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District 5340's Four-Way Test Speech Contest is in full swing! A field of nearly 130 student contestants have been hard a work giving outstanding speeches all over the District. After the sub-regional contests conclude on March 20, the field will have been narrowed to the top 12 competitors. Those top 12 speakers will be headed to the regional finals to be held on April 5 at the Chula Vista Noon Club and on April 10 at the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Club. These two contests will again narrow the field, leaving the top six of the best of the best student speakers in the District.

These six students are set to face off at the District Finals to be held on April 25 at Club 33, Liberty Station Conference Center located at 2600 Lansing Road. Their meeting is at noon with sign-in starting at 11:45 am. You must make a reservation for this noon meeting as it draws a huge crowd. For more information email Nancy Vaughan at nancyfly@aol.com.

Puerto Rico Relief Trip Being Planned

Susan Rutan, the International Committee Chair for the La Jolla Rotary Club is organizing a group to go to Puerto Rico to help with relief efforts there. Even though Hurricane Marie hit in September 2017, there is still a huge need for volunteers to help rebuild homes and offer relief to low income families in need. We have a profile of the three families that have been approved for assistance and the stories will pull at your heart strings. The Committee is partnering with SBP - an international volunteer organization who will take care of all logistics. No previous experience is necessary. They need volunteers to help with the labor costs to rebuild these families' lives.

Five Compete in Four-Way Test Speech Competition

Posted by Matt Risi

On Tuesday, March 12, Old Mission Rotary hosted one of the second round competitions of District 5340's Four Way Test Speech Contest. The Four Way Test Speech contestants have between 5-7 minutes to speak and must relate their topic to the Rotary Four Way Test. Competition Chair, Eric Benink, shared the Mark Twain quote: "There are two types of speakers - those who get nervous and those who are liars."

Kun Sreypick Chhea argued that education is a human right. She immigrated to the US from Cambodia and she contrasted her school experiences in her native land to here at City Heights Charter Prep Academy. Her personal experiences made her talk very engaging and credible. Kun was sponsored by the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club. She is a junior and is thinking about attending USD to study environmental science.

Alyssa Chavez delivered a poignant talk about organ transplants and her frustration at the lack of organ donors when the need is so great. Alyssa is a junior at Hoover High School and is a member of the Interact Club. She is interested in journalism and was sponsored by Rotary Club 33.

Cole Mullins is a junior at Coronado High School and started out life struggling with his speech. Speech therapy gave him confidence to tackle the challenge of public speaking. He is a member of the school's Interact Club. Cole is looking forward to an East Coast college experience and hopes to study medicine or dentistry. Cole was sponsored by the Coronado Rotary Club.

Kai da Luz focused his speech on the outrageous cost of higher education. He proposed a plan, inspired by the post-war GI bill where students can work at government jobs to subsidize their tuition. Kai is a sophomore at Saint Augustine High School and looks forward to studying either medicine or law.

Sophia Rogers was on fire! She passionately called upon women to express themselves with anger and rage. She is upset that woman are stereotyped as quiet and docile. She argued that feminism needs to be fueled by fury and transformed into action. Sophia is a senior at Helix Charter High School and will attend Vanderbilt University next year where she will dual major in communications and political science. She was sponsored by the La Mesa Sunrise Rotary Club.

Cole Mullins and Sophia Rogers were selected to advance to the next round of the competition.

Photo: (L-R): Old Mission Rotary Club Chairman, Eric Benink with contestants Kai da Luz, Alyssa Chavez, Kun Sreypich Chhea, Cole Mullins and Sophia Rogers.

Rotary District 5340 Padres Outing

Posted on Mar 06, 2019

Rotary District 5340 Outing

Join us on Tuesday, April 16th @ 6:10 p.m. as the Padres take on the Colorado Rockies. Before the game, catch District Governor Mel Gallegos throwing out the first pitch and the annual Rotary Flag Raising Ceremony!

Click here to buy tickets

Purchase Deadline: Apr 1st @ 11:59pm PST

Future games include the following:

Tuesday, May 21st @ 7:10 p.m. as the Padres take on the Diamondbacks

Click here for tickets

Sunday, July 28 @1:10 p.m. as the Padres take on the Giants

Click here for tickets

Tuesday, September 10th @7:10 p.m. as the Padres take on the Cubs

Click here for tickets

2019 District Training Assembly

2019 District Training Assembly

March 30, 2019

8:30 to 12:00 p.m.

Joan Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at USD

TIME IS RUNNING OUT! Don't forget to register today for the 2019 District Training Assembly! Held only once a year, the District Training Assembly provides a great opportunity for officers, committee chairs and club members - new and old to learn from Rotarians how to manage programs, projects and best practices. The District Training Assembly is especially beneficial in educating members about Rotary, programs and resources available in the District. Bring your red badgers! Online registration is open and classes are filling up, so don't delay! Visit the District website today to register and select your classes.

Applying for a Grant(s)?

Any club planning to apply for both a District Grant or Global Grant MUST have two members attend both grant sessions. For District Grants, the session is free and must be attended by two members of the club. This session is part of the morning training agenda. If you are applying for a global grant, then two members of the club must attend the District Grants Seminar. This no-cost seminar runs from 12:10 to 2:00 p.m.

2019 Model UN Conference and Banquet Gala Dinner

Posted by Kevin Cahill

The 15th Annual Rotary Model United Nations Conference will be held April 6-7, 2019 at the USD Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (Kroc Institute). Visit the Kroc Institute that weekend to see high school students from Southern California, Mexico, British Columbia and Costa Rica serve as ambassadors of foreign countries and debate current UN International issues.

