Stories

 

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about this proposed addition to our membership.

 

In a remarkable display of community spirit, Rotarians from District 5150 and our Club (the second oldest Rotary Club in the world) rallied together for the San Francisco Walk to End Alzheimer’s on November 4, 2023. The event was graced by the presence of Past Rotary International President (PRIP) Jennifer Jones and her husband, Nick, who joined fellow walkers on this significant journey.

 

Undoubtedly, the highlight of the day was our Club's active involvement. Our members who participated donned our custom, bright neon yellow vests that became a symbol of our collective commitment and made us easily identifiable throughout the walk. A keen eye would spot me center stage proudly holding our Club's sign just behind PRIP Jennifer.

 

 

On a rainy Friday night, almost 20 Club members and 8 guests gathered at the home of Margaret Miley to celebrate Friendsgiving. Among the guests was Alexander Kuch who is a Visiting Rotarian from New Zealand. Alexander was in San Francisco to attend the APEC conference.

 

Everyone brought a dish or two to share, filling up almost two rooms in Margaret's place with great food. Thank you, Margaret, for hosting. We are all thankful to be part of a great Rotary Club and among such good friends.

 

 

President Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) called today's e-meeting to order at 12:15 PM.

 

 

A new grant partner for the Rotary Club of San Francisco is Family House, a home away from home to provide physical comfort and emotional support free from financial concerns to families of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. On November 7, Immediate Past President Christopher Wiseman along with his spouse Eric Sleigh and Club Members Alisha Marfatia, Dan Joraanstad, Bill Gregory, Nancy Graydon, Margaret Miley, and me (Bob Hermann) joined Family House Volunteer Coordinator Terrence Dixon to clean and sanitize kitchen and common areas, offload and distribute meals to those living at Family House, and interface with these families. Club Secretary Nancy Graydon even provided coloring books to the children.

 

Immediate Past President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called today's meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed those online and those attending in person at the Anzu Restaurant in the Hotel Nikko. President Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) was feeling under the weather but very appreciative of the well wishes and good thoughts sent to him.

 

Congratulations to our Club Member Heidi Kühn for winning the 2023 World Food Prize Laureate. She was awarded the World Food Prize for her efforts in turning “mines into vines” by demining war-torn land and turning it back into prosperous farmland for local agriculture to flourish. During the award, Heidi was surprised to learn that prize amount had doubled to $500,000. Previously the award was $250,000.
Read the full story here.

 

Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Eureka (California) for celebrating its 100th birthday on October 10, 2023. Over a century ago, our Club played a role in the creation of the Eureka Club.

 

Let's go back to June 2020 when we were on COVID-19 lockdown. I was your Club Secretary at the time and received an inquiry from Kim Bauriedel, M.D., of the Rotary Club of Eureka. He was gathering information for his club's Centennial Celebration and had a setback: the Tubbs fire near Santa Rosa had destroyed his club's archives and he wondered if our Club might be able to offer some valuable information to help him piece together his club's history. Dr. Bauriedel began with a request for information on Leo Lebenbaum. Leo is credited with organizing and creating the Rotary Club of Eureka. I contacted our own Past President Harold Hoogasian who was keeping our Club's archives, and he was able to find that Leo Lebenbaum had been a member of our Club from 1915 to 1925. Leo was a hotelier in San Francisco and had managed the Herald Hotel and later, the Wiltshire Hotel now known as the Taj Campton Place. Leo moved to Eureka to manage the Eureka Inn.

 

On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, the Rotary Club of San Francisco – the second oldest Rotary Club in the world - hosted its Second Annual Fashion Show Luncheon at the elegant Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. This year's theme was “Glitz and Glamour,” and there were plenty of both.

The event began with a beautiful reception and wine auction that showcased wines. These wines were donated from a private collection that is stored for the Rotary Club of San Francisco at the Handlery Hotel. Special Hint: More wine auctions will be offered throughout the year!

Following the reception, Club President Sunny Singh welcomed attendees, showcasing his charm and wit to both the Rotarians and the many non-Rotarians. Attendees enjoyed a delicious three-course lunch, which was paired with complimentary white and red wine. President Sunny then introduced Vern Glenn, Sports Director at KPIX 5 TV and multi-Emmy® Award winner. Vern discussed his thoughts on the Super Bowl, San Francisco, Fashion, and life. After his exciting presentation, he led a Q&A, giving attendees an opportunity to ask Vern, a known celebrity, anything!

 

Rotarians, along with their families, guests, and fellow visiting Rotarians from all over the Bay Area, converged for an electrifying spectacle on Saturday, October 7, 2023. Picture this: a dazzling, front-row vantage point providing jaw-dropping vistas of the bustling Fisherman's Wharf and the mesmerizing expanse of the San Francisco Bay. What was the catalyst for this extraordinary gathering? None other than our Club's third annual Blue Angels Viewing Party Extravaganza!

