The Manteca Rotary Club’s 58th  Kick-Out and Installation of Officers Dinner was held Thursday night in the Manteca Transit Station with retired police chief Nick Obligacion becoming the new president succeeding Jeff Shields who led the South San Joaquin Irrigation District for years.
Rotary’s Theme this year of “Making a Difference” was underscored by asking past presidents to stand at their tables and tell of the projects in the community during their tenures as the head of the service club that follows the tenant, “Service Above Self.”
Rotary’s last major project was in Honduras consisting of building houses, water projects, dental clinic and eye glasses for $450,000 along with the Rotary International Foundation.  Manteca Rotary continues an eyeglass project in Honduras to date having dispensed over 40,000 eye glasses.
This year alone Rotarians have contributed $13,250 to high school scholarships, $500 to the Camp Rotary Youth Leadership High School Student Training Program, $1,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank, $1,000 to the annual Thanksgiving dinner, $1,000 to the Special Access Day for Children, $1,000 for library books given to third grade students, $500 to the Not Forgotten program, $500 to the Hope Family Shelter, $1,500 to the Boys and Girls Club, $375 to the High School Speech Contest, $1,000 to the Law Day Officers of the Year program, $1,000 to Polio Plus – to eliminate Polio forever and $5,000 to International programs around the world.
Past District Governor of District 5220, Mark Oliver, presented a framed Paul Harris Award to incoming President Nick Obligacion – representing a donation of $1,000 from the recipient. 
Past presidents from as far back as the 1970s stood at their tables and told of their official projects that made a difference in the Manteca community and in the world starting with Oliver and following with those in attendance including Fred Stellhorn, John Brinton, Al Nunes, Bill Whiteside, Glenn Kahl, Shaun Nussbaumer and Charlie Halford.
The first Manteca Rotary president was Lucas Hat who served in the 1959-1960 year followed by Al Roecks, John Guthmiller and Hollon Stamps.
In conclusion Shields said, “It has really been an honor to be president of my club – the best year of my life.  We function a lot better now because women are in the club.”
The Manteca Rotary Club meets every Thursday at 12:10 p.m. at the Rendezvous Room at Casino Real on North Main Street in Manteca. 

To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.