The
Highlighter
May 2010
Vol 83 No 11
Table of Contents
Governor's Message
Tom Novotny
As
you know, our year together is rapidly approaching its end. Robin
and I wanted to take a moment to THANK YOU for the most incredible
and unselfish experience you have given us. Never in our wildest
dreams would we have had a notion of the experience we were to have!
You all opened your hearts, homes, clubs, and communities to us on
our visits. Every club participates in different and incredible projects
in your communities and around the world. It was with great pride you
shared these with us. I want you to know how proud we were to observe and
learn about them.
Although we were never concerned about the future of our clubs, the
visits demonstrated how strong and independent you all are. With
thought, I have asked the 'G String' to share their thoughts with you. I
do this to show you just how strong and great our District leadership is
and will be. After reading about Roger, Doug, and Sylvia, you too will
agree that the future of our Rotary District is in great hands!
Roger Schulte
Building Communities - Bridging Continents speaks for
itself. RI President
In 1978 I joined Rotary as a member of the Rotary Club of Upland. What drew me to Rotary over other service clubs was its involvement both in the community and in the world. As members, we got our hands dirty back then, potting saplings to distribute to third graders, installing bus benches in the hard rocky soil around town, holding health fairs for the poor and seniors who lined up hours before we opened the doors, and planting a heritage citrus grove in a city park (which has since been sold off for a housing tract.)
As a school principal and someone who was passionate about peace initiatives, I was also drawn to Rotary because of its presence in the world. Ambassadorial Scholarships were a critical program that caught my interest. I was also amazed at the trailer loads of goods Upland Rotarians distributed each year to an orphanage in Caborca, our sister city in Mexico. Through Rotary I had found a service club that put into action programs that brought about international understanding and good will through both service and education.
In 2010-11 we will build communities through leadership programs for our youth through Interact, RYLA, and TLC. We will re-energize entrepreneurship education by working closely with additional school districts. And ideally 62 Rotary clubs will carry out hands-on projects in their communities on Rotarian-at-Work Day, April 30, 2011.
District Rotarians will also bridge continents in new ways during
2010-11. We will sponsor our own trip to
Rotaplast is a go! Because of the recent outpouring of support for
Rotaplast during our District Assembly, our clubs will send 24 medical
and support staff to
We will sponsor a month long vocational/cultural exchange of young
professionals with District 2450 which includes in its eight country
area,
Finally, our annual Peace Conference will focus on
Building Communities – Bridging Continents. That is Rotary.
Doug Fowler
I can certainly attest that “Rotary Moments” instill a sense in your
heart that Rotary is an organization that not only changes the lives of
others, but will change your own life. I was challenged by a past
president of my club, the Rotary Club of Apple Valley, to travel to a
town in 
A
couple of us visited with local Rotarians and the volunteer fire
department that had only a 1952 fire truck. They need a bigger truck
because the old truck was unable to reach the second story of many
buildings in the town of
After several internet searches I found my very own fire chief in
Apple Valley looking to get rid of 3 fire trucks that were no longer
able to comply with current codes. We were able to bring in the other
Rotary Clubs in the
Sylvia Whitlock
In 1982, the superintendent of schools in
I was elected president of my club in 1987 and was asked by Taro Kawa
to chair the
The metamorphosis from member of Rotary to Rotarian progressed as I
attended, first, – district conferences and then international
conferences. The scope of Rotary’s influence and commitment was
astounding! The astuteness of members who can see the possibilities of
solving even the most challenging problems is impressive! I have
served the district also as member of the budget committee, chair of
Simplified Grants committee, presenter at the Peace Conference,
assistant governor and ambassador without portfolio, as I have talked to
countless clubs here in these United States, and overseas about “Women
in Rotary”. I have tried to represent Rotary with integrity and purpose.
I travel frequently and always include Rotary meetings in my agenda,
from
My experience in Rotary has been mentored by many distinguished Past District Governors who have always included me in events that contributed to my knowledge of Rotary and helped me to set and accomplish goals. The past few months have taught me there is much yet to learn. As I contemplate the form that I hope my time as governor will take, I know that I can count on the tremendous help of a committed membership whose watchword is “service.”