 

Under a canopy of San Francisco's finest weather, amidst the sizzling backdrop of a heatwave weekend, the heavens painted a picture of azure perfection, setting the stage for an unforgettable Blue Angels' performance. The skies thundered with their majestic maneuvers, and the synchronized choreography of the Blue Angels left the audience in a state of utter spellbinding wonder, their hearts racing with pure exhilaration. The event's location, spaciousness, delicious food, and decorations all contributed perfectly to the occasion.

 

Past Rotary International President (PRIP) Jennifer Jones will speak at the Rotary Club of Oakland on November 2, 2023. The Oakland Rotary Club invites our Club members to join this meeting on Zoom for free. Log in by 12:20 PM. The meeting will be from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM. CLICK HERE to reserve your space for the Zoom meeting.

 

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Past Rotary International President (PRIP) Rick King. Those who knew PRIP Rick know that he left an indelible mark and impact in Rotary that will continue to be felt. While he was never a member of our Club, he did speak to our Club on several occasions.

 

See here for more information on PRIP Rick King and his memorial scheduled for Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 2 PM. Our deepest condolences to his beloved wife, Cherie; his family; and his club - the Rotary Club of Niles Fremont.

 

President Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) called today's meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed those online and those attending in person at the Anzu Restaurant in the Hotel Nikko.

 

San Francisco is vying for the opportunity to host another Rotary International Convention. The RI Convention Visiting Team was in San Francisco in early September and will announce its decision in January 2024. Meanwhile, in mid-September 2023, Charlotte Harris of the Rotary Club of Tucson contacted our Club, because she had been organizing a storage area of historically significant items from her Club's 102-year history. Charlotte found proceedings books from 1938, 1947, and 1977 when the RI Convention was held in San Francisco and sent these books to me.
 
Upon receipt, I began reading these proceedings to discover the history. I now share the Welcome Address by Arch Monson, Jr. who was President of the Rotary Club of San Francisco in 1976-1977. President Monson delivered the following at the 1977 Rotary International Convention:

 

Congratulations to Christian Kuhn who has married Megumi Faibisch. The wedding took place at Wright's Lake among family members. Christian, his brother Tucker, and his mother Heidi are with Roots of Peace and members of our Club.

 

 

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. Senator Feinstein was a member of our Club from May 1, 1989 until her death on September 29, 2023. On July 1, 2023, our Club made Senator Feinstein an honorary member again; she had been an honorary member of our Club before women were allowed to join Rotary.

Senator Feinstein was a native of San Francisco and served for nine years as a San Francisco County Supervisor starting in 1969. The assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978 forever changed her life. She went on to become San Francisco's Mayor and ultimately, California's first woman U.S. Senator. She dedicated the rest of her life to public service and to finding solutions to problems facing California and the rest of the nation. You can read more about Senator Feinstein's accomplishments in her biography. 

 

We reach the month of October, and our Club Calendar is filled with Committee meetings. In addition to the regular monthly Committee meetings, there are two new ones in October 2023: the 2023 Holiday Party Committee meeting on October 9, 2023 and the Rotary Climate Action Team's meeting on October 12, 2023. Please join one or both of these two meetings or any of the other Committee meetings shown on the Club calendar.

 

We also offer special events in October: the Blue Angels Viewing Party on October 7, 2023 and the Glitz and Glamour Luncheon and Fashion Show on October 17, 2023. Rotary District 5150 offers a scavenger hunt on October 21, 2023 to commemorate World Polio Day; wear a costume to add to the fun.

 

With so much to do, we hope to see you soon at our Club's events.

 

As members of the Rotary Club of San Francisco, we have a unique opportunity to help our Club grow. It’s exciting to help grow our Rotary family. How can you participate? It's simple – reach out to your co-workers, the merchants you do business with, your friends, and your relatives. After the many outstanding meetings, social events, and projects of the last six months, you know that we are part of something truly special. Ask your associates to join us at any of the events that we have: projects, meetings, or socials. Share these experiences with your cadre. New members bring new ideas and energy. Together, we will have more special times in helping others, making connections, and finding new friendships.

 

President Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) called today's meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed those online and those attending in person at the Anzu Restaurant in the Hotel Nikko.

 

President Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) called today's meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed those online and those attending in person at the Anzu Restaurant in the Hotel Nikko. The audience sang Happy Birthday to the members who are celebrating a birthday in September.

 

Our Club completed two community service projects in August 2023. The first project was on August 26, 2023 when two members of our Club (Emily Borland and Victoria Lozano), two Visiting Rotarians, two non-Rotarians, and one RYLA alumna assembled and packaged food for distribution at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. Emily even brought her older son for the experience. In 2.5 hours, this group of eight packed 1,100 bags of produce that equaled 26,400 pounds.

 

Then, on August 30, 2023, 10 volunteers (Rhonda Poppen, Robin Azevedo, Lisa Stark, Hana Xu Wang, Carrie Schucker, Jim Patrick, Bill Gregory, Jo Patrick and two friends) assembled diaper bags to give away to homeless or housing insecure families in San Francisco and stuffed invitations to the Homeless Prenatal Program's Annual Luncheon.

 

Thank you to all for your service to our community!

