So far so good w
ith Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary on a Wednesday morning. I haven’t mentioned this yet, so now is a good time. Finding a new home for BBRC weekly meetings has certainly been a work in progress - like over a year. Thinking back, we had a long run at our former home and a lot of memories were created there. It is with hopeful anticipation we will enjoy many years of new memories and typical club High-Jinks that will be served up by our Rotary Club at Lino’s Venue. Speaking about serving, what do you think about the food Lino’s caterers are serving up? I for one am enjoying the variety of entrees and side dishes that are fresh and delicious. Well done committee and members in selecting on our new BBRC home!
ith Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary on a Wednesday morning. I haven’t mentioned this yet, so now is a good time. Finding a new home for BBRC weekly meetings has certainly been a work in progress - like over a year. Thinking back, we had a long run at our former home and a lot of memories were created there. It is with hopeful anticipation we will enjoy many years of new memories and typical club High-Jinks that will be served up by our Rotary Club at Lino’s Venue. Speaking about serving, what do you think about the food Lino’s caterers are serving up? I for one am enjoying the variety of entrees and side dishes that are fresh and delicious. Well done committee and members in selecting on our new BBRC home!Mike Turnipseed brought us all to attention with a very insightful invocation asking for guidance towards peace, understanding, and community service. Sally Selby had flag duties as she led us in stating the Pledge of Allegiance. For our morning song, we substituted one Carole “Song Meister” Smith in her absence for vacation to another Past President, Denise “Songbird” Haynes who led us in singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Calling all Guests! Yes, we got guests! Joining us was Karen Bonanno’s husband Tony, and Donna Schwartz’s son Ryan Forden. Past President Neal Walker had a guest too - former East Bakersfield Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow Dr. Robert Provencio. Robert serves as the Minister of Music at First Presbyterian Church. I like how Neal always brings guests with impressive resumes. That’s the kind of guy Neal is, as you know, birds of a feather flock together. Right’o Neal!
** Featured Program**
Program Director Pete Leveroni via ZOOM introduced this week’s program. Personally, I knew close to nothing about this program and the impact it has had upon children residing in Guatemala. Today’s the day we learned firsthand from Rotarian Kristy Isenberg about Rotary’s Guatemala Literacy Project. The project which is an educational scholarship funded through Rotary is officially called Rise. Rise since its inception, has given no less than 200,000 Guatemalan students a chance to change their history and perhaps that of generations of poverty.
As Kristy explained, Guatemala and other countries have historically governmental and financial support to educate their poor. To lay the groundwork, Guatemala children are expected to work from a young age. Their families are in extreme poverty; with the children and their parents all working at very low wages, they never can break this cycle. Secondly, public education for children beyond 12 years of age costs money. That’s right! Kristy tells us that the country does not guarantee a public education, therefore if there is no support from parents emotionally or financially for six more years of education, children are destined to repeat the culture of poverty holding low paying jobs. These children never will reach their full potential.
We were told by Kristy that Guatemala is the most illiterate and poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. 70% of the country’s children are pulled out of public education by 7th grade, hence the populace migrates to the United States. So, without reservation Rotary clubs in many countries have recognized these grim statistics and are bringing awareness to the RISE program. Kristy told us, as a Rotarian, that this is her avenue of service, and she apparently intends to make her effort to bring awareness and funding to Guatemalan children a priority. One may ask WHY should Rotary clubs become involved. My answer is that because this is just the thing that Rotarians do. How can it get more exciting than that? Let’s learn more.
There are currently 600 Rotary clubs across the United States with dedicated contributions going to the Rise educational scholarship fund. The results can be seen in big ways. Where the majority of children and adults were illiterate, now only 1 in 3 Guatemalans are. The literacy rate has been reduced to 50%! That’s nothing to shake a stick at. Teaching the “Three Rs” is not the only thing Rise education is all about. The curriculum provides for students to learn soft skills such as civility, job preparedness, professionalism, and so much more. Keep in mind that for students to pursue higher paying careers which break the cycle of poverty also need to learn how to adapt to business environments. They need to learn to communicate, increase their self-esteem, and work at a level they may have not been exposed to growing up. The results speak for themselves as 87% of students awarded Rise scholarships complete their education and have graduated to jobs that pay salaries eclipsing their own parents’ salaries.
