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What’s Rotary?

We’re a leadership organization of local business, professional and civic leaders.

We meet regularly, get to know each other, form friendships, and through that, we’re able to get things done in this community.

Helping the Homeless and Housing Insecure in San Diego

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Oct 19, 2019

Pete and Jan Grossnickle with Karin and Jim Davies

Jan Grossnickle, our speaker at the October 17, 2019 meeting, has been a RN for over 50 years. She said that she’s done all kinds of nursing, but her current position with the Community Christian Service Agency (CCSA) has been her favorite.

San Diego County has the fourth largest homeless population in the nation. The latest Regional Task Force Survey on the Homeless found that over 8,000 individuals in the County were homeless and of these, nearly 4,500 were classified as unsheltered. High rents and stagnant wages in particular have contributed to the increase in the homeless population in our region over the past decade. The fastest growing sector of this population is the elderly, many of whom lost savings in the 2008 recession and are unable to work or have difficulty finding work.

Jan said that the homeless population is more likely to have chronic illness than the general population, and access to healthcare for these individuals is particularly challenging. She works with CCSA, which was founded in 1972 by a group of churches to serve low income individuals living in the San Diego region. In 2018, the CCSA provided assistance for over 30,00 clients and distributed over $1 million in food as well as over 60,000 clothing items. CCSA has two facilities in Pacific Beach and Claremont. Both sites provide food, clothing and referrals to social service agencies. The Pacific Beach site, where Jan works, also houses a Nurse’s Clinic where clients can be assessed, receive first aid, medical referrals and other support.

Jan and her colleagues at the CCSA Pacific Beach branch are one part nurse, one part social worker and one part cheerleader. In all interaction with their clients, the CCSA nurses exude respect, which can counteract one of the largest problems of the homeless: feeling isolated.

Clients can receive help with problem solving and goal setting, advocacy with health care providers, assistance in applying for benefits and health insurance program enrollment, but most of all, Jan and the other CCSA nurses provide hugs and reassurance that are critical for the clients to transition to independence and self-sufficiency.

Rotary Nights at Cygnet Theatre

Join fellow Rotarians for evenings at the Cygnet Theatre. Attend one or all of the upcoming Friday night performances and $10 of the ticket price will be donated to support in-school theatre workshops and student matinee performances sponsored by Cygnet Theatre. Rotarians are always early, so take advantage of the time by enjoying the Theatre on Tap beer event one hour before curtain time and stay late to talk with the cast and director about the performance. Visit cygnettheatre.org for more information or to purchase tickets.

Club Social on October 22 at Viewpoint Brewing Company

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Oct 19, 2019

We’ll hold our October social Tuesday October 22, 2019 from 5-7 PM at Viewpoint Brewing Company, located just after the roundabout on Jimmy Durante Boulevard. Viewpoint Brewing Company has been a strong supporter of the club, contributing their brews at the Sunset Soiree, and both beer and chili to our Chili & Quackers. As always, please bring relatives, friends, and guests who might like to learn more about Rotary.

Rotarian of the Month: Kathy Reed

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Oct 19, 2019

Congratulations to our Rotarian of the Month for September, Kathy Reed. Kathy is our treasurer- one of the most important positions in the club. Kathy ensures that our club finances are in order, that billings are up to date and funds are transferred to our projects. In addition to her treasurer duties, Kathy also arranged for embroidered shirts and caps for our clubs. Thank you, Kathy!

No Lack of Quacks at Chili & Quackers Challenge

The weather was perfect on Saturday October 12, 2019 for the 8^th annual Chili & Quackers Challenge. We had all different chilis of all varieties- from mild to spicy, white to red, and chunky to smooth- even vegetarian and vegan chilis. This year we even had dessert in the form of a giant cookie donated by U-Touch, one of our partners on an international grant that brings digital literacy to students in Uganda. Thank you to Rotary Club of Del Mar Solana Beach for loan of the canopies that provided our chili cooks with much-needed shade.

Viewpoint Brewing Company and Prohibition Brewing Company provided their craft brews to wash down that chili. Karin and Jim Davies organized games and crafts for the kids in attendance, many of whom visited Kristin Brakespear’s face painting booth (Kristin is owner of DiamondPrincessParties and also teaches at Painting With a Twist in Rancho Bernardo). They also could get a balloon sculpture from Happy Twist Balloons by Keiko. Dano’s Island Sounds provided steel drum music for the event.

