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WELCOME TO ROTARY DISTRICT 5240

Rotary District 5240 is home to nearly 3,000 passionate members across 67 Rotary and Rotaract Clubs and 48 Interact Clubs. Our District covers four counties in Central California, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Kern, and includes unique clubs such as a Chapter Club in Guatemala and the globally-minded Rotary E-Club of One World D5240.

Clubs in our district are active across all avenues of Rotary service, local and international projects, youth development programs, leadership initiatives, and meaningful fellowship. Together, we are People of Action, making a lasting impact in our communities and around the world.

A MESSAGE FROM THE DISTRICT GOVERNOR

November Highlights & December Preview

Cindy and I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It has been inspiring to see how many of our District clubs spent the holiday serving others, sharing meals, supporting families, and reminding us all how fortunate we are to be able to serve our communities.

In November, we visited nine more clubs, three of them within a 20-hour stretch! Events included a ground breaking ceremony for an inclusive park, Morrison Park, a Peace Pole ceremony for the Boys and Girls Club in Carpinteria, celebrating four new Interact clubs for our district and one new Rotaract club at Moorpark Collage.

One clear takeaway continues to stand out: clubs whose President-Elects attended the PE Retreat, SWPETS training, and the Rotary Learning Center courses are thriving. They’re adapting, growing, and leading with confidence. As we approach January 2026, I encourage every club to confirm its President-Elect and ensure they are taking full advantage of available training resources.

December will be another full and festive month as we visit six more clubs (three in one day), be part of the Santa Maria Parade of Lights, enjoy Holidays in the Village in Thousand Oaks, and celebrate at several club holiday parties. This season is also a great opportunity for clubs to bring members and families together, whether through socials, small service projects, sharing traditions, or simply gathering to enjoy friendship.

As the year comes to a close, Cindy and I want to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a joyful holiday season with your loved ones. We hope you find a moment to take a deep breath, recharge, and reflect on the meaningful work you do.

Looking Ahead

December is Disease Prevention and Treatment Month

As you know, every month is dedicated to one of the major themes of our Rotary lives; this month the theme is that which RI is perhaps best known for, at least among non-Rotarians.

The eradication of polio has of course been Rotary International's s major worldwide, corporate effort since the early 1980’s. And remarkable progress has been made. The job is not finished however and you can rest assured that we will not, cannot, set this torch down until that job is finished.

Disease prevention and treatment is one of the Rotary Foundation Areas of Focus. And for good reason. The health and vitality of a person, a family and a community can be seriously impaired by what in many cases is a preventable disease. Disease prevention is really a keystone to progress in other areas as well because of the interplay with other areas of focus like Water and Sanitation and Maternal & Child Health.

What can you do?

See what Rotarians are doing in Disease Prevention and Treatment

Learn more about our efforts to End Polio.

Check out the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG).

Browse Rotary Showcase for member projects helping to fight disease and see what other Rotarians and Clubs are doing.

Or you can find a project to sponsor on Rotary Ideas.

PeopleOfAction.org Campaign Update

Three Easy Ways to Participate (I know this was in the last newsletter. We need more participation!)

Follow and Engage
Follow Rotary People of Action on Facebook and Instagram. Like, comment, and share the posts that resonate most with your club’s work.
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

Bronze Sponsors: Ridge Wallet, Poinsettia Pavilion, Lakeview Canyon, Candu Graphics,

Tammy Dobrotin - State Farm and James Shipe of Wilde Wealth Management Group

Yours in Rotary,
Mike Dutra
District Governor 2025–2026
Rotary District 5240

How Rotary service can sustain us in our darkest hour

By Jessica Bailey Weiss, president of the Rotary Club of Morro Bay, California, USA

My dad, John Weiss, was relentless about Rotary, even when he was forced to do his service work or attend club meetings virtually from his hospital bed.

Throughout various treatments for a rare type of cancer, he didn’t want to miss out on being there for our club and for other clubs that he helped as a past district governor.

Bakersfield North Feed North of the River Families for Thanksgiving

On Monday, November 24 at 8:00am, Bakersfield North Rotary along with Chevron, North High, Frontier High, Centennial High and Standard School District volunteers, packaged and distributed 390 Thanksgiving Basket food boxes for North of the River families who might otherwise not have a Thanksgiving dinner. The distribution to families will took place via drive through.

This was the 25th year that Bakersfield North Rotary has raised money for their Thanksgiving Basket project. It is a favorite project among Bakersfield North Rotarians. Most of the funds are raised through individual donations by North Rotarians. In addition to donating personally, these Rotarians help secure corporate sponsorships and volunteer services from companies like Chevron and Supervisor Jeff Flores’ office. Rotary also receives in-kind donations from Allied Potato, Goodwill, the Wonderful Company and Standard School District. The efforts and the generosity of Rotarians help to ensure that these families have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Families who were identified as most in need by the school will receive the baskets and they will be at the Standard Middle School Multi-Purpose Room located at 1222 N. Chester Avenue.

Surplus funds raised by Bakersfield North Rotarians during this year’s Thanksgiving Basket project will go to support Church Without Walls to help families year-round. Church Without Walls is a group that feeds the homeless and hungry in the Oildale area.

A Winter's Night at the Races

Come check out the ponies at “A Winter’s Night at the Races,” a unique fundraiser presented by the Los Olivos Rotary Club on Saturday, February 7, 2026 from 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm at St. Mark’s in the Valley located in Los Olivos.

This fun-filled evening kicks off with cocktails and hearty hors d’oeuvres while attendees have an opportunity to select their winning horse for the betting to follow. Then the pre-recorded races begin, and the horses are off and running. Racing “fever” ensues, and the excitement runs high.

Tickets to A Winter’s Night at the Races are $100 which includes hearty hors d'oeuvres, specialty cocktails, wine bottles on the tables, and “funny money” for betting on the ponies. Once the races have concluded, special prizes will be given to the three attendees who end up winning the most “funny money.”