe.

2010 March/April District Assemblies – 603 total attendance - record for the District. 427 in Oxnard and 176 in Bakersfield! District’s “Inspire” theme was introduced and a completely “thinking outside the box” approach to training was designed and implemented by the 2010-2011 District Assembly Committee Chairs (West) Evie Greene (RC Westlake Village Sunrise) and (East) Jinny Deangelis (RC China Lake).

Morning sessions were designed to inspire.The West Assembly morning sessions in Oxnard featured actor/humanitarian Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy fame) and our own Past RI Director Sam Greene (RC Westlake Village) as featured speakers. At Bakersfield the morning session featured District 5330’s DGN Steve Wallace who inspired attendees by telling us his daughter Cris Wallace’s “Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail for Polio” story.

Rotary International’s only corporate program of Eradication of Polio was featured prominently during the Assemblies with the presence of an Iron Lung - procurement and transportation made possible by President Elect Jim Lewis (RC Moorpark) and Matt Lallo (RC Thousand Oaks). The presence of the Iron Lung made the fight to eradicate Polio more real to all attendees…currently we are the 7th highest contributor to PolioPlus program for 2010-2011 and all clubs haven’t sent in their contributions yet!


Club and District Accomplishments for 2010-2011


Issue 2010-12 June 2011

Afternoon DelightThe afternoon classes included the usual cadre of sessions with 3 new except ions…

1. Membership-PR was a joint session taught by the Membership Chair Nick Frankle (RC Westlake Village Sunrise) and PR Chair David Saint-Amand (RC China Lake).

2. International Services class was taught jointly by our own IS Chair Loretta Butts (RC Atascadero) and District 5330 Steve Wallace (RC Lake Elsinore) - Thank you DGE Steve for making the long trek twice); and,

3. New Generations class was jointly taught by New Generations Chair Terry Schaeffer (RC Ventura) and Rotaractor Mitchum Owen (Conejo Valley).

Assemblies were ended with receptions at Rotarian homes! All-in-all, the 2010 District Assemblies were two of the highlights of our training programs in preparation for 2010-2011 Rotary year and even with no $3/member advance from previous year, the meetings were conducted with a budget surplus!

Bravo to one and all for this success…you have set the bar high!

The Future of Rotary Is In Your HandsMontreal – Total attendance 156. A high percentage of 2010-2011 Presidents and district staff attended the Montreal Convention and as in PETS, District 5240 Governors’ reception was attended by 250+ Rotarians, spouses and Rotarian visitors from other districts…must have been those killer mango margaritas!

Then we began to Inspire…It would be impossible for me to list all the accomplishments of District 5240 clubs in this year-end report. I am highlighting only a few events and collective accomplishments achieved by all of you that will reflect the joy and the pride that I feel in my heart for having had the opportunity to serve along side of you…

July 4th – introduction of DG Deepa’s Polio message wrapped car at the Santa Ynez Valley Independence Day celebrations. Events attended by Rotarians from our own as well as other districts (as far as Ohio). Much media hoopla and fun!

October’s Race to Eradicate Polio, the roving District Conference - Chaired by Stewart Fries (RC Solvang) had 1020 total attendees! Stewart (with lots of help from spouse Lynn and his committee) brought this incredible one and a half day party to Rotarians in every corner of the District. Everyone told us that it could not be done! And you raised $198,000+ for Polio Plus in the process. We completely exhausted RI President’s Representative General Secretary Ed Futa and our own PRID Sam Greene, neither one of whom had ever worked as hard as this District Conference. Our beloved Sam - not only did he serve as the General Secretary’s Aide for the event but he happily attended every session and then came down for a night cap with us after the Conference was over! What a trooper...Sam too helped us create the magic in 2010-2011!

The idea of this type of roving Conference was the buzz around Zones 25 & 26 and perhaps would be an idea for further development in the future around the Rotary world.

Again we set a very high bar for attendance for US District Conferences!

Membership and Public Relations:Rotary Recruitment - Most small clubs took their dwindling membership to heart, took it up as a challenge and revived their clubs with great growth while paying attention

Club and District Accomplishments for 2010-2011(Continued from Page 10)



June 2011 Issue 2010-12


to Retention. You will hear of some of their accomplishments at the Awards Ceremony on June 25th!

A handful of medium and large-sized clubs also had incredible achievements with membership growth making it the top priority for their own clubs.