The Del Mar Lifeguards also played a big role. They had on display their surf rescue equipment (some of the dive gear was funded by our club) and gave a demonstration of a surf rescue- Don Fipps again played a swimmer in distress. At around 3:30 the Lifeguards loaded more than 1,000 ducks into their surf rescue boat and piloted them to the surf line for launch. The ducks all found their way to shore quickly and everyone on the beach (and even one doodle) helped us ensure that all our ducks got back home safely.

All attendees who purchased chili tastes were invited to vote for their favorite recipe. The overall winner was Don Fipps with his waterless IPA Chili and Chef Pedro of Flavor Chef took home honors for the professional division. Haley Merkel’s vegan Chil-E was voted best vegetarian chili.

Special thanks go to organizer Matt Kurth, for all his work on all aspects of the event, all our chili chefs, Philippe Lamoise for spearheading the online duck and chili sales and providing smooth check-in and registration; Beth Westburg and her husband Reid for coordinating the hot dogs and other food; Keith and Jeanie Ward for staffing the registration desk; Dugan Moore Lamoise for coordinating members of Boy Scout Troop 713, who provided all sorts of help, John Baranowski for serving as MC, Val Myers for coordinating the prizes and counting the votes (thanks as well to members of her State Farm office for helping serve chili), Miles Fleming for transporting the ducks, Sharyn Daly for handling the rentals and the Sno-Cone booth, Chandra Collure for making sure the propane kept flowing, Garrie Rhodes, for staffing the drink tent, Tony Villasenor for help with event break-down, Jim Brunner with Minuteman Press helped produce the banners and other event signage and Dee House for help coordinating volunteers. Thank you as well to everyone who attended the event!

Our event sponsors provided critical support. Thank you to Janice and Matt Kurth, Philippe and Dugan Lamoise, Marty Peters, who all donated at the Platinum level; Dan Smargon and Monty Woolley for donating at the Silver level, and Kathy and Bill Dougherty, Jim McClellan, Val Myers, and Ole Prahm, who all donated at the Bronze Level.

We’re indebted to the local restauranteurs who competed in the Chili Cook-off: Flavor Chef, International Smoke, Jimmy O’s, Milton’s Deli, Ranch 45, Viewpoint Brewing Company, and West End Del Mar.

This “friendraiser” is a way for our club to give back to the community and to raise the visibility of Rotary and our many projects, both local and international. Please see our Facebook page or the Club’s website for more photos. Visit the Google photo album to download any you like and please share any photos you have!

Keeping San Diego Powered for the Future

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Oct 06, 2019

Kevin O'Beirne from San Diego Gas and Electric

Kevin O’Beirne of San Diego Gas & Electric spoke at our October 3, 2019 meeting about the ways that SDGE is working to keep pace with the growing energy demands of San Diego county. The setting was fitting- the building that now houses eMolecules has been open for less than one year and represents the growth in both infrastructure and population that SDGE must service.

As the population of San Diego county grew by more than 10-fold in the past 70 years, so did the need for energy, particularly with the expansion of the list of items that require power. The region was originally serviced by the South Bay and Carlsbad Encina power plants as well as the San Onofre Nuclear plant, with supplements from peaker plants. Now power supplies are more varied and draw on a broader range of energy sources including natural gas, wind and solar. SDGE even installed what is now the second largest lithium ion battery storage facility involving 400,000 batteries that store up to 120 mW hours of energy that can service 20,000 homes for four hours.

Despite these improvements, the county’s energy infrastructure, particularly that which supplies natural gas, is aging. One of the main gas pipelines in San Diego was first laid in the 1940s when fewer then 300,00 people lived in the county. Meanwhile, over 90% of natural gas supplies originate outside California, with most gas delivered from Texas or Oklahoma via pipeline to storage fields located around Los Angeles. Following the natural gas pipeline failure in San Bruno that claimed the lives of 8 people, energy providers now must increase the safety and reliability of natural gas infrastructure. In response to California Public Utility Commission mandates, SDGE is created the Pipeline Safety Enhancement Program (PSEP) and the Pipeline Safety and Reliability Program (PSRP) that will ensure safe and reliable supplies of natural gas to meet energy demands.

