Red Bluff Rotary

Things heat up around here during rodeo season, but that doesn't mean HARD WORK goes unnoticed. Take a peek at a couple of Rotarians who have gone the extra mile for our club.

🏆 APRIL ROTARIAN OF THE MONTH 🏆

Longtime club veteran DALE STROUD earns the honor for taking on a project most of us didn't even realize needed to be done.

Dale spent hours walking Cone & Kimball Plaza, documenting every commemorative brick in the park—capturing who, what, and where. He then categorized, mapped, and packaged it all into one tidy spreadsheet. (A special shoutout to his awesome other half, Marlu, for helping with the data entry.)

The information will be incorporated into our website overhaul later this summer, helping preserve an important piece of our club's history for years to come. Thanks, Dale. You da best.

🏆 MAY ROTARIAN OF THE MONTH 🏆

Our fearless Club Secretary, SUE AMPI, is overdue in the award department.

When there was a lack of interest in the position last July, Sue stepped up without hesitation. From day one, she has absolutely crushed the role. From maintaining meticulous records and handling minutes like a boss to keeping the president sane on more than one occasion, Sue has gone above and beyond at every turn.

Much of what Sue does happens quietly behind the scenes, but our club is stronger because of it. Sue, thank you for your selfless service—we appreciate you more than you know.

Now THAT was a ROTARY WORKDAY. 💙💛

Yesterday, our fantastic group of Rotarians took some meeting time to officially stand up our new committee structure. The conversations were thoughtful, the ideas were flowing, and momentum was absolutely created. More importantly, LEADERSHIP was SHARED. And wow, does that feel SO dang good.

From Membership and Literacy to PolioPlus, Sunshine, Interact, and everything in between, Rotarians rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

And perhaps the best sign of all? We became so ENGAGED in the conversation that we completely lost track of time and ran well past our scheduled end. That's what happens when good people gather around a shared purpose.

The future feels bright, friends. Shared leadership, collective ownership, and a whole lot of ROTARY MAGIC are alive and well in Red Bluff. ✨

Today, our Red Bluff Rotary family grew by three — please join us in warmly welcoming Susan Murphy, Sidney Ross, and Victoria Fowler. Counting our honorary members, we’re now 102 strong! Welcome to our club, and we look forward to serving our community with you!

TEAM ROTARY ROCKSTARS' latest (and by golly, perhaps greatest) social idea yet took place last night: BOOK CLUB! 📚✨

The featured title? THEO OF GOLDEN—a charming and thought-provoking story about a mysterious man, kindness, patience, and the incredible power of human connection.

Over tasty appetizers, good wine, and peaceful river views, a group of Rotarians gathered to share thoughts, insights, and a few laughs (tears, too) inspired by this remarkable novel. And isn't that the magic of a good book? Somewhere between the pages and the heartfelt conversation, friendships deepen and connections grow.

A special thank you to Terri for opening her beautiful home to the club, and to the Rockstars for donating the wine to the cause.

And a huge round of applause for Tricia, who planned and led an unforgettable gathering. From portrait sketches of attendees and characters to letters for Theo, Oxbow Featherwood creations, and thoughtful discussion questions, every detail was intentional and beyond meaningful. You didn't miss a beat, friend.

Now the question is . . . what's our next book? 📖❤️

With deep gratitude and pride, the Red Bluff Rotary presented the Les Wolfe Honorary Scholarship at our last club meeting to Imanol Griego. This scholarship supports students pursuing careers in construction, mechanics, and the skilled trades — pathways Les believed in and championed.

Les Wolfe called Red Bluff home for 64 years. He began his working life at Red Bluff Chrysler Dodge, later worked for and ultimately owned Gibbs Auto Body, retiring after 48 years in the auto body business. Les joined Rotary in 1988 and served as club president in 1996–97 — the year our club acquired the Cone & Kimball lot that has become Cone and Kimball Plaza. He stayed involved and generous with his time and spirit until he passed in February 2026.

Congratulations, Imanol. Thank you for honoring Les’s legacy by pursuing work that builds and repairs our community. And thank you, Les — your kindness and dedication continue to make a real difference.

We’re also pleased to highlight the Gene Penne Memorial Scholarship — an annual Red Bluff Rotary honorary scholarship made possible by the Penne family's long‑standing support. The award is presented to a Red Bluff High student who plans to attend Chico State and major in Business or a related field.

Gene Penne was a dedicated community leader, businessman, and Rotarian, and served as our club president in 1972–73. His daughter, Susan Penne McFadyen, attended our last meeting to present this year’s scholarship.

Congratulations to recipient Jonah French — best wishes for success at Chico State
and in his business studies!

In addition to the 22 Red Bluff Rotary scholarships awarded at our last meeting, we presented three Honorary Scholarships. The first of the three we are highlighting is the Tex Ash Honorary Scholarship, lovingly awarded to Summer Kafader — granted to a student pursuing music and the arts.

Tex Ash (joined Rotary, May 2003) and his wife, Sharon Barrett, filled our club with music, warmth and generosity — whether he was playing his upright bass at the Western Fiddle Championships or knitting scarves to share at our holiday exchange. Tex’s kindness and passion inspired everyone who knew him. He remained an active, joyful presence in Rotary until his passing in March 2026.

We are humbled to honor Tex’s memory by supporting young artists who carry forward his spirit of creativity and community.

Please join us in congratulating our Red Bluff Rotary Student of the Month, Red Bluff High Junior, Kylan Tingley! Kylan combines academic excellence (4.2 GPA) with leadership as a student athlete and creative achievement — her logo design was adopted by Tehama County SELPA and RBHS departments. She aims to become a speech pathologist and is actively developing skills in graphic design, media management and journalism. Well done, Kylan.

One of our favorite Rotary meetings of the year — honoring some incredible students! Thanks to the long-standing partnership between Red Bluff Rotary and the Red Bluff Round-Up Association, our Rotary Scholarship Program continues to thrive. Because of this relationship, we were able to award $1,500 scholarships to 22 students from Los Molinos High and Red Bluff High.

Congratulations to:
Aaliyah Sides
Addyson Alderson
Alejandra Rubio Castro
Ana Saavedra‑Cervantes
Asia Lugo
Elizabeth Monarrez
Imanol Griego
Jazlynn Goss
Jesus Dimas
Jonah French
Joshua Hartsell
Laila Atwood‑Fischer
Lila Magana
Lilly Rogers
Makaylee Webb
Marco Zepeda Garibay
Paige Ericksen
Reese Plemons
Ricardo Cherveny
Robyn Rice
Saphira Hart
Summer Kafader

Thank you, Red Bluff Round‑Up Association — we couldn’t do this without you!

Please join us in welcoming four new members to Red Bluff Rotary! 🎉👋

• Rosanna Larsen-Burrill
• Nicole Braswell
• Eric Gould
• Chris Fish

Though newly initiated at our last meeting, they’ve already jumped in—volunteering at beer sales 🍺, the chili cook-off 🌶️, and Special Olympics 🏅.

We’re excited to have you all as a part of the Rotary family! ❤️