 

 

With camaraderie and community, the Rotary Club of San Francisco resumed its beloved tradition of hosting Welcome-to-the-Club parties. These gatherings, which had been a cherished fixture on a quarterly basis before the challenges brought about by COVID-19, have made a triumphant return to the Club’s calendar. The first of these parties was recently held on the evening of August 24, 2023.

 

Margaret Miley, with her signature warmth and hospitality, graciously hosted the event while the dedicated efforts of Dan Joraanstad and Margaret herself were instrumental in organizing an evening that proved to be nothing short of a smashing success. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement as Club leadership, both established and emerging, gathered to celebrate this auspicious occasion. The event was graced by a crowd of 35 new and prospective members as well as Club leaders, each contributing to the vibrant tapestry of our ever-growing Rotary family.

 

Paul Vazquez (Nonprofit Administration | Alliance for Smiles).

 

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about these proposed additions to our membership.

 

President Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) called today's meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed those online and those attending in person at the Anzu Restaurant in the Hotel Nikko. Everyone observed a moment of silence in memory of 2017-2018 Past President John Mathers (Management Consulting | eVo Associates).

 

We continue to pay tribute to 2017-2018 Past President John Mathers who passed away on August 6, 2023. At the August 22, 2023 Rotary luncheon, a letter written by John was read to the audience in accordance with his wishes. Present at this meeting were John's widow - Peggy Mathers and John's brother - Bill Mathers.

 

Below is the letter:

 

Members and friends of the Rotary Club of San Francisco gathered at the San Francisco Playhouse for drinks and dinner on August 17, 2023. After dinner, we watched the Broadway classic - A Chorus Line. A big thank you to Bill Gregory and Alisha Marfatia for organizing the delicious meal and the exciting show. I am extremely grateful for another memorable night with my Rotary family.

 

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Donald Parachini. Don was a member of our Club from June 1, 1986 to March 8, 2020. He was a lawyer specializing in banking and financial institution regulatory law and solving problems with contracts and business transactions and had retired as a partner from Leland, Parachini, Steinberg, Matzger and Melnick, LLP. 

In Rotary, Don was very active, highly respected, and a much beloved member. For several years, he volunteered as our Club's legal counsel. See here for more information on Donald Parachini and his memorial.

 

President Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) called today's meeting to order at 12:17 PM and welcomed those online and those attending in person at the Anzu Restaurant in the Hotel Nikko.

 

President Sunny congratulated David Dye (Management Consulting | Retired) and Dora Dye (Education: Elementary and Community College | San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) on their 26th wedding anniversary today!

 

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Past President John Mathers. John joined Rotary on March 1, 2011 and became our Club's president in 2017-2018. He had served as Club Treasurer before becoming Club President. He was also active on the Board of the San Francisco Rotary Foundation. See 2021 story here. In Rotary District 5150, John had served as Youth Service Chair and Organizational Development Chair. You can read more about John in this 2016 profile. 

 

However, John is best known and now remembered for spearheading the Rotary Climate Action Team to raise awareness of the dangerous effects of climate change. His efforts began at the Club level but soon spread Districtwide and worldwide. John touched the life of every Rotarian and human whom he had encountered. 

 

President Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) called today's meeting to order at 12:16 PM and welcomed those online and those attending in person at the Anzu Restaurant in the Hotel Nikko.

 

 

Thomas Bowen (Development | Catholic Charities SF)

Sue Robbins (Development | Catholic Charities SF).

 

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about these proposed additions to our membership.

 

President Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) called today's meeting to order at 12:18 PM and welcomed those online and those attending in person at the Anzu Restaurant in the Hotel Nikko.

 

All Rotarians are invited to visit the RYLA Camp on Thursday, August 3, 2023 and join RYLA students and staff for lunch at 12:15 PM to 1 PM. Please note that lunch will be served only during this time period. Rotary District 5150 Governor Laine Hendricks from the Rotary Club of San Francisco will be present to speak to us during the lunch.

 

You are also welcomed to arrive at 10 AM to observe the RYLA students' team-building activities or stay after lunch for the Mental Health Matters plenary session from 1 PM to 2 PM. This plenary session will be led by Jenny Bates from the Rotary Club of San Rafael Evening who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the founder of Waves of Change Recovery Services and chair of the Mental Health Action Group in our Rotary District.

 

There is no Club Luncheon during the week of July 24-30, 2023. However, as members of the Rotary Club of San Francisco, you are all invited to the Board meetings of our Club and of Rotary Service, Inc.

 

As members of Rotary District 5150, you are also invited to participate in these two events:

 

Vocational Service Virtual Session on SCORE - SBA’s Resource Partner for No Cost Professional Business Mentoring on July 25, 2023 starting at 12 noon. For more information and registration, click here. 

 

Sip & Savor Social in San Rafael on July 29, 2023 starting at 4 PM. For more information and registration, click here.

 

See the Rotary District 5150 calendar for many other opportunities to connect with Rotarians outside our Club. This is also an opportunity for you to connect others to our Club events listed here.

