 WHY I JOINED ROTARY: James “Robby” RobinsonAfter 20 years in the Marines, I found myself torn between wanting to maintain my relationship with the Corps and a desire to help teenagers in my adopted home of Carlsbad. I tried public speaking at Camp Pendleton, and that helped fill some of the void in my soul, but it just wasn’t enough. |
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 WHY I JOINED ROTARY: Felicia Hansen
After years on the corporate side of TV & Radio sales & marketing, and 20 years as head of my own boutique advertising agency, I’ve learned the importance of being a “life learner.” Because of this desire to learn, I found myself attracted to the high-quality level of the speakers at the meetings of the Carlsbad Rotary. |
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 WHY WE JOINED ROTARY: Peder & Julie Norby
“As is so often said, you get out of Rotary what you put into it!” says Julie Norby, who joined Rotary in 2006. She adds “I am proud to be a Rotarian and I am even more proud to be a member of THE Rotary Club of Carlsbad!” “I joined Rotary shortly after Peder and I were married, having attended a few meetings with him while we were dating. Each meeting I attended left me feeling better than when I arrived, and I quickly realized it’s the people who make Rotary in general…and this club in particular…such a special organization. It’s among these wonderful, kind-hearted, involved, and genuinely good people who are all there for the right reasons that I want to invest my personal time.” |
Long-time California State Licensed Investigator, Joseph Travers, presented our program, a look at the organization Saved In America. Their mission - Locate Your Child. A very special thanks to Rotary Board Member Malena Bennett for arranging this presentation. |
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Like many young professionals, my early career was focused on career development and advancement. As my family grew, a new emphasis was added to my life. But I was still a work-a-holic. |
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Take this past week’s meeting, for example, when Carlsbad Rotary's two lifelong journalists, TK Arnold and Bob Yehling, teamed up to post the No. 1 online trending story on Tesla and Space X main man Elon Musk! Bob had just interviewed Musk at the E3 video game convention, and TK published his piece in Media Play News on Monday night. By Tuesday afternoon, it trended to No. 1 online. Here's what's causing the fuss: http://bit.ly/CarlsbadRI_MUSK
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Our plan is very simple: we’re getting out the word about our club, our members, our stories and our service — and keeping it up for years to come. If you ever wanted to see a combination of Madison Avenue savvy, big-time marketing smarts and a plan for bringing every bit of it into our club, Rob’s presentation did the trick. While he is new to our club, he’s not new to Rotary at all: For 14 ½ years, he was at RB Sunrise Rotary, nine of it as their PR chair. Partially through his marketing and PR efforts, the club went from zero media coverage to plenty of it within six months — and raised $156,000 at their big fundraiser in 2018. He also works with future club presidents at PETS every February. |
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I have a friend in Westfield, Massachusetts, who spent my entire nine years in that community trying to persuade me to join the local Rotary club. My typical response: “Go play in traffic!” To me, Rotary was a bunch of old white men having lunch each week. I had no interested in understanding it, and even less interest in being a part of it. |
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Our youth program champion, District Officer Joe Ramirez, closed Rotary Youth Services Month by welcoming three current and former students participating in the Exchange Student Program and their families. Beforehand, he gave us some insight on the program, which enables students to live, study and learn in other countries: It began in 1929, and now involves about 9,000 students ages 15 to 18 ½ annually from 80 countries – mostly North American and Eurasian nations. Students can either participate in long-term exchange (the entire school year), or short-term (summer program). Joe also cited the more than a dozen Rotary Club of Carlsbad members who have served as host parents, and gave us a very impressive fact: Of the 32 student exchanges that have taken place in District 5340 in the past four years, 10 have involved Rotary Club of Carlsbad – easily the most of any club. Word is out about Carlsbad! |
Imagine, in this interconnected time, being a high school junior that goes to a weekend gathering and knows no one – then gets teamed immediately with ten students in the same boat — and adult facilitators and alumni you’ve never seen, either. |
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Dr. Professor Jeffrey Moses presented his personal story. In 2003, he retired as an active surgeon and founded Smiles International Foundation. This is a national and international organization, which organizes and provides international charitable surgical care for underprivileged children who are afflicted with cleft and craniofacial deformities, allowing excellent optimal growth and development for the children served. |
Air Force signals intelligence veteran and novelist Roger L. Liles gave a great historical presentation of the circumstances and realities of the 49-year occupation of Berlin after World War II. This included the 94-mile Berlin Wall, Berlin Blockade (275,000 relief supply missions, half of which were to drop heating coal) and Berlin Crisis that took us within a gunshot of World War III. He cited numerous great statistics — 200,000 people fled East Germany annually until the wall was closed in 1961; only 30,000 of 105,000 who attempted to flee after that made it to West Germany before the wall came down in 1989. The others spent an average of five years in Stasi prisons, “Which make our worst prisons look like a picnic,” Roger said. During his presentation, he also showed the human impact, including a slide of two small girls, trapped in East Germany the second the wall closed, waving to their grandparents in West Germany. The separation would last 28 years. |
Domestic violence is one of the most serious problems and darkest stains on our society. The statistics are stunning: 3 million to 5 million women are in abusive relationships today. Nearly 20,000 are killed — and for each killed, there are 8 to 9 murder attempts. Furthermore, it takes the average DV victim nine to eleven attempts to permanently break away before they successfully do so – for those who are successful. Adds WRC’s Laura Horst, “And all of these issues are incredibly under-reported, due to victims’ fear of being caught by their abusers, so the actual numbers are much higher.” |
