With the formalities of inaugurating the new board taken care off, Nancy wasted no time getting down to presidential business—delegating!. She asked new board members to describe what they were planning for their avenue of service.
“Our club will sponsor a youth exchange student from France this year,” said James Jackman, youth exchange chair. “Plus three of our members will host an exchange student from Spain in their homes during this Rotary year.”
“We’ll expand the club’s exposure to the community through The Patch, an online community news source,” said Chat Campbell, press and advertising relations director.
“I’m going to explore a fund-raiser at the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach,” said Colette Paul, club service chair.
New Generations Chair Ian Miesen and Karina Garcia pledged to revamp the Rotaract Club at Redondo Union High School. Ian is well underway as evidenced by a recent article in the Daily Breeze quoting him donating $1,000 to the RUHS School Scholarship Program.
The donation was from the Redondo Beach Police Officers Association where Ian works as a police officer.
International Chair Pat Cashin, one of four PDG’s in our club, announced education and community water and sanitation matching grant programs we’ll work on in Africa, Fiji and Mexico.
Vocational Chair Bill Gard announced we’ll sponsor our firefighter-of-the- year and policeman-of-the-year programs.
As Nancy said, it’s going to be a busy year!
And a fun year. Well, at least we think so with Steve Aspel back as Finemaster. Steve, a Redondo Beach city council member and past-president of our club, brought his special brand of humor to his first day on the job today.. He fined PDG Chuck Anderson $10 for his 68th birthday, PDG Rick Mendoza $5 for his 57th year of married bliss, Bill & Colette Paul a buck a year for their 19 years married life, Ted Wendorff $5 for getting his own page on Facebook, and Steve Scerra $20 for coming in 2nd place in a recent golf tournament.
Nancy thanked Matt Killroy and Karina Garcia for delivering meals on wheels today.
She also acknowledged visiting Rotarian Lucy Walther who, coincidentally, was sworn in today as president of the Irvine Rotary Club in Orange County. Jumping right into the presidential tasks, Lucy brought Bruce Ferres as her special guest to our luncheon today.
Other announcements: Terry Bichlmeier said the Molina Foundation has donated 10,000 dictionaries to the club. “We’ll give the dictionaries to Title 1, 3rd graders,” he said. “Each kid will have their own dictionary.”
PDG Chuck Anderson thanked the club for a $450 donation to Camp Footprint, a yearly camp in the San Bernardino Mountains for disabled youth. Chuck showed a short video about Camp Footprint taken at least years camp, including scenes of his son Kevin who regularly attends the annual activity.
Steve Scerra mopped up some left over duties from his just-concluded year as club president. He gave the Rotary Service Above Self Award to Larry Hashimoto. A past president himself, Larry served as club treasurer during the past year.
Nancy announced the club would provide a pancake breakfast at the upcoming Relay for Life, scheduled for July 21-22 at Alta Vista Elementary School. “We need volunteers at 6 a.m.,” she said.
President Nancy concluded her first meeting pretty close to 1:30 p.m. with three trivia questions. Wish I could remember what the questions were; all I know is that I missed all three. |
