Are you an established professional who wants to make positive changes in your community and the world? Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for community service and friendship.
Our 1.4 million-member organization started with the vision of one man—Paul P. Harris. The Chicago attorney formed one of the world’s first service organizations, the Rotary Club of Chicago, on 23 February 1905 as a place where professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Rotary’s name came from the group’s early practice of rotating meetings among the offices of each member.
Meeting Notes
Rotary Meeting June19th,2026
In the beginning…
Our past president Wendy Barker called the meeting to order with Jack Jacobs leading the flag salute.
Jack encouraged us all to salute the flag with the feelings of the past despite what some of us are feeling
at the moment.
Guests today were asked to be first for lunch:
Marilyn Miller
Ed Webster
Dr. Adrew Julani
Becky
The inspirational Moment today was given by Christine who quoted Barack Obama's inspiring speech
to the nation about the meaning of Juneteenth. Trump chose not to mention this day.
As always, thanks to our meeting crew today: Bill, Dave, Janet, Fern, Cindy, Jack, Ren, Tessa, Randy,
Dave, and Jayne Cruise for our delicious meal.
Company!
Before we went any further, Wendy introduced several members of the musical "Company" currently playing at the Ojai Art Center. We were serenaded with famous Sondheim songs by, among the others, Carl's daughter and son-in-law, Kyle and Darrienne Caldwell. Beautiful.
Announcements:
1. This is our last meeting (in five years) here at Thomas Aquinas. The meetings from now on will be at Matilija Jr. High School. We want to thank Jayne Cruise for keeping us well fed. We gave a gift certificate for Jayne to the spa at the Ojai Valley Inn and a big round of applause.
2. There is a Celebration of Life for Al West on Saturday the 20th at 2pm at St. Andrews.
3. Next Tuesday is the demotion party for Sue at Boccali's. Hopefully we have all purchased tickets.
4. We will be dark for Independence Day and after that , beginning July 10th, we'll be meeting at Matilija.
5. Volunteers are needed for the Rotary Freedom Run on the Fourth of July.
6. Bill Prather introduced Candace Delbo who gave us a very entertaining craft talk and received her blue badge. Candace is a talented singer/entertainer and ended her talk with a charming song shehad written about her dog and God.
Blue Badge!
Ren told us he is stepping down after being "Fine Master" for many years. We didn't have time for fines today but we had confessions from Dave who just got married. Don Reed who just celebrated his 61st anniversary.
Kelly who has just returned from a trip to Taiwan. Bill who just had a birthday.
Program: Leah Hecker on the Shoah
Our main event was the multitalented Leah Hecker speaking about the Shoah Foundation:
In 1994, Steven Spielberg founded the Shoah Foundation with a single urgent message: to record the
testimonies of Holocaust survivors before time ran out. The result was one of the largest oral history archives
in human history. More than 55,000 interviews, conducted in 65 countries and 43 languages. Leah was one
of the interviewers. In this talk she took us inside the work: the training, the methodology, the experience
of sitting across from a survivor and being trusted with their story. At a moment when the last of those
survivors are leaving us, sharing knowledge of the Shoah Foundation - and the human effort behind it -
matters, Leah hopes.
Final thoughts:
With a new Rotary year starting soon, there will be new leadership, and a new location for our weekly meetings.
Let's all look forward to the changes, wishing Brett and Kelley all the best in their busy year, and pledging,
each of us, to give them our support.
The meeting was adjourned.
You are invited to visit us at an upcoming meeting.