Prior to forming LVDI International, Dr. Andy Phillips was the Deputy and Acting Director of Research and Conservation at San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, which was previously Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species. Dr. Phillips was responsible for developing and administering numerous field conservation and research programs in Africa, Central and South America, Australasia, and Asia. Before retiring early to pursue his passion for conservation education, Dr. Phillips established the Institute’s Conservation Education Laboratory. |
Director of Development Chelsea Buck-Leilich gave a moving presentation on the work of Interfaith Community Services, the largest social services agency in North County. “Our goal is to help all we serve to reach a place of self-sufficiency and independence, so they’re not coming back to Interfaith over and over for years to come,” she said. |
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Ava Payne introduced Katie Sanderson, Exhibition Director for the Oceanside Museum of Art. OMA is a crowned jewel among regional museums in America, focusing primarily on Southern California artists, both contemporary and historically. It is located on Pier View Dr., 100 yards east of Oceanside Library, next to City Hall. At any given time, the museum runs 4 to 5 exhibits, diverse in tone and genre. Katie described the process of developing and curating exhibits, bringing in works, and teaming them at times with educational programs. |
Ray Pearson emceed the Sub Regionals of the Rotary 4-Way Test Speech Contest, featuring four high school students from throughout San Diego County. Each finished first or second in their last competition, qualifying for this event. Contestants spoke for 7 minutes, then shared a little background with us. |
Congratulations to 2019 Rotary Peacemaker Award winner WRC (Women’s Resource Center), and to finalists Community Interface Services, Ginny Scharbarth of Kathy’s Legacy, club member and retired Marine Corps General David Brahms, and club member Linda Sundram of the Pendleton Community Service Fund. |
Our program focused on speeches from high school students using the Rotary Four-Way Test. To review:
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We enjoyed a riveting journey through the making of a documentary in a strife-filled region, as five-time Emmy Award winning producer-director Marantha Hay, the owner of Tower Films whose docs are regularly on PBS, presented an interactive experience from a doc she made in Angola to chronicle the attempt to save one rural hospital and its malnourished children during the 30-year war. |
Jeff Schafer introduced Ken Kebow and Anastasia Kurlich, speakers for the evening. Anastasia’s journey living as a “PTSD” child began on June 7, 1968. She was 7 years old and her beloved Daddy was killed-in-action in Vietnam. She chose to freeze her breath, disassociate from her body, and live a black and white life devoid of any color. The abundant days filled with innocence, laughter and joy flowing in their home came to an abrupt end in one tragic moment. |
Chris Berka, CEO & Co-founder of Advanced Brian Monitoring was the evening's speaker. Chris received her BA in Psychology/Biology at Ohio State University and completed graduate studies in Neuroscience at UCSD. She has 25 years experience managing clinical research and commercializing new technologies. |
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Ann Jarvis and Tracy Genika presented their great work in growing the Camp Pendleton USO from an idea to a thriving organization in the past year — one that will dedicate its new central facility March 19 on base. They shared how the organization made famous by the likes of entertainers Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe, Nancy Sinatra and, more recently, Kid Rock, Daughtry (whose lead guitarist, Josh Steely, is a Carlsbad resident) and Carrie Underwood, has grown to 200+ locations — including 45 airport centers — and 30,000 volunteers. |
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Ironman Triathlon Hall of Famer and Carlsbad High School graduate Julie Moss gave a wonderful talk about her triathlon career, and how her life changed dramatically from her famous crawl across the finish line in the 1982 Ironman. |
Robby Schiller and Ray Ocampo, U.S. Border Patrol Officers, to give us on-the-ground perspective and updates on a very hot topic throughout this decade, especially the past few years. While Schiller’s love of hiking, tracking and his years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Namibia led to him joining the Border Patrol, Ocampo’s story touches the core of the debate: he is a naturalized U.S. citizen from the Philippines who came here as a young child, grew up in Chino Hills, became a citizen in 2010, and joined the Border Patrol. |
Bruce Bandemer spoke about our Carlsbad Rotary Foundation. The total portfolios value as of 9/30/18 is $431,763. The current allocation is: 58% equities, 42% cash & fixed income. Due to our long term 10+ year horizon we are going to move carefully to a 65% equity exposure and 35% cash & fixed income allocation. Investment products utilized: Actively managed Mutual funds (purchased at NAV) as well as Index funds and selective ETF’s. |
Carlsbad City Manager Scott Chadwick opened the program by recalling lessons learned from his great aunt, San Diego native Florence Chadwick, who became globally renowned as the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions in 1950-51. Scott is the former San Diego City Manager and COO, and a city government wonk, telling us, “I love city government, municipal codes, administrative policies, everything about how government works – and finding better ways to run it more effectively.” |
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Nick Schuler is a Carlsbad resident and Deputy Chief of CAL FIRE. Nick has one of the busiest and most critical jobs in the world: overseeing California firefighters’ response to the state’s wildfires. He’s been with CAL FIRE for more than 20 years, in charge of South San Diego County and statewide air operations, and on a task force with California Highway Patrol and other agencies to respond to disasters. His responsibility covers 31 million acres in California. |
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Frank Silva introduced Sean Haggerty. Sean served for 11 years as a Navy SEAL, traveling to 13 countries across three continents. Over a span of 15 months, Sean participated in 116 operations to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. After his deployments Sean returned to be a SEAL instructor where he instructed and trained 1,023 students through mentally and physically demanding training. He also organized 503 employees for 660 hours of training and led 650 training events, and was awarded Instructor of the year in 2012. |
