MANDATORY PARTICIPATION EVENTS FOR ALL THOUSAND OAKS ROTARIANS:
CHILI COOK-OFF- May 3, 2026- SEE MARISSA BUSS
WINE FESTIVAL-June 14, 2026- SEE DAVE MASCI
STREET FAIR -3rd SUNDAY in OCT 2026 SEE CRYSTAL EVANS
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BECOMING A ROTARIAN IS A MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE....
Invite a friend, family member, colleague to join Rotary.
Encourage Them to Be Part of Something GREAT!!!
Why wouldn’t you want them to be part of an organization that feeds the hungry, cures the sick, provides education to women and children, provides clean water and sanitation. And now is taking on the environment.
See Susan Murata for Membership Information
susanmurata9@gmail.com
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The Thousand Oaks Rotary Club is proud to be a Peace Builder Club.
Vocational Service Chair- Sara Collins led Craft Talks
The lunch meeting was called to order by President Darin Arrasmith, stating it was already the last meeting in January.
INSPIRATIONAL MOMENT: Monica Murrietta inspired everyone in the room with the story of a Starfish. (see full story below). It's about a child that was throwing starfish back into the sea. There were thousands of them and though he could not save all of them, he knew he was saving some. Monica's message was if you can even just help one child, or one family, or one school, or one non-profit, you are making a difference. After the pledge, Jessica Sassalos said to the club with all of the turmoil in Minnesota right now it is disheartening, and then emotionally said- "We (Rotarians) are peacemakers, so let there be peace on earth", and then asked Patricia Jones to help her with the song "Let there be peace on earth".
GUEST INTRODUCTIONS. Patricia Jones introduced guests: Past Pres -Robert Bianchi, Matt Lallo's wife-Teresa, and guest of Monica Murrietta-Carrie Mullen
Past President-Pat Mc Coy reminded everyone about the Economic Forecast Forum next Friday at CLU. Tickets may still be purchased on the T.O. Rotary Website. Pat said the lineup of speakers is impressive and should be very informative and interesting. He encourages everyone to try to attend.
Steve Stanley announced that the John Conlon Awards will be coming up soon. This award recognizes non-Rotarian members of the community that make a difference and encompasses the Rotary moto of Service Above Self. He is also looking for people to join his committee to evaluate the applications and choose the winner. Contact Steve if you're interested.
Monica Murrietta said there were cards on the table for everyone to sign for Rotarian Teresa Horvet who is experiencing some health issues.
Ken Kossoff gave $29 happy dollars to commemorate his 29th year in Rotary, saying when he joined the club 29 years ago the median age in the club was 54 years old and he thought "wow, that's so old"..... not so much anymore.
Judy St John was happy that she was getting knee replacement surgery next week which would relieve the pain she is in, but also sad that she had to have surgery and go through that process.
Dorothy Sullivan attended the Bike Rodeo put on by fellow Rotarian- Supervisor-JeffGorrell and said it was great to meet up with so many other Rotarians at the event-Jeremy Paris, Jim Friedl, Nelson Buss to name a few.
Felix Masci said his youngest grandson just got his pilot license and his granddaughter sent him pictures when she flew with her brother. He also had a sad dollar for the passing of former City Council person Dave Koose.
PROGRAM: Craft Talks- Getting to know your fellow Rotarians better- Vocational Service Chair- Sara Collins asked well thought out questions to three Rotarians. She called on:
Cherry Wang who has been a member for almost 2 years. She was introduced to Rotary at our Street Fair and was intrigued by "what all these people were doing" and wanted to come check the club out for herself. She is a full-time manager, has two boys-the oldest is in college in Berkely and the youngest is a 9th grader at WLHS (who she says is her 'troublemaker'). She said her biggest strength is being positive and trying to make the best out of every day and everything. Her hobby is Chinese folk dancing and drumming with her dance group. Her favorite movie is a Chinese movie depicting people overcoming their difficulties. She has been in the U.S. since she was 20 years old when she came here and completed her education receiving a master's degree. She loves the people in Rotary and has respect for all they do.
Kyle Lundberghas been a Rotarian since 2011 and joined when he was new to the area and Ken Kossoff told him he should get involved with the Rotary Club of T.O. He is a financial planner with Edward Jones for the past 15 years. He loves helping people meet their goals. His favorite line in the 4-Way Test is "Is It The Truth"- he teaches his kids to always be truthful and honest. His favorite song is the one Ferris Bueller sang on the float in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off- Twist and Shout. When asked if he has broken any New Year's Resolutions he made, he admitted he broke the "dry January" pledge he made. His best vacation ever was the one he just went on with his family to Switzerland. He said he is pretty boring so the most shocking thing he ever did was having a ponytail. He finished by saying he tries to balance work with his family and has 2 children 16-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter. and is proud he has attended 100% of all of their sports activities.
Christy Wilson is a new member and said she was brought to Rotary by her 30-year friend-Vicki Arndt. She said it has been challenging to get to know everything that goes on in our club. She was always impressed by everything Vicki did, and when Christy's husband passed away, she decided it was time to try Rotary. She said she normally shies away from groups but everyone at T.O. Rotary was so welcoming and made her feel comfortable so she joined. Christy and her husband owned a Drug Rehabilitation Treatment business. They dealt with opioid addiction, homeless people, and people coming out of the prison system. She is amazed by everything that Rotary does to try to make a difference. She said she has been a resident of Thousand Oaks for the past 40 years and is grateful to now be involved in giving back here. Her favorite Rotary project was cleaning up the arroyo last year; she felt that made a significant difference. She feels it is important to listen to what people want/say. Do not get "caught up in the weeds", truly listen so you can understand what people are really saying.
Pres. Darin ended the meeting by saying it is important to have conversations with your fellow Rotarians. Reach out to each other and get to know one another. That makes us stronger as a club.
