Celebrate family in the New Year

JIM DE BOOM

“Celebrate Family” is the theme of the 2005 Tournament of Roses

Parade being held this morning in Pasadena and televised around the

world to more than 300 million viewers. My viewing preference is KTLA

Channel 5 coverage which begins at 8 am and is repeated throughout

the day.

While you are watching the parade be sure to look for the entries

from Kiwanis International, Lions International and Rotary

International.

Many local service club members and high school students will have

spent hours over the past week decorating floats.

MATTERS OF THE HEART

Mark your calendar for annual “Matters of the Heart” fundraiser

luncheon sponsored by the Soroptimist International of Newport

Harbor.

This year it will be Thursday, Feb. 10 at the Turnip Rose in Costa

Mesa for a lovely Valentine-themed luncheon with both silent auction

and standard raffles.

Sandra Robbie of KCET and “Harbor Boulevard of Cars” will both be

honored for their continued contributions to the local community.

More information will be coming in the Community & Clubs column.

NEWPORT’S CENTENNIAL PREVIEW

The Speak Up Newport program is, on Jan. 12, planning for the

city’s upcoming 100th birthday party.

Mayor Steve Bromberg, Mayor pro tem Don Webb and Councilwoman

Leslie Daigle and other members of the Centennial Committee will

bring us up to date on the plans. The meeting will be at the Newport

Beach Yacht Club, 1099 Bayside Drive, starting at 5:00 PM with

appetizers and a cash bar followed by the program at 6:00 PM.

Just a reminder that Speak Up Newport’s 24th-annual Mayors Dinner

will be Thursday evening, Feb. 3 at the Sutton Place Hotel.

Information on both meetings is available at (949) 224-2266.

WORTH REPEATING...

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

Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council ... “Spread love everywhere you go:

first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your

wife or husband, to a next-door neighbor .... Let no one come to you

without leaving better or happier. Be the living expression of God’s

kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in

your smile and kindness in your warm greeting.” -- Mother Teresa

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

As you make your New Year’s Resolutions, add one to visit a

service club, and check them out for possible membership.

Membership in a service club is an extra 30 minutes a week on a

breakfast, lunch or dinner hour for a club meeting filled with

information, fun, friends and service.

For some, it’s a way to start a day inspired with a sunrise club.

For others, it’s a way to stay informed about your community. For

still others, service club membership is way to end a day, with

friends at a dinner meeting.

We should be thankful for all our blessings, for we could have

been born in the Sudan or Afghanistan. We are indeed blessed people.

Service club membership is one way to share our time, talent and

treasurer with our neighbors, here and abroad.

Many people want to make a difference in the world, and those of

us in service clubs find that we can have a greater impact as a

group, than as an individual.

Take for example, Rotary’s $480-million effort to eradicate polio

from around the world and providing the polio vaccine to some two

billion children under the age of 5 in the past 12 years. More than

one million Rotarians, including 200 in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach,

are making a difference with their support of the Los Angeles Times’

Reading by Nine program.

Exchange Club members make a difference with their major thrust of

prevention of child abuse.

They promote Americanism with the Freedom Shrines, copies of

historical documents important in American history, found in our

schools, libraries and at John Wayne Airport.

Soroptimist International, including our local Newport Harbor

chapter, make a difference with their emphasis on local women’s

opportunities and the development of women peace ambassadors around

the world.

Lions Club’s major emphasis is on blindness and preserving sight

with eye exams for our local school children and major treatment

campaigns in third-world countries.

You can recycle your old eyeglasses thanks to the efforts of local

Lions Clubs. Kiwanis Clubs around the world have a major campaign

underway to eliminate iodine deficiency illness in third world

countries and dozens of local projects benefiting youth.

Who are members of service clubs? Men and women, leaders,

educators, clergy, retirees, recent college graduates, housewives,

and your neighbors are members.

Help your community and the world through a service club. For

many, service club membership is an extension of our religious

beliefs and congregation affiliation.

You are invited to attend a service club meeting this coming week

to learn more about opportunity for service.

Most clubs will buy your first meal for you as you get acquainted

with them.

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

MONDAY

6:30 p.m.: Harbor Mesa Lions will meet at the Costa Mesa Country

Club at 6:30 p.m. to hear Past District Governor, Chuck Overbey

discuss the “Lions Project for Scleroderma Cure.”

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 48-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club meets

at Five Crowns Restaurant for a program by Gary Irons of the Wellness

Community of Orange County

(https://www.newportbeachsunriserotary.org).

WEDNESDAY

7:30 a.m.: 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.

6:00 p.m.: The 50-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa meets at

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for an update on Project Deaf India

by Dr. Raj Desai. (https://www.newportbalboa.org)

THURSDAY

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

Club will meet at Mimi’s Cafe to hear Edward Kjaer Edward on the role

electricity plans plays transportation now and in the future.

(https://www.cmoclions.org)

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

Holiday Inn for a program titled “A doctor talks about Diabetes”.

(https://www.kiwanis.org/club/costamesa); the 100-member Rotary Club

of Newport Irvine meets at the Radisson Hotel for a Christmas

program. (https://www.nirotary.org)

* 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.