Ramona Clubs & Organizations

Some of Ramona’s clubs and organizations will be taking summer breaks, but graduation-related scholarships and other pre-hiatus activities will be keeping the organizations busy,

The May activities of the Ramona Garden Club included a gathering May 11 at the Guy B. Woodward Museum to hear guest speaker and organic gardener Connie Beck and a May 26 meeting at the Ramona Senior Center to hear guest speaker Dan Lammers of Rancho San Miguel Exotic Fruit explain his pesticide-free growing operations, provide sources to find exotic fruit trees, and explain the basics of grafting. On June 6, the Ramona Garden Club and the East County Rose Society will get together for a potluck lunch at 21185 Sutherland Dam Road, and on June 23 the regular monthly meeting will be held at the Ramona Senior Center.

The Ramona Woman’s Club had several May outings, including a May 6 presentation on efforts to establish a Special Olympics organization in Ramona, a May 10 literary review, a May 13 luncheon and card party, and a May 27 visit by the Ladybugs to the Cactus and Succulent Connection in Valley Center. The Ramona Women’s Club has two additional activities before recessing until September; on June 3, an end-of-the-year pot luck and officer installation will be held, and on June 14, a catered lunch will combine the literary and Ladybugs activities.

The Ramona Women’s Connection is a separate organization from the Ramona Woman’s Club; on June 16, the Ramona Women’s Connection will have a meeting featuring the annual home-sewn fashion show. Due to schedule issues, the June 16 event at the Sizzler will be a breakfast meeting and begin at 9 a.m. The attire, including some apparel produced by the Ramona 4-H Club, will be modeled by both women and young girls. The program will also feature Valerie Garrett, a former teacher and disc jockey and current insurance agent, who will speak about her unpaid activity of finding love in the personal ads.

The Ramona Council of Arts Unlimited will be taking advantage of the summer schedules to offer enrichment classes. Summer classes include a three-week workshop for serious dancers as well as jazz and hip-hop dance, tumbling, and fitness classes. Classes begin June 22, and registration is being coordinated through Jill’s Dance Studio.

Ramona’s Kiwanis Club heard
a speaker from the Maritime Museum during the Kiwanis’ May 8 meeting; that presentation centered on the Star of India. In June, the Kiwanis will culminate the process awarding of approximately $4,000 of scholarships; presentations to Ramona High School graduates will be made June 5, and Montecito High School graduates will receive scholarships June 15. On June 6, the Kiwanis will venture to Children’s Hospital in San Diego to participate in the Miracle Mile of Quarters, and on June 27, the group will enjoy a wine tasting at Schwaesdall Winery.

Ramona’s Soroptimist chapter will also be presenting scholarships at Ramona and Montecito, although not necessarily on the same days as the Kiwanis. Funds for the Soroptomist scholarships were raised in part by an April 30 bunko party and a May 22 garage sale.

The Soroptimist chapter officers elected in April will be installed June 23 during a dinner banquet held at the Sizzler, and service awards will be presented. Other than co-sponsorship, along with the Kiwanis of the 4th of July fireworks and some cotton candy sales for that holiday, the Soroptimists will be limiting themselves to committee meetings until September.

The Ramona chapter of TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) will continue its weekly meetings. On May 29, TOPS members walked around the Ramona High School football field as part of an effort to raise funds for next year’s Area Recognition Day.

Ramona’s Business Network International chapter will meet June 8 to decide whether to continue weekly Tuesday morning meetings at the Kountry Kitchen or whether to meet every other week. BNI is a business networking group with approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide and about 30 chapters in San Diego County. The Ramona chapter will be chartered once 15 members have committed. Wayne Richardson, who belongs to the Rancho Bernardo chapter, is helping to launch the Ramona BNI club. When the chapter becomes official, a kickoff meeting will be held.

The Ramona Trails Association began its May activities with a May 5 meeting featuring guest speaker Sue Wade, an archaeologist for the state Department of Parks and Recreation. Wade spoke on the various impacts of the Cedar Fire, which included uncovering previously-unnoticed archaeological sites. While the new sites discovered were among the few benefits of the fire, the tasks now also include protecting those sites from raiders. On May 22, several members of the Ramona Trails Association attended an archaeological training session at the Rancho Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve.

On May 8, the trails group held a scavenger hunt for Hoot and Holler Days, the equestrian group earned some money by handling the parking duties for the May 14-16 Ramona Round-Up Rodeo, and members rode in the rodeo parade May 15. Trail rides for the group included a May 29 ride utilizing the Pine Street Trail, which access the Cleveland National Forest. June activities include the June 5 poker ride for National Trails Day, which will begin at the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, and a June 26 ride at the San Dieguito River Park.

The Ramona Trails Association’s May activities also included helping with cattle settling during a team penning competition at San Pasqual’s Cloverdale arena. Because that assistance also provides funds for the group, they will be helping at a team penning competition this month at Ramona’s Fred Grand Arena.

The Ramona Equine Industrial Network is working on the Ramona Equine Directory and is seeking volunteers as well as listings. REIN is also continuing to work with the County of San Diego’s Department of Planning and Land Use on the zoning aspects of the county’s general plan update.