April is the month we celebrate maternal and child health. How apropros that we have scheduled two activities that address this theme in an indirect way. We will be going to the long awaited hands-on project of SUPERBUILD on April 7 – 9th in Tijuana. We will be collaborating with the South Pasadena club and will take 22 volunteers from our club for a total of 50 participants who will help build 4 homes for the needy. We will create our own Rotary Moments and the impact we make in other’s lives will be an experience all of us should have in our lives. On April 14, from 3:30 – 5 we will be cheering our Interacters for their End Polio Walk so that we can immunize more children and protect more mothers from the disease of polio. On that same day, from 5 – 7 we plan to pack 10,000 meals that will feed the hungry throughout the world. Join us on this day at the HMS playground and cafeteria to help mentor young students in this community service project.

Later this month we celebrate our youth and honor them in our annual Art Contest and Business Plan Competition to be held on April 13 and 20th respectively. In March, we celebrated Peter Zhang’s wonderful 4 Way Speech which allowed him to compete at the regional level just last week at the Pasadena club. Although he did not make it to District, I was informed he had the experience of a lifetime having been a second language learner of English and going to regional. Speaking of youth, the RYLA committee interviewed 17 very capable students from both SMHS and Southwestern Academy for selection in our 2017 RYLA CAMP, coming up on April 28-30th.

I know you all enjoyed the jokes of our visitor last week from Twoheys at our Annual Chili Cook Off. Even though the weather was not cold, we all enjoyed the chili made from our very own Rotarians, our 6 contestants – Kathleen Marangie, Mike Driebe, Gilda Moshir, Soon to be member Maziar Yarahmadi, Russ Osmonson and Eugene Sun were quite surprised there was no chili left to take home after it was all said and done. Congratulations to Mike Driebe for taking the popular vote and to Kathleen Marangie for taking the professional golden pig award home. I want to thank the Dream Team for a well-run, well organized chili cook off, having the color coded bowls in the center of tables was a great idea and kept us on task with selecting our top choice.

Congratulations go to our Foundation committee for organizing such a well-attended Paul Harris Fellow Luncheon on March 23rd at the Huntington Gardens. Honoring Dick Durant drew so many friends and family, clearly solidifying our selection of a fine volunteer among us for more than 40 years. Bill Payne’s masterful arrangement of lining up Global Scholar, Katarina Mayers to be our keynote and inviting Jean Pierre to the event who had been a Global Scholar hosted by Dick Durant in the 80’s was a perfect marriage showcasing the efforts and position that our Rotary organization has in the community.

This Thursday, April 6, we welcome Al Boegh who was appointed a year ago, then Mayor Alan Yung formed an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee, comprised of councilman Steve Talt and community volunteers Al Boegh, Dan Biles, Hal Harrigian, Susan Jakubowski and Stef Dietrich. Their task was to evaluate and make recommendations of City personnel and staff efficiencies. Their reports’ Principal Findings and Recommendations (12 Pages) and Organization and Personnel Findings and Recommendations (3 Pages) are now posted on the City website. There were 46 “findings” and recommendations for change/improvement. One was to return to City Hall to be opened 5 days a week, as it had been before a long ago gasoline shortage. Only a few recommendations have been implemented so far!

Come hear their report findings, ask questions, and thank this cadre of volunteers for hours and hours of dedicated service to improving City government for all the rest of us.

Please take a moment to thank your VIP membership team and Molly Woodford as Membership Chair for being so instrumental for increasing our membership this year, and we have indeed been successful in doing that. I thank each and every member who has taken the initiative to invite a guest and follow up with them to join our club. Our efforts at the 5 year Vision Planning Meeting were not futile in creating the membership initiative.

Don’t wait to register for the various upcoming District Assembly, 4/22 Sitting Bull Academy, Apple Valley. District Conference May 19 – 21 Palm Springs. Annual Rotary International Convention on June 10 – 14 in Atlanta. Visit DACDB for registration information.

On another note, if you have marketing experience – please call me, I am looking for someone who can help us with the brochure we are looking to revise this year before the end of my term. If you are that person, please contact me, I’d like to delegate out this task to an expert.

Yours in Rotary Service,
Gilda Moshir
President 2016-2017