Donation gets free admission to fair

JIM DE BOOM

You can receive free admission to the Orange County Fair from 10 a.m.

to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, with the donation of one new or three gently

used children’s reading books to the Los Angeles Times’ Reading by 9

program.

The books will be collected at the fairgrounds gates by local

Rotary Club members who will work two-hour shifts, according to

Newport-Balboa Rotarian Roger McGonegal. Last year, more than 29,611

books were collected -- a total then matched by Scholastic Books --

and were distributed to schools throughout Orange County.

COUNCIL CHINA TRIP TO INCLUDE MEETING WITH CATHOLIC BISHOP

More than 140 members and friends of the Newport-Mesa-Irvine

Interfaith Council have registered for the Nov. 3 through 11

Introduction to China trip sponsored by the council, which will now

include a meeting with the Catholic bishop of Shanghai.

This will be the third tour of China that I have led for the

council. The tour will include stops in Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou and

Shanghai, round-trip airfare, stays in four- and five-star hotels,

three meals a day, tour guides and bus transportation for the

inclusive price of $1,350.

We recently confirmed a meeting with the Catholic bishop of

Shanghai, and we are working at scheduling a meeting with the bishop

of Beijing. Both bishops were appointed by the Chinese government

and, just in the past 10 days, the appointment bishop of Shanghai was

approved by the Roman Catholic Church in a ceremony held in Shanghai.

An orientation meeting for those interested in learning more about

the tour will be held on Aug. 16 at 5:30 p.m. at Harbor Christian

Church, 2401 Irvine Ave., Newport Beach, CA 92660.

To see a list of those registered, or to get more information

about the tour, visit https://www.nmiinterfaith.org. The China tour is

limited to 200 people.

OPEN HOUSE AT MORMON TEMPLE IN NEWPORT BEACH

Public tours of the new Newport Beach Temple of the Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be held today through Aug. 20.

Tours are available between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, and 9

a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. There will be no tours on

Sundays.

The temple is on Bonita Canyon Drive, between the San Joaquin

Hills Transportation Corridor (73) and MacArthur Boulevard.

“The temple is not a secret place; it is a sacred place for

members of the church,” said Ray Christensen, an elder who led the

tour group I was on earlier this week with clergy, civic and

community leaders.

Once the tours are over, the public will not be allowed inside.

In the meantime, take the tour, learn about the meaning and

ceremonies found in the ordinance room, the sealing room, the

celestial room and the baptistery, and enjoy the beautiful grounds.

The tour gave me insight and understanding and took away much of the

mystery of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for me.

For more information, call (949) 729-9148, or visit

https://www.lds.org/reservations.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SERVICE CLUBS

Richard Gross, sponsored by Bill Bechtel, joined the Exchange Club

of Newport Harbor.

WORTH REPEATING

From the Thought for the Day as provided by Greg Kelley of the

Newport-Mesa-Irvine Interfaith Council: “Some of God’s greatest gifts

are unanswered prayers.”

-- GARTH BROOKS

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

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 opportunities for service. Most clubs will buy

your first meal for you as you get acquainted with them.

TUESDAY

7:15 a.m.: The 48-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club meets

at the Five Crowns restaurant for a Club Assembly. Members will tour

the new Mormon Temple later in the day

(www.newportbeachsunriserotary.org).

Noon: The Rotary Club of Costa Mesa, now in organization with 15

members, meets at The Club House at South Coast Plaza.

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

Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club.

WEDNESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at the

University Athletic Club.

6:15 p.m.: The Rotary Club of Newport Balboa meets at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club for craft talks by Nate White and Bob Silver.

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20 member Costa Mesa Orange Coast Lions Club meets at

Mimi’s Cafe.

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

Holiday Inn (www.kiwanis.org/club/costamesa); the 50-member Kiwanis

Club of Newport Beach/Corona del Mar meets at the Bahia Corinthian

Yacht Club; the 85-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor meets at

the Nautical Museum to hear Frank Van Nostrad discuss “Social

Security and You” (www.nhexchangeclub.com); the 100-member Rotary

Club of Newport Irvine meets at the Radisson Hotel to hear poet James

Sievers (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.