Toni Mecaro
Welcome to the Rotary Club of Del Mar!
It is an incredible honor to serve as president of our club for the Rotary Year 2024-2025 as we celebrate the Magic of Rotary.
The Magic of Rotary lies in its ability to build connections and foster understanding between people of different backgrounds and cultures, bringing people together to make a positive impact on their communities and the world. I joined this club in 2020, and every day since I have been in awe of the contributions our members make that support Rotary's 7 areas of service:
- Peace and Conflict Prevention / Resolution
- Disease Prevention and Treatment
- Water and Sanitation
- Maternal and Child Health
- Basic Education and Literacy
- Economic and Community Development
- Supporting the Environment
The Rotary Club of Del Mar creates opportunities for people to come together, learn from each other, and collaborate on meaningful initiatives that have a lasting, positive impact. The members of our club provide scholarships for students, support humanitarian projects, and participate in local community service efforts harnessing the power of collective action and goodwill to effect positive change.
We are committed to making a difference in the lives of others. If you are interested in finding out how you can make a difference, spreading a message of hope and service that transcends borders and boundaries, please join us at an upcoming meeting.
Toni Mecaro
This video summarizes just a few of our recent projects and the Magic of Rotary
What’s Rotary?
Rotary is where neighbors, friends, and problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders, and take action to create lasting change.
Debbie King of the CRC (center) with Community Service Chair Steven McDowell (left) and President-Elect Pat Caughey, whose wife Jenny is a CRC volunteer
Debbie King, Senior Director for Donor Relations of the Community Resource Center (CRC) was our speaker for the September 5, 2024 meeting. Debbie is also the current president of the Rotary Club of Vista. Celebrating the 45th anniversary of its founding, CRC currently helps over 7,000 clients annually to have healthy food, stable homes and safe relationships. To expand its impact, in 2022 the CRC began a $10 million capital campaign, One Community • One Heart, to upgrade their main campus in Encinitas. Construction is slated to begin in 2025 and will provide an accessible building that has efficient workspaces for CRC staff and meeting spaces both for confidential appointments and educational workshops for CRC clients. The new Food & Nutrition building will have a sheltered entry walkway that leads to an interior reception area that offers clients needed privacy and dignity as they wait for service. The building also has increased storage and intake area for food and supplies, and includes a flexible space for cooking demonstrations that instruct clients on how to prepare and enhance their family meals. Debbie addressed questions about the evolution of the holiday baskets, which were a favorite volunteer opportunity for members. The CRC now gives clients gift cards to area retailers. These gift cards give families served by the CRC greater choice and the ability to select items that are tailored to their needs.
Four generations of Rotary (l to r): Klaus Gubernator, Kathy Reed, Betsy Winsett, Dee House
We're delighted to welcome Betsy Winsett as our newest member. Betsy is "fourth generation" Rotary in terms of member sponsors: Dee House (far right) sponsored Klaus Gubernator, who sponsored Kathy Reed (second from left), who sponsored her good friend Betsy Winsett for membership. Friendships are just one way that Rotary International grows!
Diane Crawford with her husband Michael Crawford
The annual visit of the District Governor is always a highlight on our calendar. District Governor Diane Crawford is a member of the Rotary Club of Southeast San Diego and has been a Rotarian since 1997. She was District 5340 Rotarian of the Year for 2011/2012. Diane served on the District 5340 Leadership team to assist 16 District Governors in a variety of roles, including Assistant Governor, District Membership Chair and Strategic Planning Chair. For all these roles, Diane drew on her broad expertise in sales and business management.
Toni Mecaro hands over a check in thanks for a rescue from Lifeguard Rick Schwering. A post-rescue gathering (l to r): Lifeguard Rick Schwering, Lifeguard Amara Dumas, Toni Mecaro, Lifeguard Mark Tankserly, Deputy Chief Mark Rathsam, Chief Jon Edelbrock photo credit, Susan Maronde
There’s no end to the fun of being president of the Rotary Club of Del Mar. Last month President Toni Mecaro was in the winner’s circle at the Del Mar Racetrack, and this month she was saved from going over a cliff by the Del Mar Lifeguards. In gratitude for their help, Toni handed her rescuers a check to support rescue training and other activities of the lifeguards that help keep residents and visitors of Del Mar safe.
