The Highlighter
July 2011
Vol 85 No 1
Table of Contents
Governor's Message
Doug Fowler
Greetings
District 5300
The International Assembly started a
couple of days early for Deborah and me. We attended the Million
Dollar Dinner in Ontario on Friday evening, January 14, and had the
honor of driving RIP Ray Klinginsmith to San Diego. That two hour drive
went better than I had anticipated. We found President Ray to be very
kind, gentle, thoughtful, entertaining, articulate, and humble. I asked
where his next trip would be after the Assembly since he had spent quite
a bit of time on the West Coast. He said he was going to South Africa to
try to meet with South African President Nelson Mandela, but Mandela
does not want to meet with him. He knows what Klinginsmith wants to
discuss (POLIO). I asked if the recent events in Bangkok would result in
moving the International Convention in 2012. His response was a simple,
“If the king lives we won’t have a problem. If the king dies we
may see a problem.”We did get him to the hotel safely in spite of
Deborah’s concern about having an accident with the RI President in tow.
When we checked in Sunday morning, we were able to unpack the trunk
full of clothes for the week. We were prepared for anything and
everything, even though the dress code was business dress. The
excitement built throughout the evening as the District Governors Elect
from around the world checked in to the hotel. Monday’s first
general session was of course the big event. Rotary International
President Elect (RIPE) Kalyan Banerjee provided his 2011-2012 Theme, but
before the announcement, he asked us all to look within ourselves to
understand that everyone has the same dreams and similar problems
throughout the world. Peace begins with us, then our families,
then our communities. His first emphasis is therefore To Strengthen Our
Family, followed by Continue What We Do Best, then Change Whatever Needs
to Be Changed. The participants provided a very enthusiastic response
when he announced his theme as: REACH WITHIN TO EMBRACE HUMANITY.
Since this is my first monthly newsletter, what better time to share the RI Theme and my vision for 2011-2012. I will be seeking to:
Highlight the 2011-2012 International Theme of "Reach Within to Embrace Humanity" consistently throughout the year.
Enhance public image & awareness through the District PR Committee in conjunction with encouraging each club to designate a PR Officer.
Improve lives in our communities and worldwide by challenging clubs to partner with other District clubs for joint projects.
Embrace humanity with a District International Project with the Wheelchair Foundation in Hermosillo, Mexico, during the spring of 2012. This location is ideal for District Rotarians to participate in this hands-on project.
Encourage our District Foundation to make reports of matching grant projects more readily available through the District Newsletter and Quick Notes.
Create a transition team as we approach Future Vision.
Encourage diversity in clubs, projects, and district committees.
Focus on retaining members, encourage membership growth, and encourage clubs to be innovative in everything they do.
Encourage every club to contribute to the Rotary Foundation and set club goals for EREY or 100% Paul Harris Fellows.
Promote the District Conference at Lake Arrowhead Resort May 31, June
1-3, 2012 with a theme and FUN.
July 4
Victor Valley Sunrise Host's the Beer Garden
July 23
Ontario's Guns and Hoses Car Show
August 13
Upland's Concerts Under the Stars
October 9
Centennial Hills 3rd Annual Charity Golf Tournament
District Conference Photos
Cowboy Logic
Always take a good look at what you’re about to eat. It’s not so important
to know what it is, but you should know what it was.
Red meat is NOT bad for you. Blue-green meat, now that's
bad for you!
Next month's theme
Membership & Extension
Click here for publishing guidelines.
[Editor's Note] We would like to have participation and contributions from members of your Interact Clubs. Please encourage them to contribute to The Highlighter. Interactors can receive The Highlighter by sending their names, club names, and email addresses to highlighter@district5300.org.
City of Champions
On
behalf of the San Gabriel Rotarians who attended this year’s District
Conference, we want to thank Shirley Pozzuoli and all of the
Conference’s Committee Members for a wonderful District Conference. From
online conference registration, to conference activities, to check-out, we
all were well-received and welcomed.