Mayor, Matt Hall, is a fiscal conservative who brings his unique blend of hard work and common sense to the Mayor’s office. Matt is a proven leader and successful businessman. Matt and his wife Phyllis have deep roots in Carlsbad. While raising their daughters, Matt ran his business and volunteered as a Lightning Soccer coach; and Phyllis owned and operated two successful restaurants in the village. |
Bill Jensen introduced Rotary District Governor, Mel Gallegos and his wife Judy, who is a member of the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club. Sharp Healthcare Foundation recognizes Mel as Pillar of Philanthropy. He is President of the El Cajon and San Diego Breakfast cubs. He has served Rotary in many capacities. He has made several trips to attend District conferences in Mexico and East Africa. |
Carlsbad Rotary Club welcomes it's newest exchange student Arthur Vieillevoye who gave a wonderful "Who Am I" speech to introduce himself to club members. Great to have you Arthur! |
Bob Rota, VP of Facilities and Security, presented Viasat’s new a 23-acre, 587,000-square-foot addition to its campus in Bressi Ranch, off El Camino Real and Palomar Airport Road. Now under construction, the first two of six buildings will be ready this fall and together with a four-acre park, the company’s 1,800 employees will have more places to eat, meet and play. |
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Jim O‘Meara has completed 25 years of Rotary Service, including being a Carlsbad Rotary President and past District Governor. He spoke about International Service, something he has a passion about. |
Club members joined host parents Todd and Trisha Maggs to welcome Belgian exchange student Arthur Vieillevoye at the airport Wednesday evening. Arthur will be attending Carlsbad HS as a senior this year.  |
Club member, Ray Pearson, celebrated with Sydney Rossman at the 2018 Mira Costa Scholarship Awards presentation. She is in the second cohort for the Mira Costa Bachelor program for Bio Manufacturing with a great opportunity for employment and reduced college cost. This opportunity for Sydney was made possible from a Carlsbad Rotary Foundation scholarship. |
Sal Mariscal, cancer survivor happily announced that he was cured by Proton Therapy. This is Sal’s interesting story. The average lifespan in 1900 was about 46 years. Today, we are all living longer, which is why we have what used to be rare diseases. |
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Debbie Fountain and Marie Jones-Kirk from the City of Carlsbad spoke about homelessness in Carlsbad. The Carlsbad City Council has adopted a Homeless Response Plan, which is being led by the city's Housing & Neighborhood Services Department. |
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Kelly Luisi and her spouse Rich, are the founders of Homeless Veterans of San Diego. Did you know that 9,116 people sleep homeless in San Diego each night? It is the mission of HVSD to put an end to the epidemic of homelessness among our veterans. No one that has served our country should have to sleep along side of freeways, in downtown doorways, under bridges, in tents on busy city streets, or in brush in canyons and parks. |
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Steven Solomon, the Senior Annual Giving Officer for Rotary Foundation Zones 25 & 26, gave an impassioned and eloquent speech. He said, "I cannot tell you, that by giving to The Rotary Foundation, you will rid the world of all its problems. But, I can tell you, that you will change people’s lives. In fact, I’m a person whose life has been changed by Rotary!" |
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The Rotary Club of Carlsbad's own Jim Pinto related his impressions of his recent trip to Egypt and Jordan and showed alot of pictures. |
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Joe Ramirez has been involved for several years and does a whole lot of work to manage the Rotary Youth Exchange. Rotary International does more than 7,000 youth exchanges each year. We have 3 exchange programs: Long-term, Short-term and Summer Camp. Rotary District 5340 is part or a multi-district organization in S. California, Arizona and Nevada; we collectively do 50-60 exchanges each year. This year, District 5340 did 5 student exchanges: 5 in and 5 out. |
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Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a program that originated with Rotary International and has subsequently been specifically designed by Rotary District 5340 for students in San Diego and Imperial Counties. RYLA is held at Idyllwild Pines Camp in Idyllwild, California. Joe Ramirez is the District Youth Exchange Officer for the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). |
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Kevin Cahill spoke about the Rotary Model UN program. Kevin serves as General Counsel of Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. He has been a Rotarian for over 26 years. He is a member of Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary, and was their founding President in 1992-93. He was Interact Chair, 2005-2018 and Youth Service Chair 2012-2018. It is specially worth noting that Kevin Cahill is a recent District Rotarian of the Year. |
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Mary Ruppert and Julie Sugarman, authors of the children’s book, The Four Steps to Friendship, were this evening's speakers. |
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Russ Hanthorn presented the program: The Malawi Project of 2003. Recognizing a serious need for wheelchairs in third-world countries, Rotary set out to raise $50,000 – and actually raised $ 160,000 – which bought 2,400 wheelchairs. 9 Rotarians went to Malawi to deliver the chairs. |
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This week our program was Toolkit for Teachers of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students presented by Jamie Monaco. Ursula Monaco-Sweeny proudly introduced her daughter. Jamie said she has known Rotary through her parents since she was a child. |
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Ray Pearson announced that 4 Carlsbad HS students would participate, initially be introduced as A, B, C and D. The judges in the audience were anonymous. The speeches would be extemporaneous, though speakers were allowed to use notes. Each speaker was given strictly 5-7 minutes for the speech, with points deducted for time less or more than allocated. This was a Carlsbad HS debate. The winners would participate in speech contests with other high school students. |
On February 8th, 2018, the Rotary Club of Carlsbad held its 4th Annual Peacemaker Award Ceremony. The Speaker for the evening was Stephen R Brown who spoke the Role of Rotary in Peacemaking including his own personal involvement in humanitarian projects around the world. |