 

Our Club's Youth Services Committee is seeking advisers for Interact and Rotaract. Advisers can work in pairs or small teams to support each Interact and Rotaract Club.

 

Interact: Interact clubs bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self. Our Club currently oversees two Interact Clubs in collaboration with the Rotary Club of San Francisco Chinatown: one at Lowell High School and the other at George Washington High School. The adviser for each Interact Club must be available to meet in person either midday or after school once a month.

 

Rotaract: Rotaract clubs were created to bring together young people ages 19-30 to take action in their communities and develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self. Our Club currently oversees two Rotaract Clubs: one at the University of San Francisco in collaboration with the Rotary Club of San Francisco Chinatown and the other at San Francisco State University in collaboration with the Rotary Club of San Francisco West. While Rotaract clubs can now operate independently, a Rotarian adviser is still recommended for guidance. The adviser must be available to meet once every 1-2 months either in person or online.

 

As members and guests arrived, David Dye (Management Consulting | Retired) took a moment to look at the tables beautifully set and ready for our Club to begin a new Rotary year. Immediate Past President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the first meeting of the 2023-2024 Rotary year to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed those online and those attending in person at the Anzu Restaurant in the Hotel Nikko.

 

 

Joining Immediate Past President Christopher on the podium were our new Club President Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) and our new District Governor Laine Hendricks (Public Relations and Marketing | County of Marin). DG Laine expressed her pleasure at attending her own Club's luncheon in person and inducted President Sunny.

 

 

I am pleased to announce that the following is scheduled to be inducted into our Club on July 18, 2023 as our newest member of our corporate member - Catholic Charities San Francisco:

 

Bridget Mahoney (Nonprofit Administration | Catholic Charities SF).

 

In addition, former Club member Hana Xu Wang (Financial Services: Advising | Wang Wealth Advisors, LLC) is rejoining our Club, also on July 18, 2023.

 

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about these proposed additions to our membership.

As members of the Rotary Club of San Francisco, we are also members of Rotary District 5150. This year's District Governor is our own Club Member, Laine Hendricks. Her theme for this Rotary year is Connect.

 

See the Rotary District 5150 calendar for many opportunities to connect with Rotarians outside our Club. This is also an opportunity for you to connect others to our Club events listed here.

 

On June 30, 2023, the last day of the 2022-2023 Rotary year, members of our Club gathered at Nopalito to celebrate with tequila, mezcal, or any drink of their choice. Our Club provided the Happy Hour bites, and a good time was had by all.

 

 

Present were Dan Davies and his guest, Social Chair Alisha Marfatia who organized this event, Anita Stangl, Maureen O'Shea, Lisa Stark, Ann Daugherty, Bill Gregory, Margaret Miley, Ozan Yasavur, and Merve Yasavur.

This issue of Grindings is the first one for the new Rotary year of 2023-2024. Our first meeting will be on July 11, 2023 when new President Sunny Singh and his Board will share their plans for the year ahead. Please plan to join us then and throughout the year to Create Hope in the World (this year's Rotary International theme) as we continue to find the new normal.

 

To inspire you, read the following story of optimism and hope about the Patrick family. Join a committee, read Grindings, and check our Club Calendar often to find events and future meetings and register. Happy New Rotary Year and Happy 4th of July!

Patrick and Co., owned by Rotarian and Club Member James "Jim" Patrick III, celebrated its first 150 years in business on Friday, June 23, 2023. The number of years celebrated indicates the kind of optimism we find in Jim. Asked about the demise of San Francisco, he points out that foot traffic in his store is up, more people are on the streets, and the restaurants are doing a good business. And historically, the City has gone through numerous cycles of boom and bust. He puzzled over why at this time our City has captured the attention of the national press with such an angry and negative portrait. The journalists should hang out with Jim just to catch some of his optimism.

 

More than 20 Rotarians were among the 200 guests who came to the Anniversary Celebration. We were treated to delicious food from three different food trucks. A pleasant cocktail hour high atop the Patrick and Co. building on Mission Street brought us beautiful views of San Francisco.

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the last meeting of the 2022-2023 Rotary year to order at 12:13 PM and welcomed those online and those attending in person at the Anzu Restaurant in the Hotel Nikko.

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called this meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed those online and those attending in person at the Anzu Restaurant in the Hotel Nikko.

 

On Saturday, June 10, 2023, more than 60 Rotarians, family, and friends gathered for an afternoon tea to celebrate Christopher Wiseman's tenure as the 2022–2023 President of the Rotary Club of San Francisco. Hosted by Dan Joraanstad and Bob Hermann at their lovely home in San Francisco, the tea included sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, petit fours, and, of course, tea and other beverages. The ‘partea’ was catered by one of Christopher’s favorite San Francisco spots - Lovejoy’s Tea Room. (Attendees were encouraged to dine at Lovejoy's on their own; just ask for Celine.)

In addition to the tea and treats, everyone enjoyed a surprise performance by Dan Joraanstad and Rick Harrell. Dan played the piano while Rick sang three musical numbers including a favorite of Eric Sleigh and President Christopher - Fly Me to the Moon.

