FEBRUARY 2012
Monarch Beach
SUNRISE ROTARY ON THE CALIFORNIA RIVIERA
MBSR’s 20th Annual Golf Tournament by Neil Burns
MBSR held its 20th annual Children’s Charities Golf Tournament January 23 at the beautiful Coto de Caza Golf Club & Resort. Joining the tournament this year were 18 Marines from the Corps’ most highly decorated 5th Regiment, as well as eight Wounded Warriors. The Marines and Wounded Warriors were sponsored by donations from MBSR’s family of supporters, and provided inspiration to all throughout the day while they drove, chipped, and putted — some using only one arm or one leg to accomplish their mission. In all, 104 golfers competed for awards, all for the benefit of the Marines and many excellent children’s organizations in the community. If there was a disappointment, it was the day’s weather. Despite Orange County’s generally warm and dry January, the 23rd dawned with heavy overcast and threatening skies. Raindrops finally began to fall just as the golfers drove to their assigned holes to start the tournament. The drizzle evolved to a fairly steady — if light — rain, but when paired with a chilling breeze and the occasional cloudburst many participants chose to cut the outing short and repair to the clubhouse to enjoy a hearty Italian lunch and several fine wines. Still and all, many of the hardier golfers completed their rounds, led by the intrepid Marines. One Rotarian reported that as the rain fell and the wind chilled, his group began to moan and whine until they noticed a Wounded Warrior on an adjoining fairway playing in tee shirt and shorts and swinging his club with one arm. It put everything in perspective, and they happily completed their round. The morning’s winners included Rotarians John Coffman and Martha Hoffmann whose teams won the Open and Women’s divisions respectively, and former member Randy Jones whose team won the Mixed division. The big winners, however, were Sharon and Dean Baltzell, whose teams quit four holes in and stayed warm and dry in the clubhouse drinking wine until others arrived. Committee chairs Rod Eide and Neil Burns offered thanks to all the participants and the Golf Committee for the tournament’s success, and offered particular thanks and congratulations to the honored Marines and Wounded Warriors. The final tally showed the tournament raising $16,000 for MBSR’s favorite organizations. M B S R M E E T S O N W E D N E S D A Y M O R N I N G S A T 7 A M A T T H E R I T Z - C A R L T O N L A G U N A N I G U E L • W W W . M O N A R C H B E A C H R O T A R Y.C O M
President’s Message
Loving Hugs
by Al Soley
by Margarita Martin
Like many, each January I make New Year’s Resolutions. Then, only a few weeks into the new year, I realize that annual resolutions are insufficient. I need monthly resolutions, and weekly, daily, even hourly resolutions, because each new day I find something new to resolve, another challenge to overcome, another opportunity to grasp.
On February 1, former MBSR member Warren Gruenig presented a program to the club on Loving Hugs Inc., which uses “Hug Drives”, and individual donations from Americans all across the US, to collect new and “gently used” cuddly stuffed animals for delivery to children throughout the world. The organization has partnered with the U.S. Navy Project Handclasp to take “loving Hugs” to the world’s precious children. Hugs go out as “goodwill ambassadors” to children going through stressful situations, or living in war zones, refugee camps, or medical facilities, or who are living in extreme poverty. Through its International Avenue of Service, MBSR provided a $250 donation to Loving Hugs. MBSR is proud to contribute to this cause and to be able to reach these children through the work of Loving Hugs. For more information, visit their website at www.lovinghugs.org.