Make sure you sign-up for and attend the District Conference June 10-13 at Green Valley Ranch Resort.
May 8
District Awards Submission Deadline
Las Vegas Northwest's Garage Sale Fundraiser
May 8-15
The 6th Rotarian Week of Ibla Baroque
May 14
May 15
Pasadena's "Gala Like No Other"
May 15-16
Foothill Communities New Generations Electronic Waste Collection
May 22
May 28-29
Boulder City's Best Dam Barbeque Challenge
June 4-5
Pahrump Valley's Benefit Golf Tournament
June 10-13
District Conference
Green Valley Ranch Resort
June 15
Industry Hills Annual Golfer/Hacker Charity Tournament
June 21
June 26
Laughlin's Chuck Winn Memorial Charity Golf Classic
July 4
Las Vegas West's It’s Vegas, Baby Contest
July 9-12
In Memoriam
Past District Governor
Eldon Osborn
1973 and 1974
Is World Peace Possible?
Past
District Governor Dr. Garbis Der-Yeghian is to receive the inaugural
“Peacemaker of the Year” award.
The 15th Annual Rotary International District 5300 Peace Conference
will take place on Saturday, May 22, 2010, from 9:00 A.M. - 2:30 P.M.
This year’s conference will be held at the beautiful Meetings House of
Hillcrest Homes,
This year’s theme topics include the roles of: the Family; Youth; Faith, Ethics, and Values; Education; Economic Democracy; Political Structures; and Rotary International in promoting global peace. The following prominent speakers will highlight the conference: Rev. Jerry Ferguson, Los Angeles District Superintendent, Church of the Nazarene; Rabbi Steven Jacobs, President, Progressive Faith Foundation; Dr. Nancy Erbe, Professor of Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peace-Building, California State University, Dominguez Hills; Dr. Aziz Said, Professor and Director, Center for Peace, American University; Mr. Mark Chenian, International Financial Analyst, and Ms. Amanda Zeidan, Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar.
Rotary International Director-Elect Ken Boyd will serve as the luncheon speaker. District Governor Tom Novotny will welcome the conference attendees.
Dr. Garbis Der-Yeghian Past District Governor of Rotary International, Past President of the American Armenian International College at the University of La Verne and currently President of Mashdots College and professor of International Relations and organizational leadership in Glendale, California, will serve as Conference Chair and Moderator. Dr. Der-Yeghian has founded and chaired all 14 Rotary International Peace Conferences. He will be honored as the inaugural recipient of the District’s “Peacemaker of the Year” during the luncheon.
For Admission/luncheon ($30.00 per person) reservations and further information, including conference sponsorship opportunities, please contact Fred Sohl, (626) 441-4531. Conference admission for Hillcrest Home residents and high school students is free with pre-registration.
Rancho
The news of the devastation of
As expected, Rancho del Chino Rotarians felt the Haitians’ pain and
knew they had to do something to help. Rotarian Angela Turner sent out
the first email to club members urging them to take up the cause and
focus on helping
The club opted to go with the purchase of shelter boxes to provide
some type of immediate relief as there were more than 250,000 homes that
were destroyed. Shelter
Rotarian Fruto knew that students from Polynesian Club of Ayala High
School in Chino Hills also wanted to help
Altogether, the club raised $6000 which enabled the purchase of five shelter boxes plus additional supplies.
“By purchasing the shelter boxes, we were able to put relief directly into the hands of those people who need it most,” said Peter Rogers, past president. “The outside donations were greatly appreciated and we are proud of the student contributions as it shows they are humanitarians and world-conscious at an early age.”
Rotary Club of
The
Rotary Club of South Pasadena has an ongoing relationship with the
When the new building where the Center is located was opened in 2008,
space was provided for a library, but no additional funding was made to
stock the library. It is estimated that 200-250 students from grades
K-12 come to the
Earlier this year, our club received a matching Lefler Grant from
District 5300 to provide high-quality reading materials for young people
using the
Our plan is to affix a label to each book indicating that it was
donated by the Rotary Club of South Pasadena. These books will be placed
in a special section of the
For further information about the Rotary Club of South Pasadena, or to contact us, go to www.southpasadenarotary.com.
