Rotary International expanded into Chapala when District 4150 approved Club 86070, the Sunrise Rotary Club of Chapala, on June 30. The new group’s 32 charter members (which includes 15 former Rotarians) join the global association of 33,000 clubs in more than 200 countries.
The group elected the following officers: President John Gonzales, President-Elect Shelia Paul, Treasurer Philip Newbold, Secretary Lorene Fields; Sergeant-At-Arms Walter Thornton, Jr.; and Legal Representative Sandra Loridans. Founding members were Gonzales, Loridans, Paull, Henri Loridans and Rod Hensley.
With the motto “Service Above Self,” the new group immediately took on a number of plans to help others in the community. They’ve started a project at Love in Action children’s shelter, the sponsorship of a Rotary Interact Club for teenagers, and joined a textbook project in partnership with the Instituto Internacional of Chapala. They have taken on sponsorship of a youth soccer team in San Juan Cosalá, added support for a Chapala youth tennis program and made a contribution to the Needlepushers’ program of knitting sweaters for local children.
The club joins Rotary’s global network of volunteers who promote international goodwill through club projects, scholarships, cultural exchanges, and grants for development and humanitarian projects.
Club President John Gonzales commented, “We are proud to be part of an organization founded over 100 years ago. The influence of Rotary International projects around the globe help create a more peaceful world. We are extremely proud that our club membership reflects the diversity of those living in Chapala, and includes members of the Mexican community.”
The Chapala Sunrise Rotary Club meets Thursdays from 10-11 a.m. in the Green Salon of Hotel Montecarlo in Chapala. The club is nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures and creeds. For information, email the membership chairperson at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Visit the website rotary.org for information about the international group.