Life is filled with change. As fast as I count 1, 2, 3, my life changes. 2011 changes to 2012, January changes to February, life flits by 1, 2, 3 … and so goes change in our lives, even here at Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary. After 24 years of successful residence at the Ritz Carlton of Laguna Niguel, we face the need to change our home. Excuse me. We have the OPPORTUNITY, and the CHALLENGE to find a new home in which MBSR will be as successful as we ever were at the Ritz. I have lived in America the past 35 years, and every five years I have moved my home, each time to a new and better location. I have changed my work place eight times, each time with excitement and positive energy. But when I think deeper about these moves, I realize that I changed locations, I never changed home. My same family lives at the new continued in next column
Feb - March 2012
Birthdays & Anniversaries Feb 1 Feb 2 Feb 2 Feb 14 Feb 14 Feb 17
Penny DiCaro Dennis Gabrick Tim McMahon John Baumann Nancy Baumann Rod Eide
President’s Message, continued from previous column location. We still live by the same rules. I hear the same laughter, smell the same foods cooking, and kindle the same dreams we always shared. Home is where the heart is, and the same is true of Rotary. We must now change our location. But we will keep our name and flag, take pride in trophies we’ve won previously, and find inspiration in the same Rotary banners. Most importantly, we will continue meeting with our same MBSR family, and we will realize that while venue is important to our club, success is determined by our effort, our energy, and our good hearts. Change is a great opportunity to grow our club and to find new ways to serve our community. Let us all welcome this change and resolve to make this year MBSR’s most successful ever.
Birthday Birthday Anniversary (Carol, 1974) Anniversary (Nancy, 1966) Anniversary (John, 1966) Birthday
Feb 24 Feb 24 Feb 26 Feb 28 Mar 1 Mar 5 Mar 7
Zohreh Behbehani MBSR Alan Wickstrom Bill Palmer Don Gonneville Tim McMahon Joe Fitzgerald
Birthday Anniversary, 1988 Birthday Birthday Anniversary (Nancy, 1997) Birthday Birthday
New Member Highlight New member Kip Horney lives with his wife, Geri Schanz, in Monarch Beach Terrace. Kip and Geri enjoy spending as much time as possible with their daughter, Kari, who lives in Newton, MA with her husband Steve and their two children AJ (7) and Timmy (3). Kip retired this past summer after 35 years in the credit business as Vice President Sales for Experian. He’s filling his golden years playing with their Wheaton Terrier, Bailey, hitting the golf links as often as possible, and helping Geri in her position on the Board of the Orange County Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Kip was attracted to MBSR by the opportunity to meet and interact with a cross section of his community’s business and professional leaders and wants to work in community service projects supporting seniors and organizations like the Boys & Girls Club, the Ocean Institute and the YMCA. He likes working with the people of MBSR and is looking forward to acting as co-chair of next year’s Children’s Charities Golf Classic. Kip intends to get the tournament’s planning started early and to get involvement from everyone in the club to build on the foundation of this year’s success.
Editor’s Note:
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Membership Matters
MBSR received the following letter of appreciation after providing funding for Aliza to travel to and work in a medical clinic in Honduras.
by Marsha Prentice The Goal: Peace; The Way: Brotherhood; The Team: Rotary
I cannot thank you enough for the opportunity you gave me by sponsoring my trip to Honduras. My experience there was humbling, life-changing, and memory-altering. I will forever envy their simplicity of life, appreciation, and depth.
We are in the second half of our Rotary year, and pushing hard to achieve our new membership goal. We need 6 new members between now and the first of July to reach our annual “new member” goal set by President Al Soley.
The Honduran people improved my Spanish, gave me medical knowledge, and allowed me to see a new perspective. But more importantly, they altered my outlook on our world. With no shoes, few clothes, no food, no toilets and no luxuries, the Hondurans had endless smiles. Fungus and parasites plagued their homes, but the medical attention we brought them was well worth their 8-hour wait. I was able to work in gynecology, charla (teaching the children to brush continued on page 4
Apr 27 - 29, 2012 May 6 - 9, 2012 Jun 1 - 3, 2012 Sat June 30, 2012
Congratulations to our three outstanding members who have brought in three powerful and promising new members. Secretary John Coffman sponsored Kip Horney, President Elect Ellen Turnbull sponsored Jeanie Hankins and Treasurer Rod Eide sponsored Keith Regan. The three sponsoring members are now entered into the membership drive raffle and will have the opportunity to win either two tickets to the LobsterFest or a $100 dining certificate at one of our finest local restaurants. Get involved in the fun and the competition! Bring a prospective member to Rotary breakfast next week and we will all be winners!