The
Montebello Rotary Club recognized three Macy Intermediate students for
their winning entries in the school’s United States Constitution poster
contest.
In 2005, Congress mandated that all “educational institutions that receive federal funds for the fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the Constitution on September 17.”
The educators at Macy took this one step further by making Constitution awareness an on-going, year-round program involving every student and every teacher.
“Each year for the poster contest, we have our students focus on a different area of the Constitution, for example, the Bill of Rights or the executive branch,” said history teacher Helen Ligh. “The focus for 2009 was the judicial branch.”
Students were asked to design and then create a handmade poster showing how Americans benefit from the freedoms outlined in the Constitution using colored pencils, markers, paints or crayons. Macy teachers, along with members of the school’s PTA, then judged the posters and selected the top three winners.
Alice Hsu (1st place), Kenny Oshima (2nd place) and Victoria Wang (3rd place) then visited the club where they displayed and described their posters for club members.
Each vibrant poster was divided into sub-topics of the overall theme, and each block featured artwork along with a narrative of what the topic means to the individual student.
“We are delighted to support this program at Macy that allows students the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the United States Constitution and how that translates into freedom for all,” said Rotary President Martin Castro. “We want to thank Past-President Ann Rich for bringing this program to the club’s attention.”
Macy Principal Sterling Schubert thanked the members for their support of the program calling Rotary “an amazing organization for its support of local education.”
Castro then presented each student with a monetary award on behalf of the club for their winning entries.
“The Rotary Club of Montebello has a rich history of supporting our youth,” said Castro. “This is another example of our club’s commitment to those who represent the future leaders of our community.”
Education Grants to South Pasadena Schools
The
Rotary Club of South Pasadena presented its 2010 Education Grants to
local schools at its April 13 meeting. The grants of up to $500 each
were used for hands-on science materials, a classroom computer, a
tutoring program, and a science-themed overnight field trip to Catalina.
From left: Education Grants Chair Julie Griffith; Student Blair Newman,
South Pasadena Middle School; Teacher Robb Anderson, El Sereno Middle
School; Student Logan Wong, South Pasadena Middle School; Teacher Laura
Siebenthal, El Sereno Middle School; Teacher Joanne Daw, The Almansor
Academy; Guidance Counselor Traci Ishimaru, South Pasadena Middle
School; Teacher Laura Thackery, Monterey Hills Elementary School; and
Rotary Club President Sara Munshin. (Not shown: Teacher Dawn Tull,
Polio Freeze
On Saturday, March 27, 2010, nearly 500 Rotarians, their families,
and friends from as far away as the San Fernando Valley, gathered to
join District 5300 Clubs for the very successful 2nd Annual “Put Polio
On Ice” Event.
Dedicated supporters gathered to enjoy fun, fellowship and a very
exciting Ontario Reign Hockey game. With less than 10 seconds to
go and 150 feet between Reign player and net, the Ontario Reign
controlled their own destiny, literally, as they successfully placed a
long-shot into the empty net for the final 4-2 victory over the Alaska
Aces.
Speaking of victories, for the first time this year, we invited
non-hockey fans and others who might be too far away to join us, to
continue their support by purchasing a “Donor Ticket”. Purchase they
did! We were so excited to invite 50 needy children and their chaperones
to a fantastic night of food and hockey. Through the generosity of
the private donors and discounts* by the concessioner, a hot dog and
soda was provided free of charge for every child.
An additional victory was enjoyed by one lucky seat holder when the
announced crowd of 9,644 attendees supported Rotary’s Polio Eradication
with their participation in a 50/50 drawing. More than $3700 was
divided equally between the lucky seat holder and Rotary’s $200 Million
Dollar Challenge. Further proceeds were generated by a Chuck-A-Puck”
competition held during the game. Enthusiastic children and adults
alike generated additional funds for the cause as they tossed $1.00
(foam) Hockey Pucks onto the ice for fun and prizes. All together
the extra curricular activities earned over $2200.00 from just these two
fund raising activities.
While the audit is on-going, this year's “Polio On Ice” may net over
$6,400 for District 5300 and its clubs.
