RYLA Reunion, 2022
We gathered again on a beautiful summer day at Doheny Beach in Dana Point, catching up stories and trading summer plans. It was if RYLA never ended.
I was also envious of other people’s dogs last time I was here, so this time my dog River became the star of the show. We had already spent the morning at the dog beach, and she was extra fluffy because I just gave her a bath that morning. Everyone had to pet her and there were so many selfies taken with her.
The best part for her was that she got to eat a fresh burger patty for dinner. We know she’s a spoiled girl, but we love her so.
Thank you, Mike Darnold, for coordinating another reunion. And thank you to all the volunteers who made it happen.
Ten Mile Social
The club celebrated its inaugural social last night at the Ten Mile Brewing Company. We shared pizza, family memories, and war stories while basking in the warmth of our fellowship. It was a great beginning of a new club tradition that will repeat every fourth Thursday evening at Ten Mile. The gracious owner made personal recommendations for our beer selection.
Now Serving at Starbucks
We held the first meeting at our new location at the Starbucks on Long Beach Blvd and Willow St this morning. Betty the dog trainer entertained and informed us about what she does and offered opportunities for us to certify our dogs for the Good Citizen Test by the AKC.
District 5320 Conference - Being Fearless
Rotarians assembled at the Irvine Community Center and assembled 14,000 servings of food for Rise Against Hunger. We also had three inspirational speakers, and we had plenty of opportunity to get to know other Rotarians, Rotaractors, and Interactors.
President-Elect Social
Dan and Susan Ouweleen graciously hosted a social gathering at their Fullerton residence. There was not only grilled scallops and shrimp in the air, courtesy of Dan himself, but the energy was palpable. The president-elects got to know each other on a personal level, and we all firmly believe that the future of Rotary in District 5320 is under good stewardship.
Bridging Cities with Minecraft
Ann Heusser from Sister Cities of America presented us a brand new project that encourages youths from international cities to work together and construct architectural landmarks in their cities virtually. Bridging Cities with Minecraft organizes a team of 16 students from each sister city, ages 7 to 17, to build structures in the Education version of Minecraft. The culminating project is to connect the Minecraft cities with a virtual structure that the two teams build together, which literally bridges the gap of the digital divide. The students must work together, overcoming language barriers and cultural differences.
This project could plant a seed of understanding and collaboration which can blossom into long-term friendships and cross-cultural relationships and thwart potential conflicts in the future. Simultaneously, students will also learn about utilization of sustainable materials within the Minecraft world and practice responsible stewardship of existing resources.
As disclosure, Les Young is a co-founder of this project.
RYLA 2022
Albert, Andy, Kiran, and Les went through another transformative experience mentoring high school students at RYLA. This was the first in-person RYLA since the pandemic, and it had the best of both worlds—online and in real life.
The campers grew so much, but the Rotarians were just as inspired and transformed.
Let’s meet up on June 11th at the Doheny Beach reunion!
The Old and the New
We welcomed one of our past club president, Ivy Yang, as the guest speaker this morning. She introduced us to Opportunity International, an organization aimed to end extreme poverty.
We also welcomed Ed Cockrell to his first Signal Hill Rotary meeting. Ed had been involved with many Rotary activities in the past, including participating in RYLA during high school and founding an Interact club at his high school.
Wild Smiles
Dr. Steven Holmstrom, an exotic animal veterinarian dentist, shared his life-long experience helping wild creatures big and small to better teeth.
Dental hygiene is not merely a cosmetic concern when survival hinges on the ability to hunt and chew food in the wild. Dr. Holmstrom saved hundreds of lives when he restored functions to his patients, including sharks, sea lions, sea otters, bears, lions, and tigers. He was a pioneer in the field of veterinarian dentistry. In fact, he literally wrote the textbook in this specialized healthcare.
Oakdale Rotary
During his road trip to Yosemite, Les stopped by Oakdale to attend the Rotary meeting there. It’s not a large club, as there were about 15 people in attendance, and we met at the Oakdale Country Club (which happens to be located adjacent to the property Les was staying at). Apparently, a rodeo was about to take place that weekend, and it’s the talk of the town.
Apparently, there’s also a Oakdale Sunrise Club that I did not attend, but it remarkably resembles our club.
Interestingly, the guest speaker was the organizer for Love Oakdale, our counterpart for the Love Our Cities organization. Their lunch buffet was a three-course meal, including salad and dessert (the apple crumble was amazing), and it only cost $17!
Too bad that they did not have any leftover fried testicles from last week’s fundraising event, which raised $25k for the club.
