In the Beginning…
On the 2nd of October 2026, somewhere near noon, a group of friends, colleague’s, neighbors, leaders, peers , men and women of good faith met for lunch, and camaraderie, to talk of many things: of shoes and ships and sealing-wax, of cabbages and kings (metaphorically, of course). This is a semi fictional report of that event from your humble reporter's point of view.
Promptly at 12:03 the room was gaveled to civilian attention by Co- Pres Bret. We then joined Dr. Fred Fauve in recitation of the flag pledge, followed by an inspirational moment presented by Leslie Bouche and repeated here.
“Sometimes our world can feel pretty overwhelming - confusing frustrating, even hopeless. As if the world seems at risk of being completely over-run by darkness, negativity, falsehood - It is not always clear what is real - or what is true. How do we find our own truth? What is the pathway forward?own truth? What is the pathway forward?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. so beautifully said:
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
So, how do we bring the Light?
How can we add some goodness to our world?
And the answer is always... Love and Service.
Mother Theresa once said, "The problem with the world is that we draw our family circle too small."
Let's widen the circle, expand our hearts, deepen our understanding... Being the best versions of ourselves! Let's join hands and hearts and come together to be that light that dispels the darkness. To love and serve and do what we can to bring some peace and sanity to our world - to remember what it truly means to be Rotarians.”
Visiting Rotarians and Guests
There were a number of guests today, most of whom have become unidentifiable in my notes, and one most notable Rotarian guest, our District Governor, Margarida Eidson.
In a continuing effort to teach the troops about fruits, Co-Pres Kelley, our Carmen Miranda look alike, told us a great deal about a highly regarded fruit, the Pomegranate, samples of which found their way to the desert table.
Lunch became available at the perfect time, so for the next 25 min or so, the needs of the body were met with a delicious mess of comestibles from Chef Ray, after which the needs of the mind and heart took center stage.
Thank-Yous
Mandatory, yet deserved, thanks were heaped upon the usual subjects, repeated here for posterity:
Set up and tech crew -Janet Campbell, Dave Watson and, the ever present, Bill Prather
Greeters: Betsy Watson & Ed Webster
Flag: Dr. Fred Fauvre
Inspirational moment: Leslie Bouche
Roving mic: FERN B.
Fining: Dave Watson
Net: Betsy Watson
Reporter - Bob Davis
Editor - Randy Roth
Treasurer - Dave Brubaker
Announcements
As it happens occasionally, and not nearly often enough, one of our own, Risha, brought several stars and some musical tidbits from the upcoming performance of Dear Evan Hansen, a Tony award winning musical. Two songs were performed by the talented team which was accompanied by Julia of the Ojai Music Academy. This QR code will take you to ticket sales for the shows two weekend run in mid October at Matilija Theater.
Taste of Ojai Coming Soon
Our premier fund raiser of the year is looming large. Share the event with family and friends.
Go to:
Taste of Ojai 2026 | Taste of Ojai
Fining and Confessions
Fining, the most fun way to lose money, 20 bucks at a time, was adeptly handled by Dave Watson. Confessions abounded. Ed Webster paid for his picture upfront and vivid on page 12 of the OVN. Several octogenarian birthdays (Bill Hatch 83 and Bob Davis 87) put some money in the bank.The theme was The 7 stages of Ojai History and the score fine master 3, Fern, Catherine Lee and Kathy Yee 0.
Welcome District Governor Eidson!
Bret introduced District Governor Eidson, a lively and captivating personality, who most successfully delivered her prepared remarks with remarkable ease and poise. I think district gov’s have a hard job having to give the same pep talk over 60 times and still make it fresh. Those of us in attendance received a lesson in how that can be done. Several take aways that might be worthwhile remembering are the key words, Inspire Action, District 5240’s motto for the year, and Create Lasting Impact, RI’s marching orders for the years and their synergy. The subject of Roary, the 5240 rotary mascot, was, in our club at least, seen as less impactful. Perhaps the most important topic was a new Rotary initiative called People of Action, born in this district, with the following Core Causes & Focus Areas
• Serving Communities: Supporting food programs, health clinics, and disaster relief.
• Growing Local Economies: Creating local opportunities and support networks.
• Protecting Environment: Backing green initiatives and sustainability.
• Empowering Youth: Running leadership programs like RYLA and
Interact.
- Supporting Education: Unlocking potential via literacy and scholarship programs.
- Promoting Peace: Fostering unity and conflict resolution locally and Globally.
Gov. Margarida, a native of Portugal, encouraged all to consider a visit to Barcelona 26-30 June for the 2027 Rotary International Convention. Broad hints were bandied about about a river cruise on the Douro for Rotarians from District 5240. Stay tuned!
CoPres Bret ended the gathering, first by delivering this timely Bon Mot: “The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese“. (I’ll leave it to you to ascertain any connection to our Governor), and then by presenting a bag of Ojai’s Bounty to the Governor, as he rang the bell and gaveled the meeting to a close.
A final footnote from your humble and inaccurate reporter. As a 54 year Rotarian, I have attended over 50 renditions of a Governors visit. Quite frankly, many were forgettable before I left the room, while several were memorable for all the wrong reasons. I liked this one. I wish Gov. Eidson great success with the roll out of People of Action, and I hope I speak for all of us when I say “Thank you Governor, and have you got your tickets for Taste of Ojai? They can be procured at “Taste of Ojai.org”.