Toni Mecaro recognized as a Major Donor
Pat Dougherty joined the Bequest Society
Susan Maronde (lower right) became a Paul Harris Fellow and Sharon Schendel is now PHF-3
District Governor Diane Crawford honored our club’s commitment to the Rotary Foundation by recognizing several members. President Toni Mecaro received recognition as a Major Donor. Toni donated all commissions she earned in organizing the District 5340 cruise in April to the Rotary Foundation. Pat Dougherty was honored for joining the Bequest Society, whose members make provisions for Rotary in their estate planning. Susan Maronde received her first Paul Harris pin and Sharon Schendel received her PHF+3 pin. Gifts to The Rotary Foundation are essential to securing and growing Rotary programs throughout the world.
Donna and Don Fipps picked up their latest Canine Companions puppy, Hayden VII, at the McClellan Palomar Airport in Carlsbad last week. Hayden is Donna’s ninth Canine Companions puppy and she will split her time between the Fipps’ home and the home of co-raiser Elizabeth Connors. Donna’s previous puppy, Rosebud, is continuing to do well in her advanced training at Oceanside and if all goes well, she’ll graduate in November.
Scenes from the social (l to r): Dee House with Mark Barry (wearing a recent find from the St. Peter's Thrift Shop), members waiting for their scoop, owner Sarah Wynn personally scooped the ice cream
After our regular meeting, many of our members walked three blocks south to Wynston’s Scoop Shop in Del Mar for an ice cream social. Founder and Owner Sarah Wynn kindly opened the shop a bit early and personally scooped a variety of different flavors on offer. Some flavors, including Blue Moon (Michiganders, IYKYK) are always there (personal thumbs-up for Perfect PBC) and others rotate, so there’s always something new to try. We’re grateful to Wynston’s for offering tastes at the Sunset Soirée.
If you have gently used Halloween costumes, please give them to Janice Kurth before October 1 so she can deliver them to the Del Mar Solana Beach Rotary Club’s costume drive for Support the Enlisted Project (STEP). Many enlisted families have challenges providing basic needs and Halloween costumes can be outside their means.
The annual Don Lapham Memorial Dinner to benefit the Mexican American Educational Guidance Association (MAEGA) will be Tuesday September 3 at Tony’s Jacal restaurant in Solana Beach (click HERE to watch a video about Tony’s Jacal- an icon in the San Diego restaurant world). Tickets are $25 and include an enchilada-taco combination plate with beans, rice and salad. Click HERE to purchase tickets online (donations can also be made at this site).
The 20th annual Sunset Soirée is Tuesday September 10! Encourage your friends and family to join us for this exciting event. Remember that ALL club members must purchase two tickets (married couples who are both members purchase one ticket each). Click HERE for a quick guide to ticket purchase and securing bid numbers for you and your guests. Click HERE to download a PDF of the guide.
In the shadow of the Rotary clock is another enhancement to the Village of Del Mar, a tile installation at the Jim Watkins Amphitheater outside the L’Auberge hotel. Suzy and Karl Wagner spearheaded this project and many members, foremost member Jim Watkins, made donations to make the installation a reality. Our club is particularly grateful to members Pat Caughey for overseeing the work and to Linda Groom for helping find artists to render the tile design.
Upper left (l to r) Pat Dougherty, Eric Nelte, Alivia Garcia (YoY candidate), RoseMary Pellegrino, Marty Peters; Upper right (l to r): BGCNSD CEO Marineke Vandervort, Jim Watkins, KC Vafiadis; Lower left (l to r): Stephanie Fletcher, Joe Harper, KC Vafiadis; Lower right: Kit Leeger
Member Joe McLeod gave an update on the recent merger between Boys & Girls Club (BGC) of San Dieguito, of which he is Chief Operating Officer, and the BGC of Oceanside to form BGC of Northwest San Diego. The merger expands the impact by improving existing services, increasing accesses, streamlining processes to reduce costs while serving a greater number of youth in northern San Diego county.
