In the Beginning…
Under rain washed skies with clear, crisp breezes, Ojai Rotarians and their guests assembled and were brought to order by President Daly. “I am so proud to serve as President of the best Rotary Club I know.”
Fred Coleman led the Pledge of Allegiance to this great Nation. Al West delivered an inciteful invocation.
Thank-Yous followed to:
Bill Prather and Fred Coleman for room setup.
Al West for the invocation.
Betsy Watson was our Greeter. (Welcome back, Betsy!)
Marc Whitman was the roving mic.
Bob Davis was our Finemaster. (Welcome back, Bob)
Tony Thacher covered the desk.
Carl Gross was our Reminder Editor.
Thanks for making our Rotary meeting great!
Visiting Rotarians and Guests
Alexia Parks is back from the Boulder Rotary Club to winter in the Ojai. Good to see you back!
Guests included Jerry Thurston and Peter Thurston, our program presenters, introduced by Mike Bee.
Announcements
A tip of the hat was given to
Mike Malone for a fantastic job in planning and setting up the Holiday Party at the Ojai Valley Inn. A great time was had by all! An album of pictures will be posted on our Clubrunnner Website soon.
Not to rest on his laurels, Mike is planning a Murder Mystery Social on a train on January 26th. All you detectives should let Mike know if you plan to attend, 1/26/19. Thanks for all that you do, Mike.
Al West shared his fond remembrances of George H. W. Bush during his work in Washington as Deputy Chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Al gave a presentation to Rotary International about the America the Beautiful Awards ceremonies as the President’s “1000 points of light”. He helped plant trees at the Arlington Cemetery with the President. Al described him as “A wonderful man we will all miss.”
Betsy Watson and
Bob Davis just returned from Thailand.
Betsy presented a flag
from the Bangkok Club. She observed the members were all of the male gender. You go girl…..
Bryant Huber has booked the Young Americans for January 11th through 13th at Nordhoff High School. He related that this booking has no conflicts with the student schedules and expects a large turnout. This program brings together young performers from all over the world to train and coach our local youth in the performance arts, culminating in a show on the 13th. The school district benefits from the registration fees and the community is shown the benefits of performance arts in our town.
Pradeep Kapadia was welcomed back, giving an update on his Foundation.
The Kapadia Education Foundation is a philanthropic organization, founded for the purpose of helping underprivileged students in underdeveloped countries obtain a secular college education in their home countries through direct involvement between a Sponsor/Mentor (you) and a student.
Their mission is to provide direct financial assistance and guidance to needy college students in developing countries, seeking to make a difference in their communities.
Don Reed announced an Educational Foundation meeting at 7 AM on 12/11/18. All are invited. Contact Don if you are interested.
Therese Brown announced that the Taste of Ojai netted $27,000, which will be invested in our Community. Thanks to all who made our premier fund raiser a great success!
Fining—Bob Davis
Confessions:
Dave Brubaker announced the arrival of his first grandson, a potential linebacker, with a birth weight of 9 lbs 12 oz.
Sharee Edwards’ son, Clint Edwards, Marine Community Ecology Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego UCSD will be giving a presentation to the Club on 12/14/18.
Deidre announced that after the meeting, she will be leaving for Dublin.
Fining
Bob grilled the membership on rice and soy..Take your pick.
Pradeep forgot that the US is 13th in rice production, but number one in soy production.
Randy Haney did not know that rice has been cultivated for 8,000 years.
Matt Clements identified the top importer of soy as China.
Tara Saylor was fined, while Ron Wilson was correctly answering questions posed to him. He finally folded.
The Program—Boy Scouts—Peter Nystrom and Jerry Thurston
Peter is a Commissioned Scouting Professional who serves as Assistant Scout Executive of the Ventura County Council of the Boy Scouts of American, headquartered in Camarillo.
Jerry is Troop Committee Chair and former long-serving Scoutmaster of the Rotary Club of Ojai’s own Troop 504. Jerry has helped Troop 504 grow and has guided over 10 of our local youth to the rank of Eagle Scout. His son, Patrick is an Eagle Scout.
Scouting is a year-round program uniquely designed to meet the needs of youth and their families. Family involvement is an essential part of the program, and parents are encouraged to play an active role in making the most of the limited time to make a positive impact on their children.
In the past year, the Scouts have admitted girls. They will have a separate troop but will participate in Scouting events with the boys on an equal footing.
The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, a long-time supporter of Scouting, has parted ways with the Boy Scouts of America. Since the LDS church is worldwide, they wanted a program which is more universal.
Scouting Groups include Cub Scouts (ages 5-10), Scouts (ages 10-18), Adventure-Based Scouting (ages 14-21—Explorers and Sea Scouts), and career-based Scouting (ages 14-21—Law Enforcement and Fire Fighters). The career-based Scouts go through a rigorous training program similar to the cadets.
He spoke of the facilities for Ventura County. Camp Willet, which was fire damaged and Camp 3 Falls in the Lockwood Valley. In a camping environment, Scouts can earn merit badges, participate in a myriad of outdoor activities, and form bonds that will last a lifetime.
Thank-You, Peter and Jerry for the update on Scouting!
Final Thoughts
President Daly closed the meeting with a Gaelic wish:
“Beannacht leat go bhfeicfidh me aris thu.”
Translation: “Blessings until we meet again.”
