In the Beginning…

President Sue called the members and guests together and welcomed us to “The greatest Rotary Club we know!”

Joe Cesena led the Pledge of Allegiance

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Inspirational Moment--Leslie Bouche

Leslie Bouche then took the podium to deliver these thoughts to ponder:

This week is my 10-year anniversary as a member of our club. So let me speak to what feels important to me as a Rotarian. 

Our Rotary motto is Service Above Self. 

We all share this powerful commitment.

So, take a moment right now to feel this powerful sense of community and connection that we have… 

Truly, another name for the connection we share is LOVE. 

This LOVE is an intuitive understanding of our shared humanness - the thread of aliveness, experience, joy, and suffering that runs through us all - a compassionate recognition that we all walk this journey of life together. 

And from this place of compassion within, springs our powerful commitment to Service Above Self.

This LOVE connection is not the same as our emotional attachments to people or things or outcomes. Attachment is really based on selfishness. LOVE is based on selflessness.

So, when we practice Service Above Self, we deepen our understanding of what LOVE truly is – and the more we love and serve, the stronger it grows. 

Love in speech is Truth.

Love in thought is Peace. 

Love in understanding is Non-violence. 

Love in action is Service. 

So, let’s honor this opportunity to serve through Rotary, and thank this heartfelt drive to connect and work together - this inspiration of LOVE, this obligation to LOVE - this path of Service Above Self.

Guests

• Lydia Johnson and Ross Anderson—Guest of Patricia Gates.
• Larry Kennedy—Guest of Jack Jacobs
• Monica Lowe—Guest of Fern Barishman
• Richard Badauni (sorry about any spelling mishaps)—Guest of Leah Hecker
• And our speaker, an old friend—State Assemblyman, Steve Bennett.

Welcome to all!!!

Thanks to….

Sgt. At Arms—Dave Watson

Setup Crew—Joe Cesena & Bill Prather

Greeter—Rod Owen

Flag Salute—Joe Cesena

Inspirational Moment—Leslie Bouche

Reminder Editor—Carl Gross

Roving Mic—Patricia Gates

Fining—Ren Adam

Treasurer Pro Tem and Club Secretary—Fern Barishman

Purveyor of Fine Comestibles—Ms. Jayne Cruise.

Thanks to all who make these meetings and our Club memorable, informative, and fostering “Service Above Self.”

Announcements

Our own President Sue bared her soul and admitted that she forgot to mention Kay Bliss’ and Catherine Lee’s birthdays at our meeting a week ago. Terry Beckett also had a birthday yesterday.

Sunday, Septermber 21^st is the International Day of Peace. Our chairs for the Peace Committee are Amy and Bill Warlick.  They will be back from vacation in a few weeks, and, on their return., will activate the Dignity Project created by Tim Shriver to rate contempt and dignity on a point scale. It is designed to help reduce division and political  polarization. 

Dave Watson is looking for people to help out with the meetings in setup and participation.  Please sign up to help.

Upcoming Meetings

9/26—Kathy Doubleday, physical therapist, gait and movement specialist and owner of Balance Health Center.There will be brief presentations from Alexandra Mejia-Holdsworth, Principal of Ojai Adult School with Greg Lepine.

10/3—Kevin Wallace, the Director of the Beatrice Wood Center. He will cover the history and background of Beatrice Wood, a world famous from artist Ojai's past.

Dave Watson will give a brief update on our recent Wilson Scholarship awardee.

Our Public Relations Maven, Leah Hecker teased us about her upcoming Rotary Club of Ojai Educational Foundation (RCOEF) brochure which can be displayed in your workplace. 

Bob Eisler updated us on the Portfolio Project and a proposed career day where Members of various professions give brief presentions. We need volunteers for to make this happen for the Fall and Spring semesters.

Fining and Confessions—Ren Adam

Ren took to the podium with less than thunderous applause.

Leslie Bouche celebrated her 10^th Rotary Anniversary.

Terry Beckett ponied up for his birthday.

Marilyn Mosley-Gordinier told of her trip to the Atlas Mountains, the physical challenges, and meeting with Richard Branson on the trail.

10/5, 4-7 PM--DeWayne Boccali is having a fundraiser for the Search and Rescue Foundation at his restaurant.  His son, Joe will have his orchestra there and we might get DeWayne up to sing a few ditties.  This is the principal annual fundraiser for this vital service.

The Program—State Assemblyman, Steve Bennett

Bruce Hanson introduced Assemblyman Bennett. 

Assemblymember Steve Bennett was elected to the Assembly in November 2020 and represents the 38th district that includes the western part of Ventura County. He currently serves as Chair of Budget Subcommittee 4: Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation, and the Chair of the Select Committee on Building a Zero-Carbon Hydrogen Economy.

Born and raised in the Midwest, Steve developed a strong sense of community responsibility. After graduating from Brown University with an Honors Degree in Economics, Steve served his community as a Nordhoff high school Economics and American History teacher for over 20 years. At the same time, he advanced solutions to community problems of urban sprawl, money corrupting politics, and problems encountered by disadvantaged communities.

He was elected to the Ventura City Council in 1993 and served until 1997. There he co-authored the Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources (SOAR) initiatives that have made Ventura County a national leader in land-use planning. SOAR slows urban sprawl by requiring a vote of the citizens before greenbelt areas outside of the cities can be rezoned for development. During his time on the city council, he also authored one of the State's toughest campaign finance reform laws; as he fought to decrease the role of money in politics.

From 2000 to 2020, Assemblymember Bennett served his community as a Ventura County Supervisor. He first brought fiscally responsible policies to county government. He then led efforts to improve conditions for the disadvantaged and the voiceless. He co-authored a first of its kind Farmworker Resource Program that has dramatically improved the county's assistance to this vulnerable and valued population. He beat back opposition to the creation of Ventura's first municipal homeless shelter.

Steve has a particular passion for supporting the foster children of Ventura County and the 11,000 seniors residing in hundreds of nursing facilities. He spent 20 years leading the Board in efforts to improve conditions for foster children and ensure that the thousands of seniors who have outlived their friends and family receive a weekly visit by an Ombudsman solely focused on their welfare in the facility.

Steve and his wife Leslie share a passion for education. Leslie spent three decades as a high school Spanish teacher. For the past 14 years, they have shared their home with an immigrant family from Mexico. The experience of their adoptive family has led to a desire to leave a better world for those trapped by growing income inequality. Improved educational options, access to good medical care, and affordable housing are essential to doing that and a focus of Steve’s service in the Assembly. (From Steve Bennett’s website)

Steve covered a range of topics including relief measures for fire insurance in the wake of climate change.  He related personal experience of fighting the Thomas Fire, the failure of emergency services, equipment, water availability. He stressed that we must consider “hardening” our homes against these fast moving fires.

His closing thoughts:

• Good government is not vindictive.
• Things will not go back to “normal”
• Prop. 50 attempts to redistrict California to meet the challenge of red states.
• Finally, the State Assembly is 1/3 in favor of good government, 1/3 emphasizing political ramifications of certain decisions, and 1/3 in “the middle”.

Thanks, Steve for a most timely and informative talk.

Sue presented Steve with a bag of citrus from Firend’s Ranch.

Parting Words…

President Sue close the meeting with a quote from Jay Weatherill, former premier of South Austrailia and apropos of today’s talk:

“You don’t get unity by ignoring the questions that have to be faced.”

You are invited to visit us at an upcoming meeting.