As for the
District Conference, San Gabriel Rotarians were especially excited about
the Dan Stover Memorial Music Scholarship Finals. Once again, San
Gabriel had a contestant in the District’s finals: Sally Lin.
Miss Lin graduated from Gabrielino High School, in the city of
San Gabriel, just days before her recital at the Conference. But,
as in San Gabriel fashion, she performed eloquently playing Enrique
Granados’ “The Nightingale and the Maiden” with precision.
This year, the Dan Stover Memorial Music Scholarship brought
together four wonderful and talented young musicians. After each
contestant finished their recital, there was no clear frontrunner; each
played equally well. The decision was now in the judges’
hands.
After several painstaking minutes passed, the
judges reentered the ballroom with their decision. The judges
declared Sally Lin the winner of the 2011 Dan Stover Memorial Music
Scholarship. Ms. Lin received $5,000 for her efforts and joins a
list of Dan Stover winners from San Gabriel (Bohan Sung – 2008 and Jeff
Li – 2009).
Thank you District Governor Roger Schulte
for a wonderful year, and San Gabriel looks forward to working with
incoming District Governor Doug Fowler in 2011-12.
Las Vegas Fremont Dedicates Reading
Room at Agassi
On
Wednesday, we completed the dedication of the new Las Vegas Fremont
Rotary Reading Room inside the Agassi Boys & Girls Club. We were
surrounded by a significant number of Rotarians, spouses, partners,
children and friends, not to mention the great Agassi kids.
The room has been freshly painted, carpeted and furnished with the tables and colorful chairs purchased by our Club through this year's fund-raising efforts. Bulletin boards will be updated by our Club throughout the seasons, to share the story of Rotary and other things we feel are noteworthy and inspirational for the kids, plus a 30" Rotary Wheel is proudly displayed on the wall.
Special thanks to Las
Vegas author, Deborah Coonts, District 5300 Matching Grants and everyone
who made this project possible through donations of time and
dollars. Hundreds of new books collected throughout the year, from
our speaker's gifts and President Linda's annual holiday party/book
drive, will be lining the walls. This will be a "Quiet Zone," as
FOX Channel 5 referred to it, for the kids to escape into the world of
reading, from the old classics to the newer, trendier stories they love
today. Congratulations Fremont Rotarians for giving the gift that
will last for generations to come!
JOBS! Why
Rotarians May Be Best At Stimulating Job Creation.
JOBS. That’s what all politicians are promising
these days. And the media are all analyzing what should be done to
reduce unemployment. Maybe you have kids or grandkids or neighbors
who are faced with the need for a job. There are 18-million unemployed
or underemployed. And there’s a need for another 1.56-million jobs
for New Generation youth due to the growth in population each year.
Have you ever thought that Rotary could become an important key
to meet this need? Or at least a part of the need, both in our
communities and around the World? After all, we are a very large
and business-savvy organization. And we know a lot about leadership, or
we should.
The
photo here portrays a combination of people that are the heart of a new
Rotary Vocational Service program that is focused on job creation: Peggy
Beauregard (Sierra Madre), a trainer of teachers, Courtney Rushing ( San
Marino High School) , an instructor who teaches entrepreneurship and how
to write Business Plans, her student Tro Missaelian, who has just won
1st place for his business plan – Sterling Daydreams – in the 1st
District 5300 Business Plan Competition, Isaac Hung, (San Marino), a
Rotarian who led the selection of their entry, and myself as coordinator
of the new district competition. Courtney spoke and said how
pleased she was to have her school in this competition and that they
‘would definitely be back next year with more competitors.’And Isaac
confirmed his club’s support of her.
That combination of
trainers, schools, entrepreneurship instructor, students, and Rotarians
representing their clubs, is what we are hoping to replicate throughout
District 5300 and beyond.
Will jobs be created?
