President John Tolson called the first meeting of the year to order. The room was full with lots of energy.
In the spirit for full transparency, this must be told however. John thought he had come up with a novel idea in regard to reducing Club expenses. John had handed out Christmas bonus envelopes to the the hotel staff here at the Posada Royale at our last meeting before the year had ended. When the envelopes were opened though, they were empty. Cooler heads prevailed when this was discovered and the staff was made whole. Nice try John.....
Steve Hise announcing the agenda
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Laura Berger presented the Invocation this morning.
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Flag Salute
Susan Derksen, right, lead the Flag Salute this morning.
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Jake Finch introduced our guests and there were a lot to start the new year. They included: Mr. Bernardo Perez, Mr. Anthony Angelini (Special Guest of John Tolson), Ms. Bonnie Andazola, Ms. Valerie Ross, Mrs. Agnes Ventura (Sal's better half), Mrs. Kristy Schadt (Don's first wife and the last words Don spoke before his untimely passing), Ms. Liz Richesson (Special Guest of Demi Fox), Ms. Samantha Goldstein, Ms. Darci Richardson (Special Guest of Susan Derksen), and Mrs. Sue Klepper (definitely Bill's better half!).
Bernardo Perez
Anthony Angelini
Sue Klepper, left, and Bonnie Andazola along with some guy who photobombed. Security was called.
Valerie Ross
Agnes and Sal Ventura
Kristy Schadt
Liz Richesson, right, with Susan Derksen
Samantha Goldstein with Ryan Valencia
Darci Richardson
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Milad Pezeshki and his wife Sara welcomed the newest addition to the family. Congratulations!
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Valerie Ross spoke to us this morning about the P.A.D.S. program here in Simi Valley. This is a program run through the Samaritan Center that provides shelter for the homeless on Saturday nights. We've all seen the emails from Bill Klepper asking for chaperones to help out. Several people spoke about the benefits received, both personal and for the homeless, when they have chaperoned. Please see Bill if you are able to help out. Help is needed Saturday nights through the month of March.
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Laura Berger and Larry Borovay (right) had the pleasure of inducting our newest member, Dr. Albert Soulema, into the Club. Dr. Soulema is an orthodontist with a practice in Thousand Oaks. Welcome Albert!
Also inducted today was Mr. Frank Tomlinson of Romeo Echo Home Loans here in Simi Valley. Frank was unable to attend today's meeting.
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Larry Borovay talked about the upcoming cruise to Ensenada. He said 19 people have booked so far but there is still time to get on board. See Larry if you're interested. We will be meeting with the Rotary Club of Ensenada as part of the itinerary.
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Carolyn Boucher spoke about the Rotary Foundation, specifically in regard to the Paul Harris Fellowships. We have several members who, having reached the limit in their donations, are able to award a Paul Harris Fellow to others in their name. Carolyn called up Bill Klepper and Tim Gray to do the honors.
Bill gave his Paul Harris pin to Valerie Ross for her dedication to helping provide shelter to the homeless here in Simi Valley. Thank you Bill and Congratulations Valerie!
Tim Gray awarded his pin to Ryan Valencia (his second) in recognition of his military service as well as his diligence in handling all of the paper work required by city and county agencies in getting our various community events approved. Thank you for your service Ryan and Congratulations!
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Jarod DeGonia introduced our guest speaker this morning. Ms. Melissa Giller, Chief Marketing Officer with The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, spoke to us about the Auschwitz exhibit currently on display at the Library. This event was 6 years in the making that started with Melissa reading about the exhibit in the New York Times in 2007. The wait was well worth it as it is an extraordinary exhibit to experience. You have until January 29th to see it.
Melissa Giller
John presenting Melissa with a Club Peace Pen as a small token of our appreciation.
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"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does."
William James
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Dr. P welcoming Albert with his first Prickly Plant.
John Tolson, right, congratulating (left to right) Fernando Estevez, Carolyn Boucher and Linas Kojelis on their Club Anniversaries.
When the secretary adds a new member to our roster, you will receive an automatic email that gives you your login ID and a temporary password so that you can access the web site (ClubRunner). This gives you the opportunity to upload a photo and enter a permanent password. You can go to the public portion of our website (no login required) and see the calendar, list of officers, birthdays, past bulletins, etc. The link to the public portion of our website is:
There is a phone app that can be downloaded to your phone; everyone should have that app on their phones. You will have to download the app and then log in the first time. After that, the login portion is not required.
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Please remember to bring a friend or an acquaintance to our next meeting. This is a GREAT way to grow our membership!
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Our next meeting:
January 11, 2024 will be a Board Meeting at Romeo Echo.
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Rotary Club Finder Need to find a club to do a makeup? Or find out where Rotary clubs meet while you are traveling? Click here to access the Club Finder page on the RI website.
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