RCCG - Tegucigalpa Joint Project

This blog is on behalf of Catarina Jimenez, International Service Chair, RCCG.

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The newspaper article below (in Spanish) highlights the delivery of the wheelchairs RCCG worked hard to send to Honduras during PP Wiley's year 2009 - 2010. The Rotary Club of Coral Gables is recognized in the main paper of the Honduran capital for its contributions to helping 100 Hondurans with specialized wheelchairs. RCCG was able to raise US $16,500 to purchase a container of wheelchairs from the Wheelchair Foundation. $9,500 of the funds came from individual contributions from RCCG's members, club's foundation and international committee's budget. The Tegucigalpa Club contributed $2,000, RI District 6990 contributed $2,000 and $3,000 came from a generous anonymous donor. RCCG looks forward to visiting many of the beneficiaries on a humanitarian trip to Tegucigalpa later this year. Hopefully other Rotarians in the district will join in. A goal is to visit the town of Copan, where help will be provided to 80 families that lack stoves to boil water and cook food. Funds consist of $2000 from Rotary contributions, $1000 from RCCG's foundation and international committee; and $1000 from RI District 6990.


The photos below were taken in Honduras, showcasing the Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa in Honduras that participates in this joint project with RCCG. Photos courtesy of Luis Estrada of the Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa.




That's what we Rotarians do! Congratulations to all who are involved with this project. Keep up the good work!

Bookmark this page and return for more on Honduras...

RCCG fellowship ID Celebration

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July 4th is a big day in the US. It's our Independence Day (ID.) It is a US national holiday. This is almost a yearly event that many of us at the RCCG get together to celebrate. This event was announced on this blog about a month in advance. Today is the day. This year in particular, it cannot be any truer that we are here to fulfill our newly added (just here at RCCG) the Rotary 5th Way test: Is it fun for all concerned? It sure was. But we also got together to plan for the next events of Service Above Self. A planning was discussed to form a team of bloggers to keep this blog dynamic and full of vigor... so... visitors, come here to read often. You'll be glad you did. But today... despite the storm brewing, the heat, the humidity and the mosquitoes...

Rotarian Keith rode his ID power bike to bring a big fan to chase away the heat and the mosquitoes...

Matheson Hammock park has plenty of room for adults and kids to have fun...

Fred Baddour got his WW II vintage jeep to deliver food and drinks... so Prez Sally B was all smile...

PP Wiley, VP Hadley and Biil Q wisely staying in the shade sharing jokes and drinks...

The jeep generated long and serious discussions... among the beautiful oak trees of the hammock... and Sally B and Larry...

Finally... There was plenty of food... Shorty's grilled chicken, ribs and all the trimmings... We also managed to host a stranger to a good picnic meal.

Everyone had plenty of fun... and some work was planned as well... Now we're ready to get to the real work for the new year.

So long... Bookmark this page to return for more... Our club meets on Thursdays.

RCCG Week01-What you missed

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Today's event is the first meeting of the Rotary Club of Coral Gables for the Rotary year 2010- 2011. Club's President Sally B.'s first executive order was to have the mandatory installation of the club's President and its Officers and Board of Directors conducted at the first meeting. According to tradition, a Past District Governor (RCCG belongs to Rotary International District 6990) has the honor and privilege to install the new administration. So PDG Marcy Ullom is the guest of honor to perform her duty.

At the transition, we all want to say goodbye to our now Past President Wiley, so here he is, accepting the City beautiful City of Coral Gables' key bestowed upon him with all accompanying privileges by our own club member the Honorable Mayor Don Slesnik. Immediately, some members wondered out loud which doors that key would open??? Rumors have it that key opens some bathroom doors.

Many guests came to our club's weekly meeting. Today, we are happy to host Coral Gables Senior High School's Interactor VP Daniele, accompanied by her sponsor and mentor, former Rotaractor Margarit dePaola (on left in photo.)

When the installation was all said and done, our club's regular meeting calendar kicked in with all its usual fun along with plans for many of the scheduled Service Above Self activities for the near future of the new year.

At work today were:

Greeters: Keith Phillips and Rodney Langer
Registration: Alex Vicencio
Collections: Bill Foreshee and Abe Horowitz
Head Table assignments: Sally B.
Special Needs (to assist member Betty Metcalf:) Frank Sexton
Invocation: Jack Witty
Pledge to the Flag: Mead McCabe
Singers Art Themmen, Bill Quesenberry, Dan Scipione and Abe Horowitz.

President Sally B. announced the first club's celebrating the 4th of July this Sunday (see blog of previous days by scrolling down;) VA bingo game on July 17th. The first Fifth Friday will take place at the Citizens for a Better South Florida on July 30th; and the big second annual Yard Sale in November. Prez Sally wants to surpass the $10,000 raised at the last Yard sale. Mark your calendar... Bookmark this blog and return here often to see details of these great community service events.

Our club is very happy to see the return of the dynamic duo Dick Bullman and Jerry Santiero who duel with deadly tongues to get the upper hand introducing guests to the club. That's a lot of fun that you missed if you weren't here.

And a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Past President Frank Sexton. July 6th is Frank's big day. Send him a text, send him an email, send him a card... Frank would also accept MC, Visa, Amex and Discover cards.

