Monarch Beach Rotary Club's September 2013 newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2013

Monarch Beach

SUNRISE ROTARY ON THE CALIFORNIA RIVIERA

President’s Message

Bravo MBSR!!

Lobster Fest Breaks Records!

by Alan Wickstrom

by Alan Wickstrom

“GOOOOOOD MORNING MONARCH BEACH SUNRISE ROTARY CLUB!!”

This is my weekly greeting to our wonderful club members and guests just after ringing the bell at 7:30am on Wednesday mornings.

It’s a new Rotary year and I cannot tell you how humbled I am that you, my friends and fellow Rotarians, have put the club under my direction as your 2013-2014 club president.

For this, I say thank you. My phone is with me 24/7 and I encourage each of you to call me at 949-842-0594 anytime. This is YOUR club and I am here to serve and lead with you and those we do so much good for.

The turn out for the our 4th annual Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club’s Dana Point Lobster Fest on Saturday, Aug 24, 2013, was simply outstanding!!

We had to cap the event at 600 guests and sold out by noon on Friday, Aug 23, the day before the event. The members of the Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club want to thank all who attended and sponsored our 4th annual Dana Point Lobster Fest and for making this one of our largest fundraising events ever in our Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club’s 28 year history. We have never sold out a Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club fundraising event before, so this was a first. Seems like the Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club’s Dana Point Lobster Fest is now the hot ticket for the summer. Next year will be even bigger and better!!

First and foremost, this Rotary year is going to be fun and engaging! Fun is the key to making the good we do just that much sweeter.

ENGAGE ROTARY. CHANGE LIVES. That is our 2013-2014 Rotary International theme and when each of us ENGAGE our roles in our ROTARY club, the end result most certainly does CHANGE LIVES. Rotary’s theme for the month of August was MEMBERSHIP. Take a step back and remember the first time you joined Rotary.

What attracted you to join? Was it the

Our fundraising goal was to reach $40,000 and our early numbers show we have exceeded this amount thanks to all the wonderful folks who attended and sponsored our 4th annual Monarch

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Pacific Region Youth of the Year winner, Yossymar Rojas (center), was recognized at the Lobster Fest and presented with a $5,500 scholarship. From left is Rotary District 5320 Governor, Rae Shirer, James Littlejohn, and MBSR president, Alan Wickstrom.

Fun was had by all, including these attendees of the 4th Annual Lobster Fest!

Wonderful Mariachi music and Folklorico dancers opened the Lobster Fest

MBSR MEETS ON WEDNESDAY MORNINGS AT 7AM AT THE LAGUNA CLIFFS MARRIOTT IN DANA POINT • MONARCHBEACHROTARY.COM

17th Annual Children’s Deep Sea Fishing Trip Monday, July 29, 2013, sponsored by Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary and Dana Point Harbor Association

by Anita Houston, Chairman, Community Service Director

How exciting to reach 17 years of taking children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley out on the beautiful ocean to go fishing! First of all, our club had great participation from members.

Rotarians Ellen Turnbull, Jessica Timberlake, Stephanie McCormick, Mike Killebrew, George Luhan, Carl Linhardt (our own professional photographer), Anita Houston, chairman and of course James Littlejohn, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley, all came aboard the Clemente out of Dana Wharf Sportfishing. Twenty-seven children were welcomed aboard at 6:30 AM. Our club and the Boys & Girls Club had wonderful support again as the Dana Point Harbor Association paid for the boat.

The participants were from three locations of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley, San Juan Capistrano, Aliso Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita. The weather was perfect and the children were excited and very patient while waiting for that first bite. Talk about excitement!

Awards for First Fish, Most Fish, Biggest Fish and Best Attitude were given to the children in different age categories. Best Attitude could have been awarded to every child on board. The Captain and crew mentioned numerous times that they have never worked with children this polite and patient.