Our guest speaker was David Harrison, City of Carlsbad Emergency Preparedness Manager, a position he has held for over ten years. David is a US Navy Captain (retired). He commanded a warship, led the development of the Navy’s Antiterrorism and Face Protection program, and developed early warning, and defense systems against Iraq’s SCUD missiles. He is the current President of Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary. |
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Kevin Crawford, Carlsbad City Manager, gave tonight's presentation. The city manager’s role is to implement the policies adopted by the City Council by managing the city’s daily operations and leading our staff. The city manager also provides leadership for all city programs. He is effectively CEO of the City of Carlsbad. |
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Vanessa Kean talked about the Semper Fi Fund . The presentation started with a touching video of what this organization does for injured service men and women. The story began in the spring of 2003... |
Linda Sundram gave a passionate, spirited presentation on The Rotary Club of Camp Pendleton. Chartered in 2005, this was the first Rotary Club on a military installation. The club has a current membership of 17 individuals who like to consider themselves small, but mighty. |
This was the annual Rotary Christmas party for children, our enjoyable annual event! Julie Norby welcomed all the children and their guests. After some suspense that he was delayed because of fire and smoke along his route to Carlsbad, Santa David Brahms arrived. He always makes a point of going around to say hello and embrace each and every one of the visiting children. As the children got increasingly excited, the toys were organized and arranged up by Santa helper Kathy Kailikole. One by one, each child was named and received their personal toys directly from Santa Brahms, hugged and sitting on his ample lap. They were free to feel and tug on his magnificent beard. The ceremony continued for some time, and everyone enjoyed the expectations and excited happiness of each of the children. Following the gift-giving ceremonies, there was ample time to take pictures with Santa Brahms, before he continued on his long journeys to delivery toys to other deserving children. |
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Ed Hoffer spent 30 years on active duty in the Army, retiring as a full Colonel. For 17 of these years, Korea (both North and South) was part of his scope of responsibilities. He commanded the 6th Battalion 37th Field Artillery in the Republic of Korea. He was twice awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for superior meritorious service. Ed Hoffer’s father was a longtime Rotarian and past president of the Rotary club in Camarillo, CA. |
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Bruce Bandemer and Vinnie Ahuja presented the program. Their subject was the Rotary Club of Carlsbad Foundation that funds scholarships for local students. The Foundation is organized as a 501(C)(3), Federal ID# 95-3489812 not for profit organization. Since 1980 this foundation has awarded hundreds of scholarships to students in the community, giving many young adults a chance to fulfill their dreams. |
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Scott Carr was the featured speaker. Scott is the 2017-18 Governor for Rotary International District 5340. He has served in several roles within District 5340, including website chair, public relations chair, District Training Assembly chair, Chief of Staff to District Governor Louise Andres, and Assistant Governor. Scott Carr is a marketing and media professional, an accomplished writer and speaker and regularly trains Rotarians on web design, content marketing and social media. He is a resident of Mission Hills with his wife, Heather and their three kids. |
Col Russ Hanthorn was the evening's presenter. Russ has had a long and distinguished career in the Marine Corps, commissioned in 1958, and retired 38 years later as a Colonel. Russ was President of Carlsbad Rotary in 1989-90 and has served our club as a Director in all avenues. He has also served Rotary at the District level. In 2003-2004, Russ was District 5340’s Rotarian of the Year. |
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Jim Desmond, serves as the Mayor of San Marcos, elected in 2006 and re-elected in 2010 and 2014 without opposition. He serves as Mayor while concurrently working as a pilot for Delta Air Lines since 1986. Jim is married and has two children, both of whom graduated from UC universities in California. |
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Matt Hall has been Mayor of the City of Carlsbad since 2010. He was Mayor Pro Tem, 1998 - 2000 and 2004 – 2006 and City Council Member since 1994. 2017 is the seventh year that Matt Hall has been Mayor of Carlsbad. Mayor Matt Hall is a Member for Carlsbad Rotary and reported on the State of the City. He reports that Carlsbad is well managed and has followed a vision set forth by the community more than 4 decades ago. The primary traits are Vision, Leadership and Community Involvement. Says Matt Hall, “Government is not a cookie-cutter”. |
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Angela Thompson was born in Germany and fled with her family to West Germany in 1951. In 1968 she settled in Los Angeles, California with her husband and two children. Angela earned her M.A. degree from USC, and her Ph.D from the UCLA. She has taught at various universities and colleges in the LA area, has worked on numerous consulting projects, among others at the J. Paul Getty Museum. From 1994 - 1999 Angela served as International Director of the Master of International Business Program at Pepperdine University in Malibu. Currently she is a writer, lecturer and speaker, as well as advisor and board member for Culver City, California. |
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Chris Calkins is the President of Carltas Management, a real estate and floriculture management company, a long time leader in the floral industry. Chris Calkins is also President of CB Ranch Enterprises, which owns and operates the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch. |
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Larry Kesslin is an entrepreneur, business development expert, speaker and author. His third book is Success Redefined published in late 2015. |
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Carlsbad Police Capt. Mickey Williams was born in Carlsbad and has been with the Carlsbad Police Department for 22 years. He graduated from San Diego State in 1994, with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration, and a Master’s in Police Science. |
