Chula Vista Rotary Clubs Continue to Lead

By Rachel Perez

Think of any service-based group in Chula Vista, and chances are the first one to come to mind is the Rotary Club. According to their website, The Rotary Club is a community organization which “promotes integrity, through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders’. Rotary is an international organization with more than 46,000 individual clubs, 1.4 million members worldwide and representation in 200 countries. In Chula Vista, there are three clubs. They are often known by when they meet. For example, there is the “sunrise” that meets for breakfast, the “noon” club that meets for lunch, and the “sunset” aka Eastlake club that meets for dinner. Membership into Rotary is done on an invite basis and through a sponsor. The Rotary Club of Chula Vista “noon” is also credited for sponsoring the first club in Tijuana in the 1930’s. Each club has its own executive board, directors, and committees. Examples of different committees include community service projects, membership, fundraising, and scholarships. With three Rotary clubs in Chula Vista, there are many members ready to embrace the “Service above Self” motto through community projects. However, the urge to serve is nothing new for Chula Vista Rotarians.

The first Rotary club in Chula Vista was founded in 1926, known today as the “noon” club. Rotary already had a presence in San Diego County since 1911 and was quickly growing in popularity through service projects and donations to those in need.

The first Chula Vista Rotary club meeting took place in an office belonging to Ed Melville, located at the corner of Third avenue and F Street. The first attendees of this meeting were Chula Vista businessmen and community leaders.

There are many Chula Vista Rotarians who have participated and added to the positive development of the city, and many club members have been notable city officials. These include the current city manager, Maria Kachadoorian, previous city attorney Glen Googins and previous mayors Cheryl and Greg Cox, to name a few. It is worth noting that Rotary is not a political organization, therefore members who become elected city officials become honorary members while in office.

A notable Rotarian from past decades is aerostructure engineer Fred H. Rohr, who was named “Mr. San Diego” by the San Diego Rotary club in 1956. This title was given to a Rotarian who “... has contributed outstanding community betterment to the San Diego region in a variety of ways, through his/her efforts over a long period of time”. Rohr had many contributions to the city, so many that he has a park and elementary school named in his honor. Most notably, Rohr pioneered the concept of a “feeder” subcontractor to supply airplane components to factories where planes were assembled. This helped pioneer a new age of aerospace engineering and further advance the field as a whole.

One of the most memorable moments in the Rotary Club of Chula Vista’s history took place on October 21, 1960. It was a day to remember. Schools were closed so students could see the President of the United States in Chula Vista. President Dwight Eisenhower accepted the Rotary Club’s invitation to speak to delegates of the Inter-American Municipal Congress meeting in San Diego. Air Force One landed at North Island in the morning. Following a twenty-one-gun salute at the Naval Air Station, Navy boats took the President across the bay to San Diego for a parade down Broadway. At noon, he flew to Chula Vista in a Marine helicopter, landing at the San Diego Country Club before a crown of 25,000. It seemed everyone in town showed up for the event. Chula Vista Congressman Bob Wilson arranged the visit, and his brother Dick Wilson drove the golf cart that brought Ike through the crowd. The combined bands of Chula Vista and Hilltop High School played the national anthem. A luncheon followed the invocation given in English and Spanish. Eisenhower wanted to speak to a foreign audience, so Rotarians and dignitaries from Tijuana joined the Inter-American Congress delegates in the audience that stretched across the fairway. Ike faced south towards Mexico as he praised the work of the municipal delegates as an example of people-to-people diplomacy. Today this historic event is remembered by a tree and plaque that stands in the courtyard in front of Chula Vista City Hall. It was dedicated on February 19, 2009, to commemorate the event.

After a May 4, 1987 Supreme Court Ruling, Sylvia Whitlock became the first female to be inducted to the Rotary Club of Marin Sunrise California. In 1989 Rotary’s Council on Legislation voted to admit women into Rotary. After that clubs grew in both size and functionality. Many leaders in the Rotary today are women; 202324 “noon” club president Mora Keller de Murguia, and “sunrise” Bonita club president Gina Woodard are two shining examples of Rotary leadership. Woodard is an excellent ambassador of the Rotary club’s core efforts towards health advancements worldwide; as a biology teacher at Hilltop High School, she is passionate about engaging her students in research, service learning and communitybased learning opportunities.

On the international level, Rotary is on the forefront in the efforts to eliminate the Poliomyelitis (polio) virus. In collaboration with the World Health Organization and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, local Rotary clubs and Rotary International has donated a substantial amount toward research efforts. While the outcome of these efforts may not be apparent tomorrow, the impact of local Rotary service projects has continued to change lives. The service projects and scholarships depend on the membership of each club. The “noon” Rotary club in Chula Vista specifically does a vast amount of work with veterans and students. Each December, members decorate Christmas trees at Veterans Park. The club also donates gift cards to veterans around the same time, making sure that those who served our country can feel secure in basic needs during the holiday season. During the academic school year, the clubs sponsor a speech contest through the Chula Vista Elementary School District. The winning students come and give their speeches to members. A larger project the clubs look forward to each year is traveling to Tijuana to build a home for a family in need each year.

The newly installed Rotary Club of Chula Vista Presidents for 20232024 are:

Rotary Club of Chula Vista

“sunrise”: Gina Woodward

Rotary Club of Chula Vista “noon”: Mora Keller de Murguia

Rotary Club of Chula Vista “sunset, aka Eastlake”: Miguel Hernandez

While Rotary club service projects may change as leadership grows, the core values of “Service above Self” will stay strong.

Special thanks to Jerry May for Rotary’s historical content, and Steven Schoenherr author of the Chula Vista Centennial book whose Eisenhower story can be found on page 113.