What is in all of this for Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary? Well, nothing unless you value Service Above Self! It is for that reason that Kristy came to speak to us this morning. To clearly educate us on the existence of Rise and need for Rotary clubs like ours to join an opportunity to empower and change the world. Kristy told us Rise’s goal is to offer 750 more scholarships. She shared that there are several ways to support the works of Rise. She said that simply eight Breakfast Rotary members could make a huge impact by donating $10 per month each for a year, or the equivalent would be to donate as a club $960 per year. These outlays would make available funds to enable just one more child a Rise scholarship. Kristy encourages all Rotarians to spread the word amongst other local Rotary Clubs to promote and support Rise and the Guatemalan Literacy Project. Kristy even invited Rotarians to Guatemala to see the project first-hand. If going to a third world country is not on your travel plans, her organization is planning a fundraiser in the fall. For more detail call the Guatemalan Literacy Project at (859) 429-2776 or visit their website at https://www.guatemalaliteracy.org/ Thank You Kristy for educating us so we can play a role in educating others.
**Announcements Announcements**
I know why Neal Walker invited a guest…It’s his birthday! Yea! Sandra Parnell is also celebrating a birthday and with that let’s sing them the Happy Birthday Song. Neal and Sandra are bringing cake next week and party hats for everyone.
Wedding An
niversaries go to Mary Jo Pasek (Tom) 49 years, Karen Bonanno (Tony) 33 years and Mindy Wilmot (Don) 22 years. 49+33+22=104. 104 years is a lot of years to be married, but by golly you couples did it and for that “My hat is off to ya”! Congratulations…
niversaries go to Mary Jo Pasek (Tom) 49 years, Karen Bonanno (Tony) 33 years and Mindy Wilmot (Don) 22 years. 49+33+22=104. 104 years is a lot of years to be married, but by golly you couples did it and for that “My hat is off to ya”! Congratulations…President Jeff Haynes certainly has started some new trends since coming out of the gate as our new President. One of those trends are Trivia Spots, celebrating the 80’s (remember our club formed in 1982!) Today we had some fun and games with MOVIE Trivia. I think the concept is great and is sure to be a better substitute for doing things like seeing who can hold their breath the longest, but regardless, I look forward to our club members competing for the correct answers in our weekly competitions.
Speaking of competition, many of us in Breakfast Rotary are competing to not be fined because they didn’t know the weekly Beacon Clue. This week the Prez only faired so so, as he picked on Neal Walker for the right answer. Neal did not know the answer and was not given any mercy in spite of his birthday. Next, here comes Stephanie Baker who calmly and coolly announced the correct answer as being the name of “my guest” Trevor Smith’s business from last week. The answer … COOL POOLS. The Beacon Clue for the August 4 meeting is how many years accumulated have MJ Pasek, Karen Bonanno and Mindy Wilmot been married to their respective spouses?
The Prez tells us Rotary District 5240 Annual Conference will be in Ventura Oct. 8 through 10th. That will be nice and I’ll most likely go. How about you? Click here to register 2021 District Conference | Rotary District 5240. Don’t forget to make your hotel reservations at the Ventura Beach Marriott. Book Your Group Rate | Marriott International
Wine Place and Show is in our sights for November 13th at Luigi’s Warehouse and our 40th Anniversary Charter night/holiday is December 3rd.
I am losing track of the number of awards Breakfast Rotary has been receiving lately. Past President Kay Pitts is elated to announce two more awards - for our most excellent Rotary Brand work and recognition as a Silver Club. Kay tells us that this year we can set a goal to receive the Gold Club award – or event best club overall! I think this is good stuff.
We had a couple of Happy Spots. One being from well relaxed and retired Past President and Charter member Mr. Jerry Starr who returned from Glacier National Park. Jerry gifted The Prez with some scrumptious glacier fruit preservatives. David Lari is just darned happy his daughter is an official school teacher in the Clovis Sch
ools District. She recently signed her teaching contact. Job well done! Sally Selby just returned from an anniversary vacation in Hawaii and brought President Jeff some little balls and a miniature tiki charm. I think the balls are candy and edible.
ools District. She recently signed her teaching contact. Job well done! Sally Selby just returned from an anniversary vacation in Hawaii and brought President Jeff some little balls and a miniature tiki charm. I think the balls are candy and edible.It is said that good things come to those that wait, and wait, and wait… Temo Lopez has been waiting for a long time to win the weekly Raffle and the day was his Lucky Day as he left the meeting $57 dollars the richer.
It is meetings like these that make you feel good about being a Rotarian where you truly have a chance to make a difference. Join the fun, bring a friend and let’s have a great Rotary year.
In Rotary,
Frank Wooldridge
Beacon Writer