Matt Clements led the Pledge of Allegiance. Nathan Kaehler led the invocation. Guests were escorted to the buffet table to begin lunch. 

 

The meeting was called to order at 12:30 PM. President-Elect Malone thanked Frank Finck and Al West as greeters. Ren Adams was thanked for desk duty.  Marc Whitman and Betsy Watson were also thanked for set up and take down.

 

President-Elect Malone welcomed guests included: Bonny Johnston and Tandra Roddick. Special Guests: Robert Roddick and John Johnston. 

 

Upcoming Programs:

July 29, 2016: Fifth Friday Party at President’s Bill Home

August 5, 2016: Ojai Playwrights’ Conference

August 12, 2016: Steve Gates, Sustainable Energy Australia

August 19, 2016: Laurie Browne, Mediator Rwanda: Mediating for Peace in Rwanda with HEROC 

August 26, 2016: Grace Malloy, Poco Farms Ojai: Local Farm-Based Education

September 2, 2016: District Governor’s Visit

 

Announcements:

 

Members were asked if they were going to be attending the Fifth Friday activity: Picnic By the Pond. It will start at 6PM on July 29th @ 2800 Hermitage Road, Ojai. 

 

President-Elect Malone invited club members to consider joining him at Rotary International Conference next year in Atlanta. 

 

Lerie Bjornstedt shared about the passing of Ray Johnson. 

 

Bob Davis asked members to raise their hands if they were NOT giving to Polio Plus. No hands went up. Bob reminded everyone to write their checks before April. 

 

A moment of silence was taken for the passing of Ginny MacLean. 

 

Mike Weaver shared that the Lake Isabella Fire destroyed 100 homes in 20 minutes! 285 homes have been lost in total. The Kern River Valley Club is raising money for the families affected. Our members were invited to join. 

 

Betsy Watson introduced two new Red Badge recipients.

 

 

 

John Johnston, proposed by Lerie Bjornstedt and Robert Roddick, proposed by Carl Gross. John Johnston is a  California native, who came to Ojai in 1970 when his father became Ojai City Manager.  After attending local schools and graduating from Nordhoff, John split his college years between Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Northern Arizona University where he earned his BS in Engineering - construction technology, his career now. John played water polo and lacrosse in college.

 

John is married and has 4 sons. He is an Army veteran having served as an airborne forward observer when he was Stationed in Italy. John enjoyed scouting in his youth,  working two years as a counselor at Lake arrowhead Scout camp, and  ultimately earning Eagle Scout status.

 

John loves Ojai and looks forward to the opportunities to continue in service to our community, which he calls our greatest resource.  The best and worst things about small town life in Ojai? everyone knows your business.  John’s  father imparted this wisdom upon him, saying if you don’t want to read about it on the front page of the paper, don’t let it happen. John is still a big fan of do a good turn daily.

 

He recalls meeting members of our Club as a child saying he is now older than they were when he first met them.  From those early years, John recalls Bob Davis, Tony Thacher, Larry Wilde, John Lyon, Fred Fauvre, Marc Whitman, and many others. He says lovely things about all of you! Including your humor, joy and humility. John is especially grateful to Lerie Bjornstedt, noting she is very dear to him,  and he is  glad she invited him to join us.

 

Betsy proposed the second Red Badge member: Robert Roddick. Robert Roddick is a third generation Ojai Native, leaving only to attend College. Robert is married and has four kids including preteen twins. Robert is Chief Engineer at the Ojai Valley Community Hospital and has worked in healthcare for over 26 years.  

 

Robert has his degree from Western Culinary Institute in Oregon and General Engineering Contractors License from the state of California. (I’m imagining the ways to combine those two areas of expertise- towering desserts come to mind) He’s cooked for celebrities and constructed freeways across the State.

 

Robert has also completed FEMA training and serves on Team Rubicon, a disaster response group. Robert is past president of the Ventura County Water Board, and Ojai Pony Baseball and is on the board of the Ventura County Health Care Coalition.  He’s interested in joining Rotary for the opportunity to serve and  for leadership development.

 

Robert does his best thinking in the early morning hours around 2-3 am. He used to get up from bed and walk around outside if the weather was nice. One early summer morning several years ago, he was in his driveway by his truck when heard something at the rear of the truck and went to look.  Big surprise! There was a full grown Mountain Lion “marking” his territory on my trash containers. They locked eyes.   Robert reports experiencing substantial fear.  He turned to run to the door, but was frozen in place.  As he watched the Lion run for its life he realized he’d just witnessed something that few have ever experienced. Moments later, the sheriff was in the area looking for the same Mountain Lion.

Robert now stays inside!

 

John and Robert were both accepted as Red Badge Members. They received a standing ovation and their first invoice for dues! 

 

 

Wendy Barker led Fining & Confessions.

The theme was collectables and antiques. 

 

Program:

 

Leslie Bouché introduced our speaker Cinnamon McIntosh. Ms. McIntosh talk was on “Lake Casitas and the “No Show” El Nino. 

 

 

As of July 1^st 2016, Casitas MWD has entered stage 3 drought. This is new territory for Casitas as lake levels have not been this low since the creation and filling up of the lake back in the 1960’s. The district is enacting new regulations in regards to the stage 3 declaration. For more information on what this means to our direct customers please click the link below:

http://www.drivecms.com/uploads/casitaswater.org/Stage%203%20Resolution%2004%2022%202016.pdf

 

 

Lake Casitas is at 39% capacity and residents are asked to do more to reduce water usage. 

 

President-Elect Malone  thanked Ms. McIntosh for her presentation and presented her with a box of Pixies.

 

The was adjourned with the a quote from Mark Twain:

“Whiskey is for drinking, and water is for fighting over.”

 

Meeting was adjourned at 1:30PM

 

Respectfully submitted Haady Lashkari