As the morning sun gently embraced the skyline of San Francisco, our team of volunteers from the Rotary Clubs of San Francisco and Fisherman’s Wharf, along with delegates from Catholic Charities, eagerly embarked on a journey to the Aquarium of the Bay Ecotarium. The Bay Ecotarium is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to enable conversations on climate resilience and ocean conservation globally, while inspiring actionable change locally by protection and preservation of the San Francisco Bay and its ecosystems.
We were greeted by Melissa, Bay Ecotarium Animal Care Manager who has worked there for the past 18 years. Melissa provided the 13 Rotarians (8 from our Club and 5 from the Fisherman’s Wharf Club) a complete tour of the facility from jelly fish to sharks and sturgeon to the playfulness of river otters.
The Rotary Club of San Francisco had strong representation at last weekend's District Assembly. First, we celebrated incoming Club President Bob Hermann and cheered with bells and horns as he walked through the Presentation of 2024-2025 Club Presidents.
front row: PDG Peter Lagarias, JT Forbus, Todd St Vrain, Dan Joraanstad, Dora Dye, and President-Elect Bob Hermann
second row: Jessica Hansen, Stephanie Schmautz, Frank Yoke, Nancy Graydon, President Sunny Singh, Scott Plakun, Merve Yasavur, Mary Liu, Margaret Miley, and Anita Stangl
back row: PDG Eric Schmautz, Molly Schmautz, Christopher Wiseman, La Carre Ivy, David Dye, and Ozan Yasavur
The Rotary Club of San Francisco Board of Directors met on February 27, 2024 via Zoom. President Sunny Singh called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m. Nancy Graydon, Secretary, recorded the minutes.
In attendance were Nancy Graydon, President-Elect Bob Hermann, Margaret Miley, Alex Omoko, President Sunny Singh, Todd St Vrain, Christopher Wiseman, Ozan Yasavur, Emily Borland, Maureen O'Shea, and Frank Yoke, constituting a quorum. Absent were Dan Davies, Scott Plakun, and Bill Poppen. Today's guest was Mary Liu.
Minutes
The Board reviewed and approved the January 23, 2024 minutes.
Randall Scott will speak on what community benefit districts are and why they are becoming more popular. He will also cover what a public surveillance camera system is and why it’s better run as a public private partnership.
This meet-and-greet is an opportunity for new and prospective members to get better acquainted with each other as well as with a few Club leaders and longer-term members. Hear of service opportunities in our community. Network with leaders in the business community. Learn about Rotary. Light food and refreshments will be provided. Everyone including guests must register.
Join Family House, a grant partner for the Rotary Club of San Francisco, for an opportunity to set up, serve, and clean up dinner for their community. Event is limited to 10 people, and Rotarians may bring a guest. All must register. Volunteers are encouraged to wear Rotary-branded attire that can get dirty, as well as layers to be prepared for multiple weather conditions. Dinners will be served outside on the Family House patio.
Come and enjoy the fun at our 14th Annual Bike Build event! We'll be assembling 150 brand new bikes for distribution to kids in Kindergarten through 3rd grade in the Bayview area of San Francisco. Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, partner organizations, friends, and family are all welcome.
Dr. George Jacob, FRCGS will share his vision of San Francisco tourism in the future. Dr. Jacob is a futurist and the President and CEO of the Smithsonian-affiliated Bay Ecotarium and its seven branches including the San Francisco Aquarium, unified under the mission of ocean conservation, climate resilience, environmental advocacy and sustainability.
Join us for this year's Rotary Day of Service. We will partner with Sutro Stewards and other Rotary clubs in San Francisco to work on the Mt. Sutro restoration project and celebrate the 20th anniversary of Rotary Meadow.
Join us for an engaging and transformative workshop dedicated to honing your storytelling and communication skills. Led by seasoned improvisational experts from Improv.org, this workshop will delve into the art of storytelling and communication through interactive exercises, group activities, and insightful discussions. Registration is limited to 24 people.
Members of the Rotary Club of San Francisco are invited to celebrate Passover with a traditional evening Seder at a private Jewish home in San Francisco. The Seder is a retelling of the story of how the Jews were liberated from slavery in ancient Egypt and a reminder of our obligation to build a better world for everyone. In other words, Service above Self. The dinner features fish, beef, and chicken and costs $45 per Rotarian. Because space is limited, this event is open only to Club members.No guests. The deadline to register is April 21, 2024.
Note: This birthday list is based on membership information in ClubRunner. Please update your ClubRunner account to help us keep this information current. If you need help with ClubRunner, please contact our current newsletter editor.
1983: Peter Lagarias
1987: Anita Stangl
2007: John Mount
2011: Peter Logan
2012: Nga Gomez-Chan
2017: Sunny Singh
2019: Maurice Rivers
2020: Kaushal Chokshi, Jessica Hansen, and Alex Omoko
2021: Matthew Madsen and Andrés Vera
2022: Clifford Phillips and Todd St Vrain
2023: Donna Duensing, Andrea Gung, and Charlie Miles
Note: The year listed above is when these members joined the Rotary Club of San Francisco. Happy anniversary to all!