To raise $ for all kinds of worthy causes, our club has Happy $. It costs $5.00 to get the microphone to say whatever is on your mind (of course, there is a limit to what you really can say and time is limited too.) Happy today were:

Chris Tyson for our club serving wine at this meeting. You see, Chris goes to make up meetings often in Switzerland and they serve wine there! Really? Let's all go there! Ana Fournaris for new prez Sally B, PP Wiley Hicks happy presenting a $500 check to Dan Brandt for the Marian Center, Yoli Woodbridge for having gone to RI convention in Montreal, Ana Fournaris again to accuse Dick Golden of taking over her job hosting the Happy $ time, Margarita Tonkinson happy congratulating the new Board, Dan Scipione for doing pin drawing this year, and Dick Golden for his wife marrying him despite him being "not so bright" (ed.) JB Spence is always political and he's happy about the predicted outcome of the confirmation of the newest supreme court justice Kagan. Isn't that a no no for our club? But we welcome his $5.00 Do it again, JB. The Happy $s go mainly to support student scholarships. Thank you one and all.

50/50 collections (Gloria Burns and Fred Baddour.) Winner: William Isaias - Proceed given back to community funds.
Rotary pin wearing drawing donated by Dan Scipione - 1 hour of computer tutorial - Winner: Yoli Woodbridge. Poor Yoli, now that she won that, she has to sit in that course for 1 hour.
DeWitt Law Silver $: Miki Speijers given to Jennifer Kila and Bill Martinez.

The first meeting took longer than the allotted time to finish and it ended with a surprise. President Sally B. recited the Rotary's 4-Way test with a surprise new addition of a FIFTH way: Is it FUN for all concerned?

Now, we have to see if that will catch on for the Rotary world. What you wanna bet?

Next meeting:

“Are We There Yet?” Speakers: Barbara Stein & David Arisco from the famed Actors' Playhouse of the City Beautiful Coral Gables. You certainly don't want to miss this.

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Rotary Past District Governor Marcy Ullom was on hand today to swear in the officers and board of directors for the 2010-2011 Rotary year - Coral Gables 65th year. A good time was had by all.

Club Members received the new Rotary Club of Coral Gables Rotary Pin and a club t-shirt bearing the image of the pin that clearly exclaims "Coral Gables Rotarian At Work." If you missed the Installation be sure to pick up your shirt(the pin is on the collar) from Terry at next week's meeting.

President Sally B. unveiled the new 5-Way Test of the things that Coral Gables Rotarians Think, Say and Do. The 5th test is -you guessed it - is it FUN for all concerned. FUN is the recurring theme for this Rotary year because FUN breeds fellowship and fellowship is the foundation of all of the service work that we do. She echoes RI President Klinginsmith challenging our Club to become Bigger, Bolder and Better than ever before.

RCCG - The Eve of the Year 2010 - 2011

In the world of Rotary Clubs (Rotary International,) the New Year begins on July 01st. That's tomorrow... To celebrate the New Rotary Year for the Rotary Club of Coral Gables (you guessed it: RCCG,) here is a peek at last year's Community Service Committee AT WORK.






Judy Pantoja, community service chair for 2009-2010-2011, treated her entire committee to a fabulous evening of wine, food, and comraderie at ‘La Botega’ in Coconut Grove on June 29. The sommelier poured bottles of crisp Viognier and smoky Tempranillo. The cuisine consisted of a delectable cornucopia of Italian-inspired appetizers including pizzas, meats, breads, fruit and cheeses. In attendance were Mead McCabe, Walter and Annette Alvarez, Bill Quesenberry, Gene and Libby Witherspoon, Wiley Hicks and his friend from his Auburn days, Hadley Williams, Brad Forte, Deena Bell Llewellyn, Terry Long, Bob Schreiber, and our gracious host, Judy Pantoja and two friends, Pat and Jasmine.

Can you spot Chair Judy in these photos? Can you spot a photo with only a single VERY happy looking person?

It is Rotary moments like this that inspire us to keep doing what we do! Thank you again for a lovely evening in the “CAVE” Judy- we were a jolly bunch of Troglodytes, indeed.!

Bookmark this blog and return often to follow the activities of the RCCG starting July 1st... until June 30th of 2011.

Fourth of July - 2010

A new Rotary year is coming fast... on July 1st of this year... This blog is awakening and our club is celebrating Independence Day here at this historic lime stone pavilion in a beautiful and restful park in Miami: Matheson Hammock park. People come here to launch boats, enjoy the beach or exercise running, walking or bicycling. We come here to enjoy a great fellowship day with plenty of good food and fun... Bring your family and don't forget your kids.



It costs only $10.00, and you can pay for one and for all using the PayPal button below... Come join us... Bring your neighbors and introduce them to Rotary... They'll like it.

Getting Ready for 2010-2011 Rotary Year

The clock is ticking and there are only six more weeks until the start of the new Rotary Year. Please plan to attend our Club's Installation Party at our regular Thursday meeting, 12:15 on July 1, 2010 at the Westin Colonnade Hotel.

Plan to attend. We'll have a special lunch, with wine. Gifts for the entire membership and the unveiling and distribution of the official Coral Gables Rotary Club Rotary Pin.

You can bring a friend, your spouse, or a prospective member to the meeting to. Just be sure you come.
Sally B.