"DO YOUR LITTLE BIT OF GOOD WHERE YOU ARE. ITS THOSE BITS OF GOOD PUT TOGETHER THAT OVERWHELM THE WORLD." Desmond Tutu
As we celebrate February, Black History Month, and the month we celebrate those we love and our previous country's Presidents, our Rotary is doing little bits of good in the Community.
Through the generosity of Mychal's Learning Place, the residents of Park Vista will receive freshly baked cookies. We are giving out candy to the residents in the community who have taken advantage of our senior shopping program and Interactors addressed Valentines to 48 Vets living in a nearby neighborhood.
The District has introduced and is making available an interesting webinar on Rotary International's policy on Diversity Equity and Inclusion this month, and I encourage you to attend the webinar on February 27th on one they will hold in the future. Andrea Lange and I attended a previous presentation and feel it is worthwhile.
Plans are in the works for a virtual Mayor's Good Friday with the public invited. We are also working on a Mother's Day Fundraiser.
On Thursday 2/4/21 we welcomed speaker Kyle Christopherson, Environmental Specialist and former Peace Corp volunteer. Kyle graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a double major in Environmental Science & Policy and in Physical Geography. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Philippines for two years working in coastal resource management. His main project during his service was a coral reef restoration effort which involved creating a coral nursery and then SCUBA diving to transplant healthy coral fragments into a marine protected area.
On 2/11 we welcomed speaker Melissa McCollum, Community Services Director for the city of El Segundo. Melissa gave us a Community Services update with information about how her group pivoted during the pandemic and continues to make progress on priority recreation, library, and cultural arts projects. She discussed COVID updates, capital improvement projects, development of a Recreation and Parks Needs Assessment and Master Plan, Library to Go and virtual programming, and implementation of the City’s new Cultural Development Program.
On Thursday 2/18, we hosted a special watch party for the landing of the NASA Mars Rover - Perseverance. Coverage began at 11:15 and ended after the Rover touched down a little before 1pm. The Perseverance rover – formerly called Mars 2020 – became the first artificial object to land on Mars since the Insight Mars lander in 2018. It was the first rover to land since Curiosity touched down in 2012. Perseverance is the largest, most advanced rover NASA has sent to another world. It traveled 293 million miles (472 million km) – over 203 days – to get to Mars. Confirmation of the successful touchdown was announced at mission control at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Perseverance set down in Jezero Crater, just north of Mars’ equator.
On 1/28/21 We welcomed Stephanie Cuevas, Senior Government Affairs Representative and Director Rob Kastherman of the Water Replenishment District. The Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD) is the largest groundwater agency in the State of California, managing and protecting local groundwater resources for over four million residents. WRD's service area covers a 420-square-mile region of southern Los Angeles County, the most populated county in the United States. The 43 cities in the service area, including a portion of the City of Los Angeles, use about 250,000 acre-feet (82 billion gallons) of groundwater annually which accounts for approximately half of the region's water supply. WRD ensures that a reliable supply of high quality groundwater is available through the use of recycled water and storm water capture. WRD is responsible for monitoring and testing groundwater throughout the region.
Meeting 2/25/21
On Thursday 2/25/21, we welcomed Robin Shipley, Evolve Program Director. Robin Shipley, M.S. has worked in the field of special education for over 15 years supporting kids, teens, young adults, families, school districts and foundations. She works extensively in designing, developing and implementing proactive programming, trainings and courses to ensure all learners reach their potential. Through TranZitions Consulting, she has developed a variety of professional and parent workshops to support the effective implementation of meaningful evidence-based programs such as understanding challenging behavior, developing skills in the areas of social competence, self-awareness, self-management, independence, and vocational readiness.
Teacher Mini-Grants
🍎Thank you to everyone that applied for a Rotary Teacher Mini Grant! On Feb 19th, we handed out checks to our El Segundo schools to help our teachers cover such items as books, classroom supplies, learning aids, and so much more. We appreciate our schools and teachers and recognize the difficulties they face due to the pandemic. Thank you to all the hard working teachers and educators out there! We appreciate you!
An official flag was formally adopted by Rotary International at the 1929 Convention in Dallas, Texas. The Rotary flag consists of a white field with the official wheel emblem emblazoned in gold in the center of the field The four depressed spaces on the rim of the Rotary wheel are colored royal blue. The words "Rotary" and "International' printed at the top and bottom depressions on the wheel rim are also gold. The shaft in the hub and the key way of the wheel are white.
The first official Rotary flag reportedly was flown in Kansas City Missouri, in January 1915. In 1922 a small Rotary flag was carried over the South Pole by Admiral Richard Byrd, a member of the Winchester, Virginia Rotary Club. Four years later, the admiral carried a Rotary flag in his expedition to the North Pole.
Some Rotary clubs use the official Rotary flag as a banner at club meetings. In these instances it is appropriate to print the words "Rotary Club" above the wheel symbol, and the name of the city, state or nation below the emblem.
The Rotary flag is always prominently displayed at the World Headquarters as well as at all conventions and official events of Rotary International.
The iconic cartoon character Betty Boop was inspired by a Black jazz singer in Harlem. Introduced by cartoonist Max Fleischer in 1930, the caricature of the jazz age flapper was the first and most famous sex symbol in animation. Betty Boop is best known for her revealing dress, curvaceous figure, and signature vocals “Boop Oop A Doop!” While there has been controversy over the years, the inspiration has been traced back to Esther Jones who was known as “Baby Esther” and performed regularly in the Cotton Club during the 1920s.
Baby Esther’s trademark vocal style of using “boops” and other childlike scat sounds attracted the attention of actress Helen Kane during a performance in the late 1920s. After seeing Baby Esther, Helen Kane adopted her style and began using “boops” in her songs as well. Finding fame early on, Helen Kane often included this “baby style” into her music. When Betty Boop was introduced, Kane promptly sued Fleischer and Paramount Publix Corporation stating they were using her image and style. However video evidence came to light of Baby Esther performing in a nightclub and the courts ruled against Helen Kane stating she did not have exclusive rights to the “booping” style or image, and that the style, in fact, pre-dated her.
Baby Esther’s “baby style” did little to bring her mainstream fame and she died in relative obscurity but a piece of her lives on in the iconic character Betty Boop.
Conflict and violence displace millions of people each year. Half of those killed in conflict are children, and 90 percent are civilians.
We refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. Rotary projects provide training that fosters understanding and provides communities with the skills to resolve conflicts.
How Rotary makes help happen?
Through our service projects, peace fellowships, and scholarships, our members are taking action to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, inequality, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.
Visit the Rotary International Promoting Peace page and help us make a difference…
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.
The Perseverance rover – formerly called Mars 2020 – became the first artificial object to land on Mars since the Insight Mars lander in 2018. It was the first rover to land since Curiosity touched down in 2012. Perseverance is the largest, most advanced rover NASA has sent to another world. It traveled 293 million miles (472 million km) – over 203 days – to get to Mars. Confirmation of the successful touchdown was announced at mission control at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Perseverance set down in Jezero Crater, just north of Mars’ equator. 
We appreciate our schools and teachers and recognize the difficulties they face due to the pandemic. Thank you to all the hard working teachers and educators out there! We appreciate you! 