36 clubs have achieved membership growth.

Rotary Extension (chartering of new clubs) - Rotary Clubs of Morro Bay and Los Osos, under the diligent guidance of 2010-2011 Club Extension Chair John Weiss chartered the first Eco Club in our District on June 23rd. Congratulations to Club Extension Chair John and President Mike Pond (RC Morro Bay) and President Dick Pacaoan (RC Los Osos).

The 2010-2011 Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Ojai West voted unanimously to sponsor the chartering of the second Eco Club. Provisional status and charter date have yet to be determined.

80% of you executed high-visibility hands-on community service projects with Rotarian-at-Work vests on, providing the much needed publicity our organization needs to spread the Rotary message and recruit and retain more “hands on deck” to heal a hurting planet.

EAG David Saint-Amand submitted a grant application for the coveted RI PR grant application and was awarded the same which allowed the purchase of “End Polio Now” and “You Are the Missing Link” magnetic signs for members to display on their cars.

Most clubs – large, medium and small had incredible number of print media articles covering their clubs’ community service events, Rotary sponsored parades and the Governor’s visits!

District Governor was ceremoniously “arrested and paraded in a mobile jail” throughout the town in Taft for unauthorized use of car decal! That too was PR!

Membership Seminars – One of the highest attendances for this District’s Membership Seminars. An excellent new approach was undertaken by 2010-2011 District Membership Chair Nick Frankle (RC Westlake Village Sunrise) and 2010-2011 Club Extension Chair John Weiss (RC Morro Bay Eco). John, along with a panel of newer (younger) members, discussed recruitment and what would make clubs attractive to Gen X and Gen Y while Nick concentrated on the topic of Retention, which is his passion. Outstanding reviews received for both seminar sessions.

Congratulations to the 2010-2011 Membership Team!

Community and Vocational Services – Too many wonderful projects to cover in this report. Governor was personally able to attend a few during the year and can personally attest to the fact that you mattered! You made a difference and you made me proud.

You assembled bikes for kids during the holidays, you provided shoes, coats, clothes for the needy, you took kids on shopping sprees during the holidays, you supported your local food banks, you cleaned local parks and beaches, you provided programs for the elderly, you sponsored parades and fireworks for major holidays, you developed a disaster response protocol for the district, you provided support for your community devastated by forrest fires, you held major fundraisers to support the humanitarian work of your clubs, you held Architectural Design Competition for high school students, you held 4-Way Essay competition…just to name a few. Please also see Community Service Chair DGN Frank Ortiz’s report!

Having shared the above, there is one program that I particularly want to highlight in this report and that the start up of a program to provide supportive services for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) sufferers, like the returning military veterans and other “first responders”. An outstanding committee to initiate this program was co-chaired by Rotarians



Issue 2010-12 June 2011


John Pryor (RC Bakersfield West) and Wendy Wayne (RC Bakersfield) from the Kern County, central valley area. Under their leadership and with the support of Assistant Governors, Group Reps and local club Presidents, this program was officially initiated on June 7, 2011. Achieving this was one of this Governor’s greatest dreams…thank you to the team who brought this about!

District 5240’s PTSD Program is an example of an outstanding Community Service Project achieved in 2010-2011!

International Services – District 5240 has always been a trend setter in the Rotary world in terms of the variety of humanitarian international projects we have undertaken to do to heal a hurting planet. 2010-2011 was no exception. Starting with the continuation of the 3-H Grant sponsored by seven clubs in our district to Group 11’s ideal cooperative approach to projects in India, Uganda, and Nigeria to providing wheel chairs to providing cataract surgeries to the installations of clean water wells and sanitation units to participation in yet another NID to the expenditure of $851,437 for Matching Grants...you made a difference around the planet.

The highlight of this year’s International Services was celebrated grandly by the execution of the most successful Poverty Conference, chaired by 2010-2011 Poverty Conference Chair Loretta Butts (RC Atascadero) - 420 total attendance…the highest to date for the district. The most outstanding feature of the Conference was the bringing of beneficiaries to be the keynotes speakers.

Loretta, you have set the bar higher than anyone ever thought possible…Bravo!

New Orleans Convention – 219 (number to be confirmed by RI) registrants from District 5240 -one of the top five registration numbers in the Rotary world!

Thank you Presidents and President Elects for getting people there!

