Home Page Stories
Club Welcomes Ryan Green
Posted on Nov 17, 2023
New Member Ryan Green

Paul Butler (L) and Ken Barrett (C), welcome new member Ryan Green (R) with a red badge. Paul brings a wealth of experience as a third generation Rotarian, and we look forward to getting to know him better.
Below, Joe Kuhn, Hilton Hotel Manager received his full-member badge with the club logo. Joe has been an active participant in our club for the past year, and we're happy to recognize his ongoing commitment to Rotary.

Joe Kuhn

The History of Diamond
Posted on Nov 10, 2023
Our Club President gave a fascinating history of the diamond trade beginning in the 4th Century right up to the recent era of manufactured diamonds. Malcom grew up in South Africa during the time of the De Beers diamond monopoly. He shared many interesting facts about famous stones, diamond mines, and the process of diamond production. He also pointed out that we are just a few miles away from the Gemologists Institute of America (GIA) which developed our current diamond grading system. We hope Malcom will follow-on with Part 2 at a future date.
 
Welcome to our Latest New Member
Posted on Nov 03, 2023
 
DMSB The Rotary Club welcomed Andrea Williams as a new member! She is a real estate agent at Coldwell Banker Realty Del Mar and a 25 year resident of Solana Beach. She and her husband Dean I raised two children here and feel very fortunate to live in such an amazing community.  Andrea has been involved in various charitable organizations that serve both our local community and the San Diego area, including providing weekly tutoring for ESL students, 6 years with The Crohns and Colitis Foundation and work with fundraising for Ukrainian refugees.
Lobsterfest Success!
Posted on Oct 15, 2023
Our major fundraiser for the year had a sell-out crowd, and was a huge success! Vicky Mallett, Lobsterfest Chair, rallied, cajoled, and motivated our club to deliver a night of music, tequila tasting, fine wine tasting, silent auction and raffle to support our beneficiaries. Casa de Amistad and Just in Time for Foster Youth both provided volunteers and speakers for the event, and we thank them for their efforts. Special Kudos to Joe, Yolanda, and the banquet staff at the Del Mar Hilton. Guests raved about the Baja Lobster dinner Charles Koll provided the Viewpoint Tasting cart – always a great hit. It was a night to remember, and we met all of our fundraising goals thanks to all the sponsors, donors, volunteers and shoppers!
North County +Box Nutrition Program
Posted on Oct 13, 2023
Greg McGuire , the Director of Strategic Partnerships for +BOX (https://www.plus-box.org/) introduced us to his grass roots efforts to bring healthful food to North County elementary students and their families. Greg started this service which helps deliver perishable fruits and vegetables from local farmers and foodbanks to families who are “Nutrition Insecure”. He explained that many of the traditional food banks provide an excess of carbohydrates in the form of shelf stable food. The fresh food provides recipients with more variety, vitamins, and joy around the table. 

The program packages the food in plain boxes, and passes them out to families in need through a school-led referral system. The organization seeks to make it as easy as possible for families to pick up the produce in a manner that is sensitive to the social stigma that may cause hesitation by families who could truly benefit.
Greg works to form strong, lasting, mutually-beneficial partnerships with other nonprofits, government agencies, and change-making stakeholders. In addition to his role at +Box, he is Co-Chair of the North County Food Policy Council. 
Using his leadership positions in multiple organizations, Greg champions immediate action and the pursuit of wider, systemic change. 

Beyond the scope of nonprofits, Greg enjoys the natural spaces of California (Yosemite being his favorite), spending time with his fiancée and their dog. He was born in Texas and still enjoys rooting for his hometown (Dallas) sports teams. His parents provided him with examples and opportunities through scouting and other activities to love nature and serve others. These two values have become the pillars of his life, helping to guide his learning and professional careers. Greg has now lived in California for more than a decade and graduated from the University of San Diego with a Master’s of Nonprofit Leadership and Management, strengthening the foundation for a career in youth and family services and environmental stewardship.
 