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called this meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed those online and those attending in person at the Carmel Ballroom in the Hotel Nikko.

 

 

 

Eight Rotarians from the Rotary Club of San Francisco gathered to pack 50 Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP) baby shower bags at Hoogasian Flowers on the evening of Thursday, June 1, 2023. The Rotarians (pictured from left to right) were Carrie Schucker, Bill Gregory, Margaret Miley, Andrés Vera, Luis Moran, Christopher Davies, and Donna Duensing. 

 

~ photo taken by Rhonda Poppen

 

I am pleased to announce that the following are scheduled to be inducted into our Club as our newest members:

 

Brizette Castellanos (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation)

Stephen Geisheker (Technology Support | Retired)

 

Brizette and Stephen will be inducted at an upcoming luncheon (date to be announced). Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about these proposed new members.

Past President JT Forbus (Accounting | Bogdan & Frasco) called this meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed those online and those attending in person at the Anzu Restaurant in the Hotel Nikko.

 

Our Visiting Rotarians today were District Governor Nominee (DGN) Steve Wright from the Rotary Club of Pacifica and Joel Valdes from the Rotary Club of Manila. Robin Azevedo (Retail: Mattresses | Retired, McRoskey Mattress Company) introduced her daughter-in-law - Ahna Azevedo. Nancy Graydon (Development | Glaucoma Research Foundation) introduced her guests - Allen Habel and Catalina San Augustine. John Mathers (Management Consulting | eVo Associates) introduced his guest - Yuri Yasukawa whom John had met through Dan Davies (Information Technology: Consulting | North American Lighting). Other guests were Rose Chung, today's speaker - Lauren Kivowitz and her husband - Adam Weiner.

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order on time and acknowledged the upbeat attitude of the second oldest Rotary Club in the world.

 

Stephanie Schmautz (Elder Care and Senior Services | The Carlisle) introduced her mother - Jackie Herrin. Lynn Luckow (Development | LikeMinded.org) introduced his guest - TJ Chartrand. Margaret Miley (Hospitality: Hotels | Retired) introduced her guest - Margarita Baxter-Rosarios, formerly with the Consulate of Spain in San Francisco.

 

The 2023 Bike Build was held on Saturday, May 6, 2023 at the TogetherSF warehouse on Mariposa Street and one nearby block of York Street in the Mission District. This was our 13th Bike Build and our biggest one yet. Over 100 volunteers were involved during the event, including 20 Rotarians from the Rotary Club of San Francisco and 4 from other Rotary clubs. 

Volunteers built over 180 bikes in just over three hours that morning. These bikes plus the pre-assembled bikes donated by the YMCA and their partners filled up almost one block of York Street, awaiting pick-up. The Bayview YMCA was a major partner in the event and coordinated the sign-up for over 200 kids from the Bayview who received the bicycles. Excited kids and their families began lining up an hour before the scheduled giveaway time, and by 1:30 PM, all of the bikes were gone! 

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order and welcomed those online and those attending in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko. Visiting Rotarian Cynthia Hamada from the Rotary Club of South San Francisco sang the Star-Spangled Banner to open the meeting.

 

In addition to Cynthia Hamada, the following Visiting Rotarians were also in attendance: District Governor Gary Chow from the Rotary Club of South San Francisco and Loren Boyett from the Rotary Club of Fort Morgan in Colorado.

 

Dan Joraanstad (Financial Services: Advising | Retired) introduced his guests from the San Francisco Black Tie Club: Don Morrison, Stephen Weiner, Norm Dito, Arnold Dito, Ben Wong, and Dan Riley.

 

Ann Daugherty (Financial Services: Private Trading | IBN Financial Services) introduced her guests: Vicki Potthoff, Lisa Essa, and today's speaker - Lisa Mirza Grotts. Lynn Luckow (Development | LikeMinded.org) introduced his guest - Brian Healy. President-Elect Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) introduced his guest - Carlos Valdes.

 

Congratulations to Anita Stangl (Medical Services | Alliance for Smiles) for winning Rotary International's Service Above Self award. This prestigious award is for Rotarians and Rotaractors who demonstrate their commitment to helping others by volunteering their time and talents and is the highest RI award for a volunteer.

 

Only a District Governor can nominate a candidate for this award. Our current District 5150 Governor Gary Chow nominated Anita to recognize her dedication to Rotary and her work to save children and communities impacted by "cleft lip and palate by providing free comprehensive treatment, while training and equipping local teams to sustainably provide quality, long-term care."

 

Dear Readers,

 

I am writing to invite you to submit stories for publication in Grindings. I am especially interested in stories on recent Rotary events that you have attended. The deadline is every Thursday at 5 PM, and this will be a hard deadline so that I can get the issue of Grindings done in time for release on Sunday. If you miss the Thursday deadline, your story will appear in the following Sunday's issue or a future issue.