As part of the PSEP, more than 20 miles of pipeline around San Diego have been replaced and over the next five years more than 37 miles in both populated and rural areas will be replaced. Existing pipeline will be subjected with strength testing while new pipelines will have multiple safety features including warning mesh to protect against damage from digging and fiber optic cables that enable remote real time monitoring. The pipe itself will be thoroughly tested prior to installation and will be constructed of stronger materials that are resistant to corrosion.

All of these actions are needed to allow SDGE to continue to safely and reliably satisfy the energy needs of the San Diego region, both today in the future.

Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Oct 06, 2019

District Governor Marta Knight (right) with Assistant District Governor Susie Callahan (left) and President Brett Mattei (center)

District Governor Marta Knight was our special guest at the September 26, 2019 meeting. She asked us to consider our Rotary “Aha” moment- the moment when we realized that Rotary was an important part of our lives. Marta’s “Aha” moment came as she was preparing to become president of her club, Rotary Club of Chula Vista Sunrise and was attending the Rotary International Convention held in Los Angeles in June 2008. In the convention hall she saw thousands of Rotarians from across the globe and listened to the Rotary International President speak about how Rotary allowed ordinary people to do extraordinary things. As she watched the parade of flags from each country in which Rotary had a presence Marta realized: this is my Rotary family!

Marta is a third generation Rotarian. Her grandfather was a founding member of a Rotary club in Mazatlán, Mexico and her father, Dr. Adalberto Rojo, a radiologist, served as District Governor for District 4100 twice, once for Rotary Year 1957-58 and again in 1972 when he stepped in for a District Governor Elect who died suddenly shortly before beginning his term. Marta tells people that her father was so devoted to Rotary that if there had been Rotary diapers, she would have worn them.

As team leader of Rotary Foundation Group Study Exchange that traveled to Ecuador for one month, Marta lived her “Aha” moment. She saw a “mechanical cow” funded by a Global Grant secured by her club and Rotary Club of La Mesa that provided much-needed nutrition to local children and their families. Rotary logos marked bathroom facilities for one of the schools they visited. At all schools they brought the children pencils and sharpeners. Marta said the children were fascinated by the sharpeners, and at one school, a young boy demonstrated how they used to use a knife to sharpen their pencils. Examples of the ordinary becoming extraordinary.

For her Rotary Year, Marta’s main goal follows that of Rotary International President Mark Maloney: Grow Rotary. She challenged each club to find community-minded people who are passionate and fun, and practical and resourceful to join us in helping Rotary fulfill its mission. But most of all, Marta wants Rotarians to have fun while working together to make good things happen.

Donna Fipps- A Rotary Superhero

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Oct 06, 2019

Our Rotary Superhero Donna Fipps (left, with Emerald) with District Governor Marta Knight

At each club, Marta Knight presents a Rotary Superhero award to one member who works largely behind the scene and can always be counted on. Our Superhero is Donna Fipps. As Club Secretary, Donna works to ensure that our member information is current and correct and that members have the resources they need. Donna has a flair for design that we all enjoy at member events- from beautiful cookies at the holiday party, to the gift card tree at the Soiree, to name tags at club events, Donna’s many talents are evident. We also love to have her Canine Companions for Independence puppies in training join our meetings.

Meeting at eMolecules

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Oct 06, 2019

Filling up the conference room at eMolecules

eMolecules CEO Niko Gubernator

Ongoing construction complicated access to our usual St. Peter’s venue, so Klaus Gubernator generously offered a conference room at the new offices of the company he founded, eMolecules. CEO Niko Gubernator described how eMolecules serves as a platform to help researchers find the chemical reagents they need to fuel drug discovery. eMolecules also recently launched a foundation to help provide treatment options for a range of neglected tropical diseases that affect millions of people globally but are not the target of pharmaceutical industry efforts due to low return on investment. In partnership with Novartis, eMolecules already demonstrated success in this research area through the development of GNF179, a potential treatment for malaria that is already in the late stages of clinical testing.

