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David Watson, Editor |
October 16th, 2009
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October is Vocational Service Month
Upcoming Programs and Events
Presented by Program Chairman, Leland Hammerschmitt and his crew.
October 23rd-Ms. Dagmar Freitag-German Politics and Nordhoff Music
October 23rd through 25th-District Conference
October 30th-Fifth Friday Social-Halloween Celebration
November 11th-Board Meeting-7 AM, Gray Gables Meeting Room
In the Beginning....
Mike Weaver our President Elect substituted for our sick President Scott Smith.
Greeters today were Amani Hishmeh and Dave Brubaker . Amani led the club in our Flag Salute and Dave stated the 4 way test.
Jim Combs was on the mic and Laura Whitney was on the roving mic.
Visiting Rotarians and Guests
Visiting Rotarians: Steve White from Bellevue Breakfast, Newby Herrick from CERES, and Jerry Beckerman from Downtown Ventura.
Guest were: Efam Gore, Lynn Mikelatus, Kyle Ray, Cesar Karamazov, Jessica Amaro , and Ameer Atrach of City Corps. Lara Moger a guest of Amani Hishmeh , Dr. Hank Bangser a guest of Maggie Cerminaro . Also Angie Rivera and Mariana Cezanes from Oxnard Boys and Girls Club. Sanford Drucker's wife Chris was also with us today.
Announcements. . .
The October Fifth Friday get-together will be Oct. 30th at the home of Colin and Cindy Jones; Kay Bliss was in charge of the sign-up sheet.
Ojai Day was Saturday the 17th .
GSE Team from Bangladesh in Ojai from Tuesday through Thursday of next week.
President Scott will be attending the Marshall Legacy Institute Gala in Washington, DC next Wednesday and presenting a $10,000.00 check to support landmine removal from an anonymous donation from a friend of Ojai Rotary.
District Conference October 24th at Ventura Beach Marriott—Board members should attend and you can register online and the club will cover the registration.
Rotary Leadership Training—Basic PLRS October 23 rd in Ventura
Foundation Seminar was Saturday the 17th in Oxnard
International Service Committee meeting Tuesday the 20th at Café Emporium 7:30 AM
Vocational Service Committee meeting Thursday Oct. 22nd 9 a.m.—Contact Cari Guerrero
Club MAD Project contact Tony Thacher
Carl Gross and Bob Skankey gave a tidbit of their Roatan, Honduras Trip. More to come.
Upcoming Programs: October 23rd Dagmar Freitag , German Parliament
October 30th Fifth Friday at Cindy and Colin Jones — Kay Bliss has the sign up list.
Poverty Conference November 21st .
Fining: Grant Kemp
Grant Kemp was the fine master for the day. He got confessions and just plain money from the following: Jerry Kaplan, Amani Hishmeh, Dana Huffman, Peter Haggerty, Al West, Lerie Bjornstedt, Bob Davis, Kelly Randall , and Maggie Cerminaro.
Why dogs do not like halloween....
The Program: Mike Weaver introduced the program today: Ventura County Career Link
“About two years ago, I was working on a project for Ventura County Economic Development Association to organize a public-private group called Triad to assist NBVC continue to prosper as the major employer in the county. In particular, the base commanders are concerned about their workforce as over 50% of their skilled civilian employees will be eligible for retirement in the next ten years.
We started to look into the organizations and resources in the county that were involved in training youth and realized that his was not only a problem at the naval base but many of the employers in the county also faced the same issue. Talking to them, they complained that many of the job applicants that they were seeing did not have basic skills and lacked the type of attitude that they wanted in a new hire.
How do we prepare the workforce for the future? VC Career Link is a coalition of private industry, public education and community-base organizations that have joined together to focus on employer needs, share resources, encourage student commitment and responsibility and develop the training and skill development programs that are required to prepare the workforce for the future.
Our club is pretty aware of the best academic students in our local schools. We provide over $50,000 annually in scholarships to assist these students go on to institutions of higher learning and prepare for professional careers (the Ed. Foundation does have vocational scholarships ed. note) . But what of the majority of students that do not go to college or dropout before they finish high school? In years past, there were good employment opportunities for these kids, but not today.”
Presenters for the panel were:
Lynn Mikelatus and Efram Gorre – City Corps of the Central Coast
Mission: The City Corps is committed to developing youth to become capable, productive, inspiring civic leaders and to elevate the value of youth among communities of the central coast. They help youth to develop leadership, life and vocational skills, civic responsibility and personal standards of excellence.
Jerry Beckerman – Segue Career Path Mentors
Mission: to empower, inspire and motivate students to explore, choose and act on their life's path. Segue helps students help themselves, take responsibility for where their lives are headed, choose productive careers, and keep off life's negative paths.
Angie Rivera – Boys & Girls Club of Oxnard, College and Career Center
Mission: We provide a positive place for all youth and quality programs to help them become healthy, responsible, confident and productive members of the community.
Meeting adjourned.
Final Thoughts
"October is Rotary Vocational Service Month. What a better way for our club to remember that by finding ways to support community-based organizations like these that are dedicated to developing tomorrow's workforce. Through mentoring programs in Junior High and High School, after school tutoring and community service activities, Rotarians can help all of today's students find careers that are both satisfying and rewarding."