 

Photos are welcome too, but photos alone without a story will not be published. I need a written explanation as well as identification of those in the photos. I am also following our Club's policy on photos: "By attending events of the Rotary Club of San Francisco, you are giving to our Club your permission to publish photos of you as an attendee at our events. If you have questions about this policy, please contact our Club."

 

All stories and photos must be sent to me via email only. If you have any questions, please contact me. I continue to enjoy serving as your Editor.

 

 

Todd St Vrain and Lynn Luckow were guests at the Northern California Junior Achievement Hall of Fame Luncheon on April 21, 2023 where they were cultivating a partnership between Junior Achievement and RYLA. Todd and Lynn met many high school students interested in RYLA and a few college students interested in becoming facilitators at RYLA Camp.

 

 

I am pleased to announce that the following are scheduled to be inducted into our Club as our newest members:

 

Robert Beadle (Real Estate: Sales | Coldwell Banker)

Carlos Francisco Valdes (Real Estate: Sales | Aeternum Holdings, Inc.)

 

Carlos will be inducted at our luncheon on May 16, 2023. Robert will be inducted on a date to be announced. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about these proposed new members.

We need your help at the upcoming Bike Build event on Saturday, May 6, 2023. This is our 13th Bike Build and promises to be our biggest one yet.

We'll be assembling 180 brand new bikes for distribution to kids in Kindergarten through 4th grade in the Bayview area of San Francisco. This event is a financial partnership among the Rotary Club of San Francisco, the Rotary Club of San Francisco Bayview, the Rotary Club of San Francisco Greater Mission, the Bayview Hunter's Point YMCA, TogetherSF, and the Academy of Art University. Also partnering with us on the event will be the San Francisco Police Department, the San Francisco Firefighter's Union, and the Salvation Army Kroc Center. In addition, the SF Bike Coalition and YBike San Francisco will have representatives at the event.

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order and welcomed those online and those attending in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko. 

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were Past District Governor Chris Gallagher from the Rotary Club of Sausalito and Paul Vazquez from the Rotary Club of San Francisco Evening. Angelina Preza (Sales: Travel | Aquarium of the Bay) introduced her guest - Amy Heffner. Margaret Miley (Hospitality: Hotels | Retired) introduced her daughter - Laura Handlery. Robin Azevedo (Retail: Mattresses | Retired, McRoskey Mattress Company) introduced her son - Robert Azevedo. President Christopher introduced his husband - Eric Sleigh and guest - Anthony Clifford. Anita Stangl (Medical Services | Alliance for Smiles) introduced her guest - Robert Harris. Other guests were Rae Sansa and today's speaker - Vern Glenn.

 

On April 11, 2023, members of our Club gathered at the home of Betty Newman to celebrate Passover with a traditional evening Seder, the special meal in which family and friends gather to retell (often in Hebrew) the story of how the Jews had fled from slavery in Egypt approximately 3,400 years ago. Those who celebrate Passover share stories of past Seders and think about how the redemption of the Jews from slavery so many years ago obligates us to build a better world.

 

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order and welcomed those online and those attending in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko. 

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were Past President Casey Blair, Cynthia Bustos from the Rotary Club of San Francisco Sunset, and Joel Valdes from the Rotary Club of Manila and his son, Carlos Francisco. Our guests were Tony Coen, Holley Arbeit, Jack Grippi, Jeffery Douglass, Robert Harris, Sam Moss, Patrick Marks, Gent Sturgeon, and today's speaker - President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Aaron Peskin. Dan Joraanstad (Financial Services: Advising | Retired) introduced his guest - Mark Malaspina. Tom Christian was the guest of Dr. Elisa Stephens (Education Management | Academy of Art University) and Michael Petricca (Education Management | Academy of Art University).

 

On Sunday, March 26, 2023, Rick Harrell delivered the performance more fully described here. ABC 7 News was there; see the news story here.

President-Elect Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) called the meeting to order and welcomed those online and those attending in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko. President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) was on vacation. It was noted that both Sunny and Christopher shared a passion for the same drink in Mexico.

I am pleased to announce that the following are scheduled to be inducted into our Club on April 18, 2023 as our newest members:

On March 18, 2023, Rotary District 5150 held its Spring for Rotary, a fundraiser for the Rotary International Foundation Annual Fund. This event complete with a mimosa reception, silent and live auctions, brunch, and celebration, was held at the lovely Marin Art and Garden Center and raised over $100,000 for the Annual Fund. With the beautiful flowers, hats including fascinators, and spring clothes all around, it did appear that spring had arrived.

 

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order and welcomed those online and those attending in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko on a very stormy and windy Tuesday. 

 

Bal Raj Capur (Management Services | The BTI Group) introduced his daughter, Maya Capur. Scott Plakun (Management Consulting | The Plakun Group) introduced his guest, Jack Schroeder. Other guests were Robert Hunter and Ronny Grooms.

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order and welcomed those online and those attending in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko. 