Rotarians on the Road: Beef-A-Rama 2019

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Oct 06, 2019

Paddling standing and seated with dogs after helping serve beef sandwiches with Lakeland Rotarians at Beef-A-Rama

Even Moses had a beef roast- cooked in his own fatted calf- entered in the Beef-A-Rama

In addition to getting in the last paddles of the season, I helped at the 2019 Beef-A-Rama Rotary Beer Garden in Minocqua, Wisconsin. I hadn’t planned to volunteer this year, but a chance meeting with PDG Sue Morris (District 6220) at PJ’s Burger Barn roped me in. Members of the Lakeland Noon Rotary are fortunate in their fundraisers- selling beer and beef in Wisconsin is simple! I worked the beef sandwich line- we served more than 500 pounds of beef brisket in around three hours. Proceeds from the Beef-A-Rama Beer Garden, together with those from the Lakeland Sunrise Rotary’s Rump Roast Run, go to fund the club’s many projects, including their very active youth exchange program.

Rotary Citation

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Oct 06, 2019

Mel Gallegos presents Don Fipps with a certificate in recognition of our Rotary Citation with Silver Distinction

Immediate Past District Governor Mel Gallegos is visiting all the clubs that earned Rotary Citations during his Rotary Year. During his Rotary Year 2018-2019, President Don Fipps steered the club to a Rotary Citation with Silver Distinction, meaning that the club fulfilled its goals and did a bit extra.

Ten Gallon Hat for Twenty Gallons from Marty Peters

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Oct 06, 2019

20 gallon donor Marty Peters with Claudine van Gonka of San Diego Blood Bank

Claudine Van Gonka, Communications Manager for the San Diego Blood Bank, joined our meeting with a 10 gallon hat to present to Marty Peters, who just reached a significant milestone: he’s donated 20 gallons (that’s 160 pints) to the San Diego Blood Bank (SDBB). Somehow they missed getting a hat to Marty when he reached 10 gallon mark, when the hats typically are bestowed. SDBB estimates that each pint donated can help save the life of three people, so Marty’s donations have helped nearly 500 people. If you missed the most recent blood drive, you can always make an appointment to donate at one of several SDBB locations around the community.

Randy Willoughby and the Rules of Elections

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Sep 24, 2019

Randy Willoughby, University of San Diego Professor of Political Science an International Relations

Randy Willoughby, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at University of San Diego kindly stepped in on short notice to speak at our September 19, 2019 meeting about the how single member districts and proportional representation systems differ and how they affect a country’s political activities. In Single Member Districts, single votes are cast and the candidate with the most votes wins. In countries with Proportional Representation, votes can translate into seats in a government body. In this system, which is used in Germany, small parties can have big leverage, as evidence by the emergence of the Alternative for Germany party (AfD).

Avenues of Service Report: International Service

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Sep 24, 2019

With our many international projects, Karin Davies and her International Service Committee have a big job on their hands. However, all of these projects embody the current year’st: Rotary Connects the World and began with a Rotarian seeing a need, connecting with other Rotarians, and together devising a way to meet that need.

Marty Peters met an incoming District Governor for Russia who was in San Diego for training that planted the seed for District Grant P-3001 that supplies winter coats, shoes and other personal needs to refugees returning to Grozny in Chechnya. This project now includes seven other clubs. Participation in a Rotary Polio vaccination campaign led Dugan Moore Lamoise to see the needs of students at the village school in Gamru, India, which began District Grant P-2973 that provides funds for a free education and school furniture.

Janice Kurth met Irene, a young woman from Ghana, who established a foundation when she was 23 years-old to help local single mothers. Irene used funds from her bead shop to fund the foundation and Janice helper her get a Rotary International scholarship to study journalism in San Diego. Unfortunately, visa problems prevented Irene from carrying out her studies, but this connection was the basis for District Grant P-2951 that helps Irene’s foundation carry out its mission to provide single mothers with support.

Miles Fleming participated in Hope Without Borders to supply backpacks and school uniforms to disadvantaged schoolchildren in Mexico, and from this became involved in Global Grant G-1579 that seeks to provide clean water to residents in Baja, California.

Through the Project Fair at the 2019 District Conference, Dugan Moore Lamoise began a collaboration with members of the Rotary Club of Tijuana Oeste for the Global Grant G-1928 Healthy Teeth, Healthy Children that brings dental care to children living on the outskirts of Tijuana.

