In a demonstration of Service Above Self, the Rotaract Club of Ventura recently completed a life-changing international service project in partnership with the Corazon Foundation. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community and months of dedicated fundraising efforts, our club raised a total of $15,000 to contribute to the construction of a brand-new home for a family in need in Mexico.A MESSAGE FROM THE DISTRICT GOVERNOR
April Highlights & May Preview
During most of April, Cindy and I had the privilege of visiting our sister districts, 3721 and 3722, in South Korea. We were welcomed with extraordinary hospitality and treated like royalty as we attended both district conferences and enjoyed several cultural and sightseeing experiences. The district conferences in Korea are quite different from ours in District 5240, blending awards, entertainment, dignitary remarks, and some of the most elaborate and inspiring step-down and transition videos I’ve ever seen. With over 1200 Rotarians at each Conference, it made me proud to be part of each one. Even more meaningful, we saw firsthand how Korean clubs are growing membership and how our joint grant efforts are creating real impact in both countries. We return with fresh ideas and renewed energy to share with our clubs and leadership.
We departed Korea on the morning of Sunday the 26th and, thanks to crossing the International Date Line, arrived back in Los Angeles later that same morning. From there, we headed up to San Luis Obispo for Group 10’s first-ever picnic, led by Assistant Governor Joel Conn. With all clubs in the group represented, it was a fun and engaging event, highlighted by a powerful and inspiring speech from PDG Shirley Grace. After a couple of hours of reconnecting and fellowship with fellow Rotarians, Cindy and I made our way to the hotel, where we promptly caught up on sleep with a well-earned 13-hour rest. It was absolutely worth the trip to SLO.
Looking Ahead to May
Additional events happening across the district include:
Sunday, May 10th - Cellist and Rotary Peacefellow Diego Carneiros Concert. Rotary Clubs of Montecito and Santa Barbara North.
Saturday, May 16th – Epic Day of Service. Please go to https://www.epicdayofservice.org/ for more information.
Saturday, May 23rd – Thousand Flags Event, Rotary Club of Bakersfield Breakfast. Go to https://bbrc.org/event/thousand-flags-5 for more information.
Saturday, May 23rd – Happy Face Music Festival, Rotary Club of Simi Sunset. Go to https://happyfacemusicfest.com/info/ for more information.
May is Youth Service Month
May is Rotary’s Youth Service Month, a time to celebrate and strengthen our commitment to developing young leaders through programs like Interact, Rotaract, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), and Youth Exchange. Youth Service, recognized as one of Rotary’s Five Avenues of Service, emphasizes empowering young people to act in their communities, build leadership skills, and foster international understanding. Rotary clubs play a vital role by mentoring, sponsoring, and creating meaningful opportunities for youth to serve and grow, ensuring that the next generation is equipped to carry forward the values of Service Above Self. As we focus on Youth Service this month, let’s actively engage, support, and invest in young people who will shape the future of Rotary and our world.
RYLA Recap 2026
In recognition of Youth Service Month, RYLA Chair Darin Arrasmith shared the following reflections from the RYLA program held April 16–19, 2026:
District 5240's RYLA event was truly a success on so many levels. It is one of the few events in our district where we get to combine fellowship amongst Rotarians from many clubs who share the same passion. Interactors from across the district get to know each other and create bonds that would otherwise not be possible. Members of our Rotaract clubs come to share their passion with Rotarians and motivate the students. We had RYE students who gave a glimpse into the possibilities that Rotary offers to youth all over the world.
Not only was this one of the largest events in our District's history, it was one of the most powerful and uplifting years that I can remember. We wound up with 230 students and approximately 50 volunteers. We had amazing talent and passion across the board. The administrative staff showed extreme efficiency and was prepared for anything! We had 3 people in the governor line working all 4 days! This was a record year for the number of prior RYLA graduates who came back and served as counselors or instructors. They are the heart and soul of keeping RYLA 5240 a sustaining legacy that we can all be proud of.
District Stepdown and Awards – Saturday, June 27th
Come “Unite for Good” as we celebrate the incredible work our clubs and Rotarians accomplished during the 2025–2026 Rotary year. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect, share ideas, and be inspired as we learn from one another. Together, we can explore new ways to grow, strengthen, and energize our clubs for the future. Go to https://rotarydistrict5240.org/events/district-stepdown-luncheon-awards/ to register. Early bird pricing until May 31st, 2026.
