Thousand Flags
Our annual gift to the community (and possible fund-raiser) is well underway. Even if you didn’t sign up to volunteer, feel free to stop by to give relief or help out. There will DEFINITELY be a need to help with the flag take-down on Monday starting at 3:15. Thank you to all who are available to volunteer this weekend! Thank you Thousand Flags Committee Chair for an excellent briefing.
The event program is on our BBRC.org home page. Feel free to share it with others.
Above and Beyond Award
Don't forget Above and Beyond nominations are due Tuesday May 31! Here is a copy of the form.
BBRC Peacebuilder Committee
Committee chair Mindy Wilmot reported that our application to become a Rotary District 5240 Peacebuilder Club has been submitted.
Mindy shared that BC is planning a second Peace Garden at the main campus. BBRC with other clubs will provide a second peace pole for that campus. Additionally, Bakersfield College has also requested peace poles for the Delano and planned Arvin campuses.
Our Peace Initiative is also highlighted on the Rotary District website. Click here for a link to the story.
BBRC Club President
BBRC is fortunate that we have well-qualified and enthusiastic members who volunteer to serve as cl
ub president. David Lari was elected to serve as our 2024-2025 president at the May 25, 2022 meeting. Congratulations Dave! When asked how he felt about his election he said he is happy and celebrating by going to Disneyland (or not).
ub president. David Lari was elected to serve as our 2024-2025 president at the May 25, 2022 meeting. Congratulations Dave! When asked how he felt about his election he said he is happy and celebrating by going to Disneyland (or not). Here is our Presidential line-up:
2021-2022 President Jeff Haynes (Jeff is also excited that his term is wrapping up.)
2022-2023 President Elect Karen Bonanno (Karen is prepared and ready to go!)
2023-2024 President Elect Nominee Pat Thompson
2024-2025 President Elect Nominee Designate David Lari
Dictionary Project
One of our club's community service highlights is presenting very special dictionaries to all of the third graders at Fremont Elementary every year. I am proud we activiely support this Rotary Focus Area - Basic E
ducation and Literacy. Past Rotary International Presidents have advocated for literacy and providing dictionaries and books to elementary school children.
ducation and Literacy. Past Rotary International Presidents have advocated for literacy and providing dictionaries and books to elementary school children. This project took off when mem
ber Michele McClure brought the project her former Napa Rotary club was doing to us when she returned to to BBRC. This year ten members gathered at Fremont on Thursday, May 27 or Friday May 28 to prepare and present personalized dictionaries for EVERY student in the third grade (a subset of these volunteers is pictured here. These are not your flimsy little paperback dictionaries - these are hard bound with pictures and word explanations perfect for the young minds. Every third grade student in attendance was presented with their own book in each of the five classrooms. Excitement
abounded!
ber Michele McClure brought the project her former Napa Rotary club was doing to us when she returned to to BBRC. This year ten members gathered at Fremont on Thursday, May 27 or Friday May 28 to prepare and present personalized dictionaries for EVERY student in the third grade (a subset of these volunteers is pictured here. These are not your flimsy little paperback dictionaries - these are hard bound with pictures and word explanations perfect for the young minds. Every third grade student in attendance was presented with their own book in each of the five classrooms. Excitement abounded! The Meeting
I must say, we sounded pretty darn good on the Star Spangled Banner led by song leader Carol Smith. She also led us in the 4 way test song, we didn’t sound as good. Don’t forget the words are on our big wooden case on the far side of the room. Not that you would need help remembering the four way test....
Carol Smith brought Isabel Montesino (I hope I spelled her name correctly!) We hope to see you again Isabelle!
President Jeff Haynes reminded us of how we, as Rotarians, support the Breakfast Rotary Foundation and The Rotary Foundation (Rotary International.) Together we make local and global projects possible. BBRC members are requested to donate a minimum of $250 per year - $150 to Breakfast’s Foundation and $100 to The Rotary Foundation. All of our Avenue of Services (except Club) rely on your donations, and your support of the club's fundraisers (Wine, Place, and Show and Thousand Flags) to do our good works in the community and around the world. President-Elect (and Foundation Chair) Karen Bonanno give us a run-down of how your Foundation's funds were spent in 2021-2022. I am sure I missed some but this is what I was able to record.
Community Service
- Christmas Shopping for/with underserved youth - $2000
- Dictionaries for every third grade student at Fremont Elementary - $1,680
- Pancake breakfast for the homeless - $500. (Reminder there is a breakfast coming up on June 18!)
- Wreathes Across America
- Peace Committee
- Thousand Flags
- Refrigerator (or something, my notes are pretty illegible here) for a non-profit (joint project with all Bakersfield clubs and District Funds - $30,000
Youth Service
- RYLA - $2,500
- Scholarships - $3000
- Rotaract Support
- Interact Club Support
- KernYES (a one day RYLA experience to enable more youth to experience the program.) - $1000
International Service
- Ukraine refugees - $1000. District 5240 clubs together raised over $75,000 for Ukrainian refugees.
Vocational Service
- Above and Beyond Award
Family of Rotary
Please keep the following members of our Rotary Family in your thoughts:
- Jon Parnell, husband of Club Service Director Sandra Parnell has suffered a heart attack and is doing fine. You may have seen him at Flags this morning.
- Nancy Turnipseed, wife of BBRC rep for the Kern Business and Ethics Conference, Mike Turnipseed is receiving treatment for recurrence of cancer.
If you have news to share with your Rotary family, please let us know.
Other Meeting Activities
It appears someone decided to update the fine wheel selections. President Jeff will be busy meeting obligations to the people that spun the wheel.
Carol Smith is a volunteer with Bakersfield Community Concert Association which is celebrating its100th birthday. Subscriptions to the concert series are VERY reasonable, see Carol for more information or keep an eye on their Facebook page.
Michael O'Doherty share that Kern Bridges Youth Homes needs supplies for their expanding visitation center and for youth who are leaving the program and moving to their own place. Information on the visitation center needs is here.
The only birthday celebrant present was Ken Quarnberg. He appreciated the birthday song with a happy heart. Other birthdays and anniversaries are elsewhere in the Beacon.