 

 
Rotary & Club News
Posted on Sep 29, 2023
ONLY 2 WEEKS BEFORE OUR GREAT FEST!!
Final week for sponsor signup, and remember to bid on our fabulous  auction items
Please give Suzanne guest names 
 
 
Charles Koll, Community Service Co-Chair, (shown below with club donations of tennis shoes and jeans), talked about all the good work  Showers of Blessings does and their partners for the homeless community. Showers of Blessings is a remarkable program with a mission to extend a helping hand to homeless men, women, and children in San Diego by providing showers, clean clothes, socks, and toiletries with a welcome and smile.
 
 
 
See below to sign up to give blood for our Socktober Blood Drive, and let Lew Williamson know when you can help.
 
 
Bill Kerlin, Managing Director of North Coast Repertory Theater spoke to us about their current season and the wonderful job this professional "local" theatre has done for the past 42 years providing  world-class, quality productions. He helped it grow from being fiscally underwater in 2011 when he joined NCR, to a profitable 1.2MM budget, thanks to loyal subscribers and donors. North Coast Rep also has a theatre school  and provides scholarships for students.
 
Visit https://northcoastrep.org for more information or tickets
 
 
 
 
Sharp Neuroscientists Discuss Alzheimer Breakthroughs
Posted on Aug 04, 2023
 
Mark Dobrina (L) and Esteban Gonzales (C) are shown with Club President, Malcom Koll following their presentation on the work of the Sharp Neurocognitive Research Center. They are running a drug trial for people with early stage Alzheimers. This work impacts the club directly as one of our members is enrolled in the trial, and has seen the benefits first-hand.
 
 
 
Community Service at Adaptive Sports and Recreation Camp
Posted on Jul 28, 2023
Serving lunch at Adaptive Sports Camp
 
Vicky, Monica, Joe, Patricia and two of Di's friends had a wonderful experience serving lunch to  60 kids, ages 4-18 finishing their last day at Adaptive Sports and Recreation Camp. They set up and served lunch to attendees, their "buddies" and other volunteers. It was a remarkably rewarding time. I have asked the coordinator to let us know early for 2024 so that more of you can participate. You will LOVE the interaction with the kids.
 
Joe served Pita and Tzatziki. He convinced kids to try this as he knew they "would love it." I think he could have convinced them to try escargot.  
 
Insulate Ukraine
Posted on Jul 28, 2023
 
Elena Aleksandrova and Andrea Esty Presented "Insulate Ukraine"
 
         The Problem

Russia’s constant bombing of Ukraine has taken its toll on life and structures. Hundreds of thousands of homes and critical infrastructure have lost window620s. Homeowners are forced to use anything at hand to cover them; wood, tin, mattresses…anything. This has made homes vulnerable to the weather, darkness and splintering.

The Solution

We are Ukrainian Children Inc., a 501(3)(c). In January 2023, we partnered with Harry Blakiston Houston and his team from Cambridge University, who have developed an innovative method to temporarily repair bombed-out windows. Their solution not only restores the functionality of the windows but also provides excellent insulation. Harry has developed an efficient system to track requests, materials used, and installation hours, which has enabled him to scale a network of organizations to adopt and implement this method. Their collective efforts, known as Insulate Ukraine, have been remarkably successful, with each window repair costing only $15 using local materials and labor. 

Ukrainian Children had an existing program in the city of Nikopol, Ukraine. Our satellite alliance with Insulate Ukraine has allowed us to replace 1032 windows in Nikopol and the surrounding area. With Insulate Ukraine, we are making a difference.

Veteran's Village of San Diego Stand Down Event
Posted on Jul 21, 2023
 
VVSD STAND DOWN is a 3-day outdoor event designed to guide homeless veterans, and those at risk of homelessness, to services that rapidly remove barriers caused by medical, legal, mental health, and substance use concerns.

We are grateful for the 100+ agencies and over 3,000 volunteers who have offered personalized care to each veteran.

