JIM DE BOOM -- Community & Clubs

MAKE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND MEANINGFUL: For many, Memorial Day weekend

is a time for the beach, sunbathing, boating, the Indianapolis 500 and

barbecuing with family and friends and taking in Disney’s new movie,

“Pearl Harbor,” which is expected to set a record at the box office this

weekend and earn the company hundreds of millions of dollars. You can bet

new movie stars will be made by the movie. We will be in awe of the

movie’s special effects and the stars, and the movie will be nominated

for a bunch of Academy Awards.

Yet, let’s not forget who the real heroes are on this Memorial Day

weekend. They are the men and women who served and continue to serve the

country in the Armed Services. Many were wounded and died defending

liberty, yet many served without ever seeing combat. They are heroes all.

This weekend, in addition to catching “Pearl Harbor,” display the

American flag and consider attending a Memorial Day service at Costa

Mesa’s Harbor Lawn Cemetery or Corona del Mar’s Pacific View Cemetery.

Visit the American Legion Post on the Balboa Peninsula or one of the air

museums. Take your children or grandchildren with you and say thank you

to a veteran or an active service member. Let them know the sacrifices

they have made on our behalf have not gone unnoticed and are greatly

appreciated.

HEROES: That’s what mentors are to children in Whittier Elementary

School’s HOST program. They come each week, spend an hour or so mentoring

first-, second- or third-graders in math and English. They listen,

challenge, motivate and help children learn the skills necessary to be

successful in life. Ryan Schultheis, a junior at Newport Harbor High

School, is mentoring as a way of fulfilling his high school community

service requirement. Ryan has more than met the time requirement and

continues to mentor.

Newport Harbor senior Joshua Kast is mentoring four days a week after

he completes his regular high school class schedule. For Joshua, it’s off

to Orange Coast College in the fall, and the children he mentors hope he

will have time to continue to mentor.

Joel Furman, a junior at Newport Harbor, finds the mentoring program

neat and helpful to the young learners. Joel, in addition to volunteering

at Whittier, spends 1 1/2 hours a week at Heritage Point, a senior center

in Mission Viejo. There he meets one on one with an older adult, being a

buddy, shooting pool, listening and talking to someone who otherwise

would be lonely.

Heroes all of them! You too can be a hero. Call the Whittier School

HOST program at (949) 515-6898.

CONFERENCE WEEKEND: Rotary District 5320 will hold its annual

conference June 1-3 at the Hyatt Newporter. Many of the local clubs have

canceled their regular weekly meetings to encourage their members to

attend the conference. Rotary District Gov. Price Shapiro of the Rotary

Club of Newport Beach Sunrise and the Rotary International president’s

representative Carlos Vasquez, will be honored by the Conference

Committee at a reception Thursday before the conference begins.

Ed Masry, the real-life lawyer who worked with Erin Brockovich, will

be the speaker at Friday’s breakfast while test pilot and astronaut Doug

Moss will speak at a luncheon hosted by Wendell Sawyer, president of the

Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa. Friday night, Rotary clubs from Orange and

Southern Los Angeles counties will host hospitality suites for some 1,000

expected guests.

Camille Keith, marketing vice president with Southwest Airlines, will

speak at Saturday’s breakfast. Vasquez will address the luncheon meeting

being hosted by Arnold Blaine of the Rotary Club of Newport-Irvine. Ron

Millar, president of the Rotary Club of Newport Beach Sunrise, will host

the Governor’s Ball, which will be held Saturday night. The conference

will close Sunday after brunch.

The non-meal time sessions are filled with sessions on drug and

alcohol abuse prevention programs; youth; the Rotary Foundation; Club,

Community and International Service opportunities; nature walks; and a

visit to the Back Bay Interpretive Center. Throughout the weekend, clubs

will be recognized for outstanding programs to their communities, youth

and international service activities.

District Conferences are a time of learning, sharing and celebration.

The 51 Rotary clubs in District 5320 have good reason to celebrate.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SERVICE CLUBS: Judy A. Brown of Ben Bridge

Jeweler joined the Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa.

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK: Want to get more involved in your

community, make new friends, network or give 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.

WEDNESDAY

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

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

Athletic Club, and the Costa Mesa Orange Coast Breakfast Lions Club will

meet at Mimi’s Cafe.

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

Yacht Club for teacher and ACE awards presentations.

THURSDAY

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

at Mimi’s for a business meeting.

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

hear former Assemblywoman Marilyn Brewer, the Newport Beach-Corona del

Mar Kiwanis Club will meet at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for

scholarship award presentations for two students from Corona del Mar High

School and University High School, the Exchange Club of Newport Harbor

will meet at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum for a Ladies Day program

with John Kruse, who will discuss “Traveling the Elderhostel Way.”

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot. Send

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

to o7 jdeboom@aol.comf7 or by mail to 2082 S.E. Bristol St., Suite

201, Newport Beach, CA 92660-1740.