To add to the excitement, the children had the opportunity to see enormous blue whales and schools of dolphins, as the Captain gave educational facts about these beautiful creatures.

Now lets get back to the boat Clemente. Her captain and crew taught the children how to bait their hooks with live sardines and squid, cooked great breakfast sandwiches and hot dogs for lunch, filleted their fish to proudly take home to cook, watched out for their safety, were patient and most of all complimented the children on their enthusiasm and willing to learn.

President’s Message, contd. from cover

fellowship? … the fun? … the good our club does?

Probably all of these items and more… now, I have a request for each of you… my MBSR PRESIDENT’S CHALLENGE: Bring one prospective new member to Rotary this month!

I’m challenging each of you to invite and bring 1 new prospective member guest to our weekly meeting FREE OF CHARGE over the next month. Prospective new members can attend up to 2 meetings at no cost to you or your guest. Your board of directors have set a goal of 8 new members for Rotary year 2013-2014 and with our awesome Club Membership Chair, Carl Linhardt, at the helm of our membership drive, we will IGNITE our club’s membership.

We are all ambassadors of Rotary and to our club.

This is especially relevant during Membership Month in August, when the focus is on building a strong, vibrant club so we can do more good locally and around the world by inviting prospective members to join and ENGAGE Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club!

What does 2014 have in store? Come on board next year to find out!

Birthdays & Anniversaries July/August Birthdays July 3 James Littlejohn July 19 Margarita Martin July 25 Bruce Brenon August 2 Russell Kerr August 25 Susan Jeffries August 23 Mike Killebrew August 27 Mitch Jackson

July/August Anniversaries Ricardo and Rosa Beas Anna Bryson and Bill Evers Joe and Kathryn Fitzgerald John and Tonina Heldman Kip Horney and Geri Schanz Mitch Jackson nd Lisa Wilson Mike and Shauna Killebrew

Margarita and Dale Martin Gary and Michael Maxwell Bonnie and Paul Myers Mike and Layla Soliman Ellen Turnbull and Ed Alexson

Operation Semper Funny

by Terry Rifkin

2nd Annual

Friday, Oct. 25 Balboa Bay Club Join us for a night of surprises, fabulous live and silent auctions, dinner and dancing.

Purchase tickets at

ocie.wish.org

Operation Semper Funny at the Irvine Improv on July 29th was a phenomenal event benefiting the Marines, Sailors and families of the 5th Marine Regiment. We could not have made this possible without our Rotarians friends!

Your patriotic support — along with other likeminded folks — made it possible to sponsor and entertain 79 Marines and spouses for a night of “Comedy and Camaraderie” along with our civilian guests.

The stage was set by the headliner James P. Connolly, a former 5th Marine himself serving in Desert Storm, and also Fritz Coleman, the Funny Weatherman.

Col Jason Bohm, Commander of the 5th Marine Regiment sat a little too close to the stage and comedian Julie Kidd had her fun with him.

The Colonel, accustomed to ambushes and unexpected assaults, handled himself very well.

It was a hilarious evening with a silent auction and raffle. Lots of Marines went home with door prizes and there were smiles from ear to ear. We will all be practicing the correct pronunciation of “OOH-RAH” and be ready for the Operation Semper Funny sequel at the Improv in 2014.

or contact Sarah at 714-573-WISH ext. 230 or pizzaruso@wishocie.org.

Rotarians Get Sudsy to Support Our Marines

by Terry Rifkin

It was great to have our MBSR Rotarians and Interactors volunteer on August 14th when our Dana Hills Football team got sudsy with our Fifth Marine Regiment as they washed over 400 cars to benefit the Marines and families at Camp Pendleton.

There was a tremendous sense of Community for MBSR to be able to join the Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group, OC Sheriff Dept and Fire Companies, and Don Juan Avila Elementary school amongst other local organizations to raise money for such a worthy cause. It was indeed an honor for Rotarians to serve shoulder to shoulder with our brave American heroes.

