The Rotary Club of
Ojai
 

Ojai Rotary Reminder Newsletter
May 17th, 2019

Bret Bradigan, Editor
 
May is Youth Service Month
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 1.2 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.
 
 

One of the highlights of the Rotary year took place in a different venue, but with same sunny spirit and with usual youthful exuberance as some couple dozen of the Ojai Valley’s best and brightest gathered under Boccali Restaurant’s spreading oaks for the presentation of Rotary Scholarships for 2019’s graduating classes.

 

 

 

 

Ably orchestrated by Janet Mahon, the melee was quickly sorted and an amazing banquet of pizza, baked ziti, salad, garlic bread and various cool beverages were served. The crowd of more than 100 was quickly sorted and sated with food as the presentations began. President Deirdre Daly opened the meeting with a pledge and invocation and Janet Campbell welcomes the guests, and introduced Don Reed, our chairman of the Ojai Educational Foundation.

 

 

 

Don also welcomed us, and explained that the foundation was formed in 1991 with the mission of “building a better community through education of our youth and support of local charities.” This year, 27 young scholars were awarded for a total of $110,000. Most scholarships are one-year awards in the amount of $2,000 to $3,000, though included is the John & Ginger Wilson scholarship, worth $20,000 for four years. This is in addition to community grants. Reed said, “All total, therefore, the Rotary Clubs of Ojai and its Educational Foundation will have provided $160,000 of direct charitable support this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The more than two dozen scholars each gave a quick rundown of their post-grad plans. Many were headed to the medical field - internal medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, but ranging from business degrees to oenology and viticulture (Claire Hankins - a future vineyard owner).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Awardees:

1. Florence & Armand Amado Memorial - awarded to Kyla Lenehan of Villanova Prep.

2. Eleanor Rupp Memorial, established by Phil McConnell - awarded to Stella Moore from Nordhoff.

3. The eight Canterbury-McCurley Memorial winners were all from Nordhoff - Julia Etchart, Giovanni Torres, Abilene Runyan, Janette Zamora, Ry Lee Johnson and Claire Hankins.

4. The Godfrey & Jeannette and Allan Jacobs Memorial Scholarship; presented by Janet Jacobs and her brother-in-law Jack after a stirring reminder of how much we miss Allan, who passed in 2017: Norbu Kangchen from Nordhoff.

5. Carl Huntsinger Career & Technical Educational Scholarship, presented by Al West: Eric Gomez from Nordhoff.

6. Ted Fauvre Memorial, presented by David Watson: Jakob Ryland Harwood of Nordhoff.

7. Terry J. Hanrahan Memorial, presented by Don Reed: Mayra Murillo.

8. Robert Chesley Memorial, also presented by Don Reed; Madeleine Calais Moore of Thacher School.

9. Shari Skinner Memorial, presented by Judy Gabriel, after a poignant portrait of a much-missed community stalwart, who “was wicked funny, threw great parties and was a real person”: Irine Collins, a home-schooled student at Mount Carmel Home School.

10. Dr. Youssef and Patricia Mawardi Memorial, presented by trust attorney Larry Meyer: Eric Gomez of Nordhoff.

11. Father Glynn Memorial, presented by Jim Loebl: William David Campana, from Villanova Prep.

12. Dr. Frank & Maudette Finck Scholarship, presented by Dr. Finck: Wyatt Simms from Nordhoff.

13. Thacher & Scholarship, presented by George Thacher: presented to Jessica Marie Donahue of Thacher School.

14. Friend Family Scholarship, also presented by George Thacher; Angela Zirpolo from Nordhoff.

15. Bjornstedt Family Trust Scholarship, presented by Cheree Edwards: Ashlyn Holland from Nordhoff.

16. Dana Huffman Memorial, presented by Suzanne Scar: Elizabeth Fout of Nordhoff.

17. Rotary Career & Technical Education Scholarship, presented by Deirdre: Isabel Guzman of Nordhoff.

18. The John & Ginger Wilson Scholarship, presented by Don Reed; this four-year, $20,000 prize was presented to Kiva Pupa of Nordhoff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closing out the touching joyous occasion was Janet Campbell, giving a warm recognition to the school counselors who made it all possible, helping with students with the application process. They included Sarah Escobar of Nordhoff; Marrisa Carroll of Villanova Prep and Courtney Cronin of Thacher. With that benediction for the future leaders and Rotarians of tomorrow, the festivities wrapped up with a group photo scrum by 1:30 p.m. like clockwork. Well done everyone!

 

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