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club CEO and honorary member Joe Harper again hosted our annual Day at the Races in the Turf Club at the Del Mar racetrack. Lots of members were traveling this year, so there was an opportunity to invite Betsy Winsett (who just applied for membership) and her partner David Rawson and former member Chad Brown (Chad secures the all-important ABC permit that allows us to serve alcohol at the Sunset Soirée), as well as spouses Jim Kohn and Jennifer McDowell to thank them for behind-the-scenes support of club events. Current District Governor Diane Crawford and District Governor-Elect Luis Carranza were also our guests. President Toni Mecaro was joined by Val Myers in the winner’s circle with the winner of the Rotary Club of Del Mar race (the first on the card), Pioneer Prince. Click HERE to watch the race (watch all the way to the end to see Toni and Val in the winner’s circle).
Wednesday July 10 was cool and misty, but that didn’t stop our crew from adding a new coat of stain to protect benches and trash cans around Del Mar. Bill Rawlings headed up the team (he came with handy condiment bottles to dispense stain) that included Suzy Wagner, Walt and Linda Strangman, Suzy Wagner (she coordinated with the city), Brett Mattei, Don Fipps, Sharon Schendel, and Steven McDowell. That evening, Suzy Wagner organized a club social at Beeside Balcony and we had a great turnout.
We wrapped up the 2023-2024 Rotary Year with a Demotion Party for Matt Kurth to thank him for his successful term as club president. Matt is a neurologist, so the theme was brains. Matt gave each of the members of the Board of Directors an hourglass as a symbol of time’s passage. He then recognized Jim and Karin Davies, Patti Kurtz, Steven McDowell, Kathy Reed, and Sharon Schendel for outstanding service to the club. Suzy Wagner received the Outstanding Social Engagement Award and accepted the Exemplary Rotarian Legacy Award on behalf of Karl Wagner. Bill Rawlings received the Grand Gavel Award and Klaus Gubernator the Youth Services Award. Matt also thanked Marty Peters for his long-time service for the club and Janice Kurth for being an amazing Rotary partner. Last, Matt named Susan Maronde as Rookie of the Year and Dee House as Rotarian of the Year. He then donned the club helmet, which Bill Rawlings promises will update the memory of all presidents to enhance the metrics of their term, before handing the gavel to our incoming president Toni Mecaro.
Special thanks to Dee House for making the badges and the centerpieces, Clay Sheffrey for providing a beautiful ride for the guests of honor, Jim Davies for his fun sendup of Matt’s year, Jennifer and Steven McDowell and Toni Mecaro for their hard work with set up and cleanup, Joe McLeod for loan of the BGC tables, and Brett Mattei for providing the beautiful venue. Click HERE to see pictures of party and click HERE to see slides from the party.
The Governor’s Dinner at the Hilton Del Mar on June 24, 2024 to honor outgoing District Governor, our own Don Fipps, and induct incoming District Governor Diane Crawford was sold out. The program and the ballroom were packed. Don honored People of Action, including Val Myers and Toni Mecaro for their work on the District 5340 cruise, while PDG Scott Carr revisited memories of Don’s 2016 appearance on The Price is Right. Don didn’t win the white Tesla that day, but his command of Rotary facts won him a somewhat smaller Tesla. We were happy to see Toni Mecaro sworn in as our next president, and a bit sad to hand over the District Governor Home Club banner to members of Rotary Club of Southeast San Diego.
Matt Kurth with Jim and Kathe McClellan
We were saddened to learn of the death of our Honorary Member Jim McClennan, who passed away on June 25, 2024. Jim had been a Rotarian for nearly 50 years. Services for Jim will be held at St. Peter's Parish Hall on Friday July 12 at 2 PM. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in Jim's memory to the Pastoral Needs Fund of St. Peter's.
District 5340 hosted another night at The Point at Petco Park on June 25, 2024. The game had it all: a bench-clearing discussion in the first inning (lower right), followed immediately by a Manny Machado home run. There was also a manager ejection, a grand slam, and, best of all, a Padre victory. The next District 5340 night on July 30 is sold out, but seats are available for the August 20 game. Visit the District 5340 events page to buy tickets.