 

Today's visiting Rotarians were our speaker PDG Mark Flegel from the Rotary Club of Menlo Park and his wife Shirley, Mary Kay Kennedy also from the Rotary Club of Menlo Park, and Joel Valdez from the Rotary Club of Manila. Mary Kay is the wife of Jim Kennedy (Interior Design | James Kennedy Design). Joel and President Christopher exchanged Rotary flags. Our guests were Diane Stark from the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, Caylee Burditt, Charlie Miles, and Nikki Moore.

 

I am pleased to announce that the following is scheduled to be inducted into our Club on April 4, 2023 as our newest member:

Emergency Services Day (ESD) honors the workers who protect and support our City and Bay including the Police and Fire Departments, the Sheriff's Office, the Coast Guard, and new this year, the Department of Emergency Management/911 and the Park Rangers. The Honorees for the 2023 Emergency Services Day held on February 27, 2023 were:  Sergeant Joshua Arnold of the San Francisco Sheriff's Office; Park Ranger Amanda Barrows of San Francisco Recreation and Parks; Battalion Chief Matthew Cannon and Paramedic Anthony Chiacco of the San Francisco Fire Department; Officer Raylene Larot of the San Francisco Police Department; Intelligence Specialist 3 Mason Kuri of the United States Coast Guard; and 9-1-1 Dispatcher Marissa Manalo of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management.

There were members from nine different Rotary clubs, the honorees and their loved ones, and special guests in the audience. The audience was the largest ever for this special event. The sold-out crowd was in a jubilant mood as they entered the Academy of Arts sunlit Automobile Museum at Van Ness and Washington in San Francisco. The dazzling collection of antique cars framed 24 rows of dining tables running the length of the hall where the crowd enjoyed lunch. Special thanks to Club Member Michael Petricca and Honorary Member Dr. Elisa Stephens for the gift of this marvelous venue.  

 

Since its first meeting more than one hundred years ago, Rotary has grown into an international organization with clubs in nearly every country and our membership sharing a singular passion for making the world a better place for everyone. We all come from Somewhere. We all have a Story.

 

Understanding our identities better helps us see how our biases were formed. I recall our Family Values being expressed through stories told with inherited gifts and visits to places of historic significance. While I like to think of myself as “Quintessentially American”, my ancestors were mostly Western European: English, Welsh, Scottish, and Scotch-Irish. My family's story is about immigrants coming to a New World in search of a better life, freedom, civil rights, and the opportunity to survive and later thrive.

 

It's Grant Season! The San Francisco Rotary Foundation is slated to grant at least $194,851 in the 2023-24 Rotary year. The deadline to submit a grant application is April 7, 2023—no exceptions! Application and additional information are found here.

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order and welcomed those online and those attending in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko. Ozan Yasavur (Engineering: Mechanical | Bioforcetech Corporation) introduced his wife, Merve, to the audience.

 

Weekly attendance at our luncheon meetings suggests that our Club has only a few members, but we have over 125 members in our Club. If there is a member whom you have not seen in a while, please reach out and invite them to a meeting.

 

About 50 Rotarians, family, and friends gathered together to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 12, 2023. The crowd enjoyed laughter, fellowship, the game, and a potluck. 

 

In addition to watching the Big Game, everyone kept an eye on the board bearing the names of the players of our Club's Super Bowl Pool. $12,300 was raised for the 50/50 Campaign. The winners of the Pool (in order of their win) were: Dan Joraanstad, Scott Plakun, Allan Herzog, Jim Patrick, Robin Azevedo, Frank Yoke, Mary Liu, and Jeff Yih. Each winner will receive a Paul Harris Fellowship. Jim and Jeff will each receive two PHFs. Congratulations to all!

 

The Monday Night Supper Club of The Arc San Francisco Friends Like Me Program returned to in person this past Monday, February 13, 2023. Nourishment and fun were had by all. The evening started off with everyone pitching in to dress the salad and heat up rotisserie chickens and Mac and Cheese. After dinner, everyone enjoyed games, dancing, and chocolate-covered strawberries. 

The Rotary Club of San Francisco funds the Monday Night Supper Clubs. Thank you to the following members of our Rotary Club for leading this evening's Supper Club: Christopher Davies, Clifford Phillips, and Barbara Streett. In addition to being a Rotarian, Clifford is also a participant and Barbara is also the Volunteer Manager of The Arc SF.

 

Immediate Past President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) opened the meeting. President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) was under the weather and participated via Zoom. After Immediate Past President Mary made opening remarks, Past President JT Forbus (Accounting | Bogdan & Frasco) took over the helm and ran today's meeting held online and in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko.

 

We had two visiting Rotarians: Melissa Cross - past president of the Rotary Club of San Francisco Evening and Joel Valdez from the Rotary Club of Manila. Joel and Past President JT exchanged Rotary flags. Joel told the audience that his Rotary club is 104 years old and the largest in Asia. Anita Stangl (Medical Services | Alliance for Smiles) introduced her guest - Andrea Gung of the Duo Duo Project, whose mission is to end the dog and cat meat trade in China. Maureen O'Shea (Governmental Relations | Retired) introduced her guest - Alicia Tos of the Smuin Contemporary Ballet. Other guests were Stephen DeLay, Jennie Held, and today's speaker - Jack McBrayer.