We are proceeding on the basis of Swedish surveys on results of Job
Creation 10 years after high school instruction in entrepreneurship. One
in 5 actually started a business and hired on average 4 others,
effectively creating 5 jobs for every 5 taught. Parents may form
businesses with sons and daughters, as I did when my son graduated from
USC with knowledge in a new field I didn’t have.
If you’ve wondered about a way for you and your fellow Rotarians to
‘share forward’ to New Generations youth your vocational and managerial
skills and experience to help in creating JOBS, why not explore how to
get involved? This summer is a good time to approach your schools
to start in the Fall. For information and help, contact me at
ray@rotapreneur.com, Tel.
1-800-448-3456.
2010-2011 Rotarian of the Year
The Rotarian of the
Year Award provides the Las Vegas Fremont Club with an opportunity to
publicly recognize one of its members who illustrates the ideals of the
Rotary Four-Way Test, exhibits a true spirit of volunteerism, and
demonstrates community leadership through participation in Rotary
leadership, recruitment, and Club activities. Our recipient this
year exemplifies the qualities of a great Rotarian through RI's theme of
"Building Communities-Bridging Continents."
Roger
Tabor, a native Las Vegan, has been a member of Rotary since 1988,
serving as President of both the North Las Vegas Club in 89-90 and the
Las Vegas Fremont Club in 02-03. Roger and his wife, Amy, have
opened their home for many Rotary occasions, from hosting foreign judges
to our Holiday parties. He is active in his community with golf
tournaments to support the Nevada Association of the Handicapped, now
Easter Seals, as well as park clean ups, which garnered him the Las
Vegas Citizen of the Month honor. His dedication to the kids of Las
Vegas and his love for soccer were the catalysts that led to the
creation of the Las Vegas Mayors Cup International Soccer Tournament
held each year on President's weekend in Las Vegas. From a simple
Club make-up in Mexico and Las Vegas Fremont Club's hosting of a few
teams from Rosarito Beach area, this event has grown to over 300 teams
with thousands of kids from around the world and US. This event
also brings in nearly $6,000,000 in revenue to our City each year.
Roger has been a huge part of the Las Vegas Fremont Club's growth,
personally responsible for 5 active members in our Club, who in turn
have brought in 8 more currently active members. He also started
the meeting captain assignments as a way for each member to personally
reach out to others and encourage them to attend each week. His
commitment to Rotary was further evident at the District 5300 Conference
in 2010 when he co-sponsored keynote speaker John O'Leary. Roger and
his family have travelled around the world and he rarely misses visiting
a Club for a make-up meeting, which would account for many of the
banners showcased each week at our meetings.
Surrounded
by his family and friends, Roger Tabor was incredibly surprised and
honored as we presented a slide show of his life and accomplishments.
Many thanks to his wife, Amy, for providing much of the material.
Amy read an extraordinary letter from John O'Leary, who also
acknowledged Roger's "Service above Self" to his family, community and
Rotary. In recognition of Roger's service to Rotary, the Board of
Directors voted to complete Roger's next level of Paul Harris, which he
asked to be given, appropriately, in Amy Tabor's name. Thank you
to Roger AND Amy for your continued service and support to Rotary and
Las Vegas.
"Do all the good you can, by all the means
you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the
times you can, To everyone you can."
- Ancient
Advice
Membership Drive
Social in Pasadena
On Wednesday, June 22nd,the Pasadena After Hours Rotary Club held its
membership drive social at Villa Sorriso in Old Town Pasadena. More than
40 potential new members that were identified within the Pasadena
community by current members were invited for an evening of food,
drinks, fellowship, and learning about the ideal of Rotary and distinct
features of our club. The Pasadena After Hours Rotary Club prides itself
on being a work club. While a small club, Pasadena After Hours aims to
do hands on projects in the Pasadena community. The program for the
evening's event included current members speaking to their own
experience as Rotarians, as well as members at the district level
speaking on Rotary's far-reaching connections and sense of global
community.
