June 2008 Breakfast meeting - Saturday 6/14/08

We are excited to welcome Coach Lynn Rogers, president of Coach’s Oats, as our June Guest Speaker. Coach Rogers knows about persistence and excellence. He began the women’s gymnastics program at California State University, Fullerton, and coached the Titans for 24 years. Under his tutelage, Fullerton won a national championship and six regional championships, producing 66 individual All-American awards.

Coach Rogers next focused that same persistence towards excellence on his quest to develop a better oatmeal. He and his wife Bonnie experimented with tasting, grinding and cooking their own oatmeal, and in the process discovered a way to make oats tasty and hearty while cooking in fewer than five minutes. When friends tried Coach’s oatmeal, they didn’t want to go back to regular oatmeal, and Coach’s Oats was born. That was 1992. Before long, Coach and Bonnie were grinding oats all weekend long just to fill their friends' orders. They incorporated Coach’s Oats as a company in 1993. In 1995, Coach received two U.S. Patents on his oatmeal and Roman Meal began milling Coach's Oats.

Coach turned his attention full-time to running Coach’s Oats in 1999. Since then, Coach’s Oats products have been on store shelves throughout the United States and selected international locations. Today, you can find items such as Coach’s Oats oatmeal, cookies and pancake mix on the market (see http://www.coachsoats.com/ for additional information).

Lynn and Bonnie live in Brea, California, with their children, Nolan, 14, and Calvin, 12, and their dog, Jack, 8. The family is active in their church in Fullerton and is involved in the FAST swim team in Fullerton. Lynn loves to swim, surf and play guitar.

As always, we will start with Mass at 8 AM, and follow up with breakfast at 8:30 AM. Chef Lawrence will again be heading the Breakfast Crew. Come hungry, and bring some friends. Please RSVP to Steve Shanklin at 562-505-8238 or email at olrcmenf@ourladyofrefuge.org, including the number of guests you will be bringing, so that we can plan for food.

May 2008 Breakfast meeting - Saturday 5/10/08

Our May guest speaker will be Drew Marcos. Drew is an alumni of OLR (97) and St. John Bosco (01) and is currently pursuing a degree in Special Education. Drew has been active in Youth & Confirmation ministry for 10 years. He is also an accomplished percussionist who has played with OLR's 5:30 contemporary ensemble and the CSULB Catholic Newman Club. Drew's talk will be titled "Broken, Fallen, Risen," which will detail his personal struggles and victories with his Catholic faith, and how his involvement in parish & campus ministry has provided a sure path for his journey. Drew is currently the percussionist for the 12:30 Life Teen Mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Long Beach. He also finds time to play with his own, as yet unnamed band, as well as playing with Catholic bands the Perfect Cry and Walking Refuge.

The morning starts with the 8:00 am Mass, followed by breakfast and fellowship. Everyone is welcome. Drew's message is powerful to all of us; however, we believe that this will really hit home to the Catholic high school and college age kids. You can RSVP by responding to this email.