JIM DE BOOM -- Community & Clubs

NINETIETH BIRTHDAY COMING: “The Exchange’s 90th birthday will be on

March 27, 2001, which marks the day the first meeting was held and the

first Exchange Club was founded in Detroit, Mich., in 1911, by Charles A.

Berkey,” said Ed Kohlmeier, president of the Exchange Club of the Orange

Coast.

“We weren’t a national organization until 1917, when the four existing

Exchange Clubs came together to create the National Exchange Club,”

Kohlmeier adds.

The Exchange Club’s mission statement reads: “Exchange, America’s

service club, is a group of men and women working together to make our

communities better places to live through programs of service in

Americanism, community service, youth activities, and its national

project, the prevention of child abuse.”

We are probably most familiar with Exchange Clubs because of the

Freedom Shrine, featuring key documents in American history, found in our

schools, at John Wayne Airport and the county court houses.

Today, some 89 years after its founding, Exchange has more than 31,000

members in clubs from coast to coast, including two of its finest, the

award-winning clubs of Orange Coast and Newport Harbor.

You can visit the National Exchange Club Web site at o7

https://www.nationalexchangeclub.com/Index.htmlf7 .

CLUBS ADOPTED FAMILIES: The Costa Mesa-Orange Coast Breakfast Lions

Club, the Rotary Club of Newport Balboa and the Newport Harbor-Costa Mesa

Lions Club adopted local families for the holidays, providing food,

presents and some money. Marvin Kravitz and President Ron DeGeare

coordinated activities for the two families the Costa Mesa-Orange Coast

Lions Club adopted, Bob Silver for the two families the Rotary Club

adopted and Marianne Seagull for the family the Harbor-Mesa Lions Club

adopted. Club members provided money to buy gifts and food, and wrapped

and delivered the gifts to the families, making the holidays brighter for

the kids and parents. A job well done!

JUNIOR MIXER: Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian 552 Club Junior

members and their guests are invited to a mixer that will be held at

Tommy Bahamas at 5:52 p.m. Thursday, according to Stacy de Boom, club

secretary. The group is made up of young professionals, men and women,

ages 21 to 39, who meet for social activities and to raise funds for Hoag

Hospital. You don’t need to be a member to attend the mixer.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SERVICE CLUBS: Rich Witesman, fire division

chief of the Orange County Fire Authority, joined the Exchange Club of

the Orange Coast. Jim Wagner and Carl Ermert joined the Costa Mesa-Orange

Coast Lions Club.

WORTH REPEATING: From Interfaith Council President Greg Kelly’s

e-mailed “Thought for the Day”: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every

opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” --

Winston Churchill

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK: Does your New Year’s resolution

include getting more involved in your community, making new friends,

networking or giving something back to your community? Try a service

club. You are invited to attend a club meeting this week. Many clubs will

buy your first guest meal for you.

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will meet at the

Newport Harbor Nautical Museum/Riverboat Restaurant.

6:30 p.m.: The Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club will meet at

Zubies Chicken Coop for an evening of dining.

WEDNESDAY

7:15 a.m.: The South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet at the Center

Club, and the Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at the University

Athletic Club.

Noon: The Orange Coast Exchange Club will meet at the Bahia Corinthian

Yacht Club.

6 p.m.: The Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club to hear Bill Habermehl of the Orange County

Department of Education (o7 https://www.newportbalboa.orgf7 ).

THURSDAY

7:30 a.m.: The Costa Mesa Orange Coast Breakfast Lions Club will meet

at Mimi’s Cafe to hear new member Jim Wagner give a craft talk.

Noon: The Kiwanis Club of Costa Mesa will meet at the Holiday Inn, the

Newport Beach-Corona del Mar Kiwanis Club will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club, the Exchange Club of Newport Harbor will meet at

the Riverboat Restaurant to hear Mitch Mitchell talk about a racer’s view

of the Baja 1000, and the Newport Irvine Rotary Club will meet at the

Irvine Marriott Hotel for the Fireman of the Year presentation by Earl

Fusselman (o7 https://www.nirotary.orgf7 ).

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published every Saturday in the Daily Pilot.

Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (949) 660-8667,

e-mail to jdeboom@aol.com or by mail to 2082 S.E. Bristol, Suite 201,

Newport Beach, CA 92660-1740.