This month we feature a variety of intriguing guest speakers every week, Camp Pendelton Collection, several district workshops and training events, a literacy breakfast, and a talk about Rotary Foundation. Other events from other rotary clubs are not listed here; for details please visit the District 5280 website event calendar: https://rotary5280.org/Events
Thursday 9/2 - ADM - Member Craft Talk - John Stabile, Elyse Rothstein
Thursday 9/9 - ADM, Steven Goldsmith - Mediators Beyond Borders
On August 15th, the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs launched Quote Quest 90245, and placed literacy signs on the lawns of residents. People were excited to share photos with their signs on the Quote Quest Facebook page. Each week features informal games of literary discovery with prizes for various participants. Special thanks to event sponsors Chevron and Bill Ruane.
On 8/19 we welcomed guest speaker Melita Siemak of Pacific Heights Travel. Melita has spent over 40 years in the travel business and is owner and President of Pacific Heights Travel, a professional travel company in Manhattan Beach. She specializes in planning individual, family, and group travel throughout the world. She has created numerous custom itineraries to meet the individual needs of her clients in connection with experienced tour operators, cruise lines (both river and ocean), airlines, and hotels worldwide. Pacific Heights Travel is a member of ASTA (American Society of Travel Advisors), and is both ARC (Airlines Reporting Company), and IATA (International Air Transportation Association) certified.
She knows there is no single travel destination or approach that works for everyone and that each person’s/family travel is unique to them. She believes it is important to listen to each client’s travel vision and past experiences to help them make a decision and presents her clients with several travel options. She is knowledgeable on destinations throughout the world from Asia to the Americas, Africa, and Europe as she has also traveled the world extensively.
On 8/26 we heard from Jacki Bacharach of the South Bay City Council of Governments (SBCCOG). Jacki has been the Executive Director of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments, a joint powers authority of 16 cities and unincorporated county area in the southwest portion of Los Angeles County since 1998. Her duties include program and project management and grant administration – including oversight responsibility for the South Bay Environmental Services Center, demonstration pilot projects dealing with fleet conversion to electric vehicles and the South Bay’s Measure R and Measure M transportation programs. Special initiatives are as diverse as services for homeless and for seniors, regional broadband and climate action plan implementation strategies. She also directs policy development, city outreach, and working with state and regional agencies on behalf of the subregion. She does this assignment under contract with Jacki Bacharach and Associates.
Thank you to Chris Powell for heading up the restoration of the Literacy Garden at the Center Street School! Thank you also to all the Rotarians, Scouts, Interactors, and school board members who helped out in painting, polishing, weeding, digging, planting, cleaning and so much more. The Literacy Garden was first created in 2005 as a permanent tribute to the 100th Anniversary of Rotary International. For several weeks in August, Rotarians and community members took the time to restore the garden and create a serene and private area where children and adults can go to read, find a moment of peace, and reflect. The results are amazing!
On 8/12 we welcomed Armando Mena, the Executive Director of the Lennox Academy as our speaker. For the past 28 years, Armando has served the Lennox Community. His work first started in the community when he founded the El Espejo (The Mirror) mentoring program while a student at Loyola Marymount University. The program matched college volunteers with at-risk students from Lennox Middle School who met once a week to provide tutoring/mentoring. The program is in its 28 year of operation and continues to thrive and make a difference in the lives of all who participate. In 2000, Mr. Mena was hired as an administrator to help open the first Green Dot Public School, Animo Leadership which serves the Lennox Community. With the success of that program, Mr. Mena was hired by the Lennox School District to create and open Lennox Academy in 2003 where he continues to serve and seek opportunities for the students he serves.
Meeting 8/5/21
Today we met at Upshift Brewery and heard from three of our own Rotarians: Lt. Ryan Danowitz, Jim Miller, and Dean Seligman. We learned a little bit about each person, their background and hobbies, and what they do for a living. We also heard from Chris Powell and Dean Seligman who gave us a summary of Malt Madness. Great job on all the hard work we all did to help make MM a successful event! We ended the meeting with a variety of raffle prizes.
Did you know? #rotary facts
Rotary Dues
Did you know that the very first Rotary Club in 1905 had no dues? Instead, they agreed that all club expenses would be paid from $.50 fines. In today's dollar, that fine would be just over $13. By 1915 Rotary International was on the verge of bankruptcy and it's then President Frank Mulholland suggested every Rotarian contribute $1 (just over $24 today), and hence the concept of annual dues was born. That $1 raised enough funds to make the organization whole, and thanks to the institution of dues RI has not suffered financially since.
I am Tom Hsieh, an El Segundo Rotarian, I joined in 2021 with the guidance of Ed Su who took me under his wings and helped me getting inoculated into this community. In just a few short months, I have witnessed many passionate Rotarians who donated their wealth, their knowledge and most importantly, their precious time to those in need. Knowledge is not enough, we must apply, willing is not enough, we must do. Rotarians are doers!
Rotary is people in action, Rotary is people who make a difference in other people’s life. Rotary is people who create peak positive memories for those that are in need. Those are the three things that come to mind when I think of Rotary.
One of my favorite quotes is about Attitude. “Attitude is a Choice. It is the ‘advance man’ of our true selves. Its roots are inward but its fruit is outward. It is our best friend or our worst enemy. It is more honest and more consistent than our words. It is an outward look based on past experiences. It is a thing which draws people to us or repels them. It is never content until it is expressed. It is the librarian of our past, it is the speaker of our present, it is the prophet of our future.“
Rotarian symbolizes the Can Do Attitude that resonant with me and that is why I joined Rotary. I look forward to making long lasting friendship with the El Segundo Rotary Club. I am excited and proud to be a Rotarian and I look forward to future opportunities to provide service to the community and to make a positive imprint in people’s live.
Basic education and literacy is one of Rotary’s six Areas of Focus. Consider these facts:
If all women completed primary education, there would be 66% fewer maternal deaths.
A child born to a mother who can read is 50% more likely to survive past the age of five.
If all students in low-income countries left school with basic reading skills, 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty, which would be equivalent to a 12% cut in world poverty.
Rotary clubs all over the world are taking action to enhance basic education and literacy in their communities. Every community has different needs and different opportunities for service. RI’s publication, “Basic Education and Literacy: Project Strategies,” helps clubs ask the right questions, identify real needs, and make the greatest possible impact with the time, energy, and resources you have at your disposal.
Tell us what you think! We want to hear from you. Let us know if you have any suggestions or ideas; please email us at info@elsegundorotary.org. Thank you for your support.