PeopleOfAction.org Campaign Update
Three Easy Ways to Participate. Please help support this campaign which helps all the clubs in our District.
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Invite and Inspire
Encourage your members to follow the pages and invite their friends, families, and colleagues. Every share helps amplify Rotary’s reach. -
Show Local Action
Repost campaign content or share your own photos and stories that show Rotarians acting locally. Use hashtags:
#PeopleOfAction #Rotary #[YourClubName]
Again, a Huge Thank-You to Our District Sponsors who help promote Rotary in our District.
Diamond Sponsors: Wedgewood Weddings, Sterling Hills Golf Club
Gold Sponsor: The Fence Factory
NEW! Silver Sponsor: Ventura County Community Foundation
Bronze Sponsors: Ridge Wallet, Poinsettia Pavilion, Lakeview Canyon, Candu Graphics,
Yours in Rotary,
Mike Dutra
District Governor 2025–2026
Rotary District 5240
Mike Dutra
District Governor 2025–2026
Rotary District 5240
In a demonstration of Service Above Self, the Rotaract Club of Ventura recently completed a life-changing international service project in partnership with the Corazon Foundation. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community and months of dedicated fundraising efforts, our club raised a total of $15,000 to contribute to the construction of a brand-new home for a family in need in Mexico.The Rotary Club of China Lake is excited to plant our first Peace Pole on May 18, 2026. We began working on this project at the beginning of 2025, first focusing on finding the best location for a Peace Pole in our community.
I became the club’s Peacebuilder mid-year during the 2023–2024 Rotary year when Mary Lundstrom asked for a volunteer to step into the position. Our District Governor wanted every club to have a Peacebuilder representative for the year.
I was then asked to continue serving as the club’s Peacebuilder Chair during the 2024–2025 Rotary year. During that time, I participated in the Relay for Peace, presented the Peace Baton to the City, and began learning more about my role in building peace within our community.
Join Cambria Rotary for a vibrant afternoon at Taste of Mexico—featuring authentic Mexican cuisine, local favorites, and a community coming together for something bigger.
Every ticket helps bring reliable, daily access to clean water to the village of San Jose Piedras Blancas in Michoacán, Mexico—where families currently receive water only a few hours every other day.
Sunday, May 31, 2026
3:00–5:00 PM
Camp Ocean Pines
$55 (1) | $100 (2)
3:00–5:00 PM
Camp Ocean Pines
$55 (1) | $100 (2)
Enjoy amazing food while making a real difference. ❤️
Get your tickets: https://tasteofmexico.fundraiser.support/ or by scanning the QR code in the flyer.
Get your tickets: https://tasteofmexico.fundraiser.support/ or by scanning the QR code in the flyer.
Cayucos Rotary has joined Rotary Clubs of Lompoc, Nipomo, San Luis Obispo Breakfast, San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, and Westlake Village Sunrise to build the two classrooms at an elementary school in Morelia, Mexico. In addition to clubs from Rotary District 5240, our Sister Districts 3721, 3722 from South Korea and 4140 from Mexico also contributed to the funding.
Presently, the school serves about 400 native students from Grades 1 to 5 in the poorer neighborhoods in Morelia. Of the five dilapidated classrooms, three classrooms have been rebuilt, and two remain to be rebuilt. The pathways, sidewalks and compound courtyard also need work. Prior to new classrooms, about 20 students were squeezed into a small classroom with no windows, unpaved concrete flooring, old desks and rusty chairs. Although part of the material cost is subsidized by the government, the school does not have sufficient funds to rebuild classrooms.
Presently, the school serves about 400 native students from Grades 1 to 5 in the poorer neighborhoods in Morelia. Of the five dilapidated classrooms, three classrooms have been rebuilt, and two remain to be rebuilt. The pathways, sidewalks and compound courtyard also need work. Prior to new classrooms, about 20 students were squeezed into a small classroom with no windows, unpaved concrete flooring, old desks and rusty chairs. Although part of the material cost is subsidized by the government, the school does not have sufficient funds to rebuild classrooms.