With outstanding Monarch Beach Sunrise support, we had yummy baked goods and tremendous volunteerism, not to mention wonderful fellowship.

Thank you again for thinking of our Marines, Sailors and families and giving us the privilege of creating wonderful opportunities for our Marines to smile, laugh, relax, and know they are very loved and supported by their American friends.

Save the Dates!

Friday, Oct 25, 6:30pm

Evening of Wishes Gala for Make-A-Wish®Orange County and the Inland Empire at The Balboa Bay Club and Resort. See Stephanie for details.

Wednesday, Nov 20, 7am

MBSR Vocational Day, Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort in Dana Point.

Saturday, Nov 23, 11:30am

Senior Thanksgiving Luncheon at the Dana Point Senior Center.

See Anita for details.

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?

I S VO C AT I O N A L S E R V I C E M O N T H OCTOBER

Lobster Fest,

contd. from cover

Beach Sunrise Rotary Club’s Dana Point Lobster Fest.

We are so thankful to the over 115+ volunteers who donated their time to put on our Lobster Fest fundraising event. Of those 115 volunteers, 20 of them were Rotarians from the Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club and 95 were from the Dana Hills High School Interact Club, National Charity League (both the Laguna & Monarch Chapters), the Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley and other volunteer friends of the Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club.

A big thank you to all our amazing MBSR Lobster Fest steering committee members who did an outstanding job (names in alpha order) ... Nancy Baumann, LaVal Brewer, John Coffman, David Harriman, Kip Horney, Russell Kerr, Mike Killebrew, Carl Linhardt, Jorge Luhan, Gary Maxwell, Michael Maxwell, Marsha Prentice, Todd Sandness, Ellen Turnbull and Alan Wickstrom.

MBSR club president, Alan Wickstrom, emceed the event and welcomed the 600+ in attendance and introduced our event’s band, Family Style.

Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Officers & Directors 2013/14

Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Make-Up Locations

President..........................Alan Wickstrom Vice President.................... Gary Maxwell Secretary........................ Michael Maxwell Treasurer........................Nancy Baumann President Elect ................. John Coffman Imm. Past President.......... Ellen Turnbull

TUESDAY

DIRECTORS: Club Service ..................... John Coffman Community Service ........ Anita Houston Foundation Support ............. Linda Hess International Service.....Margarita Martin Membership Dev................ Carl Linhardt New Generations Service: John Coffman Vocational Service.............. Gary Maxwell CLUB SERVICE COMMITTEE LEADERS: Attendance .............................. John Rose Club Bulletin........Stephanie McCormick Fellowship ........................ Penny DiCaro Fine Master .......................... Russell Kerr Fundraisers, Golf ............. John Heldman Fundraisers, Lobster Fest .....Gary Maxwell Info & Orientation ............... Linda Hess Photographers.............. Michael Maxwell

Alan Wickstrom Programs ....................... Allison Peterson Public Relations .............. Ellen Turnbull Scholarships ............... Zohreh Behbehani Sergeant of Arms ................. Paul Lehrich Social ................................... Mary Jeffries Song Leader ...................... John Hayden Website ........................ Alan Wickstrom LEADERSHIP: RI President.......................... Ron Burton District Governor.................... Rae Shirer

7:10 AM Mission Viejo Casta del Sol Golf Club House 7:15 AM San Clemente Sunrise Talega Country Club Heritage Grill 7:30 AM Newport Sunrise Five Crowns, PCH 12 NOON Laguna Niguel Savannah Chop House

WEDNESDAY 7:00 AM Coto De Caza/RSM Del Sol RSM Bell Tower 6:15 PM Newport-Balboa Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club 6:15 PM 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 MONARCHBEACHROTARY.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.

MBSR MEETS ON WEDNESDAY MORNINGS AT 7AM AT THE LAGUNA CLIFFS MARRIOTT IN DANA POINT • MONARCHBEACHROTARY.COM