Thank you all (& any others  I have forgotten to include) for supporting the Club effort at the Water Tent @ VVSD Stand Down 2023. 
 
We "did good and served others" so, as Malcolm would say, you should move your "Rotary 4-Way Test Coin" to the other pocket.
 
 
Top Left: Charles Foster, Bill Sutton, Steve Weitzen
Bottom Left: Jon Fish, Charles Fost
Bottom Right: Bill Sutton, Jan Parsons, Suzanne Sutton, Charles Koll
 
Also Volunteered:
Vicky Mallett & Barbara Berkovich
Ken Barrett & Paul Butler
Kevin & Sibylle Cahill
Sandy LeVine
Charlotte Jones
Molly Fleming
Mark & Susan Hennenfent
Kirk Collins
  
  
 
Learning about Alzheimer's in San Diego
Posted on Jul 14, 2023
 
Eugenia Welch, President/CEO of Alzheimer's San Diego gave a very informative presentation on this disease that affects so many in our community. The local, non-profit is unaffiliated with national Alzheimer's organization, and devotes it resources solely to San Diego County residents - all at no cost to individuals and families.
 
Call 858.966.3319 to reach their staff of social workers. Ask a question, get a referral, join a support group or volunteer to provide respite care. 
 
Support the 100,000 San Diegans living with dementia - and help find a cure!
 
Their next major fundraiser will be WALK4ALZ 2023 Saturday, October 21st in Balboa Park. 
 
 
Club Business - 
 
  • Contact Malcom if you can support Ukrainians in San Diego with job hunting. 
“You give a poor man a fish and you feed him for a day. You teach him to fish and you give him an occupation that will feed him for a lifetime.” (Chinese proverb.)
 
  • Lobsterfest October 14, 2023: Save the Date cards were distributed to members. Start to generate some excitement, and think about what auction items you may be able to contribute.  Vicky is looking for a tequila sponsor and a band. Let her know if you have any suggestions.
 
July 7 Meeting Opens the new Rotary Theme
Posted on Jul 11, 2023
A New Rotary Year... A New Rotary Theme, and some thoughts from Rotary International President Gordon R. McInally.
 
 
Our own Del Mar Solana Beach club president, Malcom Koll, kicked off the first meeting of the year by having members think about the the types of projects that will grow the impact of our club and offer Hope to our community.
 
1. Will the project break a negative cycle?
2. Is our involvement short term?
3. Will our impact last well past our involvement?
4. Will it encourage involvement from the community?
5. Will the person or people we help feel the need to help others.
 
Vicky Mallett presented the LobsterFest goal of $36,500 for the 2023-24 year. This is the club's major fundraiser, and supports the local and international project supported by the club. Costs have definitely gone up this year, so we'll need everyone's support to meet the goal.
 
Our latest new member, Robyn Bailis (second from right) was pinned by Paul Butler, Di Shimkus, and Molly Fleming.
 
Governors Dinner
Posted on Jun 26, 2023
What a wonderful night at the Governors Dinner 
 
Over 400 Rotarians celebrated this year's accomplishments (thank you President Susan)
and inducted our next President, thank you for stepping up  once and future king Malcolm 
 
 
 
After his induction, Malcolm got in the Rotary spirit of his new position
A great time was had by all
Herb & Bev Liberman, Joe Kuhn, Paul Butler, Patricia Case, Suzanne & Bill Sutton, Malcolm & Vanesse Koll, Mark & Susan Hennenfent, Jan Parsons, Hilary & Charles Koll, Vicky Mallett, Barbara Berkovich
 
 
Rotary & Club News
Posted on Jun 23, 2023
Happy 52nd Wedding Anniversary to Lew & Sue on Monday
 
Our last meeting of the 2022-2023 fiscal year was jam-packed, even without a speaker!!
 