The Rotary Foundation:Several great achievements in this area were accomplished this year! First, of course, was our fantastic, sold-out Foundation Gala featuring Rotary International President Ray Klinginsmith. Foundation Gala Chair PDG Brenda Cressey (RC Paso Robles) and her committee did an outstanding job setting up an event that was fun and “not boring” – following the Governor’s charge! Our district was established in 1918 and this was only the second time a sitting RI President had visited our district – the last was PRIP Charles C. Keller in 1987.

Second, you have all done a great job raising funds for PolioPlus program in 2010-2011. You have made use of the Governor’s automobile, you have done “Boliothon”, you have painted pinkies, and you have done 5K/10K runs…all in an effort to eradicate this dreadful disease. The district’s efforts in this regard were under the able leadership of President Elect James Lewis (RC Moorpark) and as of this writing (all contributions are not in yet) we were the 7th highest contributor in the Rotary world!

Bravo to Jim, his committee and all of you for making this one of your club’s top priority!

Third, the Governor was very surprised to find out this month that the Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise, under the able leadership of club President Leigh Nixon and Club Foundation Chair Augustus “Pat” Abruzzese, has attained the 100% Paul Harris Club status as of June 2011. This was an incredible achievement as this large club had also inducted 8+ new members this year!

Bravo and congratulations to Leigh, Pat and the RC of Simi Sunrise!

The Governor would like end this report by commenting on some other noteworthy achievements that were initiated in 2010-2011 that should be



June 2011 Issue 2010-12


of value in the future smooth operation of the district if further developed in subsequent years. These are…

Creation of the Chief Operating Officer positionThe use of the COO position along with a Board of Directors concept was initiated

in 2010-2011. Our district has close to 3700 “client members”. It is not possible for one person to provide the kind of service and support our Presidents and members need to make their clubs bigger, better and bolder! Of course the success of this new position was made possible by having Vicki Arndt serve as the incumbent. Governor Deepa could not have picked a better person to serve as the COO the first year of trial and it certainly showed us the possibility of the use of this model to benefit other districts! COO’s contributions and management of most areas of district’s routine operation allowed the Governor to assume the role of being a “cheerleader” for the district!

COO Vicki – I could not have done it without you!

Individual Personal Injury Coverage:At the request of many members this new personal injury protection was provided for each member and volunteer for the first time in the district.

History of the district developed and documented:With the help of PDG Cy Johnson (RC Westlake Village), other PDGs and scattered documents here and there the first draft of a more complete history of District 5240 was developed and documented in 2010-2011. It is hoped that this document will be further developed in subsequent years and augmented with electronic personal interviews of all living PDGs and long time Rotarians from our district. Please see the history piece included in this newsletter

District 5240 has a rich Rotary history! Beginning the documentation of that history was also an achievement in 2010-2011!

A Draft Strategic Plan Developed:A strategic plan outline for the district was drafted in 2010-2011 and distributed to the Council of Governors. A copy of the draft is included in this newsletter for your perusal and discussion with your club and district leaderships

OCIW Governor’s Demotion Party and Club Awards Ceremony Held:I think someone other than Vicki and I should write a brief synopsis of the event. Very well done…hilarious demotion and awards ceremony well received. Few comments already received attached…

From PDG Brenda Cressey:

Good morning dear ladies and sweet gent:

My goodness - what can I say!!! Last night was such a very special and fun evening! How can anyone thank your many accomplishments last year! You really held up your end with flying colors and especially lived up to the “REAL” Inspire theme. Great job and special thanks for all you do and will continue to do.

Sincere congratulations to you Vicki on your well deserved recognition last evening as Rotarian-of-the-Year! Deepa you made the one and only choice with this call and it was a perfect one!

Dick, you made me cry – what nice things you said about our dear Deepa. I have to say that it was absolutely wonderful seeing you have such a great time last night and hearing you laugh so hard!!!

Love and hugs to you all! Yes, this being the 7th day you may now enjoy this day and REST!Brenda



Issue 2010-12 June 2011

Editor Note: This is an excerpt from Vicki Arndt’s thoughts and experiences during her past visit to Kolkata, which was published in her Rotary Club Thousand Oaks newsletter as “Past President Visits India: This is Rotary.”