Conference
After-Thoughts
by
PDG Roger Schulte
The 2010-11
District Conference left attendees with many memories. Thanks to the
conference committee members, participants enjoyed a weekend of fun and
fellowship. Presidents, Rotarians-of-the-Year, clubs, and district
leaders were honored for their service. This conference in La Jolla will
be remembered for:
A Lobsterfest at the beach! Yes, thanks to the Upland Rotary Club.
A hands-service project at Ronald McDonald House! Yes, thanks to Clive Houston-Brown.
A round of golf at the well-manicured Morgan Run Country Club! Yes, thanks to PDG Ernie Jensen.
A feast for the Tarnish Brass! Yes, thanks to Marci and Jerry Smith.
A pre-conference Leadership Seminar! Yes, thanks to PDG Gene Hernandez.
A yearbook featuring clubs' activities for 2010-11! Yes, thanks to Rebecca Weaver.
A billiards tournament for those who played hooky during the plenary sessions! Yes, thanks to Cal Magro. [$220 was raised for PolioPlus.]
An ice cream social instead of another plenary session! Yes, thanks to Jeri Bonus, Shirley Pozzuoli, and Bruce Alstad.
Making a WAPI! Yes, thanks to Ian and Alison Standley.
Diplomas and Presidential Citations for club Presidents! Yes, thanks to Christine Smith.
Rotarian-of-the-Year recognitions! Yes, thanks to the Shirley Pozzuoli and the AGs and XAGs.
Dan Stover, 4-Way Test, and Hensel Ethics contest presentations! Yes, thanks to Tom Brady, David Mans, and Kathy Schlotz.
Vocals to remember! Yes, thanks to Jenna Welch [Barb's daughter].
Vocals to forget! Yes, thanks to PDG Gene and Company.
Awards for membership, literacy, vocational, international, and community service! Yes, thanks to Christine Smith.
New emcee faces at the dais! Yes, thanks to Greg Zahner, Tim Motts, Nathan McCuster, Diane Cabral, and Mike Peterson.
Notes from the Principal! Yes, thanks to Kathie Martin.
A room full of donated school supplies for orphans in Tijuana! Yes, thanks to Ted Jones.
Hospitality rooms that got shut down by the hotel management! Yes, thanks to Mary Ann Lutz and Pat Hauducoeur.
Candid photography! Yes, thanks to Bernie Hunt.
A duck calling sergeant and his varsity team! Yes, thanks to Gordie Norman.
A recap of Rotary Foundation programs and fund raising! Yes, to Christine Montan.
Audio visuals, PowerPoints, and contemporary music between "sets!" Yes, thanks to Dennis Franklin, Ray Malki, Nathan McCuster, Tom Hould, Jesus Lara, Josh Garcia and Marty Smith.
Paul Harris Hi's Prom! Yes, thanks to Boulder City Sunrise.
Prom pictures! Yes, thanks to Frank and Marlene Griffith.
A motivational recap of his profound Rotary experiences in India! Yes, thanks to RI President's Rep, PDG Elias Thomas.
A Rotaplast mission! Yes, thanks to Rose Marie Joyce and those who participated in our mission to Guatemala.
A NIDS adventure! Yes, thanks to those who traveled to India to participate in a National Immunization Day.
An Interact Conference on Saturday! Yes, thanks the conference chair, Charles Gehrke.
A moving ecumenical and memorial service! Yes, thanks to Shirley Pozzuoli and Daniel Thomas.
A moment with our GSE team members from Jordan and Egypt! Yes, thanks to Adrienne Cox.
Tying up and muzzling DG Schulte! Yes, thanks to PDG Tom Novotny and his posse.
The Yeses go on and on! The Rotarians who helped goes on and on!
The commitment of the committee and the leadership of Chair Shirley
Pozzuoli made the graduation conference happen - or more appropriately,
Commence!