Visalia Breakfast Rotary - Visalia Breakfast Rotary News

Meet Carolin!

Let's all give a big Visalia Breakfast Rotary welcome to Carolin Hoelscher, one of our inbound Youth Exchange students from Germany. Carolin is currently staying with Mark and Karolina Perry and attending Mt. Whitney High School. Please keep Carolin in mind when you are going somewhere fun like Yosemite, a baseball game, Disneyland, San Franscisco, as she would probably enjoy coming along with you. She seems like a very nice and outgoing young person who gets along with everyone. Welcome to Visalia, Carolin.

Brian Rouch, VBR's 2009-10 Service Projects Chair, announces some of the Club's projects for the year. This year the Board has approved a donation of $2400 to erect an all-new greenhouse "lab" at Green Acres Middle School which will be used by the Science Dept to help educate 1100 students per year. We are also working with the Boys and Girls Club on a snow skiing and leadership project and have teamed up with a Rotary Club in Karachi, Pakastan to help provide books and uniforms for needy children there.

One of the last projects that Brian mentioned was our exciting trip to the Pasadena Jet Propulsion Lab for 60 COS Science students and Rotarians. Ed Kuykendal is coordinating the trip for the COS students and Rotarians to enhance the student's awareness of the application of the cirriculum that they are studying. This trip will likely be near the end of the year, but we do not have an official date yet.

Let's welcome our newest Member, Rob Shahan. Rob and his wife own Security First / Alarm King and provide, among other things, security monitoring services from Bakersfield through Sacramento. Welcome to the Club Rob!

Our Foundation Chair, Glenn Black, inducted three new Benefactors today. Paul O'Donnell, Skip Plummer and Greg Kirkpatrick have all donated $1000 (of their kid's inheritance) to the Rotary International Foundation. Great job to all of you and a nice recognition by Glenn.

Here Greg Kirkpatrick is inducted into the Aviator's Club as "Evil Zippy". Apparently Greg "attacked" a fraternity mascot while at school at UCSB and while dressed as Zippy the Pinhead. His luck quickly changed as he was beaten up later and found laying in the street by his fraternity brothers. We also inducted Raman Verma as "Mulligan" in tribute to his golf game.

Eric Frost, the Director of Administration for the City of Visalia was our program for the meeting. Eric presented some of the city's issues that we are facing in these economic times and some of the progress and changes that are happening in the city.

August 20th, 2009

Regular VBR Meeting

Bob Dickey, chair of our 2009 Golf "Experience" Fundraiser presented the project to the club. We've got a great head of steam going and should have a tremendous fundraiser again.

Among other changes to the Fundraiser, we are doubling the number of drink carts that will be circulating around the course. The drink carts sponsorship are all sold out, and, as you can see here, Jim Preston is one of those sponsors.

We will also have new food tents all around the course, free to all of the golfers. Those tents include Cupcakes, Margaritas and Bloody Maries, Sliders, Smoothies, Pitas, Sushi and Pastries. This will truly be an experience for the golfers

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We are also needing Live and Silent auction items for the Crab Feed. Keep a keen eye out for items that might be interesting to the crowd, ie; vacation homes, unique experiences, home goods, sporting tickets, etc.

August 7th, 2009

Welcome 2009-10 Youth Exchange BBQ and Swim Party

The Visalia Breakfast Rotary club hosted the "Come get to know the south valley youth exchange students BBQ Swim Party" in all 11 exchange students were in attandance representing 9 rotary clubs. Thanks to Visalia area club Presidents Russ Desch and Marty Zeeb for their attandance. We had 9 inbound 1 out bound, and one rebound (Rotex) students attended the BBQ / Swim Party. Many host families, counselors, and club Youth Exchange Officers attended along with a few of the district youth exchange committee members. Many of the students met each other for the first time.... Every one had fun.... The Rotary Clubs welcomed all of the incoming exchange students and their host families with a swim party BBQ. At one point, we had about 25 kids in the pool.

After dinner each student introduced themselves, first in their native language, and then in English. This was definitely one of the highlights of the evening.

Here the students are with area Youth Exchange officer Mark Perry introducing themselves.

District 5230 Youth Exchange Director, Peter Golombek, welcomed everyone to the BBQ and had a few great words of wisdom for the students and their host families.

Our students included young people from Koreo, Brazil, Germany, Norway, Belgium and Ecuador.

Towards the end of the party and impromptu game of soccer got going in the yard and the kids played for almost an hour. This is really what the dinner was all about, letting the kids get to know each other and bond a bit.

After the soccer, Mark Perry and his wife took all of the kids out to a movie until midnight, great job, Mark!

August 6th, 2009

Regular VBR Meeting

Ed McMahon (Frank Saucedo) takes a seat on the couch and assists President Matt with his presenation.

John Ramirez has completed all of the requirements and our Membership Chair, Todd Martin, presents him with his permanent "Blue Badge".

Foundation Chair, Glenn Black, presents Doug Udlock as one of our new Benefactors. A Benefactor is a club members who agrees to give $1000 (of their kid's money) in their will to Rotary International Foundation.

Harold Rollin is inducted with his call sign, "Mr. Sunshine". For years Harold has volunteered to be the obituary reader at the annual District Conference. Krista Rollin-Wanzer was also inducted as "Wanzer(s)", an ode to her husbands knack for constantly reminding people that his name does not have an "s" at the end.

Anees's first visit back to the club after cardiac surgery was a heartfelt one. Anees, of course being Anees, prepared a "Top 10 Reason to get discharged from the hospital" list for the club. Welcome back Anees.

Our program today was the Principal of Sequoia High School and the two recipients of our $2000 scholarships. This year VBR will be awarding 3 of these scholarships and it's nice to and hear from the student who we are helping.