Last, Karin touched on her own project, an extension of Saving Babies Lives in Ethiopia (G-815), called Safe Deliveries for Mothers and Children (G-2009) that will provide Gondar Hospital with sterilization equipment that is vital for ensuring safe deliveries and supplies for obstetrical surgeries.

Take Us Out to the Ballgame

Patty Kurtz and Scott MacDonald enjoying the view from The Landing at Petco Park

St. Peter’s Parish Hall was dark on Thursday September 12 as we held our meeting at Petco Park to watch the Padres play (and beat) the Cubs. We had a great turnout with nearly 30 members and friends enjoying the view from The Landing just below the giant scoreboard. Visit the album at our website or click here to download (or upload) any you like.

San Diego Zoo Roaring Into the Future

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Sep 08, 2019

Rick Schwartz Ambassador for the San Diego Zoo

Rick Schwartz, Ambassador for the San Diego Zoo, began his presentation at the September 5, 2019 meeting with some history. In 1915 while driving past the grounds of the 1914-1915 Panama Exposition Dr. Harry Wegeforth heard a lion’s roar- the sound of one of many animals left behind when the Exposition ended. The roar inspired him to follow a lifelong passion for animals and start a zoo in San Diego. In 1916 Dr. Wegeforth founded the San Diego Zoological Society, which still exists today to support the zoo’s activities.

The San Diego Zoo has always been innovative. Dr. Wegeforth wanted the zoo’s animals to do what they do in the wild, so rather than cages he designed enclosures with moats that kept the animals safely confined. That innovation carried through with Dr. Charles Schroeder, the zoo’s first full-time veterinarian. Dr. Schroeder’s philosophy was that continuing to populate zoos with animals taken from the wild was unsustainable. As early as the 1950’s Dr. Schroeder envisioned a facility where animals had room to roam, and to breed, which culminated in the Wild Animal Park in the San Pasqual Valley. Schwartz said that Dr. Schroeder even made plans to have a monorail that eventually followed the path plotted by Dr. Schroeder.

Now, the San Diego Zoo is carrying out its mission: “Ending Extinction”. Evidence of their efforts is Edward, a southern white rhino born to Victoria. Edward was conceived using artificial insemination- the first successful birth in North America. The Zoo is using this success to learn about rhino reproduction in hopes to gain more knowledge that can be applied to the northern white rhino, of which there are only two females remaining in the world. Through the zoo’s work, fewer species will face extinction.

Del Mar Art Center Gallery

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Sep 08, 2019

Enjoying the art at Del Mar Art Center Gallery (from l to r) Karl and Suzy Wagner, Jim Watkins, Kelly and Tony Villasenor, Sharon Schendel

Our club is proud to sponsor the Del Mar Art Center (DMAC) Gallery, which recently relocated to a new at 1101 Camino Del Mar, just across the street from the new Del Mar Civic Center. The DMAC Summer Sizzle on September 7, 2019 featured some of the over 30 artists who are part of DMAC and gave visitors the chance to talk with the artists about their work. A variety of art including watercolors, photography, fused glass, and jewelry is available for purchase at the Gallery. Gallery hours are Wednesday-Sunday from 12-5 and on Saturdays the Gallery is open late, until 8 PM. Stop in soon!

Who Am I: Beth Westburg

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Sep 08, 2019

As part of the Red to Blue Badge transition, Beth Westburg gave her “Who am I?” presentation at the September 5, 2019 meeting. Beth is a native San Diegan (she’s a “Sharp Baby”) and attended Grossmont College and San Diego State University to graduate with a major in Finance and a minor in Accounting. She began her career as a loan officer at San Diego Trust and Savings before moving to LA to take a position with TRW as a business analyst. With the economic downturn in the late ‘80s she returned to San Diego to work with Dole Foods as well as National Medical Enterprises.