We started with Paul awarding Barbara her blue badge, after completing all the red badge requirements including visiting another Rotary club, inviting a guest to a meeting, doing a Who Am I, and attending a Board meeting
 
 
We then heard from Shaurya Bairaria from Canyon Crest Academy who started Tennis Without Borders. His goal is  to teach 8-13 yr old refugees from around the world tennis, so they can experience  the same joy that he gets from the sport. Susan awarded him her last  Distinguished Student Service Certificate 
 
Matt Wechter, lead attorney for Standown's Homeless Court, shared how they are able to quickly remove warrants that serve as barriers for recovery for homeless vets, and showed us the hats that Bill orders each year that are a huge hit with the attorneys
 
 
Leslie and Paul (Vanna White) Sagar updated us on all the good work they have done with Hope Without Boundaries in Tijuana since  2008 for the poorest of the poor. Susan and Herb presented them with a check for $2500 to assist with school uniforms, backpacks, and food 
 
Herb also updated us on our donations to OEF  in El Salvador to help needy children & families
 
Charles Koll gave a loving tribute to all those close to him who have helped him along his road in life as part of his Who Am I. He recognized his family, colleagues, and Rotarians Susan & Mark Hennenfent and Kirk Collins who helped get Viewpoint Brewery off the ground and operational
 
 
And finally we heard from Edmar and Yaretzi who were two of our Model UN students this year who displayed the confidence and poise they gained by working with others and speaking at the event
 
We ended with a standing ovation for President Susan as she completed a great year - and that's a wrap heartsmileyheart
 
 
 
 
 
 
George Sousa Honored
Posted on Jun 20, 2023
We're so proud of our George Sousa who is being honored in South Korea for the many lives he saved during the Korean War
 
 
Celebration of Service
Posted on Jun 16, 2023
Kevin shared the following quotes for our invocation today as we celebrate the impact our club has had on the lives of local and global neighbors. As he said, let us continue throwing our beam and changing the world. 
 
 
Happy Birthday to Suzanne who celebrates her special day tomorrow and Happy 53rd Anniversary to Meera & Venky!!
 
President Susan started our festivities by reminding us who Rotary is
(go to our Facebook page to watch the live video)
 
Vicky, in her multiple hats as Immediate Past President, LobsterFest Chair, and Foundation Chair, reminded members that we raised $35,320 at LobsterFest to share with our Major Beneficiaries Just in Time for Foster Youth and Casa de Amistad and other service organizations/projects. We added 5 new Paul Harris Society Members and had 100% EREY participation
 
Nicole as New Generation (Youth) Chair shared that we spent $5800 helping Casa de Amistad, Model UN and sent students to LEAD and RYLA for the first time since the pandemic
 
Herb, as International Chair, thanked Venky, Suchandra, and Steve for their help with projects in the countries of El Salvador, Mexico, Malawi, and India
 
 
Here Suchandra showed our next project teaching organic farming, and told about the $35,551 grant we did helping the homeless, mentally ill women in India where they were able to add more staff for  vocational training & therapy and grew from 10 to 25 beds
 
 
Di, as Chair of Community Service (or the heart of Rotary as she says as we get directly involved), with the help of Bill, Lew, and Ken reminded us of the $5000 sent to the Nature Collective, $1000 sent to CRC for mental health initiatives and $500 for their general fund, besides helping over 700 families with food through Feeding San Diego
 
Bill, Lew, Sandy, and Jon helped with Programs this year and we learned so much in the following categories
 
 
Patricia on behalf of her and Suzanne as Social Chairs reviewed  the 8  fun socials we did and were pleased with attendance with a minimum of 20 people for each
 
 
President Susan then thanked all the members of the club who are active behind the scenes and reminded us of the generosity of club members
 
She then rang the bell for the last time as President, and wrapped up the year
 
 
Rotary at the Padres
Posted on Jun 13, 2023
It was a great Rotary night at the Padres as they rallied right from the start and beat the Guardians 6 - 3  
 