A very special Thank You to Citizen’s Business Bank Arena, Steve
Eckerson, Levy Restaurants, Paul Fox, PDG Roger McConegal, President Mel
Powell, Art Zanini, PPCC Shab El Awar, Evan Flagg, Los Angeles 5 Rtns,
Victor Casarez, Bob Reddick and ALL participating District 5300 Clubs!
Homeboy Industries Founder Visits
Arcadia
Rotarians heard a powerful message of inspiration and hope when Father
Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries visited the club last week.
With its mission statement of “Jobs not Jails,” Homeboy Industries
“assists at-risk and formerly gang-involved youth to become positive and
contributing members of society through job placement, training and
education.”
Founded by Boyle as “Jobs for a Future” in 1988 while he was pastor
of Dolores Mission in
“With the addition of a small bakery in a run-down warehouse located across the street from the mission, we had our own business where we could hire the most challenging and difficult to place young people in a safe environment,” said Boyle. “The hope was while there they would learn job skills that would make them better candidates for permanent employment.”
As time went on, Boyle founded several other businesses to help employ at-risk youth including Homeboy Silkscreen, Homeboy Maintenance, Homeboy Merchandise and Homegirl Cafe, collectively known today as Homeboy Industries.
According to Boyle, in only a few years, “Homeboy Industries has had
an important impact on the
“Thousands of young people have come to Homeboy Industries looking
for a second chance, and finding community,” he said. “Gang
affiliations are left outside as these young people work together, side
by side, learning the mutual respect that comes from shared tasks and
challenges.”
Boyle told the Rotarians a common experience at Homeboy Industries is “Homies” working together who consider themselves enemies.
“One would say, ‘I’ll work with him, but I’m not going to talk to him,’” said Boyle. “Later, they find it impossible to work together without talking to each other.”
Boyle told club members from his experience the problem in
“No hopeful kid ever joins a gang. When a kid joins a gang, they are always fleeing from something,” he said. “Thus the purpose of Homeboy Industries is not so much for kids that need help as it is for those who want it. And of those that work it, there’s 100% success.”
He then went on to share the many success stories he has witnessed over the years.
“And I have even learned from them as well,” said Boyle, citing the art of text messaging.
“Father Greg is one of the most remarkable men of our time! He
crosses so many boundaries and achieves so much good in areas that
others would never go,” said Rotarian Eric Barter. “Getting
thousands out of gangs and into real lives where they don’t die!
He lives this everyday!
Boyle
received an extended standing ovation from members at the conclusion of
his remarks and was presented a Rotary-themed ceramic bank on behalf of
the club by president Imy Dulake.
“Our club is very honored to have you here today,” she said. “The work you do and the many lives you change is truly inspirational.”
Proceeds from Boyle’s book, “Tattoos of the Heart,” are used to help keep Homeboy Industries operational.
New Gen Club Name “Best Team”
The
Foothill Communities New Generations Rotary Club received an award from
the
This is a great example of how Rotary Clubs can act “outside of the wheel” to find new and worthwhile ways of helping their communities. Many other organizations have fantastic service opportunities and Rotary Clubs should be seeking those opportunities out. The FC New Gen Club, using the infrastructure and resources of Rotary, has put on fund raisers and recruited volunteers for other local non-profits. We, as Rotarians, can use our 105 years of experience to help other younger, less experienced non-profits help our communities. It’s up to us—ROTARIANS—to find those non-profits and lend a hand!
Robert Novell Cited
District Governor Tom Novotny presented Robert (Bob) Novell with the
Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service at the 2010 District
Assembly.
The Citation for Meritorious Service may not be awarded to more than one Rotarian in any district each year, and fewer than 200 Rotarians are honored each year worldwide. The award is for outstanding service and not for any monetary contributions (for which the Foundation has other means of recognition).
Congratulation, Robert Novell, for demonstrating “Service above Self.”
Club Awards Submission Deadline – May 8.
Click links for more information.
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Awards Checklist (submit form on-line to Awards Committee)
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Project Activity Form (submit form on-line to Awards Committee)
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Club Newsletter/Bulletin Awards:
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Club Website Awards - Rules
For Sergeants at Arms
What was Chris Montan talking about when she said,”I was of the opinion that the Council best serves Rotary by focusing on policy and leaving the operating decisions to the Board of Directors"? Click here to find out.