MAEGA President and Alumna Anna Vallez with 2024 Scholarship recipient Lilliana Hernandez Matias
The Mexican American Educational Guidance Association (MAEGA) recently awarded 45 new scholarships and 24 renewals in its 53rd year of awarding scholarships. MAEGA was co-founded in 1970 by our charter member Don Lapham and received long-time support by charter member, Dick Wheelock. This year we donated $3,000 and Lilliana Hernandez Matias was one of the beneficiaries.
Eric Nelte and RoseMary Pelligrino enjoying the March 2023 social at West End Bar & Kitchen
Our next social is Tuesday May 14 from 4PM-6:30PM. Take in views of Los Peñasquitos lagoon while enjoying the menu at West End Bar & Kitchen. Owner Sal Ercolano is one of our most steadfast participants at our Sunset Soirée, so please come to thank him and his crew for their longstanding support of our club. Click HERE to visit the Event page on our club website for additional details.
On Friday May 10, members are invited to watch our dear Rosebud IV graduate to the next phase of her training to become a Canine Companion service dog. Click HERE to visit the Event page on our club website for the time and place.
Nearly a decade ago Balboa Park celebrated the centennial of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, and will soon celebrate the 90th anniversary of the California-Pacific International Exposition, which began in late May 1935. Ross Porter, President of the Balboa Park Committee of 100, was our speaker at our May 4, 2024 meeting.
The Committee formed in the late 1960s in response to replacement of buildings on the Plaza de Panama with more modern buildings, and the threatened loss of buildings on El Prado. In the past decade, the Committee has focused on restoration of 1935 buildings in The Palisades in the southernmost area of the park that includes buildings that now house the San Diego Automotive Museum and the San Diego Air & Space Museum that, during the Exposition, housed the California State Building and the Ford Building, respectively. The Committee led efforts to restore the tile murals of the State Building and in September will begin work on restoring the exterior of the Municipal Gymnasium, which housed the Palace of Electricity during the Exposition.
Other now-familiar parts of Balboa Park were added for the 1935 Exposition, including the Old Globe, the Starlight Bowl and the House of Pacific Relations that comprises small cottages that still house exhibits from several dozen countries. The Spanish Village also dates to 1935 and is now the Spanish Village Art Center that is home to working art studios and galleries. Porter invited members to visit the Balboa Park Committee of 100 website to explore photographs and brochures from the exposition, and to learn about ways to help preserve Balboa Park for generations to come.
Photo credit: Chris Stone, Times of San Diego
Of the 155 National Cemeteries across the United States, Miramar National Cemetery is the only one that has an Avenue of Flags over which 50 United States flags fly every minute of every day of every year. However, unlike other national cemeteries, Miramar has no funding for placement of flags at each grave on Memorial Day. This year District 5340 District Military Coordination Committee (DMCC) sought to change that by launching Operation Flags for Vets, which sponsored purchase of 22,000 small flags that will be placed at each grave in the Miramar National Cemetery by volunteer Rotarians and their families. The District will store the flags and purchase new flags for placement in future years. If you’d like to volunteer to place (Saturday March 25) and take up (Tuesday May 28) the flags, click HERE to visit the event website and complete the volunteer interest form (found at the bottom of the page). Click HERE to read the story about this effort at the District 5340 webpage.
Last week we lost one of our keystone members, Karl Wagner. Karl and his beloved wife, Suzy, stepped up on short notice to serve for the 2021-2022 Rotary Year as the club’s first co-Presidents. They both ensured that our Sunset Soirée had delicious food by cultivating relationships with restaurants in the Del Mar area that we thanked throughout the year with club socials, which they also arranged. In addition, the Wagners led the charge to keep Del Mar beautiful by refurbishing benches and tables and taking the lead on the amphitheater project. Karl also helped with blood drives for many years. We will all miss Karl’s unfailingly positive attitude and his generosity. Members are invited to celebrate Karl’s life on Saturday June 22 at 4 PM. Please save this date and look for additional information to follow. Click HERE to read memories of Karl.
We were saddened to learn of the passing of Ole Prahm Tuesday April 16, 2024. Ole was officially a member of the Rotary Club of Rancho Santa Fe, but he was a frequent visitor to our club and attended many of our events. We offer our condolences to his wife Patricia and to his family.
