Club Meeting: 05/21/2025

Guest Speakers: Captains Keith & Diane Douglass, Wed., May 21 @ 12:30 PM

About Captains Keith and Diane Douglass

Keith and Diane arrived in the Florida Keys following Keith’s transfer from heading the Boy Scouts of America field office in Elmira, NY, in 1990, to manage the programs of the National Boy Scouts Florida Sea Base facilities in Islamorada and later the facilities in Islamorada and Summerland Key. Keith and Diane founded Douglass Marine Company in 1994 after leaving professional scouting to become marine surveyors. Both are accredited marine surveyors with the Society of Marine Surveyors (SAMS), with Diane becoming only the second of now three female accredited marine surveyors in Florida.

Keith is the past president of the Rotary Club of Marathon, past Assistant District Governor for the Keys and an inductee into the second of now three Rotary District 6990 Hall of Fame class. As a former Monroe County Commissioner and County Mayor, Keith became involved with the creation of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and was the advisor to the County’s marine and port advisory committee. With wife Diane, the couple are very active in marine conservation and preservation issues and in their capacity as marine surveyors are associated with organizations such as the Offshore Fisherman of Florida and coral restoration organizations including Mote Marine and the Coral Restoration Foundation.

Upcoming Events & Activities
MONTH OF MAY 2025

• May 8th - Club Assembly Meeting Social
• May 14th - Guest Speaker: Anthony J. Abbate, Topic: "Bridge Project in Africa"
• May 21st - Guest Speakers: Captains Keith and Diane Douglass, Topic: "Marine Environmental Issues"
• May 28th - Club Assembly Meeting Social

WED., MAY 21^ST @ 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM - HYBRID CLUB MEETING GUEST SPEAKERS: CAPTS. KEITH & DIANE DOUGLASS

You have to salute Rotarians Keith and Diane Douglass for their life-long commitment to heal the ocean. They came to our May 21, 2025, meeting via Zoom. Their presentation was interesting, eye opening and thought provocative. They talked to us about the concerns regarding the rising of the ocean and the water temperature. They provided insight about the deterioration of the Florida Keys' reefs with coral bleaching. Keith was particularly proud of sharing that some parts of the Florida Keys now have a new sewer system as opposed to septic tanks which has proved to be so harmful to the environment. It was wonderful to hear about an extraordinary discovery concerning reproducing healthy coral in an aquarium facility and then transporting and planting them on the reefs. We were eager to learn more and asked many questions. Some of them made us laugh. Keith promised to come back with answers. Great meeting.

There is hope!
Evelyn Trinidad-Toraño

THU., MAY 22^ND - CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT CONNIE HEATTER (EARTH DAY CONTEST WINNER)

Look at what Rotarian Connie Heatter got in the mail! 📬 A CERTIFICATE of ACHIEVEMENT for Individual Creativity. Connie won this recognition for participating on the Earth Day Contest. She sent a simple and practical but easy-to-do recycling idea to the Rotary Environmental Sustainability District Action Committee. That is amazing! Connie.🌟

TUE., MAY 27^TH - GULFSTREAM ACADEMY DEDICATION OF THE "KINDNESS ROOM"

The Hallandale Beach-Aventura Rotary Club started working on the Kindness Room at the Gulfstream Academy in November 2025. On that first day we started painting the room. Throughout the next few months, our members would continue working enthusiastically on finishing the painting job, putting together furniture, assembling games and equipment, organizing, replenishing, placing orders, decorating, and making sure everything was completed. Every time we left the Kindness Room it was with a light heart, a smile on our faces, and a sense of happiness and purpose. We poured a lot of Love into this special place.

The Kindness Room went from a dream to reality. To make this possible, the Gulfstream Academy received a Grant of $4,000.00 from the Hallandale Beach-Aventura Rotary Club.

The formal dedication of the Kindness Room took place on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. It was wonderful to see the end result of this great effort and to know so many children are going to benefit from it.

Club President Evelyn Trinidad-Toraño presented a plaque to commemorate this significant event. Principal Lynne Bonny and Mrs. Megan Beddow-Peters, Community Partnership School Director - United Way of Broward County - were ever present on this rewarding journey.

We are truly grateful to Mrs. Adriana Azzolini wife of our very own Rotarian, Alejandro Cascarano for donating the beautiful plaque, and to Alejandro for installing it.

With lots of love, dedication, and the Magic of Rotary everything is possible.

Evelyn Trinidad-Toraño
Club President, Rotary Club of Hallandale Beach-Aventura