Spring is in the air and there is a season of new beginnings upon us! Whatever plans we had before today, I know we can still do most of them only now we have to think about different ways to carry them out! Each year when springtime comes around, we see colorful flowers blooming, fresh leaves in trees, green grass, and new growth everywhere! We are blessed to be in a community where we have an overabundance of beauty all around us and can enjoy this grandiose splendor every day!

This past Saturday, we celebrated the amazing life of our dear friend and fellow Rotarian, The Honorable Robert Ming. Robert's family and friends filled Saddleback Church and the celebration of his life was absolutely beautiful. The video of Robert's life, along with the wonderful singers and music, made the room feel so majestic and many of us shared that we really felt Robert's presence. I know he was looking down on his beloved wife Susie and their children with pride and love. On the back of the program was Robert's Faith Statement so I would like to share it with all of you. "Life can be hard. There are job losses, global pandemics, earthquakes, and deaths. Nevertheless, I have a deep sense of peace even when circumstances might indicate otherwise. Why? Because I believe there is a God and He loves me. Why do I have a sense of direction even when I really don't know where I'm going? (No wise cracks here about asking for directions!). Because Jesus Christ has provided clear principles for living life that provide the basis for making decisions. Those principles are found in the Bible and things simply work better when we follow the guidance we find there." There was an additional quote from him that stated, "Today I tried to make the world a better place. I'll do it again tomorrow if you'll let me." I am taking his words to heart and will do my best to follow his lead to make the world a better place. He was a true leader and will be dearly missed but never forgotten. We love you always and forever Robert and we thank you for your service and friendship.

We had a great lunch meeting at Fratello's this past Friday! We were honored to have two distinguished visitors representing Rotary International in attendance! Our fabulous Assistant Governor Dr. Sheila Steinberg was in the house and even led Rotarians in the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance to our country's flag! District Governor Nominee Roy Jefferson was also in attendance and gave Rotarians a great speech about his future plans for our District! Having them here to join us for lunch and great conversation made our meeting much more interesting and exciting! We even had Devi Pillai join us on Zoom!

Our amazing Sergeant-At-Arms Rischi Paul Sharma did a fantastic job going around the room for Happy Bucks, encouraging members and visitors to share all that they are grateful for! Our awesome Mark Montgomery shared his inspiration about the response of the free world against what is happening in Ukraine. He stated that the truth will set us free and we have to rely on it, then referred to our Rotary Four Way Test, "Is it the truth?" Mark also provided humor for the day with a funny "Ole and Lena" joke and had us all laughing as always!

I would like to update everyone on our current situation at Fratello's. Due to a change in ownership and a renovation project, we have two more meetings at this location so please be sure to come by for great food and excellent programs! Beginning on Friday, April 8th at Noon, we will begin meeting at Romeo Cucina Restaurant, located at 28241 Crown Valley Parkway in Laguna Niguel!

In a continued response to the deepening refugee crisis, the Rotary Foundation Trustees have decided to prioritize contributions made to the Disaster Response Fund until April 30, 2022, to support disaster response grants for districts affected by these events. These expedited disaster response grants can be used to supply water, food, medicine, shelter, and clothing. This is primarily an appeal for individual donations so please feel free to give any amount possible. Please follow the link below if you would like to make a person donation for this worthy cause. There is also information in the flyer posted at the end of this President's News Flash.

Coming up next month, we will be assisting the Niguel Botanical Preserve with the Earth Day celebration for our city. If you would like to volunteer, please RSVP below the posted flyer for the City of Laguna Niguel's Earth Day Celebration.

We are always looking for great speakers in our community so please be sure to email any individuals in our community that you would like to have come out and speak to our club! We have lots of great programs scheduled so don't miss out!

I look forward to seeing you all at Fratello's on Friday at Noon!

There is a District Training Assembly scheduled for April 2nd at Chapman University at noon so we're encouraging all of President-Elect Chandra's incoming board, as well as the current board, to attend if possible! If you are interested in attending, please respond to President Eileen Gomez and she will add you to our club registration or you can register on your own at MyRotary.org through your personal account. Below are a few other important dates to remember:

We would like to take a moment to recognize Bruce Birkeland for the work he has done with the Wells of Life Foundation. Wells of Life is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian organization whose mission is to provide rural Ugandans access to safe, clean water through the installation or restoration of sustainable borehole water wells and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) educational programs.​ A few weeks back, Bruce shared a beautiful photo book for Well No. 596, which you can also view by following the link below. We thank Bruce Birkeland on behalf of our club, for his generosity and compassion for this organization that collectively serves more than 820,000 people! Here are a few photos from Wells of Life for your viewing pleasure!

This week, we will have two guest speakers from Burnham Ward Properties that will provide an update on the Laguna Niguel Town Center! Emma Opie, Marketing Manager, and Marice DePasquale, Community Outreach Consultant, will give a presentation and answer questions from Rotarians and guests on the progress of this new project!

11:45 am - Socialize

Eileen Gomez is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2987203632?pwd=VkRuTnJhTE1nL2NTMzRCckk0TDNBdz09

Meeting ID: 298 720 3632

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