By the 90’s Beth was working as a mortgage broker and realtor in Manhattan Beach when her father asked her to consider returning to San Diego to take over his financial planning business. Beth and her sister agreed to run the business, now known as LS (for Lipman Sisters) Investment Management, which provides services for a range of clients. Beth works from home and she and her husband Rich are parents to David (22) and Mark (18), who is just starting at The Ohio State University, and are the persons for a yorkiepoo and cattle dog mix. She has already gotten involved in multiple club projects, including the upcoming Chili & Quackers. Beth is grateful to Vicki Barks for dragging her to meetings, for she feels that, in Rotary Club of Del Mar, she has found her people.

Rotarian of the Month: Chandra Collure

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Sep 08, 2019

Congratulations to Rotarian of the Month for August, Chandra Collure! As Sargent of Arms, Chandra plays a crucial role in helping our club run smoothly. He’s onsite early to set up for our meeting and stays late to ensure that all the badges are collected and meeting items are returned to storage. Chandra also keeps track of guests and happy dollar accounting, in addition to being a member of the Board. Thank to Chandra for all your hard work for our club!

Rotarians on the Road

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Sep 08, 2019

Assistant District Governor John Morris and his wife, Past District Governor Sue Morris of Lakeland Noon Rotary in Minocqua

Lakeland Noon Rotarians Paul Rohner and Andy Gee

The Lakeland Noon Rotary Club in Minocqua, Wisconsin wasted little time in acting on President Mark Maloney’s directive to grow membership. In late August they hosted a gathering at the Northern Waters Distillery in Minocqua to give members of the community the opportunity to meet Rotarians and learn about club projects. Past District Governor of District 6220 Sue Morris and her husband Assistant District Governor led the program, which focused on the District’s very active participation in Rotary Youth Exchange. This noontime club has flexible meeting times: they meet three times per month, two at noon and one in the early evening to accommodate different schedules. Also in attendance was Realtor Andy Gee, who helped my family find a dream lake house. Two of the great things about Rotary- being welcomed at clubs across the world and a resource to find talented and reputable professionals to do business with.

Welcome Guests

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Sep 08, 2019

Dr. Ray Terhune with Dee House

Ole Prahm was at his usual spot after a quick walk down the hill to St. Peter’s and Dee House welcomed back former club member Dr. Ray Terhune, a fellow Porsche 356 owner.

Happy Dollars

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Sep 08, 2019

Donna Fipps with Emmy, fresh off the plane

Emerald lounging by the pool

Donna Fipps is happy to end her puppy-less days with the arrival of her newest Canine Companions for Independence puppy, Emerald, an 8 week-old black lab puppy; Karin Davies is really happy that she and Jim Davies could go on their Alaska trip secure in the knowledge that her latest Global Grant effort, Safe Deliveries for Mothers and Babies (G-2009), in partnership with the University of Gondar, reached full funding with pledges totaling $104,000 that will go to secure equipment for sterilization; Klaus Gubernator is happy that President Brett Mattei set up the A/V in Parish Hall unassisted; Mark Matthess is really happy that his daughter Audrey was accepted to study for a Master’s degree at the University of St. Augustine Coral Gables; Marty Peters is happy that his granddaughter scored her first goal last Saturday; Sharon Schendel is happy that Don and Donna Fipps are joining her Thursday night bowling league team.

Summer Delight at Boys & Girls Club of San Dieguito Youth of the Year Celebration

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Aug 18, 2019

Matt and Janice Kurth, Marty Peters, Jim and Bernadette Watkins and Mary Alice Peters at Youth of the Year Celebration

Karl and Suzy Wagner with Larry Twomey and Carol Moore

Joe McLeod gets the 50s vibe

Back to the track for several of our members to celebrate outstanding members of Boys & Girls Clubs (BGC) of San Dieguito, a major beneficiary of Rotary Club of Del Mar. Attendees and staff alike played to the theme of the 50s and Eric Nelte’s 1955 T-bird was featured right by the dance floor. Kicking off the program, CEO Marineke Vandervort welcomed guests and remarked on the growth of the program over its 53 years- from just 50 boys to now over 7,000 boys and girls who are members of the seven clubhouses. The annual budget grew too: from 25,000 dollars 50 years ago to nearly 7 million dollars today.