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Sage Creek High opened in fall 2013, created to alleviate growing enrollment in the first Carlsbad High School, which opened in 1957. Sage Creek HS Principal Cesar Morales helped with the planning for the school - a comprehensive high school with a focus on science, math, technology and engineering (STEM). |
Tonight's program was presented by the Carlsbad Police and Fire Departments. We all recognize these brave and dedicated men and women who exemplify outstanding professional achievement and high ethical standards. Their talents are recognized in keeping Carlsbad residents safe, and protecting their homes and businesses. Detective Scott Stallman was recognized Police Officer of the Year and, on behalf of Rotary of Carlsbad, was awarded a certificate of appreciation for all that he does for his insights and all that he does for Carlsbad. .jpg) |
Club President, Frank Silva, declared the start of the The Rotary Foundation Centennial Celebration with VIP Introductions: Mayor Matt Hall; District Governor Elect 2017-2018 – Scott Carr; Past District Governors – Jim O’Meara, Marge Cole; Assistant District Governors, Mike Curtin and David Lam; Club Presidents - Vista High Noon, Devon Richardson; Vista Evening, John Viereck; San Marcos Noon, Holly Mahan; Carlsbad HiNoon: Dawn Van Siclen; Rotary Club of Carlsbad Peace Award Winners: Jill McManigal. Frank recognized the Carlsbad Rotation Foundation Committee: Chair Renuka Sethi lead the group along with Co-Chair Chungsam Doh. TRF committee members: Dave Saviage, Joe Bear, Terry Maher, Kevin Clark, Jim O’Meara, and Jeff Moses. The individuals in the group photo are Sitting, L to R: Lisa Rodman, Renuka Sethi, Janice Gonzalez, Sunita (Sunny) Cooke, Nina Movaheddian Standing, L to R: Frank Silva, Hamid Movaheddian, Carlton Lund, Scott Carr, Bruce Bandemer. |
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Dr. Alapakkam Sampath, PH.D. is a Professor of Ophthalmology and Neurobiology at UCLA, and Associate Director of the Jules Stein Eye Institute. He is an internationally known visual neuroscientist who is recognized as a leader in the study of cellular and circuit level visual processing. His work focuses on signal transmission between photoreceptor cells, the rods and cones, and bipolar cells to determine how information is processed within retinal circuits and gives rise to visual perceptual sensitivity. Not only is his work of broad fundamental scientific interest, it has significant implications for our understanding of visual blinding diseases such as night blindness. |
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a program that originated with Rotary International and has subsequently been specifically designed by Rotary District 5340 for the students in San Diego and Imperial Counties. RYLA encourages servant leadership in youth by recognizing and rewarding deserving 11th grade students who are chosen to attend RYLA as an "award" for their past and present leadership and service activities. Selected young people attend an all-expenses-paid camp where they are inspired by a diverse group of exceptional speakers, make life-long friends through fellowship activities, and discuss the ethical and social issues of today. The result is that these students return to their schools and communities motivated to take on additional leadership roles and to find additional ways to serve. |
Our speaker this evening was Ricky Harris, owner for 108 Athletics. He is originally from Connecticut, and has been in San Diego for 7 years. Ricky is a former outdoor educator and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and has been a life-coach (like Tony Robbins, he says) for 7 years. As an EMT, Ricky noticed that most people who need emergency services are late medical conditions – they leave it too long to correct their problems. He quoted Maya Angelou: “Your legacy is every life you’ve touched, every person whose life was either moved or not. It’s every person you’ve harmed or helped, that’s your legacy.” |
Malte Wendeler and Lena Slonina were speakers for the evening, relating their experience as exchange students. Joe Ramirez introduced Mai Taxerman, a Carlsbad Rotary sponsored exchange student. Mai is in the 11th grade in Torrey Pines HS – she spoke briefly, about how she looked for exchange opportunities and contacted Joe. She will be going to Switzerland; not sure yet about which town/city. |
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C.L.Hoang was born in South Vietnam during the war and came to the US as a boy in the ‘70’s. He graduated from UC Berkeley and is an electronics engineer with 11 patents to date. Books, history and travel are his hobbies. Jim Hoang’s first novel, Once Upon a Mulberry Field, is a love story set at the height of the Vietnam War, a project from the heart that took 6 years to complete. |
The program was presented by Patti Gerke from the San Diego North County Coastal Village. This is a non-profit membership organization that connects Carlsbad and Encinitas seniors to community resources for sustaining a self-directed life with purpose, promise and independence. Patti Gerke earned a BS Degree from Loyola University and an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management in Chicago. She is a passionate leader and supporter of Senior Care and Advocacy, and has a monthly TV program called Senior Stay. |
Our second speaker for the evening, Aaron Linsdau, has an energetic, captivating, and motivating speaking style. He holds the world record for the longest expedition to the South Pole, the second only American to complete this trek alone. He inspires people and organizations to become tougher than nails, build grit, and achieve the seemingly impossible. Denali, formerly known as Mt. McKinley, is the tallest mountain in North America. The peak is at 20,310 ft. above sea level. Every year, climbers from around the world converge for the May-July climbing season in hopes of reaching this sub-arctic peak. It also has the greatest vertical relief of any mountain above sea level on Earth, 18,000 ft. The vertical relief is much greater than Mt. Everest. |
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Kay Ledson is from Australia, as evidenced by her Aussie accent. Kay presented the WarriorMomz Walk - the walk across America to raise money to fund therapy programs for people with spinal-cord injuries and paralysis. The walkers will walk together into Washington DC (3,400 miles, about 7,000,000 steps) to raise money to fund therapy programs for people with spinal injuries and paralysis, to end limits on therapy funding and make proven therapies more available. Their goal: $ 1 million. |