 
Jan Parsons, Susan & Mark Hennenfent, and Andy & Cole Sutton enjoyed the game
 
 
Demotion Party 
Posted on Jun 11, 2023
Thank you Suttons for hosting a fun demotion Party; Patricia & Suzanne for organizing; and Kevin for being Master of Ceremony
 
Festivities began on the patio with a charcuterie board before moving inside for a dinner of kabobs
 
Bill told how he has no  more gold gavels to give away before Ken and Charlotte eloquently praised Susan for a  colorful year (see her beautiful, colorful paintings below), her steadfastness and calm demeanor, and innovations as President (including using Facebook Live, slides for meetings, and new name badges). They presented  her on behalf of the club with an artist's apron and her picture signed by  members 
 
 
But where is the gavel to pass on to the next president? Kevin came through again, with a bucket of iced Veuve Clicquot hiding the wrapped original  gavel
 
Malcolm then took the hot seat while Susan, Patricia, and Kevin departed upstairs and then we saw Queen Susan make her appearance with the gavel on a royal cushion, led by queen consort Patricia. But wait!!! Susan is not carrying  the REAL gavel!!! Court Jester Kevin then appeared with the answer
 
 
In true Shakespearean fashion, he  offered Malcolm the real gavel if he could answer two clues correctly. Unfortunately Malcolm failed, but he graciously produced the gavel so the night was saved. Susan then gave Malcolm his Presidents pin, and Kevin was awarded the framed original Club Charter as our first President
 
The once and future King was now official and Susan gave her heartfelt thanks to club members for making this a fabulous year!!
 
We then all enjoyed a special cake and Patricia's pound cake & strawberry shortbread
 
THE CAKE SAYS IT ALL - THANK YOU, SUSAN,  FOR A WONDERFUL YEAR!!!
 
 
 
 
 
Rotary & Club News
Posted on Jun 09, 2023
We welcomed and enjoyed hearing from the Casa de Amistad students who were inspired by attending RYLA or LEADS
Ariana, Ali, Janidy, and Daniel
 
 
Felix gave his Who Am I, and though he just joined Rotary, we feel he has always been a Rotarian at heart as his life goal is to give back and make a difference in peoples' lives
 
Thanks to Di and to Joe Kuhn, our members & Hilton GM, who organized our last Community Service event of packaging  care bags for victims of human trafficking served through SafeHouse. 
 
 
Jeff Moore of Exotic Succulents in Solana Beach, and author of five books,  gave a colorful presentation of these plants and how to care for them.  We learned that all cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti. And yes, Jeff does consult on an informal basis. 
 
 
Be sure to invite guests to next weeks Celebration of Service!!
 
 
 
 
 
June 2 Honors and Pickleball 
Lew Williamson was inducted into the Paul Harris Society for contributing $1000 or more to the Rotary Foundation.
 
Paul Harris Fellow, Vicky Mallet received a Ruby pin for and additional Rotary Foundation contributions of $1000.
 
 
 
Herb and Venky were honored for their work on Global Grants 
 
Clinton Young, Founder of Pickleball For Life discussed how the game of pickleball can be a catalyst for positive change through physical activity and building social connections. The game was invented in 1965, and has become recognized as a professional sport.  Casual play is open to anyone, and Clinton demonstrated how the game is played with the help of club volunteers.
 
He 
Feeding San Diego Volunteer Event
Giving back to the community is rewarding and fun.  On May 16th, DMSB members, family and friends joined together at Feeding San Diego to  package 700 pounds of Avocados, glean 400 pounds of Grape Tomatoes and put together 175 take home food care packages for school children needing a little extra nutrition help on the weekends.  Altogether, our two hours of fun but intense efforts supported almost 700 families.  
 
 
Bushfire Social
Posted on May 11, 2023
Everyone had too much fun to take pictures but a good time was had by all
 
 
Rotary & Club News
Posted on May 05, 2023
 
Two member were honored this morning:
Lew Williamson by Vicky Mallett for his Rotary Foundation donations achieving a PH+4
and Susan Hennenfent awarded Charles Foster an Imagine Rotary pin for all his contributions to Rotary and our club over the years, saying he is a mentor to her and many other members
 
THANK YOU BOTH  - WELL DONE!!
 
