Time for students to enter club competitions

It’s that time of the year when service clubs look for high school

students to participate in their speech and vocal contests that lead

eventually to cash awards for the finalists at the district level.

Many Lions, Kiwanis, Exchange, Soroptimist and Rotary clubs sponsor

such competitions between now and June.

Local Rotary Clubs are the first ones up looking for high school

speech contestants for club competitions the first week of February.

Each participating club sends their top contestant to the area

finals, said Roger McGonegal, president of the Rotary Club of

Newport-Balboa. It’s at the district finals, held in April, that

students can receive $500 in encouragement of their talents, he adds.

Rotary vocal competition for high school students in either

classical or musical theater will be held during late February at the

club level, with the district semifinals to be held Saturday, March

22, at UCI Concert Hall, and the finals the next day, Sunday, March

23. Each contestant sings one selection of no more than five minutes

in length. Competition is tough. I have attended the finals on

several occasions of the 15-year competition.

To find out more about either competition or to enter a club

competition, contact your local Rotary Club coordinator.

For students at Newport Harbor, Estancia and Sage high schools,

call Nancy Raney of the Newport-Balboa Club at (949) 673-0326. For

Corona del Mar and University High Schools, call Hugh Christensen of

Newport-Irvine Club at (949) 833-2815 or (760) 635-0312. Students

from Back Bay and Costa Mesa high schools, call Syd Lucas of Newport

Sunrise Club at (949) 718-0168. And for Costa Mesa High School Speech

contestants, call Sheri Lee of South Coast Metro at (949) 633-2324.

We will keep you posted on the other service club competitions as

soon as the information becomes available.

WOMEN IN RELIGION:

The Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council will hold its monthly

luncheon on Wednesday at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church and

explore Women in Religion -- Islam, with noted speaker Maha Hamwi of

the Islamic Outreach Foundation. The luncheon is open to congregation

members and clergy of all faiths and interested community members.

According to the Rev. Don Oliver, council president, election of

officers and directors for 2003 will take place at the meeting, as

well. The day will begin with a reception at 11:45 a.m., lunch at

noon and program at 12:30 p.m., with adjournment by 1:30 p.m.

Admission, which includes lunch, is $7.50 per person with

reservations and $10 without reservations, and you may pay at the

door.

St. John the Divine is at 183 E. Bay St., Costa Mesa, one block

east of Newport Boulevard. Reservations are a must and can be made by

calling (949) 660-8665, ext. 3, by 5 p.m. Tuesday, or e-mail to

nmiinterfaith@aol.com.

GREAT PROGRAM LINE UP:

I must say I am impressed with the three-month program calendar

that the Corona del Mar -- Newport Beach Kiwanis Club sent this past

week.

It features former Angels pitcher Clyde Wright, developer Buck

Johns, motivational speaker Tom Bay, Concordia University President

Jack Preus, 2001 British Open Champion Ray Carrasco and Sherman

Library and Garden director Wade Roberts, to name a few. It’s a solid

program line up that holds members interest.

HONE YOUR SPEAKING SKILLS:

If you are one of those who has made the New Year’s resolution to

improve your speaking skills for business or personal reasons, take a

look a the help the Newport Center Toastmasters Club can provide.

The club meets from 7 to 8:30 a.m. on Mondays at the Irvine Co.,

610 Newport Center Drive. Guests are welcome. For more information,

contact Moty Koppes, club vice president of public relations at (949)

721 5732.

WORTH REPEATING:

From “Thought for the Day” provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport

Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council:

“If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor

disgrace, because you know what you are.”

-- Mother Teresa

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS COMING WEEK

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 40-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will

meet at Five Crowns for a program by David Blake on “Business after

Enron.”

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

the Costa Mesa Country Club for a program by Caltrans.

WEDNESDAY

7:15 a.m.: The 20-member South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet

at the Center Club (www.southcoastmetro

rotary.org); and the Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at the

University Athletic Club.

Noon: The 40-member Exchange Club of the Orange Coast will meet at

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. The 35-member Soroptimist

International of Newport Harbor will meet at the Santa Ana Country

Club.

6 p.m.: The 60-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will meet at

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club to hear Kirk McIntosh, director of

the Daily Pilot Cup soccer tournament.

THURSDAY

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club will meet at the

Holiday Inn for a program by Michale Bare on “The Effect of Internet

on Education”; the 50-member Newport Beach-Corona del Mar Kiwanis

Club will meet at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club to hear Buck Johns

discuss “Trains in California” (www.kiwanis.org/

club/costamesa); the 80-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor

will meet at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum; and the 100-member

Newport-Irvine Rotary Club will meet at the Irvine Marriott Hotel

(www.nirotary.org).

* 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 jdeboom@aol.com or by mail to 2082 S.E. Bristol,

Suite 201, Newport Beach, CA 92660-1740.