Rotary District 5340's Nominating Committee is pleased to announce that Chuck Pretto from the Rotary Club of San Diego will officially serve as District Governor Designate (DGD), leading District 5340 during the Rotary year 2022-2023. Chuck Pretto was selected by District 5340's Nominating Committee to serve, pending any challenges from clubs across the District. No challenges were received, and the selection has become final.

 

Chuck, In 1992, was invited to join San Diego Rotary. He found his niche hosting exchange students. He and his wife hosted a half a dozen students throughout the years. In Club 33 he chaired numerous committees including Camp Enterprise, Project Allocations & Grants, and Youth Exchange. He served as President in 2013-14 and then Chair of the Club 33's foundation the following year. He has been active at the District level and served as District Conference Chair, Chief of Staff, Rotaract Chair, Chief Aide and upcoming Chief Assistant Governor.

 

 

Save the date for this very important conference.  Register now and get early bird pricing on registration.  

 

 

 

 

 

The La Mesa Sunrise Rotary Club has gotten too big for its current meeting location.  Effective January 3, the club will now meet at Hooley's Pub and Grill located at Grossmont Shopping Center - 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa, CA  91942.   Their meetings begin at 7:15 am on Friday mornings.  Breakfast is $15 for members, visiting members and honorary members.  Come join them at their new digs for a morning of wonderful Rotary fellowship.

Santee-Lakeside Rotarians gathered for their annual support of the Santee Santas Foundation, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization bringing comfort and joy to Santee residents by providing food and gifts to those in need especially during the holiday season.   Several toy and food drives occur throughout the city with a special emphasis during the Christmas season.  Local  businesses,  schools and community groups participate on an annual basis.  The entire program is volunteer dependent and, over the years, a multitude of community residents show up to help make magic happen.  Rotarians are at the top of the list. 

 

On December 7, Rotarians created an assembly-line protocol to maximize efficiency and went to work putting together 1000+ cardboard boxes that the Foundation will use to help sort and pack family boxes of food items which will be delivered on a date closer to Christmas.  While Rotarians are busy making boxes, community members are in another room sorting food products by category so that each family has a customized box based on family size and need.  The following Saturday, volunteers will customize the boxes and make ready for delivery the following weekend where you can see cars lined up down the street as each picks up food boxes, toys and other essential items and personally makes the trek to deliver items to the selected families.  The Foundation also provides poinsettias to senior who are shut-ins to ensure they feel the community's Christmas spirit.  It is a wonderful example of community helping community or in Rotary words "Making Good Happen Together, with Love, Compassion and Joy".

 

 

Thank you to Rotary 5340 members who supported the Rotary e-Club of San Diego's Global e-Club District Grant "Keeping Guatemala Girls in School".  With this grant support, the Santa Lucia High School entrepreneurs (whose goal is to make sustainable eco-friendly products) have created two new products:

 

The first is for the young girls so they can remain in school when they have their periods.  If you liked to support this effort, you can make a donation of $10.00, which will support one girl who can't afford to buy this product.  It's important that you copy this website on your browser and click on it:  http://www.gofundme.com/f/sustainable-education-for-Guatemalan-girls.  The hyperlink doesn't work for this URL.

 

The second product is a unique soap called Ecomaya, packaged in wax paper.  It comes in a beautiful bag made of Guatemalan fabric.  You now have an opportunity to purchase the soap developed by these students.  Rotarian, Maureen Duncan is going  to Guatemala December 15 - 20 and will be bringing back 200 packaged soaps.  She will be selling the soaps: one for $15; two for $25 and three for $30 and is taking orders now.  She will hand deliver the soaps to your home December 21 - 24.  If you'd like to purchase the soap, please order by email at mventiduncan@gmail.com  or by phone at (510) 867-1213. Or, you can send a check to Maureen Duncan, 314 Playa Blanca, Encinitas, CA  92024.  Proceeds will go back into the school program, allowing students to continue product development.