President Bill welcomed us all back from the Holiday break wishing us all a better year ahead. He told us Larry Borovay got a card from a young lady thanking our Club for the bike she received through Dr. P's Bike Give-Away. The card contained a picture of kids and their bikes and a nice note. This is why we Rotarians do what we do, which is to bring a positive impact to our community. A lot of the Service Projects and Fundraisers we are involved with have a high visibility and all of them help the community we live in. We should all be very proud of the work we do.
Lastly, Bill let us know that Mike Sidlinger is doing well and invited us all to call him or send him a text.
Our next meeting will be on January 14th, 2021 and it is a Board Meeting so no Speaker. It will be by Zoom unless the outdoor dining restriction is lifted. If it is lifted, see you at the Junkyard.
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Please remember to bring a friend or an acquaintance to our next meeting, even if the meeting is by Zoom.
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Dorina Timbol gave us an update on Team Ginny. The push continues to find that donor. She felt that the Living Donor videos are very helpful in educating people about some of the myths associated with being a donor. Please remember that these videos are available on the Team Ginny link noted below.
Carolyn Boucher let us know that the deadline for the Painted Rock challenge has been extended to the end of January. And, of course, please continue to share the message on Social Media, especially the hotline phone number - 805-517-1717. A donor can't be found without getting the word out.
If you need to learn how to Share on social media, please reach out to Team Ginny and they will be glad to help.
Here's the crew responsible for the recent coloring of Happy Face Hill. And, no, the guys on the right are not on loan from the County Jail.....
Deb Davila's gathering of coats, scarves, hats, mittens, etc. was very successful. Here's Deb with Dan Jaeger to her right and Bob Whalen to her left along with some of the bounty.
Dr. P gave us a quick summary of the Big Sky Ranch Full Moon hike recently completed. He said it was awesome and the host couldn't have been nicer. Above are some pictures....absolutely beautiful. In the spirit of full disclosure, the top picture is NOT Big Sky Ranch.
And, his next hike will be, yup, you guessed it, during the next Full Moon. Some say that happens every 28 days........
Please remember that The Samaritan Center is still in need of chaperones on Wednesday nights. This effort allows those without a roof over their head to have a safe and warm place to spend the night. The hours needed on Wednesday night are from 7 PM to 7 AM the next morning on Thursday.
Please see John Tolson if you can help out.
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Ryan and Larry, along with Bill, are hard at work on our next Drive-In event, a concert by Queen Nation. The date is set for April 2nd. This is a trial run for this type of event and they're hoping it leads to many more.
Queen Nation appeared at our 2019 Cajun Festival and they were a big hit. They are one of the top Tribute Bands out there right now so Larry and Ryan expect the show will sell out quickly. Also, this type of venue will require more volunteers than the Drive-In Movie venue. So please consider helping out. More details to follow.
Leigh Seaton, along with Chas Wilson, John Tolson and Dan Gesell, had been working with a family in dire straights. Parents of a 6 week and a 16 month old, they both lost their jobs due to Covid. On top of losing the roof over their heads and their car, their belongings were stolen out of a storage container. Working with The Samaritan Center, these gentlemen were able to secure the family housing, food and cash for new tools for the father so he could get back to work. If that wasn't enough, they also delivered Christmas presents so the kids could have something under the tree. Guys, Duty Above And Beyond!
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We had the following Guests this week:
Linus Kojelis
Russ Martin (Guest Speaker)
Joe Agruso (Guest Speaker)
Eliano Younes (Guest Speaker)
Mr. Linus Kojelis
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We had three Guest Speakers today talking about two subjects. First we heard from Mr. Eliano Younes with the Reagan Library Foundation about the Reagan Library. Then we heard from Mr. Russ Martin (a frequent Rotary Sunrise guest) and Mr. Joe Agruso on the Automotive Technology program at Simi Valley High School.
Mr. Eliano Younes
Mr. Younes is with the Reagan Library Foundation working out of Washington D.C. He spoke to us today about the the status of the Library here in Simi, the most visited (by far) of any of the Presidential Libraries in the US.
Since being closed March 13th, the Library's revenue has been down about $200,000 per month. While this is a big hit financially, the Foundation is still able to continue fulfilling its mission, but in a virtual manner now due to Covid. One of its main missions is education and Covid has made the Library re-think about how to connect with students. To that end, virtual tours are now available through the Reagan Library Academy. One of the good things to have come out of all of this is that these expanded virtual services have opened up the Library to a wider audience. They now get virtual visitors from all over the country as well as the world.
As to when the Library will open back up, he said that is an unknown. Various local, state and federal mandates must be met for that to happen. He did say however that, when it does open up, the Library will be hosting an FBI Exhibit as well as one dealing with World War II. And the National Defense Forum, a world renowned event, is scheduled for March of this year assuming the restrictions have been lifted.
Simi Valley High School Auto Shop
Mr. Russ Martin
Mr. Joe Agruso
Mr. Russ Martin and Mr. Joe Agruso spoke about the Automotive Technology program at Simi High School. If you recall, this is a program that our Club has previously worked with.
Russ has a long history with the automotive industry having worked as a technician and service manager at various automotive shops from the 1970's to the 1990's including Galpin Ford. He taught Automotive Technology at San Fernando High School for 27 years and has been doing the same at Simi High School for the past 7 years. Russ has been instrumental in getting the Simi High program up and running but he also thanked John Baxter for his leadership as well as the local auto shops. He said the local shops have been very supportive.
Joe also has a long history in the automotive industry dating from the 1980's. And since 2005, Joe has run the top notch Automotive Technology program at Van Nuys High School. Joe's passion is clearly about educating kids with a skill set that will allow them to support themselves and their families. Joe has brought his experience to help Russ with the Simi program.
The Simi High program has earned a good reputation in turning out kids who are engaged and willing to work hard. Both Russ and Joe should be very proud of the impact it is making.
They ended by letting us know that Rotary can help by spreading the good word among our friends and colleagues who are in a position to either intern these students and/or hire them upon graduation. And, during these closed school days, we can all help by simply keeping the kids encouraged.
Demi and friend getting us going
Tim leading the Invocation
Louis leading the Flag Salute
Leigh welcoming the Guests
Happy Birthday Arun!
Happy Birthday Jose!
Happy Birthday John!
Happy Anniversary Dan!
Happy Anniversary Tim!
Happy Anniversary Don!
Happy Anniversary Rich!
Happy Anniversary Steve!
Happy Club Anniversary Stephanie (5 years)!
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Rotary Club Finder Need to find a club to do a makeup? Or find out where Rotary clubs meet while you are traveling? Click here to access the Club Finder page on the RI website.
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