Jeff Stern and Lois Koch at Nicola's during the July Rotary Night Out.
From the Desk of Dale...
Dear Rotary Club of Woodland Hills,
I am so thrilled we are off to such a great start! We are well underway into our new Rotary year.
My first meeting as President went well, and I assumed you all forgot your normal tradition when no one walked out on me! However, SURPRISE, week 2 you all walked out. I was surprised!
We had our first board meeting in July, and already, your Avenue of Service Chairs are hard at work. Our club will be taking the lead in a project that will be a reverse global grant to fight human trafficking. Community, Youth and Vocational Service will be contributing to that project. If you have not already joined a committee, please do so! As an active member of our club, you will get the most out of it by actively participating in an Avenue of Service.
August is Rotary Membership Month. All Rotarians are ambassadors of Rotary and their clubs. This is especially relevant during Membership Month in August, when the focus is on building strong, vibrant clubs by inviting prospective members to join Rotary. If everyone agrees to invite someone to visit our club, we are sure to get more members, making our club stronger than it already is. Think about why you joined Rotary. We all had our own reasons, but came together for a common cause. I joined Rotary because I was really looking for a way to give back to the community and to be in a world wide organization that provided service to those in need. The membership committee is not just the two membership chairs for our club. EVERY ONE of us is on the membership committee and is responsible for building our club. With each new member we get fresh ideas and new opportunities. Let’s do this together!
August 8th, Joe Vasquez, our District Governor will be visiting our club. Our Board of Directors will meet with Joe prior to the meeting. Joe will be our program. Let’s get a great turnout and have everyone in attendance on August 8th.
Let’s BE THE INSPIRATION!
Yours in Rotary Service,
Dale
MEMBERSHIP MONTH
Why I Chose Rotary
In honor of Rotary Membership Month, let's hear from some Rotarians on why they chose to get involved in Rotary...in their own words.
Arturo Velasquez: I joined Rotary because I’m being so blessed living in this country that I wanted to give back to the people in need around the world. I found out that Rotary International was the best organization to do this not only internationally but also locally.
Neil Sokoler: I joined the Rotary Club of Woodland Hills as their 'youngest' member in February 1991. The members impressed me as a truly selfless group committed to doing good work within our community and beyond.
At that time we were discouraged from soliciting business within the group.
We were encouraged to devote all our energies to promoting the Rotary motto, 'Service above self.' Our members devotion of time, energy and funding made a lasting impression on me.
Bryna Hornstein: I got involved with Rotary through my husband telling me about this trip to India in January of 2005. Once I went on this trip and saw all the good Rotary does in the world I was hooked. Rotary has been a part of our lives through marriage and kids and will continue to indefinitely. It's great to give back and show our kids the importance of doing community service.
Lynn Miller: An acquaintenance recommended it highly as an organization that gives freely and world wide. My first meeting confirmed that.
I felt an immmediate connection in many many ways!
Michelle Goldwater: Rotary to me is people helping people to create a positive change in their lives with kindness and compassion, love, knowledge and peace. On a personal level, my fellow Rotarians are more than an extension of Family, they are my Family, and I’m deeply honored and proud to be a part of it.
Lonnie Mintz: My parents have been Rotarians for almost two decades. However, I joined Rotary International to help give back to the community where I was raised, live and work. I specifically joined the Rotary Club of Woodland Hills as its members are altruistic, giving caring and dedicated to the betterment of not only our community and city, but throughout the world. Our members are passionate about helping those in need or in distress and it's a truly amazing feeling to be a part of this amazing organization!
Judy Corcoran: I choose to join because a friend of mine was a member. I really enjoyed it and joined. Now I live in Williamsburg VA but I’ll always remember the good times I had in Rotary.
'Peace in the South Bay'
Celebrates Int'l Peace Day
Inspired by the success of our club's interfaith clergy panels promoting peace, District 5280 is sponsoring an event modeled on ours - Peace In The South Bay! The event features Rabbi Leah Lewis of Temple Menorah, Iman Jihad Saafir of Islah Los Angeles, Buddhist Patt Heckman of Soka Gakkai International and Dr. Reinhard Krauss , Executive Director of the Christian, Judaic, Islamic Institute. Cost in advance is $25, and $35 at the door. For more information, contact Past District Governor Vicki Radel at drvictoriaradel@cs.com
(If you have any comments or questions, please contact the editor)
Stories
Click on the above flyer to purchase tickets
On Sunday June 3 at the Canyon Club in Agoura, the Rotary Clubs of Calabasas and Woodland Hills have partnered in a fundraiser to combat human sex trafficking. The average age of children who are involved in sex trafficking is 12 and the age is decreasing. Additionally, the number of times a child is sexually exploited is as often as seven times per day! These statistics are not isolated to Second or Third Countries, but in many neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area.
The Rotary Clubs of Woodland Hills and Calabasas are playing a significant role in mitigating the pervasive problem of sex trafficking,” said Paul Gross, president of the Woodland Hills Club.
The event will be at the Canyon Club, 28912 Roadside Dr., Agoura Hills, CA 91301. The evening kicks off at 5 p.m. Dinner & beverages are included with both the Casino Night ($125 for tickets) and Poker Tournament ($200 entry fee). There also will be live and silent auctions.me cases they are taken out of the country never to return.
We need your help with finding sponsors. Below is a Sponsorship Form. Click on the flyer to contact Lonnie Mintz for more information.
Click on image for information on the District Conference
Click on Flyer for More Information
Around the Club
Sandy Rosenholz (l) meets L.A. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield (r) at the the councilman's Seventh Annual Earth Day Celebration.
Fleet Street participated in the Earth Day event. Past District Governor and Past President Jay Saltzman (l to r); Elias Zeppenfeldt and Lance Anthony, who are "graduates" (former residents) of Pacific Lodge; and Dana Sherman provided some of the manpower.
Past District Governor and Past President (x3), l, inducts new members Connie Tenquary and Avery Basil. President Gross, r, looks on.
Some members enjoyed a weekend exploring Ojai.
Posted by Sheri Polak
Sunshine Report
Tom Kurschnerhad back surgery. He is at home and resting comfortably.
Eva's husband Goran is experiencing some health
challenges. Getting good care from the Drs and especially
good care from our beautiful Eva. He is at home.
Speaking of beautiful. Lynn Miller has pneumonia.
Now that would not be a good thing BUT she was sick
all last week and we didn't know. Now she is on the
fast track to recovery.
Let us not forget Harvey Tapper. Livin' the life on the 6th
floor at the Jewish Home. Linda tells us we can visit but
Harvey is very social and hardly ever in his room. Have to
make and appointment to see him I am sure.
Holocaust Survivor Henry Oster
At the April 11 meeting Henry Oster told his compelling, inspiring life story, battling prejudice and the politics of fear as a Holocaust survivor. As a young German boy he survived deprivation in the Lodz Ghetto, a life-or-death selection in the Birkenau extermination camp, a firing squad in Auschwitz, being strafed by an Allied fighter, and starvation in Buchenwald. Henry rebuilt his life in America, arriving at 18 with no family, no English, no money and no education. Of 2,011 Jews uprooted from Cologne, Germany in 1941, he is the only survivor. Henry was still working as a world-respected Professor of Optometry on his 89th birthday, helping the world to see.
Ernie Koneck ► editor ► emkoneck@gmail.com
P.O. Box 144 ► Woodland Hills, CA 91365 ► (818) 738-0982