Rotary Recap of April 11th: Of Shoe Trivia, Blood Drives, and Worldly Teenagers
by your humble correspondent, who may or may not have learned that Nike has only one swoosh
With President Wendy Barker away on a well-deserved break (or possibly hiding from the fining fairy), the Rotary Club of Ojai was once again entrusted to the ever-capable, gently mischievous hands of Past President Kay Bliss (2001–2002, but who's counting?). Kay manned the lectern with poise, warmth, and that signature Kay-ness that says, "Don’t worry, I’ve got this — and I’m gonna make it fun.”
Greeter:Mike Weaver let us know we were in the right place.
Set-Up: Sue Gilbreth and Jerry Maryniuk.
Roving mic: Rod Owen
Reminder Editor: Bret Bradigan, (Yours truly)
Flag Salute: Jack Jacobs
Invocation: Bret Bradigan (c’est moi) reminded us that 80 years ago on this date, the US Army liberated Buchenwald concentration camp, and 60 years ago today, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Right Act. It was a timely reminder that big things can happen if enough people put service above self in the Rotary Way.
First up was Clinton Haugen, letting us know it’s time to shred. That’s right—Shred Day is looming large on our calendars. Got sensitive documents? Get ready to turn them into harmless confetti. It's both therapeutic and legally advisable. Saturday, May 10th at Nordhoff High school parking lot.
Then Catherine Lee urged us all to bleed—but for a good cause! The Rotary Blood Drive is happening May 2nd, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the St. Thomas parking lot. Show up, roll up your sleeve, and leave a pint lighter and a hero heavier.
Kay also shared Perry Van Houten's heartfelt article on Dr. Bob Skankey, inspired by the flood of love and memories shared at last week's meeting. There wasn't a dry eye in the house--or if there was, they weren't paying attention.
Al West reminded us that Arbor Day is April 25th at Mira Monte Elementary. There will be trees. There will be dirt. There will be kindergartners singing songs at a decibel level that could open wormholes in space-time. It's going to be glorious.
Program czarina Deirdre Daly ran down our upcoming speaker lineup like a pro:
- April 18: New member talks from Bill and Amy Warlick
- April 25: The aforementioned Arbor Day
- May 2: Shauna Mistretta on the inspirational One Village Project
And now for a moment of pomp and circumstance: Blue Badge time! Membership Chair Sue Gilbreth officially welcomed Leah Hecker and Joe Cesena into the hallowed (and slightly quirky) ranks of Rotarians everywhere. Despite repeated attempts, neither could be coaxed into giving a speech, proving their good judgment right off the bat.
Then came the ritual known as Fining, presided over by Deirdre with assistance from Gary Lipton, who looked every bit the part of a Rotary bagman.
First up, Dave Watson, who voluntarily confessed his admiration and gratitude for the Rotary Educational Foundation Scholarship committee. They reviewed 43 student applications for $162,000 in scholarships. In return, Dave handed over a cool $900 to the foundation. Bless his generous soul (and bank account).
Then came some fast and loose trivia, loosely tethered to the Ojai Tennis Tournament.
- Bret Bradigan correctly guessed that the founder of Adidas was inspired by a waffle maker (though there’s some heated debate about that). He still paid up.
- Terry Beckett boldly guessed that the Nike swoosh has three lines.
- Catherine Lee and Joe Cesena also paid their dues via sole-related stumbles.
And then… the program.
Cassie McGuire, joint president of Club LIVE and Interact at Nordhoff High School, led a dazzling presentation with the club members each taking a portion of the presentation, reminding everyone in the room why we do this work in the first place.
The Interact Club has been busy making the world better, one volunteer hour at a time—serving meals at the hospital, helping at Mesa Farm's transitional housing for foster youth, pitching in at the shelter, and basically showing us all up with their energy and dedication.
Club LIVE, founded in 2017, is Rotary with a passport. These kids raise their own funds to travel internationally, completing service projects in Costa Rica, Morocco, Guatemala, Peru, and Laos. They’ve built clean water systems, learned to weave, connected across cultures, and come home with the kind of wisdom you can’t get from TikTok.
The students shared heartfelt reflections on what these trips meant to them—on learning about common humanity, discovering cultural and religious diversity, and seeing the world not as something scary and foreign, but as something beautiful and shared.
They were inspiring. They were eloquent. They were teenagers. And yet, somehow, they were wiser than most of us at their age — and probably a few of us now.
After being softened up, then came the bake sale, by which they raised money for this year’s trip. Of the total of $3,600 each required for the trip, $36,000 total, they needed to close out another $6,000 to complete their quest.
With Cindy Frings and Joe Cesena auctioneering, and with generous help from Patricia Anderson, Leah Hecker, Catherine Lee, Jerry Maryniuk, Tony Thacher and others, they raised more than $4,000!
In conclusion: we shredded, we bled (or promised to), we planted, we fined, we trivia’d, and we welcomed the next generation of global citizens. Not bad for a Friday lunch in Ojai.
Final Thoughts:
“Travel is not a reward for working. It is homework for living.”
and
“We travel because we need to.
Because distance and difference is the secret tonic to creativity when we get home.
Home is still the same.
But something in our minds has changed
And that changes everything.
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