CARLSBAD HI-NOON ROTARY CLUB

The club meets at the Westin Resort on Mondays at noon (except Federal holidays). 
 

 Welcome to Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club!

The Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club (CHNR) welcomes Rotarians and other visitors to its Monday meetings. The club meets at the Westin Carlsbad Resort and Spa, 5480 Grand Pacific Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008.  A buffet lunch with salads and hot entrees is open at noon, with the business meeting beginning at 12:20 pm. 

The Club, chartered in February 1980, has over 70 members. The membership is very active and committed to the Rotary principle of "Service Above Self."  The club sponsors an energetic Interact Club at Carlsbad High School and each year sends both facilitators and students to the annual RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) conference for high school juniors and the Rotary LEAD symposium for eighth graders. The club sponsors Oktoberfest a Family Fall Festival--Oktoberfest 2025 is Number 42--including German food, German music, costume contests, games and a beer garden.  Check out the website for event specifics: www.RotaryOktoberfest.org. This event has been designed and implemented since its inception by BOTH Rotary Clubs in Carlsbad:  Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary and Carlsbad Rotary. Proceeds from Oktoberfest are shared with Carlsbad charities and used by each club for its many local community service projects.

Additionally, CHNR also supports our Carlsbad students via the AVID program at Carlsbad High School with a business and ethics conference plus college and trade school scholarships, a literacy project and book fair at Jefferson Elementary School, Junior Achievement and What Grown-Ups Do For Work, music instruction and a competition for middle school students, an essay contest for middle school students, and a speech contest focusing on the Rotary Four-Way Test for high school students. CHNR members provide extensive community:  service every weekday, all year, through meal delivery to seniors; once a month to Brother Benno's to serve breakfast to the homeless; once a month to the North County Food Bank; and a massive 20,000 food packaging event to assist the Food Bank. Additionally, the club provides financial support (resulting from our fundraising events) to a variety of nonprofit organizations in Carlsbad assisting food insecurity, the homeless, Solutions for Change, the Carlsbad Educational Foundation, Hospice of the North Coast, Casa de Amparo, the North County Food Bank, the Veterans Association of North County, La Posada, Stand Up for Kids, the Carlsbad Boys and Girls Club. We are People of Action.

During the 2023-2024 Rotary year, club members provided 1338 hours to ease food insecurity locally, 207 hours to elementary school projects, 237 hours to middle school training sessions, 1606 to high school conferences and activities, 1273 hours to senior citizen and family needs projects, and 2701 hours to international Rotary projects relating to potable water, pediatric health, Ukranian refugees, school design in Nairobi and gifts for disabled children in Mexico.  In addition to all the service members provide, they also have time to socialize and enjoy one another.  During the 2023-24 Rotary year, members had an opportunity to attend over 22 separate social events.  

Guests are always welcome at Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club . . . come to a meeting and learn more about the activities (service and social) that members enjoy.  Join us!

Next Meeting: Feb. 10 2025  
at the Westin  
Volume 7, Issue 4  
Reporter: Julie Walker  
Photographer: Nancy Starling, Julie Walker
   
 
 
Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary
President Velyn Anderson
 
This was our annual Harvest Pack dry-meal packing event, with the meeting called to order by CHNR Pres Velyn Anderson following an early lunch. Eric Lodge led the pledge, and Pres.Velyn reminded us of other coming events, as indicated below.
 
KEY HI-NOON DATES
• Feb. 12 - Brother Benno’s Food Service
• Feb. 20 - NCty Food Bank
• Feb. 28 - DineAround #1
• Mar.  1 - DineAround #2
                                          
ANNOUNCEMENTS
            • Treas. Viveka Kjellgren reminds those who have not yet paid third-quarter dues to please do so. Any questions or issues: viveka@kjellgren.org or 203-984-2499
            • Brother Benno’s Food Service: Members are invited to help serve food at Brother Benno’s in Oceanside, Feb. 12, 6:15-8am. Contact Tom Applegate for more info: tjappleg8@gmail.com
            • North County Food Band: Beth Garrow is putting together a team to help pack food at the North County Food Bank, Feb. 20, from 1-4pm. Members, partners and guests are welcome, but EACH needs to register. Garrow has emailed registration link and requirements, or contact her at bethgarrow@comcast.net
 
SCHOLARSHIP RAFFLE UPDATE
            JoAnn Ross and Nancy Starling have began distributing scholarship raffle tickets to members. The goal is to sell them and raise $50,000 for local scholarships. Additional tickets are $20 each, or six for $100. For info or more tickets, contact Ross at ross93291@aol.com or 760-662-5385.
            The prize drawing will be during our April 14 meeting. Grand prize is $5,000, 2nd prize is a four-night stay in a condo in Sedona donated by Yvonne Finocchairo, 3rd prize is an e-bike, and 4th prize is a wine package. Last year, we were able to provide more than $41,000 in scholarships to Carlsbad graduates going to two or four-year colleges or trade schools.
 