Kelly Mellos is an award-winning artist with a mission and a message. Her work aims to reveal the life force of her subjects to viewers, aspiring to bring humanity closer together and to the planet. A commitment to artistic excellence is the foundation of Kelly’s work. Kelly’s portrait, figurative and landscape work has shown in national galleries and museums, as well as international exhibitions. Her efforts with Hands of Peace and Rotary International focus on spreading her message globally. |
Rotary’s own hero, Dr. Jeff Moses updated the meeting on the surgical mission at Smiles International. This shows how becoming a Paul Harris Fellow and the Rotary District grants support excellent work. Jeff “Mose” Moses is a past-president of Carlsbad Rotary. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Cosmetic Surgeons, and the American Academy of Orofacial Pain. He is also a life member of the American Cleft/Craniofacial Association. He is currently President and Founder of the Smiles International Foundation and the co-founder of the Rotary Thousand Smiles Foundation. |
Ray Pearson introduced the Rotary District Speech Contest. Carlsbad Rotary has provided this platform for the debate teams for several years. Winners are from the District-wide competition and the sub-regional and regional level. These high school kids always do great presentations. Rules: Each presenter will speak on how the Rotary 4-way test affects special times in one life. Each speech was required to be at least 5 minutes and no longer than 7 minutes. The 5 speakers were initially introduced as A, B, C, D and E while 3 judges (initially anonymous) were in the audience. |
Jerry Kern, Oceanside Councilman, was the evening's speaker and he spoke on a legislative update on the Decommissioning of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. After providing a history, he talked about used nuclear fuel management, priorities and community engagement, enabling federal legislation and state-level transportation planning.
After serving in the Air Force overseas, Jerry got his BS in Business Administration from SDSU. After being an educator for several years, Jerry was elected to Oceanside City Council in 2006 and is currently serving his third term. He is a member of the community engagement panel. He plans to run for a seat on the North County Board of Supervisors, District 5.
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Rich & Amy Martin from Make-A-Wish Foundation, San Diego were our presenters.
Since 1980, Make-A-Wish® has given hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Make-A-Wish® San Diego grants the wishes of children eligible children, with life-threatening medical conditions, in San Diego and Imperial Counties. This helps to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.
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Rotarians were treated to a compelling presentation by Outside the Bowl, an Oceanside-based charity that helps eliminate physical and spiritual starvation by building super kitchens in developing communities
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The Carlsbad High School Speech Contest was held during our meeting. This is one of the favorite meetings of the year for us. Carlsbad Rotary has provided this platform for the CHS debate team for several years. Winners will take part in a District-wide competition and the sub-regional and regional level. We are very proud of these young students as they gain confidence in their speaking skills.
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Stacy Rungaitis, Director of Development and Marketing, Feeding San Diego was our featured speaker. To start the program, Stacy showed an excellent video about hunger in local communities.
Founded in 2007, Feeding San Diego (FSD) is the leading hunger-relief organization in the county, distributing healthy food with dignity to San Diego residents struggling with hunger. The non-profit organization, funded by philanthropic and community support, is devoted to advocacy and education focused on feeding the hungry. |
One of the primary missions of Rotary International is to promote peace and goodwill throughout the world through our focus on Service Above Self. Renuka Sethi is Peace Chair of the Rotary Club of Carlsbad and a member of District 5340 Pathways to Peace Committee.
The Peacemaker Award is designed to honor members of the community who have made a significant difference in promoting tolerance, understanding, conflict resolution and peace making through their contributions and efforts for Peace Building. This is the third year that Carlsbad Rotary has presented a Peace Award.
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We held our meeting at the Mira Costa Tech & Innovation Center in Carlsbad. Christine Jensen, of Mira Costa College, was our host for the evening. She is Special Programs Coordinator for Community Education & Workforce Development at the college’s Technology Career Institute.
The new MiraCosta College Technology Career Institute trains workers in the skills needed to fill the growing demand for industrial technicians in North San Diego County. The institute expands the college’s machinist certificate program and creates industry-recognized electronics engineering technician and robotics/automation certificate programs.
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Amanda Wirtz introduced Doreen Tate, chief nurse and co-founder of Mercy Care Uganda, Medical Ministry, whose mission and vision is to give affordable and easy accessible healthcare to the people in villages outside Masaka, Uganda. Rotary of Carlsbad has provided funds to support these efforts.
Email: doreenesther@gmail.com
Weblink: http://www.mercycareuganda.com
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Our speaker for the evening was Dr. Neville Alleyne, a gifted surgeon, speaker and author; he has inspired patients and colleagues alike with his in-depth interest in spine-related subjects. He specializes in orthopedics and orthopedic surgery, diagnosing neck and back problems and providing medical and surgical remedies.
Dr. Alleyne is currently a consultant for several spine companies. In addition to his lectures and publications, he is also responsible for a number of patients at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas and Tri-City Medical Center.
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Glen Van Peski, Director of Community and Economic Development at the City Of Carlsbad was our guest speaker. He oversees the Planning, Engineering, Building, Development Services, Housing and Neighborhood Services, Code Compliance and Economic Development divisions. Glen lives in Carlsbad with his wife Francie, and they have 2 grown sons.
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The evening’s speaker was Art Barter, Owner & CEO of Datron World Communications, and founder of Servant Leadership Institute.
Art Barter holds two bachelor’s degrees in business and finance. Prior to joining Datron in 1999, he spent eight years working with the Disney Corporation and over 25 years in manufacturing companies.
