I can't believe that our Rotary year is winding down already. However, there is still much to do in the remaining two months. Thank you to Kimberly Ary who planned, purchased items and headed up a successful project for the Ronald McDonald House. Many of our members gathered together to make kits for the families living there to help them with their daily lives. We made kits filled with snacks and drinks for the families to take to the hospital with them to keep them nourished throughout the day. We also made laundry kits for them that will come in very handy and help them save money.
Our next Gather & Give will be on Saturday, May 13th when we will be delivering all these kits in person to The Ronald McDonald House followed by a friendship lunch at a nearby restaurant. It's an amazing experience to visit the House if you've never gone. They are truly thankful for all the support that they get from our club.
The District Conference is coming up on May 5th-7th in Indian Wells and I encourage everyone to sign up for this wonderful weekend of celebrating all of our clubs.
We can look forward to another great social night on May 31st and have another chance to bond and have fun with our fellow club members. Thank you to Mona for doing such an amazing job heading up our club service committee this year. We have exciting speakers scheduled for May starting off with Bill Tobin from Shelter Box USA. I'm looking forward to working together this month to make May another five weeks of The Rotary Club of Woodland Hills making a huge difference in our community, learning together and spending time together.
May's Rotarian of the month is Kimberly Ary. She has done such a wonderful job heading up our Community Service Committee for the third year and has given us so many opportunities to help the underserved in our community. Kimberly has a huge heart and a lovely giving soul that touches everyone she comes in contact with. Thank you Kimberly for leading us in helping to support our community in so many ways.
I have been meaning to write this email for a while, but it has been very busy with all the changes by the new superintendent.
I want to thank the Rotary for so many years of support. I still remember the day my boss asked me if we would be interested in receiving support from the Rotary because another school had turned them down. I couldn't imagine anyone would do that.
Your support throughout the years has been incredible. From providing tutoring for our students, a Buddy Bench, a wheelchair, hearing aide, to providing food and monetary assistance. I'll never forget how much support you gave the family of a dying student. I hope that this collaboration will continue for many more years.
After 41 years in the school district, with 25 of them as Principal here at Reseda, I will be retiring in June.
I'm feverishly working on different historical displays throughout the school (We are 107-year-old historical landmark). I hope to dedicate one to the Rotary's contributions.
The club visited the Auschwitz exhibition at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The exhibit brings together more than 700 original objects of great historic and human value; objects which were direct witnesses of the horrors of Auschwitz and the Holocaust. These objects serve as the guiding thread of a rigorous and moving account on the history of the German Nazi camp Auschwitz and its dwellers, both victims and perpetrators.
Dan Pukstas, a blind professor, delivered a presentation on Shakespeare at the Club's April 18 meeting. He is the author of Upside-Down and Blindfolded.
Rotary Clubs of Woodland Hills, Greater Van Nuys and Granada Hills all participated in the All Valley Cleanup on April 22. Some of us were at the Sherman Way corridor. These Rotarians were all smiles after three hours in the sun. Service Above Self. Happy Earth Day!
Rotary's approach to measuring success is changing. While we used to focus on measuring the money and time invested and the number of people trained, Rotary now aims to measure our actions' positive, long-term impact. To achieve this, we're incorporating monitoring and evaluation into every project. This means measuring the quality of training provided, the effectiveness of project outcomes, and how they positively change people's lives. Click on the right photo to learn more.
Rotary International is now accepting Peace Fellowship applications for the 2024-25 academic year. Candidates have until May 15 to submit applications to The Rotary Foundation.Since the program began in 2002, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,600 fellows who now work in more than 140 countries. Many serve as leaders in governments; NGOs; education and research institutions; peacekeeping and law enforcement agencies; and international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank. Accepted candidates study peace and development issues with research-informed teaching and a diverse student body. The programs last 15 to 24 months and include a two- to three-month field study, which participants design themselves. Here is a link to the application. Rotary endorsers must submit endorsements to The Rotary Foundation by July 1. Find endorsement instructions at rotary.org/endorsepeacefellows.
Welcome To Our Club!
In-Person/Hybrid and Zoom Meeting Information:
Wednesdays at 12:00 PM
Sagebrush Cantina
23527 Calabasas Rd.
Calabasas, CA 91302 United States of America
NOTE MEETING DETAILS: We will meet on the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays of each month live, in-person at the SAGEBRUSH CANTINA for a lunch meeting; it will also be on ZOOM. Meetings on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of each month will be on ZOOM only.