Save these dates! RYLA Camp RI Convention, Bangkok, Thailand District 5320 Conference 3rd Annual LobsterFest
The 4-way test of things we think, say or do… Is it the truth? • Is it fair to all concerned? • Will it build goodwill and friendships? • Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
IS WORLD UNDERSTANDING MONTH FEBRUARY
Business of the Year
Congratulations to MBSR’s Nancy Baumann whose CPA business won Business of the Year at a recent Dana Point dinner.
Students of the Month
Congratulations to students of the month Jessica Dinsmoor & John Bryan (January, above) as well as Claire Carney & Kevin Korner (February, below) pictured with Al Soley, DHHS principal Jason Allemann & Zohreh Behbehani.
Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary
Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary
President...................................... Al Soley Vice President............... Alan Wickstrom Secretary............................ John Coffman Treasurer....................................Rod Eide President Elect ................ Ellen Turnbull Imm. Past President........James Littlejohn Club Service Committee Leaders: Scholarship Program...........Bonnie Myers Golf Tournament......................Rod Eide & Neil Burns International Service.....Margarita Martin Vocational Service................... Linda Hess Community Service.......Nancy Baumann & Nan Eide Club Service..................... Ellen Turnbull Youth Service.....................John Coffman Membership....................Marsha Prentice Foundation Support..................Rod Eide Website ........................ Alan Wickstrom Club Bulletin.......................... Neil Burns Programs ............................. Kathy Flores Song Leader ...................... John Hayden Fine Master ......................... Mary Jeffries Attendance............................... John Rose Public Relations............ Alan Wickstrom Photography..........................Terry Rifkin Info & Orientation....................Rod Eide Social................................ Sharon Baltzell Fellowship......................... Penny DiCaro Sergeant at Arms ................. Paul Lehrich RI President.................Kalyan Banerjee District Governor................. Greg Owen
TUESDAY
Officers & Directors 11/12
Make-Up Locations
7:10am, Mission Viejo Casta del Sol Golf Club House 7:15am, San Clemente Sunrise Talega Country Club Heritage Grill 7:30am, Newport Sunrise Five Crowns, PCH 12 noon, Laguna Niguel Savannah Chop House
WEDNESDAY 7:00am, Coto De Caza/RSM Del Sol RSM Bell Tower 6:15pm, Newport-Balboa Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club 6:15pm, San Juan Capistrano Sarducci’s Capistrano Depot
THURSDAY 12 noon, Newport-Irvine University Club @ UCI 12 noon, San Clemente Iron in the Fire Restaurant
FRIDAY 12 noon, Laguna Beach Aliso Creek Inn & Golf Course
Go to monarchbeachrotary.com for more details.
Honduras Trip, continued from page 3 their teeth), pharmacy, dentistry, triage, and the clinic. In 6 days we saw 424 patients, 2 orphanages, and the Honduran culture. We performed surgeries,156 flouride treatments, 46 tooth extractions, 158 cleanings, and numerous other beneficial treatments. I personally saw a girl who broke her foot with a 120 pound rock, a boy with eggs laid in his head, and various other things that I will not mention for fear of grossing you out. These patients waited 4 months for our visit, and I will never forget them. Without your kindness and generosity, this experience would have been nonexistent. Thank you for everything, you helped me change 424 peoples’ lives.” —Aliza
M B S R M E E TS O N WE D N E S D AY M O RN IN G S AT 7AM AT T HE R ITZ - CA R L TON L A GU NA NIGU EL • W W W.M ONA R CHB EACHROT ARY.COM