In 2004, Art’s world changed dramatically. As vice president of finance within Datron, Art was given an opportunity to purchase the company from the Titan Group. With little money and a big vision, a miracle happened that allowed Art and Lori Barter to become owners of a $10 million communications company.
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Marilyn Sanderson, Rotary District Governor of District 5340 for 2016-17 was our special guest.
Marilyn grew up in Guthrie, Oklahoma. She has an MS in Education from Wichita State University and has been a teacher-union negotiator and organizer in Oklahoma and California. She retired from the California Teachers Association in 2004 and is now an active Realtor in San Diego.
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Les Tenney is still haunted by the horrors visited upon him during the War by the Imperial Army of Japan. In April 1942, Staff Sgt. Tenney was among the U.S. forces that surrendered after a 148-day stand on the Philippines’ Bataan peninsula. After arriving at Camp O'Donnell, he escaped into the jungles of the Philippines where he ate “iguanas, monkeys and snakes” but was recaptured days later.
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Last night our club held a Carlsbad City Council Candidate Forum. It was very informative to hear from the candidates. A big thank you to TK Arnold for being the evening's moderator. And to the candidates, Lorraine Wood, Cori Schumacher, Brandon Rowley, Ann Tanner and Bill Fowler for spending time to let us get to know them a little better.
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Matt Hall has been the Mayor Of Carlsbad since 2010, Mayor Pro Tem from 1998 - 2000 and 2004 - 2006, and Carlsbad City Council Member 1994 - 2010.
Mayor Hall made an excellent presentation: State of the City 2016.
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Aaron Linsdau was born in Jackson, Wyoming. He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s in computational science from San Diego State University. Aaron is the only the second American ever to have trekked solo from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole. He holds the record for the second longest solo trip in Antarctica history. He also holds the record for surviving the longest one-way trek to the South Pole.
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Lenny Leszczynski, Camp Connect Manager, spoke about the organization Promises2Kids in San Diego.
Promises2Kids has a staff of 16, with 3 interns. They respond to the diverse needs of San Diego's foster children of all ages, promoting positive lifelong skills they will carry through adulthood. The organization annually provides over 3,300 current and former foster youth in San Diego County with the tools, opportunities and guidance they need to address the circumstances that brought them into foster care, overcome the difficulties of their past, and grow into healthy and successful adults.
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We held our meeting at the Carlsbad Safety Training Center. We had a great turnout to have the chance to visit this wonderful new facility within our community. This facility is not only used by Carlsbad's police and fire departments, but also any other safety organization that wants to train in a first-class facility.
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Mike Fino, Dean of Mathematics and Sciences at Mira Costa College in Oceanside spoke to us about a new pilot program being offered. The college will soon begin offering a Bachelor's degree in BioManufacturing.
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Leisa Tilley-Grajek, founder and president of K-9 Guardians was our presenter tonight. Leisa is a San Diego native who developed her love for dogs and all animals at a very early age. Her family has a very long line of military service including her father who served in Vietnam. It was her love of the military’s service men and women along with her love of dogs that prompted her to start K-9 Guardians. K-9 Guardians is a non-profit 501c (3) located in Fallbrook. The organization raises and trains German Shepherds to be service dogs for veterans with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
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Police Chief Neil Gallucci,Captain Mickey Williams and Lieutenant Jason Jackowski, joined our meeting as we acknowledged the work that police officers do for our community. Recently, other cities have had officers killed and injured in the line of duty and we wanted to show our appreciation for their dedication to protecting our city. To help mentor new potential police officers, our club made a donation to the Carlsbad Police Explorers.
Chief Gallucci thanked the group and applauded all members of our club for using our time and life experiences to serve the community. He also stated that they could not provide the superior level of service that they do without the help of citizens like our club members who help meet the needs that they cannot.
We wish them safety during their daily job.
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Ted Torre Bueno, of Empowered Energy Solutions, was our speaker for the evening. Mr. Torre Bueno is a member of the San Diego chapter of the US Green Chamber of Commerce and has committed himself to educating the community about energy solutions and sustainability products. He started his talk be emphasizing his passion for the industry and for informing consumers that there are dubious, predatory and misleading companies in the sustainability industry. He is on a mission to teach consumers how to become informed and prepared to make decisions about solar panels and other sustainability and alternative energy products. I tried to comprehend and make sense of what he was teaching us.
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Established in 1938 by Leroy Baker, Baker Electric, Inc. is a fourth generation, family-owned business that began in Escondido, California, where it is still headquartered today. A member of the National Electrical Contractors Association since 1957, the company has been engineering and installing electrical systems for more than 75 years for a variety of industries in both public and private sectors.
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Mr. Mc Allister gave a very interesting talk about his job, trying to inject as much humor as possible. He stated that we need not worry, our money is safe at the San Diego County Treasury and they are making sure we are not losing any! He also wanted to apologize and ask forgiveness for the anguish he inflicts on others with the property tax bills that arrive in the mail!
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This evening's program was to celebrate Julie Norby's year as president and the induction of Frank Silva as the new president of the club. It was a fun night of laughs and celebration.
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Eileen Martinez, Chief of Interpretation and Education for the Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma in San Diego. She gave an excellent Powerpoint presentation, supported with pictures and an excellent talk on the Cabrillo National Park and the highpoints for a visitor. This year the National Park Service will celebrate their Centennial. Eileen brings over 25 years of public land service to her current position.