The Model UN Banquet Gala Dinner is being held on April 6, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at the Mission Valley Crowne Plaza Hotel. The guest speaker is Charles Chauvel, the Parliamentary Development Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme, and former New Zealand senior Parliament Member. To register, pay and select your preferred entrée please click here.

For additional information you may go to www.modelunrotary5340.com. If you have further questions, please contact Pauline Lim-Endresen at Pauline@paulineandbjorn.com.

Message from the Queen of Clubs

Posted by Judy Gallegos

Thank you to our presenters who were all very professional, prepared and informative. We heard so many compliments about your presentations and I am passing that on to all of you. It was a pleasure to hear about your clubs and programs, all of which we benefited from.

Thank you to the clubs who served as hosts in the Hospitality Suite - Rancho Bernardo Rotary Club, La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club and the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club.

Special thanks to Conference Co-Chairs - Jim Hughes, Mike Steiman and Karen Steiman and to our tech folks - Mike Metts and RYLA. We were able to use RYLA equipment which saved us a lot of money on the conference. Mike Metts worked the entire weekend setting up, operating the equipment and breaking it all down. Larrry Potter, who brought a lot of his own equipment as well, also worked the entire weekend. Philippe Lamoise assisted Mike and Larry. Angie Gallegos prepared several of the PowerPoint presentations.

Thank you to Clara Harris and Larry Potter who presented a very beautiful Celebration of Life ceremony for those Rotarians we have lost during the past Rotary year Stan Prowse rang the Rotary bell for each Rotarian remembered. Joy Prowsee offered the final prayer. I was honored to be the "flower girl".

Rotary International President, Barry Rassin sent us the best Presidential Representative possible in Tusu and Dorcas Tusubira from Kampala, Uganda. There were great additions to the conference. Philippe Lamoise and Dugan Moore served as their aides.

We couldn't have had the fabulous conference we enjoyed without the tireless efforts of those mentioned above, all of whom are dedicated and generous Rotarians in District 5340.

District Foundation Gala 04.29.19

Rotary International District 5340
2019 Foundation Gala
Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine
Click here for map and directions
Keynote Speaker - Johrita Solari
Rotary International Director Elect 2019-20 Zones 26/27
April 29, 2019 6pm to 9pm
Cost - $95.00 -- Rotaractors $45.00
Dinner selection of Filet of Beef or Vegetarian
Black tie optional and bring your dancing shoes!

Click here to register

Special Room Rates for Foundation Gala

Posted by Mel Gallegos

Do you want to make it easy on yourself when you go to the Foundation Gala? You can take advantage of a special event guest room rate! To book a room at this special rate simply go to the La Jolla Regency Hyatt website and enter the dates of stay then click on "special rates" and enter code 50751 in the corporate/group field and then click on "check availability". This will pull up your special discounted rate per night, based on availability. This code also provides you with a 50% discount on your nightly destination fee. It's active and, as of now, the discounted rate is $264 versus the regular rate of $279. Please be advised that you should book soon. You can always cancel later should you decide you don't want to use it as there is no penalty if you cancel 72 hours prior to arrival date.

Rotarian Inducted Into Hall of Fame

Don Glover, a Rotary District 5340 Assistant Governor for the past three years and former Rancho Bernardo Rotary president (2014-2015) was inducted into the Rancho Bernardo Hall of Fame at its annual dinner gala on March 9, 2019. Don, along with two others, was singled out for his long history of volunteerism in the Rancho Bernardo community of San Diego. As former Rancho Bernardo Rotary president, Mike Fugua (2017-2018) so aptly put it, "Don consistently looked for opportunities to assist the local community and his infectious enthusiasm resulted in record participation by our members in both fundraising and participating in community events." Among other volunteer efforts, he served as the Spirit of the Fourth Celebration coordinator for two years ( 2016-2018) and worked on many other aspects of Rancho Bernardo's Independence Day celebration. It was clear from those in attendance at the gala, that Don is admired and lauded for all his volunteer work in Rancho Bernardo over the years. He's been a sterling example of putting Service Above Self.

Rotary Smiles International Foundation Sets New Mission Clinic Dates

The Rotary Smiles International Foundation has released upcoming mission clinic dates. The are:

CaboSmiles Surg-Mission scheduled for April 20-27, 2019
TecateSmiles Surg Mission scheduled for May 16-19
CaboSmiles Surg Mission scheduled for October 26-November 11, 2019
CostaRicaSmiles Surg Mission scheduled for December 5-15, 2019.

If you'd like to volunteer at one of these clinics, please click here and complete the volunteer application.

Conference Goers Hear About Thousand Smiles

Posted by Matt Risi

Thousand Smiles Treasurer and Old Mission Rotary Club President, Bob Chalfa, presented on the Thousand Smiles Foundation at the Rotary District 5340 Conference on Saturday, March 2, 2019.

Thousand Smiles, a 501(c)3 foundation provides free maxillofacial (cleft palate) surgery as well as general dentistry procedures to children from impoverished families in Mexico. Rotarian, Bob Chalfa was one of the founding members of the organization. The clinics are run once a quarter at Thousand Smiles' permanent medical facilities in Ensenada. This project is totally funded by donations including, but not limited to, Rotary International grants, other foundation grants, Rotary club donations and personal donations. The project is completely managed and run by volunteers.