MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Rotary Club of Middletown announces its new 2019-20 president, Belinda Joy, and votes for a new meeting day.

Meetings will be held on Thursday mornings – instead of Friday – at the Greenview Restaurant in Hidden Valley Lake starting at 7 a.m. The time and location remain the same.

“Switching our regular weekly meeting to Thursday mornings will avoid meeting conflicts with other Rotary Clubs of Lake County,” said incoming President Belinda Joy. “This change will provide the opportunity for all Rotarians and friends of Rotarians to visit other clubs without missing their own local community meeting.”

Joy joined the Rotary Club of Middletown in 2016. As a resident of Hidden Valley Lake and an active and engaged member of the community, being a Rotarian comes second nature to Joy.

Before taking over the role as president, she served as club treasurer, social event chair, and was an essential member of the “Small Town, Big Heart Gala” team.

The gala is the club’s largest “fun’draising” event held each year at Twin Pine Casino.

The date of the 2020 Gala is Jan. 25; an event not to be missed. Sponsorship opportunities are available and donations are greatly appreciated.

A team of key leaders and community volunteers will assist Joy during her term as president. The new officers are Vice President Dennis Skinner, Treasurer Nita Goar, Secretary Ron Roberts, Sergeant of Arms Beau Flores, and club directors Monica Rosenthal and Duane Barnes, who is also assistant district.

Other members of the Rotary Club of Middletown will serve on various committees such as
the local community and international projects, membership, social media, branding and the event committee to name a few.

“I am looking forward to an exciting year as the club’s president. I have to admit, following Kathey Crothers, our outgoing president, is a bit daunting, but I am up for the challenge,” said Joy. “We have a lot to do for our community right here locally as well as assisting our neighbors throughout the county and offering support on an international basis.”

Some of the past projects performed by the Middletown Rotary Club include new “drive careful” signs posted by our schools, friendship benches and dictionaries for our elementary schools, library books for middle school students, and a town clock in the Middletown park.

Middletown Rotarians also provide scholarship opportunities and run the local foreign student exchange program.

Middletown Rotarians were proud to join the efforts of the three other Lake County Rotary Clubs – Lakeport, Kelseyville and Clearlake – to form the Lake Area Rotary Club Association, or LARCA, to assist with fire recovery, business support and the planting of more than 5,500 trees in the Trailside Park in Middletown.

On an international level, Middletown Rotary has played a huge role in raising funds and awareness for the Rotary “End Polio” campaign.

The club also participates in refurbishing schools, sponsoring a young girl education in Guatemala, providing save learning environments and sports equipment for youth in Santa Rosalia, BCS.

“Please come join us and be part of the fun and the worthwhile projects,” said Joy. “There is room in the club for all who wish to make a difference in a variety of ways. The connectivity is amazing and you’ll have some fun in the process.”

Anyone interested in learning more about Rotary is encouraged to attend one of the Club’s meetings, go to www.middletowncarotary.org or visit “Rotary Club of Middletown” on Facebook.

Rotary is a worldwide organization that connects people from all cultures and occupations who which to empower youth, improve health, promote peace and advance communities. The common theme is “service above self.”

For more information about how you can become a Middletown Rotary Club member, call Belinda Joy at 415-519-3215 or join them Thursdays at 7 a.m. at the Greenview Restaurant in Hidden Valley Lake.