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Olivier Brackett is Airport Manager at McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad. Jessica Turner is an Administrative Analyst and is responsible for Customer Relations. The airport was named McClellan-Palomar for Gerald McClellan, a North County community leader. The history goes back to 1957, when the San Diego County picked the Carlsbad site. The airport opened for daytime operations in 1959, with terminal building and expansion to a 4,700 ft. runway within a couple of years. In 1978 the airport was annexed to the City of Carlsbad.
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Dr. Burkholder is a former Special Agent (SA) that worked for the Department of Homeland Security with the United States Secret Service for nine years. From her small frame and 5’7” stature you would never have thought that this amazing woman once had duties that included protection details for the President, Vice-President and many foreign dignitaries.
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Dr. Alleyne is a physician with Orthopedic Specialists of North County and is associated with Tri City Medical Center and Scripps. He came to the Tri City area in 1989 and is an orthopedic surgeon that specializes in spinal surgery. He is one of the most experienced surgeons in the country at using the new robotic guidance technology to assist in spine surgery.
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On behalf of the Carlsbad Rotary Foundation, Rotarians Ed Scarpelli and Terry Maher present scholarships to Palomar College students Cynthia Lopez (Psychology) and Ana Munoz Rodriquez (Nursing). These scholarships are two of the 14 presented annually by the Carlsbad Rotary Foundation. The primary source of funds for the Carlsbad Rotary Foundation are donations from the members of the Rotary Club of Carlsbad. These donations represent a dedication to building a vibrant community by contributing to the education of local students in important disciplines.
In photo: Left to right Laura Scarpelli, Cynthia Lopez, Ed Scarpelli, Ana Munoz Rodriquez, Terry Maher, Chantal Maher.
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Carlsbad Rotary’s own Lisa Basista is the Dean of Academics at Army and Navy Academy. Lisa introduced Cadet Josh Rutledge and Athletic Director Byrd Milic, who joined her to present the evening’s program.
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Dr. Paul Sarkaria is a cardiologist who has been working in the tri-city area for 28 years. His presentation was on interventional cardiology and the latest cutting edge interventions that are being done.
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Joey Szalkie
 wicz gave us a great program tonight with his stories about climbing four of the Seven Summits (The Messner version: Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Puncak Jaya and Vinson) by the tender age of 18. |
In June 2014, the Army and Navy Academy of Carlsbad, CA was selected to send a group of Cadets to Normandy to represent the state of California at the 70th Anniversary of the Normandy landings. Colonel Russ Hanthorn, USMC (Ret), the Chief of Staff at the Academy and a member of the Rotary Club of Carlsbad, led the 30 Cadet contingent. The YouTube video captures the highlights of the visit: http://youtu.be/wEv7p1cIl-g.
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.jpg) For the last two years, the Rotarians and Anns of the Rotary Club of Ladybrand (D9370) have been preparing to implement an amazing upliftment project to help improve the health and sanitation facilities at nursery schools in the nearby Manyatseng, South Africa. With only 10 Rotarians, this is clearly a case of the little club which can and the project has become a great source of pride among the members. |
Nigeria is closer than ever to eradicating polio, riding a successful effort to reach children in seven northern states at highest risk for the disease. On 22 July, Forbes contributor Devin Thorpe conducted an exclusive interview with the three national Polio Plus committee heads from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria, where the transmission of polio has never been stopped.
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Victoria Alvarez, a Rotary Youth Exchange student from Argentina, just completed a year in the United States, where she learned that different is not always bad, and that helping others can bring you great joy in life. Alvarez says if you are considering hosting an exchange student, or taking part in a youth exchange through Rotary, you will not regret it.
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Congratulations to Jeffrey Lee, a senior at Carlsbad High School, for winning the Regional competition at the 4 Way Test Speech Contest. Held on April 2nd at the San Diego City Breakfast Club, Jeffrey competed against 4 other outstanding young adults to move ahead to the District finals which will be held April 29th at the Escondido Performing Arts Center. We are very proud of Jeffrey's accomplishment and for representing the Rotary Club of Carlsbad in such an honorable manner.
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This year the Rotary Club of Carlsbad is helping Marine Corp families on base at Camp Pendleton families celebrate Easter. Members of the club gathered together on Saturday-April 5th to shop, prepare eggs, and put together baskets in preparation for Easter egg hunts for military families on base. The club has enjoyed a long tradition of helping our service men and women, and their families in recognition of their patriotism and personal sacrifice.
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Carlsbad High School students from the Speech and Debate team Jeffrey Lee, Elyse O'Neill, Justin Krichbaum and Isabelle Lee participated in the Club's annual Rotary's Four Way Test Speech Contest. Each contestant was presented a check in accordance with their ranking. After a close win, Jeffrey will represent our club at the regional championships. Congratulations to all the contestants.
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Every year, the Carlsbad Rotary invites an exchange student to spend a year with us, and arriving at our most recent meeting was Kristyna (Kristy) Fialova, who hails from the village of Jezborice (Population 320), 75 miles east of Prague, in the Czech Republic.
The Rotary Club of Carlsbad participates in The Rotary Foundation’s Global Grants. Since 2005, when 17 Rotarians visited South Africa, our Rotary Club has been consistently raising funds and matching them in Partnership with District 5340, The Rotary Foundation and other concerned parties.
WHY I JOINED ROTARY: Griff Lewis
One of the great things about the Carlsbad Rotary Club is you never know who’s going to be sitting next to you at a meeting.
WHY I JOINED ROTARY: Rob Weinberg