President Mike Long

Local Schools Teacher Mini-Grants Link
Education Foundation
Jerry Warren holds the Education Foundation report


From the April 23 2004 Appleknocker

During the April 23 2004 Sebastopol Rotary Club meeting, Jerry Warren, Paul Thielen, Tim Moore, and Shirley Ward presented the 2002-2003 Annual Report on the Sebastopol Rotary Education Foundation. Typically they award 5% of their sustaining assets to the community. These monies are for the exclusive benefit of students from Western Sonoma County. Awards made this year totaled $22,976! Each club member was provided with a copy of this annual report. The largest single award ($12,500) was made to Brookhaven Middle School for their AVID program. (Contact a Board Member if you have questions about this very unique foundation)


Interact

International Action
By: Pauline Pellini

Interact is a service club for youth ages twelve to eighteen. Interactors improve the quality of life in their communities and around the world. The Sebastopol Rotary Club sponsors two Interact Clubs.

Interacters from all 3 Schools
Analy High School Interact was established in 1969 and currently has over 150 members.

Brook Haven Middle School Interact was started by Ken Jacobs and Edwin Wilson in Interact in 1995. It was the second junior Interact Club started in the world. There are currently 40 members.

Hillcrest Middle School was started by Jackie Moreira and Dave Skram in 2003. It is the third Interact Club and second Junior High Club for The Sebastopol Rotary Club. There are currently 40 members.
These organizations teach the students about the importance of community service and trains future leaders. Students learn leadership, citizenship, teamwork, organization and project coordination skills. The Interact clubs form a service partnership with the Sebastopol Rotary and lend their support to a variety of projects. The Interactors are also responsible for planning, financing, organizing and carrying out their own activities and projects. Each club has two Rotarian advisors and a teacher advisor. These advisors provide guidance and inspiration to the students and act as liaisons with the sponsoring Rotary Club. Each club has a slate of officers and project committees.


Learn to Swim Program
Learn to Swim Program

By: Greg Gill

The Learn to Swim Program sponsored by the Sebastopol Rotary Club was first established in 1983. As one of the volunteer coordinators of this Program, I have observed how the Learn to Swim Program has provided the community of Sebastopol with a vital, hands- on service. The project has relied heavily on volunteers, who give their time and expertise so that youngsters may learn water safety. The Program offers a solid basic foundation for acquiring swimming skills.

The following is a quote from a 1987 second grade participant in the Program:

"The Learn to Swim Program taught me the skill, safety and confidence that is needed to gain pleasure from swimming." I have fond memories of learning how to swim in Ives Pool. Although I was introduced to swimming at an early age, the Learn to Swim Program made me feel more at ease in
For 2005 flyer: Click HERE
This flyer is an Adobe PDF file. Click HERE to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
the water. With the help of instructors who created an aura of comfort and safety in the pool ('we have complete control of what goes on in here', they would say) I gained the confidence needed to really expand my swimming skills. I still spend a lot of time around the water, whether I am at the pool or at the river. Although the river poses more of a swimming danger than the pool, I am able to face the river with 'tips' from my old instructors on water safety in my mind. I stall recall the voices of some of my instructors, telling me how to breathe safely and relax in the water. The 'strokes' I learned when in the Learn to Swim Program I use today, for the swim instructors laid a wonderful foundation for swimming when I was merely a second grader. I learned many things from the Program-more than jus how to swim. It is important for one to feel, especially while growing up, that a safe and comfortable place exists in their community. After learning how to swim the pool became a such a place-safe, comfortable, and fun, whether I was with friends and family or by myself. The instructors taught me to overcome fears I has surrounding the water, and I still sometimes hear their encouraging voices when I must overcome certain fears today."

The Learn to Swim Program introduces children to a sport that can provide great enjoyments. Some participants go on to become part of a swim team and swim competitively, while others are instilled with the reliance and confidence needed to enjoy other water activities such as water skiing or kayaking. It is very likely that the lessons learned via the Program saves lives as well. The Learn to Swim Program is just one example of how the Sebastopol Rotary Club is pursuing its vision of community service.


Vocational Award Program

For eight months of the school year, students are chosen by their teachers each month, from our two high schools, for the Vocational Award. The students are given a framed certificate and a check for $125.00 for their achievement. The students and their teaches are invited to our Rotary meeting to receive the award. Pictures are taken and a brief article appears in our local newspaper. At the end of the school year, a teacher is chosen as the most outstanding vocational instructor, and is given $300.00 and a certificate.


Speech and Audio-Visual Contests

When the Speech and Audio-Visual contests were discontinued by our Rotary District, the Sebastopol Rotary Clubs decided to continue the contests at the local level. The Sunrise Club will sponsor the speech contest and our Club will sponsor the audio-visual contest. Each club has bought a rotating trophy which will be passed around between the high schools that enter contestants. The top two winners will receive cash awards of $100.00 and $50.00 respectively. The other participants will receive $25.00.


RYLA - Website

The Rotary Youth Leadership Award is a very valuable exercise in vocational development, which our club unanimously endorses. Because of the proximity to the R.Y.L.A. training facility, many of our members participate as discussion leaders, mentors, or Bar-B-Q chefs. We see this as a great program for development of leaders in our community and the state. Our Club has budgeted $1,600.00 for two students.


Home | Appleknocker | Grants | News | Calendar | District 5130 | Rotary International | Fundraisers
Local Schools | International Service | Community Service | Sebasopol Education Foundation
Centennial Project | Weekly Programs | Who's Who | Frequently Asked Questions | Private Area

Copyright © 2004-2006 The Rotary Club of Sebastopol - All Rights Reserved
Number of visitors to this web site: 37467