Project Background:

The Rotary Club of Cayucos has been searching for a local project with regional significance for a few years now. After discussions with other Rotary Club, we found we were not alone in this endeavor.

In a recent conversation with a Paso Robles Rotary member, it was brought to our attention that the Rancho El Chorro Outdoor Education Campus was looking for some badly need improvements to its aging infrastructure; military buildings that are 40+ years old.

Rancho El Chorro:

1. Reaches over 10,000 young people a year.
2. Focuses on Environmental Literacy.
3. Teaches the importance of high ethical standards, conflict resolution, and the 4 Way Test.

This project will:

Enhance Rotary’s image and brand to a broad spectrum of young people, their parents, and grandparents

Bring a needed educational project to the heart of California, the most populous state in the US.
Bring hundreds of Rotarians together for a single purpose, and
Be FUN!!!!

Children are very literal when they are young. They start out being taught right and wrong. Later in life this is challenged on a daily basis, by a constant bombardment from different mediums; musical lyrics, action movies, television shows, video games, and peer pressure.

Learning the Four-Way Test’s ethical standards of conduct early on, will better prepare them for the future, thereby benefitting society as a whole.

Project Overview

Cultivating Future Membership

The future of Rotary lies in the capacity to attract like-minded people who have a desire to make a difference in their community and the world. It is never too soon to start to develop a connection with Rotary to a growing population of young people.

There is connectivity with Rotary organizations from High School to College to the workplace. The Rancho El Chorro project adds a new tier to this progression.

Rotary International = Leaders in business and communities 31+
Rotaract = College and young professionals 18-30 years of age
Interact = High School students 14-18 years of age
Rancho El Chorro = Elementary and middle school students 9-13 years of age

How could each Participating Rotary Club Meet This Challenge?

Adopt a specific part of the project.
Create a Project Committee to oversee your club’s part of the project.
Encourage members who have construction backgrounds, or are connected to suppliers of needed materials to be active in this project. (Architects, engineers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, glass fabricators or retailers, etc.)
Partner with another club If you don’t have construction industry members, or the finances to take part independently.
Donate into a pool that puts your club's name on a plaque for participating.

Funding

Because of the size of this project, it will be broken down into manageable parts. Each Rotary Club will adopt a part that it feels it can comfortably deliver.

Funding will be the responsibility of each club for their part of the project. Whether a club donates materials, labor, or financing, or a combination of all three, is up to the discretion of the club.

If your club is small and doesn’t have the financial resources, join with other clubs to pool your funds and adopt a part of the project as Rotary Partners.

As a group of clubs, if applicable, you can apply your District Designated Funds to enhance the success of the project.

Remember this is a 3 to 5 year project. Be patient and watch the progress as it marches along.

Summary

A state-of-the-art outdoor educational campus that emphasizes taking care of our physical environment while learning about the Four-way Test’s ethical standards of behavior is a rare opportunity. Enlisting Rotary Clubs from around the world to become a part of a global private/public partnership would provide an example to all of what Rotary Clubs can be accomplish together. This is a very exciting and energizing project. I invite you to join the Rotary Club of Cayucos, and many other clubs in accomplishing the extraordinary.

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”