Bringing the faiths together

JIM DE BOOM

“We have added a July 28 luncheon for clergy, lay and community

members, with the focus on ‘A Perspective on Islam,’” said Dr. Dennis

Short, president of the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council.

According to Dr. Short, this will be an informal conversation with

Yassir Fagaza, Imam from the Orange County Islamic Foundation.

Attendees will hear an interesting perspective on Islam and learn

how various Muslim communities view America, other world religions

and the role of Islam in the world.

“We are meeting, not to argue, but to build understanding among

faith communities,” Short said.

The luncheon, being held at St. Mark Presbyterian Church, is set

for Wednesday, with a noon luncheon, followed by the program at 12:45

p.m. and adjournment by 1:30 p.m. The church is located at 2100 Mar

Vista Dr. in Newport Beach. The meeting with lunch costs $7.50 per

person with a reservation and $10 without a reservation.

Reservations are requested by 5 p.m. Tuesday and can be made by

calling (714) 921-8665, ext. 3, or by e-mail to

nmiinterfaith@aol.com.

A LITTLE HISTORY

Exchange Club of Newport Harbor President-Elect Duncan Forgey

provided a little history lesson to club members at a recent meeting.

Forgey read from a book entitled “The History of Newport Beach,”

which was written by A.L. Sherman. In November 1925, the Port

Luncheon Group was founded to promote a Harbor bond issue for Newport

Harbor. The bond issue passed in December 1926, and the group was

having so much fun, it decided to become a service club. First, the

Rotary approached the Port Group, and then the Long Beach Exchange

Club made a presentation. In December 1926, the Port Luncheon Group

became the Exchange Club of Newport Harbor and the first service club

in Newport Beach.

SERVICE CLUB NOTES

The Newport Beach Corona del Mar Kiwanis Club will miss longtime

member Dr. Tom McIntosh, who passed away on Monday. McIntosh was past

editor of the newsletter, the Scuttlebutt, active in community

service and known for his trademark beret. He will be missed by all.

Linda Eldridge has been recruited by President-Elect Joel Carlson as

the new pianist at meetings. Eldridge is a piano teacher and has

played at Five Crowns.

The Rotary Club of Newport Beach Sunrise has made a donation to

the Ocean Institute to sponsor two sea lions rescued from Newport

Beach. The club will be notified when the sea lions are well enough

to be released so that interested members can attend.

CHINA IN NOVEMBER

Thirty-four people signed up for the Newport Mesa Irvine

Interfaith Council’s November 4-12 trip to China, according to Dr.

Dennis Short. Among those registered are a variety of Christians,

including Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopalians and

Presbyterians. Also traveling are one Buddhist, two from University

Synagogue, a dozen Rotarians and lodge members and some with no

declared faith or affiliation.

Most of the attendees are from Orange County, but one is coming

from England, along with a husband and wife from Virginia and one

each from Colorado and Indiana, who are joining Orange County

relatives on the trip. Participants range in age from a 20-year-old

college student to 80-year-old retirees. One couple from the

council’s first trip in November 2003 has signed up for the second

trip and are recruiting their friends to share the experience, notes

Short.

The nine-day trip includes stops in Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and

Hangzhou, round-trip airfare, four- and five-star hotels, all meals

except two that are on your own, a tour bus, English-speaking guides

and admission to tourist sites, such as the Great Wall, the Summer

Palace and Tiananmen Square. In addition, the group will have lunch

in the homes of Chinese families in historic Beijing and visit a

Protestant church in Beijing and a Catholic church in Shanghai, all

for the inclusive price of $1,350.

An orientation session for prospective participants will be from

5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 17 at Harbor Christian Church, 2401 Irvine

Ave., Newport Beach. For more information, visit the council website

at www.nmiinterfaith.org, or call (714) 921-8665, ext. 3.

WORTH REPEATING

From the Thought for Today, provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport

Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council: “Find something you love to do, and

you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

-- HARVEY MACKAY

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 47-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club meets

at Five Crowns Restaurant for a Club Assembly.

(newportbeachsunriserotary.org).

6 p.m.: The Newport Harbor Costa Mesa Lions Club meets at the

Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club (https://www.geocities.com/

cmnhlions/page5.html)

WEDNESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet at the

Holiday Inn, and the Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at the

University Athletic Club.

Noon: The Exchange Club of the Orange Coast meets at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club for a program by Dr. Arnie Frankenberger on the

latest in dentistry.

6 p.m.: The 50-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa meets at the

Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club to hear Gordon Dillow, a former reporter

at the Orange County Register, who recently returned from a reporting

assignment in Iraq.

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-plus member Costa Mesa-Orange Costa Breakfast Lions

Club will meet at Mimi’s Cafe.

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

Holiday Inn for a program on Newspaper Commentary

(https://www.kiwanis.org/

club/costamesa); The 50-member Newport Beach-Corona del Mar

Kiwanis Club meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club; The 85-member

Exchange Club of Newport Harbor meets at the Nautical Museum for a

ladies-day luncheon with Sara Leisure speaking on our Sea Scout base

(https://www.nhexchange

club.com); The Rotary Club of Newport Irvine meets at the Radisson

Hotel for craft talks.

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

Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (714) 921-8655

or by e-mail to jdeboom@aol.com.