Although a cold temperature advisory was issued for parts of Orange County that included Laguna Niguel, I would rather be here in this amazing city any day! I was just in freezing cold weather in Dallas and believe me, we live in the best community with the most fantastic weather around! There were shoppers in shorts and jackets everywhere when I went to Trader Joe's and Ralph's this week and I couldn't help but giggle when I witnessed this!

Our dear friend Susie Ming posted a beautiful message on Robert's Facebook page to let everyone know how much she appreciated all of the posts, comments and pictures for Robert. She will need so much love and support for her family during this time so please continue to keep them all in your thoughts and prayers. She also provided information on the "Celebration of Life" services for Robert that will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. at Saddleback Church. There is information on the flyer that is included in this President's News Flash below that also asks that in lieu of flowers, individuals consider honoring Robert with a gift to South County Outreach or the Laguna Niguel Military Support Foundation.

At our Board meeting last week, we all agreed that our Rotary Club would coordinate a scholarship to be named "The Robert Douglas Ming Scholarship" to be awarded to a deserving student planning to attend Saddleback Community College. We also agreed that we create another scholarship to be awarded to a student that is part of a military family through the Laguna Niguel Military Support Foundation. We also discussed a possible fundraiser event to be held sometime in May specifically for these scholarships.

We were finally able to meet at Fratello's in person and on Zoom last Friday! It was great to see so many Rotarians in person and thanks to Rocky Cifone, a few more Rotarians were able to attend via Zoom! Ken Tokash started the meeting by leading Rotarians in the Pledge of Allegiance and President Eileen asked Rotarians to observe a moment of silence in remembrance of Robert Ming. Mike Gerard provided inspiration for the day by saying a few kind words about his friendship with Robert Ming. He then told the story called, "A Group of Frogs" that traveled through the woods and two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs crowded around the pit and saw how deep it was, they told the two frogs that there was no hope left for them to get out. The two frogs decided to ignore what the others were saying and they proceeded to try to jump out of the pit. Eventually, one of the frogs took heed to what the others were saying and he gave up, falling down to his death. The other continued to jump as hard as he could and finally made it out. The other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. The moral of the story was people's words can have a big effect on other's lives and to think about what you say before it comes out of your mouth. It might just be the difference between life and death.

John Veytia decided to change it up and asked everyone to say "thank you" to someone just to let them know they are appreciated. Of course, he ended with a funny story about the wide-mouthed frog and had us all laughing out loud! Mike also did a great job handling the Sergeant-At-Arms duties and went around the room announcing birthdays, anniversaries and club anniversaries! Bruce announced good news from Uganda regarding our third well that serves over 1,000 villagers! He circulated a book for everyone to see the great photos of the people that the wells are serving! Kim Douglas presented a Paul Harris Fellow pin and certificate to our newest member Jan Park, - which she received proudly! John was happy about his home construction project moving along and Mike was happy to announce his 20th wedding anniversary! Kim was remembering her George and said she missed the laughter every day the most and reminded everyone to enjoy every day!

Mark made a donation in honor of Robert Ming and remembered him as an amazing force, a great Rotarian and encouraged Rotarians to follow his example of "Service Above Self." President Eileen was grateful that although she and her sister missed her nephew's graduation in Washington, D.C. due to extreme weather conditions in Dallas, he made a special trip to California to visit the family and to spend time with his favorite auntie! Ken was happy to announce that both of his granddaughters were both in honors classes at Santa Margarita Catholic High School! Rocky made a donation in honor of Robert Ming and fondly remembered him as a true servant leader, good Rotarian and a solid Christian man dedicated to his family and community. Janet thanked Kim for presenting her with a Paul Harris Fellow certificate and also thanked Chandra for her help with her Valentine's Day Pet Photo event which turned out great! Chandra made a donation in honor of Robert Ming and remembered him for all his accomplishments in his 51 years and the legacy he is leaving in our community.

President Eileen announced that at their Board meeting last week, including an information page created by Rocky to be included in new membership packets and assigning mentors. The Board also approved a Tribute to Robert Ming by coordinating a scholarship fund in his memory to be awarded to a student at Saddleback Community College and also to a student through the Laguna Niguel Military Support Foundation. Rocky provided more information on a possible endowment for a scholarship in Robert's name.

Our amazing local dentist and fellow Rotarian, Dr. Mark Montgomery, gave a presentation on his trip to Panama with Floating Doctors! This amazing group of dentists performed dental work on children that needed their services which included extracting teeth where they were only able to use an instrument once due to the inability to sterilize the necessary tools. He shared the most amazing photos of the village where the children lived and we all loved the photos of the welcoming committees! Great job Mark!

This week, we will be hearing from a local celebrity, Former Major League Baseball Player, Steve Kemp! We will be meeting both in person and on Zoom! Please join us for lunch!

11:45 am - Socialize

Eileen Gomez is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2987203632?pwd=VkRuTnJhTE1nL2NTMzRCckk0TDNBdz09

Meeting ID: 298 720 3632

Passcode: 844410

This year, our club has paid to sponsor up to three junior high school students for Camp RYLA. Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is all about Rotarians working with youth in leadership development. It is an intensive training/experiential program for students in District 5320 who are chosen for their potential leadership abilities. RYLA provides a memorable opportunity to learn, grow, have fun, make new friends, and gain a new and improved focus. Students participate in an all-expense paid event running from April 26 to May 1, 2022: