RCVE Breeze (Jun 08, 2017)

Welcome to the website of the Rotary Club of Ventura East!!

Service Above Self

We meet Thursdays at 12:00 PM

Poinsettia Pavilion

3451 Foothill Road
Ventura, CA 93003
United States

District Site

Venue Map

Jeff Hata
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Attendance

Hashbarger, Tom

Flag Salute

Shannon, Laura

Greeter

Thompson, Alison

Inspiration

Hata, Jeff

Joke of the Week

Hughes, Tim

Opportunity Drawing Donor

Gray, William

Rotary Club of Ventura-East

Elevator Speech

We are a leadership organization comprising of local business, civic and professional leaders.

We are a nonpolitical, nonsectarian service club.

We meet regularly to get to know each other, form friendships and through that we are able to get things done in this community. Like:

Scholarships at 5 local high schools,
Interact Clubs at 3 local schools.
Support the YMCA, City Center, Ventura Botanical Gardens
Promote literacy and career guidance in schools

Internationally we support a huge project our club started called GoCare in Nicaragua and contribute to eliminating Polio worldwide.

The Rotary Club of Ventura-East meets Thursday noon to 1:30 at the Poinsettia Pavilion in Ventura. Come and learn more about Rotary's humanitarian service, high ethical standards in all vocations and help build good will in this community.

Jun 22, 2017

Wade Nomura

Japanese Internment During WWII

Jul 27, 2017

Ryan Boland,

New Buena football coach

View entire list

Step Down Dinner

Tower Club

Jun 22, 2017
6:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Push-em Pull-em Parade

Jul 04, 2017

Husam Hishmeh

As we reach our final stretch of our Rotary year, we have to remember how you win a race, the winners usually start a race very fast and finish it even faster. This was the year where we grew our membership by 25% and we fixed our finances by hiring a bookkeeper. We helped in many events in our community and had a few successful fundraisers. With this being said what really counts is how we finish. We must keep inviting friends and acquaintances to join Rotary. This year is almost over, Harriett, Rich and few other people will be in Atlanta for The Rotary International Convention. My step down dinner party will be held on June 22nd at the Tower Club.

This Wednesday from 5-9 p.m. we have a community service meeting and social combined to help the Rotaract Club with their fundraiser at Dominos... all you can eat pizza for $10.00 a person. It is a private event to help raise money to build a house for a poor family in Mexico.. please join us for fun and great food.

This Thursday we will be inducting two new members into our club David Morris and Ayn Devera. The week after

will be Greg Jones. A very exciting time for our club, please make it a point to welcome the new members and learn about them.

Life is not about winning the race. Life is about finishing the race.

Marc Mero

Meeting June 1, 2017

Posted by Jeff Hata on Jun 01, 2017

P.E. Harriet Clune stepped in for President Husam who was out golfing today with Kris Hansen & Bruce McGee!

John Masterson led us in the Flag Salute.

Jeff Hata gave our Joke of the Day.

Rich Stewart introduced guests and visiting Rotarians. John Godfrey and his son Trevor along with Trevor's friend Emma were visiting today. Trevor will be receiving a scholarship from the club next week. Ken Kagan brought his daughter Sarah and visiting from the Rotary Club of Ventura was Hutch.

P.E. Harriet thanked Kathy McGee for taking attendance today.

Avenues of service, no announcements today.

Tom Swan told everyone about Roxanne Nomura's Memorial Service on June 17th. Tom also reminded everyone about our Step Down dinner on June 22nd at the Tower Club. The district Step Down luncheon will be on June 24th at Los Robles Greens in Thousand Oaks.

Michelle Cekov spoke about Indiana's son who had a terrible accident and was burned. There is an incredible burn center at the Palace Hospital in Nicaragua. Michelle let us know that Indiana will be here in two weeks for a GoCare meeting.

P.E. Harriet welcomed Tobias Hildebrand back and gave condolences for the passing of his mother.

Jordan Eller spoke about our scholarship presentations next week and thanked the committee which was comprised of Tim Hughes, Amber Stevens, Tobias Hildebrand, Michelle Cekov and Ken Kagan. We will be recognizing 13 students next week.

