September 7, 2022

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend with your family and friends. The beginning of Fall is upon us, its time to ramp up for the holiday season of giving. This is why we serve as Rotarians, to help out our charitable partners that serve our community.

"REMINDER", the annual membership dues are PAST DUE now ((They were due on July 1st)). Our club has already paid your dues to Rotary International as well as to our Rotary District 5320. This means that we need our members to pay their club dues in order to cover these two large expenditures. Our Treasurer RoseAnne Ruccello has recently emailed out a second invoice via GIVSUM, to those members that haven’t paid up yet. You can easily pay online using a credit card if you pay through GIVSUM. If you would rather pay via check, please send it to our mailbox:

Rotary Club of Laguna Niguel

P.O. Box 6281

Laguna Niguel, CA 92607-6281

We will also take credit card payments at our next club meeting on Friday.  Keep in mind  that we cannot pay for the club's operational expenses unless members fulfill their financial obligations in a timely manner. We need to reimburse our coffers for the dues that our club has already paid on your behalf. Going forward, we need the dues paid on time come July 1st or we will need to charge a late fee after 30 days.  Those that allow their dues to lapse beyond 60 days will be subject to being removed from the membership roster. Please take a few minutes to take care of your dues ASAP. 

Some of our upcoming projects for this season include the renown Oktoberfest fundraiser event at Mark Montgomery’s home, the sponsorship of the Military Support Committee's Taste for the Troops event, the holiday season “adopt a family” opportunities with our local non-profit partners, the Christmas Party for the young adult residents of the   Glennwood Home in Laguna Beach and participation in the Laguna Niguel Holiday Parade. In addition to these club activities, there are also District sponsored events in our South County community that we will be expected to support as well. 

Next Board Meeting - Thursday September 15th at 4:30pm

Coming up on October 4th, we will begin meeting at the new Crown Valley Community Center.  Stay tuned for additional details.

As always, we have lots of projects and events to look forward to throughout the rest of year. Please mark your calendars! We are here to serve and appreciate the time and effort our members contribute toward our community.

Yours in Service,

Chandra Chell

2022-23 President

Friday September 9, 2022 - Wen Chen on China's Censorship during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Wen Chen

Wen Chen was born in China at the end of the Great Cultural Revolution. Being the victim of this horrific atrocity that killed two million intellectuals and destroyed traditional Chinese culture, Wen's parents had mixed feelings about her education. Despite their discouragement, Wen eventually won a national prize at a science competition when she was 16. Hence, she went to a top university for undergraduate study and then came to the U.S. in 1994 for graduate school. Wen received a Ph.D. in Biology at the California Institute of Technology in 2000. Because of her personal experience of being brainwashed in China, she decided to voice for the voiceless. Since 2012, she has given hundreds of presentations to community organizations about Chinese culture, history, and society. Wen will give a presentation on COVID-19, the origin of the virus, and China's censorship.

Friday, September 9, 2022

Romeo Cucina Restaurant

28241 Crown Valley Parkway

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

(corner of Greenfield Dr. and Rancho Niguel Rd.)

11:45 am - Socialize

12:00pm - Meeting Called to Order and Enjoy Lunch!

12:30pm - Speaker Program Begins

1:00pm - Meeting Adjournment

September 9, 2022 12:00p.m. - Club meeting featuring Wen Chen on China's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic at Romeo Cucina

September 9 - 11, 2022 - Rotary "Source to the Sea" Summit, Hosted by the Newport Beach Global Rotary Club in the Newport Beach Back Bay Area

September 15, 2022 4:30p.m. - Club Board Meeting

September 16, 2022 - Club Meeting Featuring Honor Flight Recap presented by Jim McGinley & Mark Montgomery

September 22, 2022 - Mayor's Breakfast of Compassion at Crown Valley Community Center in Laguna Niguel

September 23, 2022 12:00p.m. - Club Meeting Featuring District 5320 Membership Chair Anabella Bonfa at Romeo Cucina

September 30, 2022 12:00p.m. - Club Meeting Featuring Victoria Morgan from Bis Kids charity at Romeo Cucina

October 4, 2022 12:00p.m.- Club Meeting Featuring Jennifer Trubenbach from Operation of Hope at Crown Valley Community Center

October 14, 2022 - District 5320 Gala, Old Ranch Country Club, Seal Beach

October 18, 2022 12:00p.m. - Club Meeting featuring District 5320 Marketing Chair and GIVSUM CEO Shawn Wehan at Crown Valley Community Center

October 20, 2022 6:00p.m. - Laguna Niguel Military Support Committee's Taste for the Troops at Crown Valley Community Center

October 22, 2022 5:00p.m. - Annual Oktoberfest Fundraiser at Mark Montgomery's Home

November 1, 2022 12:00p.m. - Club Meeting featuring Carl Schulkin on the History of the Chet Holifield Federal Building (the Ziggurat) at Crown Valley Community Center

December 3, 2022 - Christmas Party for the Glennwood Home residents in Laguna Beach

December 10, 2022 - Laguna Niguel Holiday Parade

SAVE THE DATE - Oktoberfest 2022

Saturday October 22, 2022

5:00p.m. – 9:00p.m.

Home of Mark Montgomery

Featuring Docent Brewing libations, catered dinner, raffle & silent auction

September Milestones

Birthdays

Kim Douglas - 9/19

Bob McCormick - 9/27

Wedding Anniversaries

Caroline Swift  - 9/15

Tammy Letourneau -  9/24

Club Anniversaries

Pat Bates - 9/8/87

Kristin Epperson - 9/25/20

Mara James - 9/25/20

Rischi Paul Sharma - 9/25/20