Philippe and Dugan Lamoise were honored at the Rotary International World Headquarters in Evanston Illinois in early April as the newest members of the Arch Klumph Society. Members of the Arch Klumph Society have made personal lifetime donations to the Rotary International Foundation of $250,000 or more that will sustain the work of the Rotary Foundation.
Instead of our regular weekly meeting, on April 17, 2024 we joined members of six other Area 4 clubs for the annual 7-way meeting. President Matt Kurth kicked off the club summaries after we enjoyed a music performance by Rotary District 5340 Instrumental Music Competition finalist Caden Jiang (he would win the competition on April 20) and a Keynote Presentation by Daphne Fletcher, President-Elect of Encinitas Rotary Club who spoke about making a documentary film about the Lahaina fire and partnering with Rotary Clubs in Slovenia to get life-saving resources to Ukrainians.
“Change Begins With You” was the RYLA 2024 theme and nearly 210 high school juniors from across District 5340 gathered in Idyllwild eager to learn how to make positive change. The program was packed with inspiring speakers. RYLA attendees spend most of the weekend with their “families”, groups of 8-9 students led by a Rotarian facilitator and identified by different colleges. This year a dozen Rotaractors acted as co-facilitators. Sharon Schendel led Boise State (upper left) and was happy to see one of her 2023 RYLArians, Jasmine Tran (upper right) return as an alumni. Alumni attended RYLA the previous year and work hard to bring fantastic energy to every session. Our club sponsored two Cathedral Catholic High School students and Ivan Chaban (Torrey Pines HS; upper middle), who Kathy Reed has hosted for nearly two years. Ivan was one of the stars of the RYLA weekend. Thank you to Greg Harris for all his work on the RYLA organizing committee. Consider being a facilitator next year- Encinitas Rotary Club member Linda Grensted (lower right), is in her late 70s and essentially led the dance party!
Over 80 students from 22 schools gathered at the Del Mar Civic Center on March 23-24, 2024 for the 20th annual District 5340 Model United Nations. The delegates considered resolutions to mediate the loss of global biodiversity and to implement counter-terrorism measures to build a safer world. On Day 1 students gave ~2 minute speeches about the resolutions before breaking into caucus groups for closed-door negotiations. On Day 2, final amendments to the resolutions were made. Our own Don Fipps opened the meeting. The speaker panel featured Vice Admiral Charles Martoglio and Rotary Peace Scholar Bogdan Matuszynski. Thank you to Kathy Reed for organizing the food and volunteers and Klaus Gubernator for securing the venue and wrangling the audio/visual. Thanks as well to Sharon Schendel, Walt Strangman, Steven McDowell and Marty Peters for helping at the event. Click HERE to view photos from the day.
Philippe and Dugan with a picture of a leopard Philippe took on safari. The flags of Uganda and Burundi are on the left and right, respectively.
Philippe and Dugan Lamoise spoke at our March 28, 2024 meeting about connections they’ve made with Rotarians in Africa. Dugan outlined our most recent Global Grant (G-2939) to help refurbish the maternity ward at Prince Regent Hospital in Bujumbura, the largest city and economic capital of Burundi. This grant devoted nearly $74,000 to upgrade showers and toilets as well as purchase beds for recovery wards. The grant also covered purchase of blood pressure monitors and installation of TVs in the wards that can be used to broadcast educational and training videos. Leading the grant were four Rotary clubs in the Bujumbura area. Six Rotaract clubs were integral to project planning and execution. These Rotaract clubs are now themselves qualified to lead their own Global Grants- an important demonstration of the role that Rotaractors can play at an international level. Philippe summarized his long-term involvement with projects in Uganda, including an ~$83,000 Global Grant (G-2893) in partnership with Rotary Club Kampala North to upgrade the Namalemba Health Centre to a Level IV facility that offers a surgical theater, laboratory services and maternity care. These projects arose out of connections made in part at Rotary International annual conventions. Click HERE to watch a video of their talk.
Example of a sleeping cottage interior
The sleeping cottages our members helped build on the campus of the Palomar were recently featured on KPBS. Click HERE to read more and watch the report.
Beth Davidson completed all the steps to earn her Blue Badge, which President Matt Kurth awarded to her at our March 21, 2024 meeting.
The Rotary Club of Del Mar is a registered 501c4 non-profit organization.