P.E. Harriet let us know Jim Emch had surgery on his ankle 2 weeks ago.

Kathy McGee spoke about President Husam's demotion. Bruce McGee would like to do a roast of President Husam. Please send any and all ideas to Bruce McGee.

The Push-em Pull-em parade is coming July 4th. A sign up sheet was passed for intersection/traffic control.

P.E. Harriet said that there were two vacancies on the current board that President Husam is filling with Melody - O'Leary-Namikas and Rich Stewart.

Happy $'s: Rich Stewart, Melody O'Leary-Namikas, Carol Marquez-Olson, Michelle Cekov, Jeff Hata and John Borneman.

Rich Stewart have a brief bio on John Borneman.

Todd Juvonen reminded the present board and next year's board that there will be a social at President Husam's parent's house.

Todd Juvonen also announced that Amber Steven's will be taking over as Community Service director next year.

Our raffle prize today was a gift card to Lure graciously donated by Melody O'Leary-Namikas and our lucky winner was Sarah Kagan!

Three Ventura Rotary Clubs Invest in the Ventura Botanical Gardens for Today and Tomorow

Posted on May 22, 2017

By Mary Kay Doubek

Saturday, April 29 was Rotarians at Work Day for 1.2 million members globally. In Ventura, the Downtown, East, and South clubs joined forces on a single project so they could make a bigger impact in the community they love. “Ventura Botanical Gardens is an ideal place to show the power of Rotary,” stated Downtown Ventura Rotary President Betsy Chess. “60 local Rotary, Rotaract (18-30 ages), and Interact (high school ages) members set aside their Saturday morning and were able to clear invasive plants and brush from a quarter mile stretch of trail above Summit Drive. There certainly was an impressive stack of weeds when we were done.”

Joe Cahill, VBG Executive Director, added, “The trails are in use more than ever this spring. Along with the 60 Rotarians on site that day, there were thousands of trail walkers and 500 or more participants and spectators in the Ventura Police Department-sponsored Mud Run. Later that afternoon, the Ventura Climate March came through the gardens too. We are pleased to have everyone enjoy the special beauty here after the rains of winter. All the flowers and plants have prospered, but so have the invasive plants. In several places, the trail was nearly impenetrable through a seven-foot tall wall of mustard. It is amazing how quickly these volunteers were able to get the job done. Thanks to Rotary, now visitors to the upper trail can see where they are going! An added benefit is that we got a jump start on reducing brush that is a concern during fire season. It was such a positive experience; I look forward to working with more large groups of volunteers from other local clubs.

After working up their appetites, Rotarians were treated to Domino’s Pizza from East Ventura Rotarian Husam Hishmeh at the future site of Rotary Plaza at VBG. It was the first visit to the site for many Rotarians, who were

enthusiastic about putting the Rotary name up at Ventura Botanical Gardens. As they munched their slices of pizza, project organizers Bruce and Kathy McGee of Rotary East described the features to be developed for Rotary Plaza. It will include a gathering place for 50 or more people, as well as the Rotary Wheel and Four Way Test, symbols of the “service above self” motto that Rotarians live by. They will be placed in a setting which offers unobstructed panoramic views of the gardens below, as well as city hall, and the ocean and islands beyond.

“We are confident we can build the financial support within Rotary to make this investment in Ventura Botanical Gardens,” said Bruce McGee. “Any way you look at it, Rotary Plaza is a fantastic project. Foremost, we want to endorse Ventura Botanical Gardens, the best and biggest new public asset in Ventura in our lifetime. VBG is already a gift to every member of the community we love, and it will be enhanced dramatically over the next 30 years to be enjoyed for many generations to come. Secondly, the superior location of the plaza at a crossroads by the top of the first trail, will naturally attract people. Many will stop to look and learn about the values of Rotary via an online app they can access on their mobile phones. Founded 110 years ago and now counting over 35,000 clubs globally, Rotary is committed to serve others near and far. Now, more than ever, the world needs more people who live by our club’s guiding principles of truth, fairness, goodwill, and friendship. Who knows, some visitors to Rotary Plaza at VBG may even decide to become Rotarians themselves in their own communities.”

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