On Saturday, September 27, 2025, the Solvang Rotary Club, together with other Rotary clubs from the Santa Ynez Valley and the Solvang Parks and Recreation Department, participated in a clean-up and maintenance event at Sunny Fields Park in Solvang. Rotarians spread bark mulch, planted flowers, removed weeds, and painted sections of the park. This annual project is organized by the Rotary Clubs from the Santa Ynez Valley to support the upkeep of the park for public use.
Rotary Club of Solvang collaborated with a local nonprofit, Hidden Wings, for an environmental service project at a local lavender farm where the students and Rotarians participated in learning about sustainable farming and were able to get their hands on experience and actually plant lavender.
At Next Gen Rotary, service is more than something we do, it's how we build community, friendships, leadership, and a shared sense of purpose.
This Rotary year, our club embraced the overarching theme "Impact Over Intent," a mindset that guided everything from our service projects to our speakers, socials, and member experience. Each month, we explored themes centered on personal growth, leadership, community engagement, and meaningful action, shaping the content of our meetings and the conversations within our club. For us, Rotary is not just about good ideas, it is about showing up, rolling up our sleeves, and creating tangible impact together.
Our members regularly participate in environmental projects like the Agoura Creek Cleanup and beach cleanups at Ormond Beach, making a real difference in our own backyard. These activities bring members, families, friends, and prospective members together, building service and stronger relationships along the way. An annual favorite is hosting a water station during the Agoura Great Race, where members cheer on the runners, including some of our own members who run, and hand out water, keeping our club engaged and connected to the Conejo Valley community.
All hands on deck! We put the Rotary motto of "Service above Self" to work April 25, replanting and beautifying the landscaping around the Salvation Army building on Cook Street - lots of red azaleas- as part of Serve Santa Maria, a community-wide effort which brings residents together to complete service projects across local parks, schools and neighborhoods.
On the weekend of January 16th, 13 members of Thousand Oaks Rotary traveled to Tijuana, Mexico to visit our Sister Club, The Rotary Club of Tijuana. We spent the first day visiting the Castro Limon Children's Cancer Hospital to dedicate new surgical equipment purchased through a Global Grant. This pediatric cancer center is the only hospital treating childhood cancer in all of Baja CA. Tijuana and Thousand Oaks Rotary clubs have supported this hospital for years with grants to purchase equipment and provide chemotherapy drugs. It is a comprehensive holistic cancer center which means they focus on the mental, physical, nutritional and medical needs of each child and also supports their families as they traverse the cancer journey. Patients do not pay for their services and most are indigent.
The next day, we participated in 3 Kings Day, a program sponsored the Tijuana Rotarians to provide a day of fun and inspiration for about 500 special needs kids and their families. This program provides food, gifts and a day of celebration for children and families who often struggle to survive.
The next day, we participated in 3 Kings Day, a program sponsored the Tijuana Rotarians to provide a day of fun and inspiration for about 500 special needs kids and their families. This program provides food, gifts and a day of celebration for children and families who often struggle to survive.
Four Rotary Clubs and the City of San Luis Obispo unite to plant the city’s first Peace Pole
A lasting symbol of unity took root in Downtown San Luis Obispo on April 14, 2026, as four Rotary Clubs and the City united to plant the city’s first Peace Pole at Mission Plaza.
Mayor Erica A. Stewart and Rotary representative Michele Murfin presided over the dedication. The Peace Pole stands as a permanent symbol of goodwill, bearing the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in eight languages, including English, Spanish, and yak titu titu yak tithini Northern Chumash, honoring the region’s diverse history. The ceremony culminated with a special performance of John Lennon’s “Imagine” by the San Luis Obispo Youth Symphony and Central Coast Children’s Choir. The event drew a large crowd and was featured on our local NBC station, KSBY.
More than 1,000 middle school students from San Luis Obispo County gathered at SLO High School on May 2 for the 2026 Rotary de Tolosa Teen Track meet, a club tradition going on 40 years.
Hosted annually by the Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, Teen Track began in 1985 as the county’s only middle school track and field meet. Today, it continues to provide local students with an opportunity to compete, build confidence, and experience the excitement of athletics in a positive and supportive environment.
Students participated in a full day of track and field events, including relays, sprints, distance races, and field competitions, cheered on by coaches, families, volunteers, and classmates. Beyond the competition, the event highlights sportsmanship, perseverance, and community connection.
