Hi-Jinx Bulletin of May 22, 2023 Mtg

Welcome:  President Mary Fritz-Wilson welcomed all to the meeting, including those members attending via Zoom. Jim Brubaker led the pledge, and Velyn Anderson shared Words.

 

 

Velyn Anderson presented the first of four club grants for $2,500 during the meeting, to the Assistance League, represented by Angela Baer. Baer said the non-profit, which assists abused kids from newborn to age 18, was chartered in 1998. The Oceanside program serves Carlsbad, Vista and Oceanside, and includes 16 programs. One of those is Footsteps, which provides shoes, socks and health kits to needy youths in 39 area schools—which is where the funds donated by CHNR will be used.  

 

 

Gloria Foote inducted Jason McDonald, executive director of ActivCare at Bressi Ranch.  He was sponsored by Viveka Kjellgren, and his classification is Administration, Long-Term Care. His previous Rotary clubs were those in Fallbrook and Mesa, AZ.

 

 

• The club’s sponsored Aviara Oaks Middle School Jazz Band will perform at 6pm Wed., May 24, in the school’s multi-purpose room. Bob Kreisberg invites anyone interested to attend. 

•  Club members invited to help serve breakfast at Brother Benno’s the second Wednesday of the month, 6:15-8am. The next service date is June 14. Contact Paul Kartzke, prkartzke@gmail.com

 

• The next North County Food Bank food packaging date is Thurs., June 1, from 1-4pm. Velyn Anderson is sending sign-up information via email. Last Saturday, 15 club volunteers, plus some spouses and friends, were able to package 2,800 pounds of potatoes, oranges and zucchinis in three hours.

 

               Ed Rouquette recognized May birthday celebrants who were at the meeting, including Mimi Gaffey, who was celebrating her birthday this day. Others recognized with the short birthday song were Josh Rytz and Helen Wells.

               Travelers recognized: Terry Green, who went to Puerto Nuevo, Mexico, and Ken Clark, Hawaii. Rouquette called out new member Tommy Hersant after discovering he is a neighbor.

 

               PROGRAM

 

 

Rick Huenefeld introduced Peggy Combs, who had a distinguished 33-year career in the Army, with her final assignment prior to retirement as chief of staff and executive director of the US Northern Command and the North American Areospace Defense Command (NORAD). She is the first woman to serve as president of the 112-year-old Army Navy Academy in Carlsbad.

 

The academy, she said is a college preparatory academy with military traditions. It is not a reform school or a recruiting unit or training unit for the Armed Forces.

 

The academy is a culturally diverse values-based all-boy boarding and day school that can serve 325 students in its dorms. It currently is serving 260 in grades seven through 12, and just graduated a class of 53—with a 100% college acceptance rate. Combs said it is “not another academy for spoiled rich kids...I like to call them extraordinarily average young men...(who) learn through the structure of military tradition.”

 

She shared a short video that explains the academy’s goal is to help students achieve success and take advantage of their potential. “You are already brilliant,” the audio says. “We will show you, and you will show us. We believe in you...Be bold. Be brilliant. Be you.”

 

Combs discussed the academics program, unique offerings, support system, athletics program and campus life at the academy, as stressed its emphasis on leadership and virtue development. She issued CHNR a challenge to contact the academy when additional manpower is needed. “They (also) learn through community service.”

 

The academy receives no state or federal funding “because we are single-gender,” she said.  Instead, tuition and donations are key.

 

Combs issued an invitation to tour the campus and also for a new program planned for the next school year. Every Friday, the flag is raised to the National Anthem. Next year, the public will be invited to participate via a new event, “Coffee and Colors.”