The Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club (www.MonarchBeachRotary.com) was first chartered in February of 1988. We are one of 46 Clubs within Rotary District 5320, located in Orange County and the best parts of Los Angeles County... all are a part of Rotary International.
Weekly meetings are held at 7:00am at the Ritz-Carlton. The world's Rotary clubs are non-political, non-religious and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. Club membership represents a cross-section of local businesses and professionals.
Rotary is essentially a grassroots organization, with most of its service efforts being carried out at the club level. Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 21,000 Rotary clubs located in 200 countries. The district and international structure is designed to support the clubs and help them provide more service in their local communities and abroad.
Since the Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club was formed in 1988, we have averaged about 60 members and nine of our club's presidents have been women. Our club has been awarded over 70 Recognition Rosette Awards for its work in the 4 avenues of service:
- Community Service
- Vocational Service
- International Service
- Social and Fellowship Activities
and our monthly bulletin and website.
We have held over 30 fundraisers and have raised over $80,000 each year with these funds being used to support the Club's many service projects, scholarship and leadership programs with donation of up to $50,000 to local and international charities.
Significant major service projects include:
VOCATIONAL DAY: The Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club's Annual Vocational Day is where MBSR members and 75 civic minded community businesses and professional persons from varying trades demonstrate to over 120 high school seniors from Dana Hills and Aliso Niguel High School the many and varied occupational choices available to high school senior students.
JR. COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: Each year, the Club provides 4 or 5 deserving/needy high school seniors with a full two-year community scholarship, usually at Saddleback College, that covers 100% of their tuition, books, parking and more. PLUS each scholarship recipient is assigned a Club member as a mentor for the full 2 years.
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH PROGRAM: Each month, 2 outstanding high school seniors from Dana Hills High School are recognized at a Club meeting. Then at the end of the school year, a Celebration Dinner involving the parents and students is held.
DRUG USE IS LIFE ABUSE POSTER PROGRAM: An art competition among the local elementary and middle school students is held relating to the dangers of drug use.
SPEECH & SINGING CONTESTS: Each year, the Club holds two contests for Dana Hills High School students, a speech contest and a singing contest. Winners move on to the District competition and the winners are awarded scholarship.
THANKSGIVING DINNER FOR LOCAL SENIOR CITIZENS: On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Club buys, prepares and serves over 125 senior citizens a the Dana Point Community Center.
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE PROJECTS: The club has had a house building and school facilities improvements in Tijuana, building computer classrooms in in Columbia, provided financial aid to students in developing countries, supported victims of the earthquake in Haiti and many other service projects around the globe.
ROTARY FOUNDATION: The Club has provided contributions totaling almost $200,000.00 to the Rotary Foundation since 1988.
The main objective of Rotary is service - in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world. Rotarians develop community service projects that address many of today's most critical issues, such as children at risk, poverty and hunger, the environment, illiteracy, and violence. They also support programs for youth, educational opportunities and international exchanges for students, teachers, and other professionals, and vocational and career development.
The Rotary motto is Service Above Self. Learn More at MonarchBeachRotary.com... or watch this video below.
