Community & Clubs: New officers come in like Lions
The Harbor Mesa Lions recently installed new officers in an
ceremony held at the home of Lions Mike and Ann McIlroy. Harbor Mesa member and past District Governor Barbara Hayward officiated.
The new officers are Cathy Waters, president; Eileen Jensen, immediate past president; Debbie Karlson and Marianne Hahn, vice presidents; Sue Seager, secretary; Jennifer Kelder, treasurer; Terri Stoker, Lion Tamer; Lynn Seaholm, Tail Twister; Carol Van Holt, bulletin editor; and Hayward, Ann McIlroy, Gina Stansbury, Dalila Vaden, Monica Gilliland, Carol Proctor, Arlene Schafer, Sandi Scheafer and Amparo Candelario, directors.
Harbor Mesa Lions meet on the first and third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Visitors are welcome. To contact the club, check out the website at nhcmlionsclub.com.
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A focus on Americanism
The Exchange Club of Newport Harbor is one of three Exchange Clubs in the Newport-Costa Mesa area. The others are the Exchange Club of Corona del Mar and the South Orange County Exchange Club. All are a part of the National Exchange Club, based in Toledo, Ohio.
The national charitable focus of the Exchange Club is the prevention of child abuse, and the Newport Harbor club was one of the founders of the Child Abuse Prevention Center of Orange County. While charitable funds are applied primarily to this cause, major funds and supporting activities are devoted to Americanism, youth activities and community service work.
A major project in Americanism is the celebration of Armed Forces Week each May, during which the club displays 1,776 American flags along the paths of Castaways Park, overlooking Newport Harbor. Flags are available to the public to be dedicated to individual members of the armed forces.
Another Americanism activity involves the installation and dedication of the Freedom Shrine, a collection of 30 important documents in our country’s history, at public and private schools and courthouses. One of our particularly fun projects is GiveAKidAFlagtoWave; it involves our members handing out small flags at parades and other events for the kids to wave.
“Our youth programs are also important to us,” club secretary John Kruse writes. The club gives 10 scholarships to students who have overcome major problems in their personal lives and are graduating from high school. Another program awards scholarships to eight high-achieving high school graduates. The Search for Talent program awards trophies to winning performers in three age classifications.
Community service activities include the John Crean Book of Golden Deeds and plaque awards to selected police officers and firefighters.
The club’s major fundraiser is the annual food festival and movie screening, featuring samples from 15 local restaurants and the showing of a first-run movie.
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Hall of Fame wrap-up
With the Daily Pilot Community & Clubs Hall of Fame luncheon successfully held June 14 at American Legion Newport Harbor Post 291 in Newport Beach, I need to express my thanks to a number of people. Serving on the planning committee were Jensen and Waters of the Harbor Mesa Lions Club; Kruse of the Exchange Club of Newport Harbor; Bob Fish from the Newport-Irvine Rotary Club; Al Rasch and Jess Lawson, American Legion Post 291; Charles Markel, Kiwanis Club of Costa Mesa; Mike Scheafer, Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club; and Roger McGonegal, Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa.
Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach served as master of ceremonies for the third consecutive year. Rev. Msgr. Lawrence J. Baird of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church provided a thoughtful invocation acknowledging the service of the volunteers.
On Flag Day, the presentation of the colors was provided by the American Legion post. World War II veteran Walt Wagner led the flag salute while American Legion member John Stansbury led the audience in the national anthem. Lt. Brandon Jegoi, a Costa Mesa Police Explorer, shared his Explorer experience while Jeff Herrmann, an Orange County Boy Scout executive, provided the welcome.
The most often overlooked person at this event is Explorer executive Lane Calvert, a 40-year veteran of the Scouting organization who does the behind-the-scenes work. Thanks to one and all for the great work on the event!
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Service Club Meetings This Week
WEDNESDAY
Noon: The Exchange Club of Corona del Mar meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, 1601 Bayside Drive, Corona del Mar.
THURSDAY
7 a.m.: The 20-member Costa Mesa Orange Coast Lions Club meets at Mimi’s Café, Newport and Harbor boulevards, Costa Mesa.
Noon: The 45-member Kiwanis Club of Newport Beach/Corona del Mar meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. For more information, visit sites.google.com/site/kiwanisofnewportbeach.
Noon: The 75-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a program by Adam Krason called “Assisted Living at Home.” For more information, visit https://www.nhexchange.org.
Noon: The 40-member Kiwanis Club of Costa Mesa meets at the Costa Mesa Country Club, 1701 Golf Course Drive, Costa Mesa. For more information, visit https://www.costamesakiwanis.org.
Noon: The 55-member Newport-Irvine Rotary Club meets at the University Club, 801 E. Peltason Drive, Irvine.
1 p.m.: The 57-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa meets at Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club to take a bus to the Port of Los Angeles for a harbor tour. For more information, visit https://www.newportbalboa.org.
MONDAY
6:30 p.m. The Harbor Mesa Lions Club meets at the Costa Mesa Country Club on the first Monday of each month; on the third Monday, the club meets at various restaurants in the area. For more information, email clion93@verizon.net.
TUESDAY
7:15 a.m. The 58-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will meet at the Five Crowns Restaurant, 3801 Pacific Coast Hwy., Corona del Mar, for a program by Steve Bender on the “Doc in the Box” program. For more information, visit https://www.newportbeachsunriserotary.org.
COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Wednesdays. Send your service club’s meeting information to jdeboom@aol.com.