Youth of the Year celebrates the achievements of seven outstanding club members who embody the values of leadership and service as well as maintain academic excellence and a healthy lifestyle. They represent the impact that Boys and Girls Clubs can make in the lives of young people. Bella Andrade, Richar Ramos Hernandez, Cole Snider, Kyle Shyffer, Ron Jay Torres, Megan Woelkers, and Nick Young were Youth of the Year nominees. Cole Snider was named Youth of the Year and will be entered in the regional competition as part of the selection of national youth of the year. Cole will be a senior at San Dieguito Academy and benefitted from BGC of San Dieguito basketball leagues. To give back to the club, he and his brother founded “Access Basketball” at BGC San Dieguito and began holding skills clinics every Friday afternoon. Cole said he values the skills he’s learned mentoring younger club members and coaching basketball at Capri Elementary. All nominees were awarded an HP laptop and a $1,000 scholarship. Their stories provided motivation for a successful Raise the Paddle session, which raised around $50,000 to benefit BGC San Dieguito members. View photos from the day at the club website and visit the Google Photo album to download any pictures you like.

Day at the Races

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Aug 18, 2019

Brett Mattei and Sharon Schendel (far left) with Tequila Joe, winner of the Rotary Club of Del Mar race

Another great Day at the Races is in the books! Around 30 members were at the Il Palio restaurant high above the finish line to enjoy food and fellowship while trying to make a few dollars with their picks. The Rotary Club of Del Mar was the second race on the card. Despite trailing much of the 1 mile race, Tequila Joe with jockey Joe Talamo aboard made a final push to edge out Snazzy Dresser for the win in just under 1 minute 50 seconds. The owners all looked a bit surprised in the winner’s circle, but were nonetheless happy to take home a bottle of Maker’s Mark presented by President Brett Mattei and the 24K prize for first. Thank you to Honorary Member Joe Harper for hosting our day and to Bill Dougherty for making sure we all got safely through the admission gate. Click here to watch a video of the race and the winner’s circle presentation. View photos from the day at the club website and visit the Google Photo album to download any pictures you like.

Diplomatic Security Service: Uncle Sam's Swiss Army Knife

Posted by Sharon Schendel on Aug 11, 2019

Craig Mattei speaks about his career in the Diplomatic Security Service

President Brett Mattei’s younger brother, Craig Mattei, was our featured speaker at the August 8, 2019 meeting. Craig serves in the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), the federal law enforcement and security arm of the United States Department of State, and is the Liaison for Diplomatic Security to the U.S. Capitol and White House. In that capacity he coordinates with U.S. Capitol Police, the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms, and the Secret Service to ensure the safety of visiting foreign dignitaries. He also frequently accompanies Congressional leadership on trips overseas as a security advisor.

At around 2,000 agents, the number of the DSS force is small in comparison to other federal law enforcement entities- consider that the U.S. Capitol Police, that carries out the challenging task of providing security to Congress and the U.S. Capitol complex, has around 1,500 members to patrol a roughly six block area of Washington, whereas the DSS serves across the globe as the most widely represented law enforcement entity in the world. Despite its size, the DSS is versatile and can fulfill security needs that bridge several areas. Craig said that these broad-ranging capabilities make the DSS akin to a Swiss Army knife, which has multiple tools in a small package. In addition to protecting foreign government officials, the DSS conducts passport and visa fraud investigations as well as administers counterintelligence and anti-terrorism programs. The DSS is also charged with protecting the United States Olympic Team during the games. One of Craig’s earliest assignments was as the security liaison for the United States Women’s Water Polo team at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. On an annual basis, Craig said that the “Super Bowl” for DSS is providing security for thousands of diplomats attending the UN General Assembly held in New York City every September.

Craig joined the DSS in 2002. When he first moved to Washington DC he moved in with his brother Brett, who was already working for the Foreign Service. Craig was also part of the security team that was guaranteed to Hamid Karzai by Colin Powell as incentive to become Interim President in Afghanistan in 2004. Most recently, Craig was preparing to assume the role of Regional Security Officer in Cartagena, Columbia when his current position, which provides him with more stability for his family, became available. Life as a DSS agent has taken Craig all over the world- he’s traveled on behalf of DSS to over 50 countries. He said that for him and his fellow DSS agents, politics is never a factor in their job, which is to ensure the safety and security of diplomats, foreign and domestic protected persons, and US citizens alike.

The Rotary Club of Del Mar is a registered 501c4 non-profit organization.