Dunbar himself came in for special recognition when he was awarded a special Rotary Foundation pin by Rotary Club Historian Nils Rueckert and a Paul Harris Society membership certificate by Past District #5240 Governor Jan Lindsay, a Santa Paula resident. Maria Bombara received her second Paul Harris Fellowship from Lindsay for taking on the tough job of putting out the Rotary District #5240 newsletter.Elly Cornetius, a former Santa Paula resident, received a Paul Harris Fellowship Award from longtime friend and Rotarian Carl Barringer. Elly is the widow of Bill Cornetius, who served as the Rotary Club of Santa Paula’s president in 1957-1958.Barringer noted during a recap of the club’s history that Bill Cornetius, the area’s former Shell Oil dealer, had received a Paul Harris Fellowship in the late 1990s. About three years ago - upon Cornetius’ death in an Oregon automobile accident - Elly made a sizable donation to the club in his memory.
Paul Smith honored with Santa Paula Rotary Club’s Gale Mason Award
July 29, 2005
Santa Paula News
Paul Smith of Santa Paula hasn’t been a member of the Rotary Club for all that long, but his outstanding efforts towards various programs and leadership of the Scholarship Committee garnered the retired naval aviator the club’s prestigious Gale Mason Award.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesPaul Smith of Santa Paula hasn’t been a member of the Rotary Club for all that long, but his outstanding efforts towards various programs and leadership of the Scholarship Committee garnered the retired naval aviator the club’s prestigious Gale Mason Award. Past President Scott Dunbar presented Smith with the award, named for the late Rotarian and given to the Rotarian who “shows the quality of Rotary that Gale had...when a Rotarian asked you to do something, you always say yes.”Smith, who joined Santa Paula Rotary in February 2004, led the annual Scholarship Awards committee and displayed such enthusiasm and dedication that he upgraded the event “to its former glory years,” said Dunbar. Under Smith’s leadership, the Rotary Club of Santa Paula presented $9,000 in scholarships to graduating Santa Paula High School seniors at a special dinner for the graduates and their families.Smith and his wife Suzanne are relative newcomers to Santa Paula. Paul Smith attended San Fernando Valley State College and then the Naval War College; he is interested in sports, travel and flying. Smith is also the president of AARP, and has served the city’s Area on Aging Commission.