 
We were all impressed that Susan & Mark Hennenfent got to meet one on one with Rotary International President Jennifer Jones as part of their recognition of being new Arch Klumph Society members. She said its been an exhilarating and exhausting year!
 
 
The Casa de Amistad Gala was a wonderful night and Nicole thanked Charles and Viewpoint who supplied free  beer for the event.
 
Di was the big winner of the  Carlsbad Rotary raffle winning $2500 on a $100 donation (it helps to be generous) and Judy Hunt who often visits us when in town from her Colorado Rotary presented us with her club flag
 
Herb reported on our $9200 Grant to OEF in El Salvador and recognized Ildiko Tesak for her large contribution. We also send another $1000 per year in recognition of our speakers, as shown in the photo below when President Susan presented one to our member and speaker, Barbara Berkovich who spoke on ChatGPT and AI
 
 
 
 
 
 
RAW Day
Posted on May 04, 2023
 
Rotarians At Work Day
Posted on Apr 29, 2023
We were joined by Solana Beach Eco Rotary & Encinitas Rotary for Rotarians At Work Day 2023
at the Nature Collective planting new growth in the La Orilla Restoration Site & weeding non-native plants in San Dieguito Park 
 
 
Orientation by Nature Collective staff & volunteers
 
 
La Orilla Restoration site where we planted over 40 new shrubs
 
 
 
Weeding in San Dieguito Park to get rid of non-native plants
 
 
 
Upcoming Events
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Club Information
Welcome to our Club!
Del Mar - Solana Beach

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Fridays at 7:00 AM
Hilton Del Mar
15575 Jimmy Durante Blvd
Del Mar, CA 92014
United States of America
Hybrid Meetings 7:00 - 8:30 AM most Fridays via facebook & in-person. Click on https://www.facebook.com/dmsbrotary or contact Susan Hennenfent at shennenf@gmail.com for more information
District Site
Venue Map
About Our Club
 
THE DEL MAR-SOLANA BEACH
ROTARY CLUB
Is a leadership organization of local business, professional and civic leaders, and others with an interest in community service.
Members meet regularly to learn more about many subjects, form connections and friendships, and plan projects to benefit our community and the world.
 
Join us!

Contact  Paul Butler

paul@dmsbRotary.com

(858) 755-2079

 

DMSB Rotary

P.O. Box 1115
Solana Beach, CA  92075

DMSB Facebook Page

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Calendar
December 2023
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Speakers
Sgt. Aaron Montan
Dec 01, 2023
Homeless Assistance Resource Team
Sarah D'Agustino
Dec 08, 2023
San Diego Hunger Coalition
Alice Wang
Dec 15, 2023
The Bigger Picture of Healthy Food
Sandy LeVine
Jan 05, 2024
Everything You Wanted to Know About Stocks and Bonds
View entire list...
Some of the Non-Profits We Support
4-Way Test
Our Club President
President Malcom Koll
 
Malcom Koll
malcolm@charleskoll.com
+1 858 205-9834

 

Officers & Chairs
President
Malcolm Koll
Past President
Susan Hennenfent
President Elect
Bill Sutton
Treasurer
Charlotte Jones
Secretary
Sandy LeVine
Program
Beverly Liberman
Community Service
Charles Koll
Community Service
Patricia Case
Foundation (TRF)
Susan Hennenfent
International Service
Herbert Liberman
Youth Service
Nicole Mione-Green
Human Trafficking
Steve Weitzen
Model UN
Kevin Cahill
Membership
Ken Barrett
Membership
Paul Butler
Program
Beverly Liberman
Public Relations
Barbara Berkovich
Sergeant-at-Arms
George Sousa
Chief Executive Party Animal (CEPA)
Patricia Case
LobsterFest
Vicky Mallett
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