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.
Introduction
On a lovely spring day, Ojai Rotarians gathered at the Soule Park garden for one of the happiest and most moving days of the year: The Scholarship Lunch. At this august occasion, deserving Ojai students receive Rotary Grants to further their education. This year’s celebration was especially important and significant because Alan Jacob died recently, and Alan was the prime mover, founder and inspiration behind the Rotary Club Educational Foundation.
President Mike gaveled the meeting to order at noon; Bryant Huber led the salute to the flag and Mike read the invocation. Mike then introduced Suzanne Scar, the Chair of the Scholarship committee of the RCOEF. Suzanne graciously welcomed all the students and their friends and family and expressed the admiration of the Rotarians for the accomplishments of the students and the steadfastness of the parents. While every student looked nervous, every parent looked proud!
Suzanne then passed the gavel to Don Reed, Chairman of the RCOEF. Don gave a brief overview of the history of the RCOEF, and the history is indeed remarkable:
· Prior to 1991, the Rotary club had a small budget for scholarships and made grants to a few Ojai students.
· In 1991 a bequest of $25,000 acquired through the efforts of Alan Jacobs, became the initial donation to the endowment of the newly founded Rotary Club of Ojai Educational Foundation (RCOEF).
· Over the years, through additional bequests and prudent management, the size of the endowment grew from its modest start to over $4 million today.
· Over the years, the RCOEF has granted over $1 million in scholarships.
The RCOEF grant titles and recipients for 2018 are shown in the attached tables:
Greg Webster
William Castagna
Rotary Club of Ojai
$3,000
Ojai Valley
2
Al West
Joseph Rimpa
Carl Huntsinger CTE
$2,000
Nordhoff
1 + 2NL
T. Twichell*
Erin Snett
Rotary
$1,000
Nordhoff
2
Fred Coleman
Kamile Fargher
Armond & Florence Amado
$3,000
Nordhoff
2
Dr. Gross*
Sinai Soriano
Eleanor Rupp
$3,000
Nordhoff
Jacobs*
Hugo Quintero
Godfrey, Allan & Jeanette Jacobs
$3,000
Nordhoff
Kay Bliss
John Elizalde
Hatch Family
$3,000
Nordhoff
N Kaehler*
Abigail Bassart
Canterberry-McCurley
$3,000
Nordhoff
Fauvre, F
Amaya Garcia
Ted Fauvre Memorial
$3,000
Nordhoff
B Gilbreth*
Jesse Kuehn
Canterberry-McCurley
$3,000
Nordhoff
Janet Campbell
Julia Botti
Canterberry-McCurley
$3,000
Nordhoff
Bryant Huber*
Jonathan Achee
Canterberry-McCurley
$2,000
Nordhoff
S. Buechly
Sophia Ehrlich
Canterberry-McCurley
$3,000
Nordhoff
Andy Cantwell
Lauren Raymond
Canterberry-McCurley
$3,000
Nordhoff
Matt Clements
Veronica Kern
Terry J. Hanrahan Memorial
$3,000
Nordhoff
Don Reed
Taylor Johnson
Robert E. Chesley memorial
$3,000
Villanova
Mike Weaver
Sidney York
The Friends Family
$3,000
Villanova
J. Loebel*
Courtney Haapanen
Shari Skinner Memorial
$3,000
Nordhoff
T. Thacher
Archer Wann
Thacher Famility
$3,000
Nordhoff
Leslie Bouche
Kaelyn Brown
Canterberry-McCurley CTE
$2,000
Nordhoff
Dr. Skanky*
Sarah Avdeeff
Skankey Cross Country
$3,000
Nordhoff
F Finck*
Kambira Tennpenny
Frank & Maudette Finck
$3,000
Villanova
L. Bjornstedt
Maya Gilbert
Lerie Bjornstedt
$3,000
Nordhoff
ask Don
Sadee Broida
Dr. Youssef and Patricia Mawardi CTE
$2,000
Nordhoff
Marty Babayco
Jaxson Thomas
John & Ginger Willson
80,000
Nordhoff
Deirdre Daly
Jacob Mejia
Father Glynn Memorial
$3,000
Nordhoff
B. Bradigan
Finnegan Edwards
Dana Huffman
$3,000
Nordhoff
Final Thoughts:
"The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet."
Aristotle
Next Week: Dan Hicks--Ventura County Behavioral Health--Status of Marijuana Laws and Impact.
You are invited to visit us at an upcoming meeting.