OKTOBERFEST COMMITTEE
Anyone interested in serving on the 2025 Oktoberfest Committee can contact member Jenna Dotson: jdotson@RepublicServices.com. This year's event, the major fundraiser co-hosted by the Hi-Noon and the Carlsbad Rotary clubs, will be held Sept. 20, at the Carlsbad Strawberry Fields.
 
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
• Feb. 28 and Mar. 1 Dine Arounds: Hosts have been set, and Danny Quisenberry has sent an email inviting participants for these two Dine Around dates.
• Hi-Noon Poker Night: Tommy Hersant will email date and time for the club’s resurrected poker night, to be hosted by Richard Weston.
• Hi-Noon Happy Hours: Hersant is seeking suggestions for Carlsbad locations for monthly Happy Hours. Contact him at thersant@me.com
 
PROGRAM
Harvest Pack Dry-Food Packaging Event
After an early lunch, the room full of Rotarians, plus some family members and guests, took part in the club’s annual dry-food assembly-line packing event hosted by Harvest Pack. Members manned various stations at four tables to fill, seal, date and box up packages of instant oatmeal to be delivered to the North County Food Bank. Each package of oatmeal provides eight meals and includes oatmeal, cinnamon, sugar, vitamins and minerals. The packaged total was 21,125 meals, topping Pres. Velyn’s 20,000 meals goal.
 
All materials, equipment and food products were provided by Harvest Pack. Harvest Pack Rep Allie Wichman provided instruction and a short video before packing began. Any food spillage was saved, to be delivered to farm animals; all other by-products of the packaging event, including plastic wrap and cardboard, also were to be recycled. Since Harvest Pack’s inception, it has been responsible for providing more than 14 million meals to those in need, near and far.
 
Interesting sidenote: A Rotarian from Belgium was at The Westin for another event and noticed our CHNR meeting sign, saw what we were doing and dropped in to introduce himself—and to praise our community service efforts. Of course, we had to sing the CHNR Welcome Song to him!
               
President Velyn with the visiting Rotarian from Belgium
 
Pres. Velyn thanked everyone who participated in this year’s event, and especially the visitors who joined in. A good time was had by all, while doing a fun and quite lively hands-on project.
 
               
Some of the many Rotarians and guests who helped packaged Harvest Pack meals.
 
              
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NEXT MEETING
February 10, at the Westin
 
Program: Introduction to Genealogy
Speaker: Dee Whiting
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Welcome
Carlsbad Hi-Noon

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Mondays at 12:00 p.m.
Westin Carlsbad Resort and Spa
5480 Grand Pacific Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92008
United States of America
The club meets in-person at the Westin Resort (above The Flower Fields). The program starts at 12:20. Check schedule for variations.
Officers and Directors
President
President Elect
Past President
Secretary
Treasurer
Club Service Director
Community Service Director
International Service Director
Vocational Service Director
Youth Service Director
Membership Chair
Program Chair
Bulletin Editor
Scholarship Raffle Chair
Interact Chair
Foundation (TRF) RI Liaison
Executive Secretary/Director
Speakers
Dee Whiting
Feb 10, 2025 12:00 PM
Intro to Genealogy
Dark
Feb 17, 2025
Presidents Day
CHS Speech Competition
Feb 24, 2025 12:00 PM
Courtney Snyder
Mar 03, 2025
Hubbs - Sea World
Jen Carlos
Mar 10, 2025
Sherri Singleton
Mar 24, 2025
Reducing Stress
Sub-Regional Speech Competition
Apr 07, 2025 12:00 PM
Scholarship Raffle
Apr 14, 2025 12:00 PM

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Rotary Leadership
Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick
Rotary District 5340 Governor Dianne Crawford