OCTOBER 11, 2021 MEETING in-person and via Zoom: President Raegan Matthews welcomed all, Beth Garrow led the pledge, and Jos Magaña led us in the Four-Way Test. Bob Kreisberg and Ed Roquette provided live music at the beginning of the meeting and for the opening songs: The Smile Song and America the Beautiful.
Bob Kreisberg and Ed Roquette play tunes for Hi-Noon
ANNOUNCEMENTS
• OCTOBER 25 MEETING: Come in costume, prizes to be given. Our speaker will be District 5340 Past District Governor Steve Brown, whose talk will be “Rotary’s work in Afghanistan,” with current update.
• FOOD PACKAGING PROJECT: This will be accomplished during our Nov. 15 meeting. That meeting will be in person and next door at the Sheraton, in the Terramar Room, because we’ll be packaging 10,000 meals. President Raegan is asking all members to try to attend, and to “bring a friend, or three, or four!” The more hands we have, the faster we will package up those meals. Come early (noon) for lunch, followed by the meal packing project.
FOOD BANK HELP, PLEASE
Friday is our day to help the North County Food Bank package up food stuffs for those in need. As of Wednesday, October 13, LeAnn Rytz only had three volunteers signed up for our 20 spots. Time is short because the date is this Friday, October 15, from 1-4pm at 1445 Engineer St, Suite 110, in Vista. Each volunteer MUST register in advance, and Rytz sent another email Wednesday morning, again giving details and explaining the registration process. Or contact her at (619) 607-7893.
MEMBER PROPOSED
Helen Wells, a secretary and a homemaker, has been proposed for membership, sponsored by Maureen Simons, and the Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary board has approved Wells for membership. Anyone wishing to make a comment needs to contact President Raegan by next Wednesday, October 20.
ROTARY MOMENT
• Jos Magaña and Vince Ponce shared their Rotary Moments. Magaña said he never really understood what Rotary is all about until a fellow Rotarian (while he was in the Encinitas club) proposed starting a surf club for kids. Club members rallied and made it happen, having the time of their lives teaching kids to surf. He said it was powerful to realize that a person who wants to help others can have a plan and have all these others to help him make it a reality. Magaña then reminded us of when Gloria Foote and a few others in our club proposed purchasing a truck for Solutions For Change a few years back—and our club rallied and made it happen. Rotarians, he said, “have the heart and the will to make things happen.”
• Ponce said participating in the Rotary Third-Grade Dictionary Project with another Rotary club (while an educator) was his Rotary Moment. That club, he said, made literacy and the dictionary project a communty event, with the mayor, the police chief and others joining the Rotarians to make sure each third-graders got their own dictionary. “You forget there are many kids who don’t have access to dictionaries and books to call their own.” Ponce shared how, several years later, a new high school graduate came up to him and thanked him: “You’re the one who gave me my dictionary in third grade!”
Jos Magaña and Vince Ponce
OKTOBERFEST & FEAST
Our OktoberFEST celebration Oct. 2 at The Carlsbad Strawberry Fields was a success, and Co-Chair Vince Ponce thanked everyone all for helping to make that happen. Income is ahead of last year, but final accounting is still being done. He reported 496 volunteer hours were tallied that Saturday, via 111 shifts (vs 300+ shifts needed for Oktoberfest at Holiday Park). Evening club members provided 251.5 of those hours, and Hi-Noon provided 244.5. We sold 650 German dinners, 190 sausage sandwiches, 210 bottles of water, 1,150 glasses of beer, 125 glasses of wine and 253 cocktails.
Ponce reminded us that OktoberFEAST continues through October, with special discounts offered by at least 15 Carlsbad restaurants. Go to Rotary Oktoberfest.org, click on “2021 Oktober-Feast” and then click on “Sign Up for Savings Pass.” Visit these restaurants all month and receive the discounts—and share the info.
He said the Oktoberfest/feast Committee is seeking feedback: what worked, what didn’t, ideas. He then thanked Hi-Noon members of that committee: Tom Applegate, Patty Johnson, Maureen Taylor, Julie Walker, Jim Brubaker, Maureen Simons, Samantha Richter, Rachel Ivanovich, Yvonne Finocchiaro, and Rocco Ciesco.
YOUTH SERVICES
• POSSIBLE DELAY: Our annual Book Fair at Jefferson Elementary School, planned for Friday, October 22, at the school, may have to be postponed, due to a delay in book delivery. Watch for email information from Maureen Taylor.
CLUB SERVICE
• NEW DATE: Fireside Chat has been changed to Tuesday, October 26, 5:30-7:30 pm at Mary Fritz-Wilson’s home. This is a meet-greet-and-eat opportunity for new red-badge members to learn more about Rotary, with blue-badge members invited to meet our newest members in a casual setting. Halloween costumes invited; pizza and Halloween desserts be offered.
• Save the Date: Saturday, December 4, Hi-Noon Rotary holiday party
ROTARIAN AT HEART AWARD
Danny Quisenberry is seeking nominees for the club’s Rotarian At Heart Award, presented to a community member and non-Rotarian in recognition of his or her outstanding service to the community. Nominations are open through October 31.
PROGRAM
Rotary Youth Certification Importance
Speaker Doug Clements
Rotary International’s and District 5340’s Youth Certification Program is designed to ensure that any Rotary activity conducted or sponsored by or within District 5340 will take place in an environment that is absolutely free of abuse and harassment of any kind. In accordance with this policy, Rotarians are being asked to complete the Youth Program Volunteer Application, which includes a background check. District 5340’s youth protection officer (YPO), longtime Rotarian and former SD Sheriff’s Department officer Doug Clements, was with us Monday to answer questions and to share a video that explains the why, what and how of becoming certified.
Anyone under 18 is a child, as far as Rotary is concerned, he said, and anyone working with them or around them is required to be certified for the childrens’ protection. “So much of what we do in Rotary is directed around serving youth,” he said. According to District 5340’s policy:
And it is each Rotary club’s responsibility:
Hi-Noon club members have received emails from President Raegan, with information on how to become certified, and she noted that the club will reimburse members for the certification fee. Clements said the district will reimburse anyone who is assessed a fee for the background check. He said that while some background checks can take a day, others can take several weeks, such as for someone in the military, and could incur an extra fee.
The certification process involves filling out the application form, signing it and then submitting it as the first step. Then filling out the background check form, watching the video shown to us Monday and taking an interactive quiz. Clements said the quiz has 20 questions, and you must get at least 16 correct. The quiz can be taken until you pass. Note: the mail address at the bottom of the application form is no longer valid. You can submit the form online, email it to Clements at YPO@Rotary5340.org or print it out and give it to President Raegan.
Youth certification is good for two years, although those involved with Rotary overnight activities involving youth must be certified annually. If you need the more information and/or the links for the youth certification process, contact Clements or President Raegan.
Service Above Self
Carlsbad, CA 92008
United States of America