Escondido Sunrise Rotary; Meeting to Serve our Community via Zoom; and “The Escondido Chamber of Commerce; Looking to Fulfill a Greater Role in the Region”…April 29, 2021
As we all try to conduct our professional pursuits in new ways, it’s appropriate to remind ourselves of who we are as a Serving Organization… Our accomplishments, our fellowship and the reminder of our many successes is valuable as we await the time we can gather together again…
President Chris opened the meeting… But, without his Presidential Bell…
Heaven Forbid… The Presidential Bell is still missing…
The Bell has gone from Covid isolation, to enjoying the NCAA Basketball finals, to its current station in life…
But, wait a minute, Rotary Friends…
Will the Bell be punished for President Chris’ careless handling of this precious commodity??
President Chris posted the cost for a replacement bell… In his effort to determine if the current missing bell is theft (misdemeanor or felony) or what an appropriate ransom might be … This post shows a replacement cost of over $300…
Of course, that would only purchase a brand new bell, without the history of 40 years of Escondido Sunrise service…
Even with our Presidential Bell missing, and only partially accounted for… We had a service and fun-filled great Sunrise Rotary Zoom meeting…
Past President Brian Murphy led our salute to our Nation’s Flag…
An invocation was offered by Past President, Barry Baker…
Guests and Visitors:
None this week…
Now, some Sunrise Rotary member milestones…
Birthdays:
None this week…
Anniversaries:
None this week…
Rotary Anniversaries:
None this week…
Rotarians Having Fun and Serving…
All kinds of fun and service these two weeks… Pictures are worth a thousand words…
The Bakers Are House Hunting…
Past President, Barry and Lee Baker were in San Antonio seeking a house for their son, Jay and his family. Jay, an Army doctor, is transferring from Germany…
Amazingly, a home is in escrow for the Jay Baker family… Great work Barry and Lee…
While in San Antonio, Barry and Lee visited a farmer’s market… Can anyone identify this fruit??
Fun with Granddaughters…
Club Secretary, John Schwab is enjoying his granddaughters, two at a time…
A Sunrise Rotary Benefactor is Remembered…
Past President, Mike Dunlap helped us recall the generosity of Lenore Coombs. She was an original benefactor of the ‘Cabins by the Lake’ charity, and a contributor to many of our international grant efforts including housing in Tijuana, and student books in Central America among many others…
Honoring Rotary Service…
Past President Jack Anderson shared his Daughter, Rebecca Perez's standing as a new Paul Harris Fellow…
And, Past President, Dave Herbert picked up some roadside trash in his neighborhood…
Sunrise Rotarians Serving, and Announcements:
Mark you Calendars…
Note some activities coming up…
Support for Neighborhood Health Vaccination Clinics…
President Elect-Elect, Tina Pope reported on the continuing need for volunteer support throughout May and June at Vaccine Clinics conducted by Neighborhood Health. An email was sent to all members with available dates…
High Fives:
Past President, Rich Aeling shared the passing of Donna’s mother, Rosalie. Rich shared the emotional impact of this loss to his family, and thanked the Club for the flowers in Rosalie’s memory…
Program:
Escondido Chamber of Commerce
Past President, Brian Murphy introduced James Rowten (JR), the President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce. JR has been in this role for over 2 years…
JR speaking to Sunrise Rotarians…
JR spoke about the recent ‘Chamber Challenge’ golf event conducted at the Vineyard Golf Course. Major beneficiaries of the event included the California Center for the Arts, the Police Athletic League and the Chamber itself. The Chamber’s primary purpose for the fundraising was to support its ‘Rising Stars’ program wherein local high school students are recognized for there achievements in school…
The first time ever competition for the “Chamber Challenge Cup” took place; the plan is that the Cup will be passed to different winning teams from year to year…
JR spoke about the aspects of this year’s golf event including the auction of some art pieces provided through the Center for the Arts; this ‘auction action’ added to the day’s events…
Updating our Club members, JR shared some following news items:
The Chamber has felt the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic with a loss in membership of about 20%. The Board is reevaluating the way membership dues are paid, in an effort to be more business friendly, especially during challenging financial times…
JR spoke of some goals that the Board is moving forward on as the recovery from the Pandemic takes place…
He spoke of the Chamber headquarters building as an important asset to both the Chamber and the community. He shared the other businesses that call the building home; part of which is the economic asset to the Chamber through rents that are achieved….
A regional vision...
JR shared the longer term regional vision that Board is moving forward on, recognizing the Chamber’s and Escondido’s long standing leadership role in Inland North County. Continuing to strengthen that regional leadership role will find the Chamber re-named as the “Greater Escondido Chamber of Commerce…” The opportunity for the Chamber to support and influence business development in the entire Inland Region including Escondido, Valley Center, parts of San Marcos and Rancho Bernardo will enhance the Chamber’s ability to support regional business growth and development. Included in this effort is work with the City to perhaps return the Visitor Center function to the Chamber from the City…
Regional Housing and Transportation Support...
The final major goal of the Board is to begin engaging more strongly with the region’s needs relative to housing and transportation. Much is taking place with consolidation of transportation hubs, and with Escondido centered on the I-15 and SR 78 interchange, the transportation impact is critical for the region and Escondido is primed to become a key factor as transportation in the region begins to change. Similarly, housing for the work force that is being drawn to the Inland North County region is a fit for the Chamber’s new focus…
Next Week’s Meeting:
City Councilmember, Tina Inscoe of the Escondido City Council…
Thanks for Attending Today’s Meeting…
Support for our Escondido Community …
Our great community and the success of its businesses is all of our responsibilities… Support the businesses that are doing all they can to survive during this challenging time… Take out some chow… Be ready to support them when the economy begins working again…
The ‘Giving Arch’ on Grand Avenue and Centre City Parkway reminds us that Escondido is a caring, giving community…
To all; be safe and be well…. God Bless those men and women that carry the load at our medical facilities, and God Bless the first responders… May our governmental leaders be wise, thoughtful and smart as this pandemic is overtaken by our hard work and collective support…
Online Meetings:
Technical Support for Online Meetings:
Our on-line meetings continue to be technically managed by President Elect Richard Agnew… Thanks for that Richard… And, Richard is prepared to support all of our attempts at joining the on-line meetings… Look for his email with details and links to log on to the upcoming Zoom meetings…
Watch for emails defining the next online meeting. The system works fine, dependent upon your technical support available through your PC or laptop…
SEE YOU SOON… ON LINE OR IN PERSON….. Next meeting; Thursday May 6; 7:30 AM… Check President Chris’ or President Elect, Richard Agnew’s email for the Zoom Link…
