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The Reminder Newsletter
August 18th,2017

August is Membership and Extension Month
The shock troops of charity stormed the walls (and by walls, we mean doors) of Soule Park Clubhouse this past Friday for various flanking maneuvers of goodwill and benevolence aimed at making the world a better place, ready or not.
 
First in line was able moneytaker Matt Clements, while Michael Scar and Marty Pops gave everyone a welcoming greeting. Then it was up to Bryant Huber for the pledge of allegiance and Deirdre Daly for an inspiring convocation. Ren Adam got in his workout with the roving mic.
 
Guests: There were a few. Here’s the probably incomplete record - Heidi, Larry & Nate Rhoades, Gabriel Ruiz, Rupert Solomon, Phil and Mary Nelson and Therese Brown.
 
Capo di Tutti Capo Mike Malone opened the main front with a few announcements.
 
- Having introduced his successor, Andy Cantwell, Hank Bangser has left the club, and his post as superintendent of the Ojai Unified School District. Hank wrote, “Rotary has had an outstanding impact on the school district; I wish all of you the best.”
 
- District 5240 Conference will be held Oct. 6-8 in Ventura. Mike said he’d have more information and signup requests later.
 
- Mike’s counterpart at Rotary-West, Mike Caldwell is helping arrange the annual joint-club beach party, which will be held Sept. 17th at Larry Wilde’s beach house at Faria.
 
NEW MEMBER INDUCTION: Membership Chair Marc Whitman brought in our first new member of the Rotary year, Therese Brown, who got a standing ovation and was presented with her dues, not in that order.
 
 
 
 
GABRIEL RUIZ
 
Dr. Carl Gross introduced Larry and Heidi Rhoades, to talk about Gabriel Ruiz, a former orphan and recent student-visa holder and student at Oak Grove School. The Rhoades like to “combine vacations with service projects,” and coordinated several trips to Roatan, Honduras with Dr. Gross, who heads up a Rotary medical mission there every year. Heidi said they were charmed by Gabe, who they met through the Majken Broby home. Gabe impressed them with “bright smile and charm,” as well as his intelligence. Abandoned by his parents at age 5, he resisted gang violence and drugs to make his way to the orphanage.
From an early age, he was determined to become a doctor and return to help his community. So, the Rhoads family talked it over and agreed to sponsor Gabriel to come to the U.S. to pursue his education. The orphanage director, Rupert Solomon, was also on hand to attest to Gabe’s indomitable will and his resilience in overcoming tough odds. 
 
Gabe Ruiz also spoke to the group, saying “There’s been a lot of ups and downs, and a lot of miracles here. A lot.”
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Rhoades have set up a scholarship fund for Gabe at gofundme.com/gabrielruizeducationfund and Dr. Gross presented them with a check on behalf of Rotary Club of Ojai.
 
 
 
FINING:
Judy Gabriel extracted lucre, all in good cause, with a presentation of several club members with pictures of them as youth, along with three questions, “What was their favorite gift when a child,” “Who was their hero”” and “Where you were born?” Portrayed were yours truly, Don Reed and Bill Prather (who also confessed to his 46th wedding anniversary). Money was extracted from Betsy Watson, Colin Jones (celebrated 28th wedding anniversary), Bret Bradigan (birthday) and Bob Davis, confessing that he and Betsy attended a Rotary meeting in Dayton, Wy (pop. 326), and who added $100 to Gabe Ruiz’ scholarship funds.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PROGRAM - CRAFT TALKS
 
First up was ROBERT RODDICK, who was accompanied by his son, Casey Roddick, who is going to the University of Colorado as a heavily recruited offensive lineman. 
 
Roddick’s a third-generation Ojai native, with roots extending back to the 1830s, through Fernando Tico’s original land grant. He said he was asked 20 years ago, by his father-in-law Dr. Gross, to join the Rotary, but demurred. In the meantime, he regretted saying no, and when he was asked again recently, he agreed. “It feels like I missed out,” he said. 
 
Growing up in Ojai, he fondly remembered working as a teenager for Elmer Friend, Tony Thacher’s father-in-law. “It was an excuse to get out of school if you were on the smudging crew,” he said. “Who wouldn’t want to be running up and down the orange groves with a torch.” Plus, Elmer’s wife made sure the crews were well fed.
 
Since Robert was young, he wanted to be a fireman. He worked for Bobby Goodman at the Fire Department through high school as an equipment operator. 
 
He had a hard choice to make, though, between being a fireman, and working for his father’s contracting business. “I chose both,” he said. But then tragedy struck, and his dad was diagnosed with a fatal illness. “With a lot of help, I became the youngest person in California to get their contractor’s license.” 
 
His life took another turn was he was teen. “I was an avid deer hunter. We’d go to Colorado.” When he returned from a trip, he didn’t feel well. His parents eventually took him to the new doctor in town, who turned out to be Dr. Gross. “They didn’t know what was wrong with me,” he said. “Dr. Gross saved me. I had maybe 48 hours to go before I was dead.” He ended repaying the favor by marrying Dr. Gross’ daughter, Taundra. 
 
He’s the father of twins, and it was among his proudest days to witness his children being born. Casey was born in Ojai, and the twins were born in Ventura, but Dr. Gross attended the births. And now, with a son at Big 12 School, he will soon tune in on Saturdays on his television to watch Casey play ball. “What a proud father I am going to be.”
 
———
 
ALEX KIM was born in Pusan, Republic of Korea, and moved to Seoul at age 3. He showed photos of himself at age 1, an important birthday in Korean culture. They place a variety of items in front of the baby to see which items he gravitates toward, as a future indicator - such as a piece of string (which means a long life), a ball (sports), money (entrepreneurial), etc. 
 
He had three very important women in his life, including his mom and sisters, and first worked in a bakery shop, and became an expert “on fresh, hot doughnuts.” It was also the start of his long career in hospitality and food and beverage.
 
In his youth, the ROK was a very martial state, and young men were required to keep their hair short, and to take military drills twice a week. He then moved to the United States at age 19, to Miami, when his father took a job as a chef on Royal Caribbean. Going to school, Alex had to take a bus from north Miami to downtown ever day. He practiced his English by paying a homeless man to tutor him. “He was very smart,” but suffered from occasional bouts of schizophrenia. 
 
He married with wife in two ceremonies; one traditional western wedding and another traditional Korean ceremony. They have three children, “one is all right. Two or three you’re not a parent, you’re a referee, and four or more, you’re a bouncer.”
 
After college, Alex attended Hospitality School. “Food and Beverage is in my blood,” he said. Going to work with Hyatt Regency, he was given the choice of working in Miami, New York City or Indianapolis. “I chose Indianapolis,” he said, because he wanted to experience the “real America.” He spent five years there, before moving onward and upward to other postings, including Atlantis Paradise Resort, in the Bahamas, then, most recently before moving to Ojai, the fabled Meadow Wood Resort in Napa Valley.
 
Alex spoke about his core beliefs, including the prediction that “the future is emotional … future jobs will require emotional labor,” especially in the resort business. People are social creatures, and making the interactions among ourselves more pleasant is important, even critical, work. 
 
Now the managing director of the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, managing 700+ employees, Kim said that his defining characteristic “is that I’m a very normal person.” He also said that the OV Inn was doing record business, year-over-year. “The Ojai Valley Inn’s future is very bright,” he said.
 
 
 
COMING UP NEXT WEEK: KITTY WINN-ACTRESS AND GRANDDAUGHTER OF GENERAL GEORGE C. MARSHALL
 
Prez Malone closed us out with the quote from famous and prolific author Anonymous, who said, “Don’t stare at the closed door too long. You’ll miss the window opening.”
 
 
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