February 28, 2011

I’m in the airport waiting for my flight to Bagdograi. This is such an adventure! I’m half way around

the world all by myself. Thankfully Indians are so friendly and hospitable. When I went through security I got into the men’s line - simply not thinking about it. A woman who spoke lovely English rescued me. Men and women security lines are separate and done the old fashioned way - one by one in a booth behind a dilapidated curtain each person is screened with a wand (Very different than the X-ray machine at LAX which created an image of my bones!). Jayanta made all my travel arrangements and gave me an Indian cell phone so in case I end up in jail, I can call him.

I have been reflecting on the activities of the past couple days. Having the opportunity to visit the 3H Grant site with the Rotary International representative was highly insightful. I witnessed first-hand the importance for these large grants of having proper local leadership working hand in hand with the Rotarians. I quietly observed the proceedings and was surprised, although I couldn’t

understand what was being said, I was able to pick up some important nuances just from communication styles and body language. Vikram, the 3H grant representative and I settled into a cup of tea and a private conversation after leaving the village. I was able to offer some insights which were right in line with his thoughts. Having one of the international partners on site for his visit was of tremendous benefit to us both.

I had the opportunity the other night to visit Maitrayee’s husband

Deb, the economist. Indian GDP growth will be around 8% this year. In 2008 during the height of our recession, it was 6%. That is in contrast to our

2.5% to 3% growth. Inflation is at about 8% mostly due to a dramatic increase in commodities prices. I asked him about pollution - what was the Indian government doing about it? The air in India is stifling - a pallid haze over everything. He said that when there are so many critical problems

(such as limited infrastructure, extreme poverty and lack of education), pollution can’t be the top priority. I understood what he was saying.

To purchase a nice two-bedroom flat in downtown Kolkata, it costs $500,000. A similar flat in Mumbai would cost $1,000,000. This just demonstrates the gross disparity between India’s wealthy and everyone else. The Rotarians here, as in most of the developing world, are people of means, education, and deep political connections. They are the movers and shakers, just like home but their wealth is more dramatic. Because of their status in society, it would be very easy for them to not care or put out any effort to work in such difficult circumstances, but they do. Someone from the Calcutta Metropolitan club is in the village at least once a week which can take up to 2 hours commute time each way. They secure medical attention for

the children, give advice on domestic and other issues, and handle legal problems all out of the goodness of their hearts and passionate commitment

This is Rotary


June 2011 Issue 2010-12

to making the world a better place. They are exporters, engineers, doctors, software and real estate developers. Their patience with the ignorance and limited thinking of the villagers is remarkable.

The other night when I went out to dinner with Vishnu and Jayanta, they told me that there is a high incident of diabetes in India. I asked about it, and they said that they and other wealthy Indians don’t have to lift a finger for anything. They are not physically active and love to eat! They have separate servants who cook, drive them, clean, wash dishes, do laundry, etc. They don’t water their lawns or do the grocery shopping or wash their cars. I asked if someone wanted to do things for himself, would it be looked down upon? They said no but if they didn’t employ all the servants, where would those people work? India has an immense unskilled labor population which is somewhat solved by utilizing these workers as domestic help.

I had a profound experience yesterday. I had never walked through the center of Piyali village, and I asked Jayanta if I could make the short walk to the train station. After reading Half the Sky, I wanted to see the place that has become one of the primary locations of human trafficking in the world. Nesar, Jayanta’s driver, walked with me through the village. The vibe was edgy, and without Nesar right beside me, I would have been completely afraid. As we were walking, a man came right up behind me and hit the back of my legs with his bicycle. He had a small child on his handlebars. He was thin and looked malnourished. He started yelling at us and I imagine he was

saying, “What the hell is the matter with you – why didn’t you get out of the way?””

No one was hurt. Nesar just looked face forward, steady, and we moved along. The young men were making comments, laughing and staring as we walked. We climbed the stairs to the railway platform, and I felt the complete desperation of this place. Looking up and down the platform, people were sitting under makeshift shelters right along the tracks. I imagine many people are killed each year by oncoming trains. I took a few photos and Nesar didn’t want me to linger so we left quickly walking back through the village – eyes forward. I didn’t snap any photos on the way back as I normally would have. I would have smiled, snapped a picture and shown the image to the people but the energy felt heavy, almost dangerous. In all the traveling I’ve done, I have never felt this way. As it turns out, an hour or so later, the earlier incident of violence I shared had occurred in the village. Later I asked Nesar (who doesn’t speak much English) if he had been scared, and he quietly said “Yes.” I think he was my angel.

We can’t give up. If we do, then there is no hope. Staking a claim in these little girls will change a generation. It is the only way and it really matters for our own children and grandchildren. It is daunting, but change never comes easily and change is what is required.

My friend Jayanta was undaunted. This morning at 6:30 he and Vikram were on their way back to the village to complete the site visit. I told him how special he is and how fortunate my club is to have such a dedicated partner.

Santa Barbara Interact Club Receives Charter(Continued from Page 9)

helping Campus Ministry with Project Santa that adopts nine local families each Christmas to provide presents and household goods. The Interact Club hopes to get one more project accomplished before the end of the school year and considered being a part of the Rotary At Work Day at Elings Park Rotary Centennial Picnic Area during April.

Emily hopes to increase membership in Interact at Bishop Diego before

she graduates and goes on to college. This Interact Club was established under the sponsorship of Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise. If you are interested in learning more about Interact or want to start an Interact Club at your local school, please email [email protected].

This is Rotary(Contnued from Page 15)


Issue 2010-12 June 2011

communi t y and sponso red me to attend RYLA, their leadership development camp. As you can ask any of the RYLA Alumni, it was truly a l i fe changing experience that taught us skills in leadership, public speaking, determination, and how to take the words “Service Above Self ”, and turn them into act ions to help other people in our world. Now I put the skil ls I learned from RYLA into practice e v e r y s i n g l e d a y.” - A s e c t i o n from an essay appl icat ion for a scholarship.. .Sweet, I just found out I fo r sure ge t to a t t end the CADA Leadership Camp @ UC Santa Ba rbe ra . Oh & I ’m ASB Secretary next year! :) Hazaaaah

Rockin my RYLA shirt today! !

w e a r e d o i n g d e b a t e s i n m y chemi s t r y c l a s s abou t nuc l e a r power and i know that RYLA is one of the reasons my debating is going so well- i get nervous but i use the energy and dont hold back at a l l - i ts l ike kick boxing with your words! =)

O h m y I w a s i n f o r m e d t h i s morning that I was going to be the announcer for a school ral ly today but hey no big deal thankss rylaa(;

So t oday, I me t a l l t h e ro t a r y members of Ventura East. Ha they were actually sum pretty awesome people :) I got to explain to them my experience at RYLA, and ofcoarse I said it was AMAZING.... I said how much i t rea l ly touched me emotionally, and how it changed my life forever. So yea.. . . . , good day :)

the morro bay RYLA kids gave a l itt le speech to our rotary clubs and principal about our time at RYLA and how inspirational it was and how we would do anything to go back : )We got a s tanding ovation! The public speaking class definitely helped with that. . . :)

Had a diversity session is sociology, but RYLAS was way better, it had more of a meaning to me

i love that people are still talking about RYLA!

Shanygne, TG, Ally, Alex, and I did our RYLA presentation at the sponsoring rotary club yesterday a n d i t w a s a w e s o m e ! ( : B r o c k couldn’t be there because he was swimming in the valley swim meet. Our interact club also raised $850 by doing a baked goods auction for the make a wish foundation to send a 4 year old boy with cancer on a Disney crui se ! Thank you to RYLA for teaching us how to become better leaders!

Hey RYLA Friends!(: guess what... I was elected Interact president! ! :D can’t wait for next year to put in practice everything I learned at Ryla(:

I dont know what i would have done if i didnt go to RYLA and meet all of you people. It just gets my hopes up every t ime i think about it . :)

So today a guy in a white work t r uck l e f t h i s i c e che s t on h i s tailgate and took a corner to fast when i was walking home. . . So his ice chest fe l l and stuff went everywhere!! i was tired and wanted to keep walking but... despite my pride i went out and helped him. the guy was so amazed he said i cou ld t ake anyth ing out tha t i

wanted! lol i didn’t take anything i was just happy to help. RYLA; everyone does there part:)

I am proud to say I have positively impacted someone’s l i fe today.. .

added Jim Brogan to my list of most influential people on facebook.

Can I just say how much I love t h e q u o t e o n t h e b a c k o f o u r RYLA t - sh i r t ! Ser ious ly, i t ’s so inspiring when you take the time to process the entire statement. I feel empowered.

I a m r e a l l y m i s s i n g m y RY L A friends right now!

I miss my RYLA family, I come back home and look at some of my friends with disappointment : / I f ee l the need to he lp them u n d e r s t a n d t h a t o n e n e e d s t o support another. I look back and see what I learned in RYLA and s tepped up to surround myse l f with my true friends I know will be there to support me in my goals and future and how to make me a better person though l ife.

So, I gave my speeches this week. Wednesday to the Taft Rotarians a n d T h u r s d a y t o t h e T U H S Interact c lub. I think my voice might have been a l i t t le shakey on Wednesday, but without public speaking I don’t think I would’ve even been able to do it. I think of RYLA everyday and how greatful I am for getting to go! It’s changed my life for the better and I’m so excited for my future!

I miss everyone so bad and think of all the fun we all had while we were there.

RYLA Comments From Facebook(Continued from Page 8)



June 2011 Issue 2010-12

GO BROWN!!

Sp o k e a t t h e R o t a r y C l u b o f Moorpark meet ing today wi th 5 other RYLA attendees, wasn’t th e be s t sp e ake r bu t s t i l l h ad a great t ime showing everyone what RYLA had done for me :D

so i just got back from a ceramony. (for rotary) and im so glad to be a part of it and so glad i attended RYLA. got asked to attend PEARLS as well! :) hopefully i will be able to go! wonderful night tonight! and i would jus t l ike to thank everyone who helped me grow! thank you so much

I’m going to find out how to get back to RYLA, even if it kills me!

Pa t r i c k & I w e r e w a t c h i n g a school play today & cheered at absolutely everrrrrrrything, RYLA taught us to do that. : l

I could real ly use a RYLA group hug right now /:

Went to ojai today for a game.. . Made me miss RYLA and al l the friends I made...RYLA 2011 was the best

Ah 12 :21 am. Ju ly 3 rd , 2011 . School is out and as i review al l o f the awesome pic tures taken by RYL A f ami l y. I t make s me miss what we had there. I try to review notes as much as possible. But i jus t miss the fee l ing you know? I would give anything to go back. :\ But i have been trying really hard to stay in contact with everyone.

RYLA Comments From Facebook(Continued from Page 17)

From PDG Sally Adelblue

Good Morning Deepa

Wonderful Awards Banquet. You should be very happy with the Event! It was well run, I think everyone was happily surprised with the awards and had a great time. The dinner was great! You did a fabulous job speaking from your heart.

Hopefully you have a little break before your trip to Evanston.

Sally


More New Generations(Continued from Page 6)

We have seven act ive Rotaract Clubs within the District. Three (3) are university based within Cal Lutheran University (Thousand Oa k s ) , C S U C h a n n e l I s l a n d s (Ventura ) , and Ca l Po ly Sta te Univers i ty (San Luis Obispo) . Four (4) other Rotaract clubs in the District are community based: at Conejo Valley, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. A majority of these Clubs are strong and very active within their respective communities and have cooperated with each other on a number of projects and social events. Several International projects have been nurtured through the Rotaract clubs, and a few Rotaract clubs have dovetailed projects with their sponsoring Rotary Clubs.

In February, six (6) Rotaractors from Ventura participated in the National Immunization Day (NID) in India, led by Past District Governor Anil Garg (2008-09). They met up with District Governor Deepa along the way. These Rotaractors were sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ventura, contributing $6,000 to help offset their costs.

Future Rotaract ClubsWe have three (3) Rotaract Clubs in the works: Santa Paula-Fillmore, Moorpark, and Bakersfield. The Santa Paula-Fillmore Club is the furthest along to become chartered. They are being sponsored by the leading Rotary Club of Santa Paula, along with the support of two (2) Fillmore Rotary Clubs. It may be another few weeks before that is accomplished.

The Moorpa rk C lub i s b e ing sponsored by the Rotary Club of Moorpark and the Rotary Club of Moorpark Morning. Their Rotaract club is just lifting off and is in its initial recruitment phase. Moorpark Rotaract along with the Bakersfield Rotaract may not be chartered until Fall, but at least we have them in the pipeline.

Thank you to the Rotary Clubs of Santa Paula, Fillmore, Moorpark, and Bakersfield for your good work furthering New Generations.

CSU CAL POLY SLO ROTARACT

Documents

Issue 2010-12Issue 2010-12 June 2011 and he put all five of his children through college. Now, tell me again what it is that you can’t do.” Rotary Chooses the Ambassadorial Scholar