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order and welcomed those online and those attending in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko. He announced that the Glaucoma 360 events from February 2-4, 2023 would take him away from today's Rotary luncheon; Past President Rhonda Poppen (Grant Writing | GRANTdog) would step in to conclude today's luncheon.

 

Today's guests were Marija Filmar, Dr. Arlen Hoh, Meagan Mod, Ildiko Polony, Eric Smith, and today's speaker - Andrew Fraknoi.

 

President Christopher shared the 2022 Holiday Photo of Emily Borland (Engineering, Architecture, and Construction | Emily Borland Specifications) and her family. 

 

Invitation: Everyone is invited along with their families and guests to a big, free SUPER BOWL PARTY on February 12, 2023 starting at 3 PM. Doors will open at 2:45 PM and kick off will be at 3:20 PM.

 

You are also invited to play the 2023 SUPER BOWL POOL. See details below, and contact Jim Patrick by February 10, 2023 to purchase your square(s). 

Registration and Potluck: Please register here so that we know how many are coming and so that our Social Chair Alisha Marfatia can contact you about the potluck. For the potluck we ask that you bring a dish for 10 to share with the group. Soft drinks and wine will be provided at no cost to you. 

Location: We will meet at the Academy of Art Automobile Museum, 1849 Washington Street (corner of Washington Street and Van Ness Avenue), San Francisco, CA 94109. If you are driving, there should be ample street parking on a Sunday.

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order and welcomed those online and those attending in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko. 

 

Today's guests were Marija Filmar, Charlie Miles, Meagan Mod and today's speaker - Russell Low. Dan Joraanstad (Financial Services: Advising | Retired) introduced Peter de Castro (Financial Services: Advising | RBC). Peter is an active member of our Club who has been living in Paris.

 

President Christopher continued to share 2022 Holiday Party photos that he has received. Thank you to Ozan Yasavur (Engineering: Mechanical | Bioforcetech Corporation) for sharing his photos today with the Club.

 

SAVE THE DATE for "Pal"entine's Happy Hour on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 from 5 to 7 PM. Grab a post-work, pre-dinner drink to celebrate our Rotary friendships on "Pal"entine's Day! We'll be hosting a low-key get together at a member's home with light bites and drinks included. Feel free to drop by or stay for the whole time. All Rotarians and their guests are invited. More information to come.

 

I am pleased to announce that the following is scheduled to be inducted into our Club on February 7, 2023 as our newest member:

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM. Today's meeting was on Zoom only.

 

Today's guests were Carolyn Broadus, Carol Ede, Alvin Huie, Meagan Mod, and our speaker - Michael Conley.

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the first meeting of 2023 to order at 12:15 PM. He welcomed those online and those attending in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko. 

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were Assistant Governor Sylvia Barry from the Rotary Club of Novato Sunrise, Rami Branbo via Zoom from a Rotary Club in Sweden, Past District Governor Peter Cheng from the Rotary Club of Hsinchu Silicon Valley - Taiwan, and Karen Schmautz - mother of PDG Eric Schmautz (Banking: Management | Retired) - from the Rotary Club of Indian Rocks Beach in Florida. We also welcomed Charlie Miles and today's speaker - City Attorney David Chiu. 

 

After the restrictions of the pandemic lifted, the aftermath changed the way we were to such a degree that we are still trying to find a solid path on which to move forward. Working from home became the desire of many, affecting attendance at events outside the home. Our Club continues to offer a variety of activities and events in different modes. As part of your New Year's Resolutions, we hope that you will find a way to join us. Here are some ideas:

 

We have reached the final issue of Grindings for 2022. I will be taking a break. Grindings will not be published on December 25, 2022, but will resume on January 1, 2023. We have already started to plan the new year. Take a moment to view the Club calendar for events in January 2023 and beyond. Registration is required for all events so that we can plan accordingly and send you additional information as needed. 

 

The Club continued its hybrid (i.e., meeting simultaneously in person and via Zoom) meetings in 2022. With the help of Social Chair Alisha Marfatia, President Christopher collaborated more with other Rotary clubs. President Christopher also tried more in-person only events such as the successful Fashion Show and Friend Raiser and 2022 Holiday Party. As of the publication of this issue, I have not received all of the information on the 2022 Holiday Party. The full story should be published in the next issue of Grindings. 

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the 2022 Annual Meeting to order on December 13, 2022. Club Secretary Stacey Poole (Law: Family | Lerner Poole & Stewart, LLP) certified that a quorum was present. President Christopher celebrated the current members of the Board and thanked each for their service.

 

Next, the audience was introduced to the candidates to fill upcoming officer vacancies for the term beginning on July 1, 2023. President Christopher called for voting members to approve by acclamation the candidates selected by the Nominating Committee.

 

The Arc San Francisco Friends Like Me Program will return to in-person services beginning in February 2023. Friends Like Me is a recreational program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities at The Arc SF. One of the programs that Friends Like Me hosts is a Monday Night Supper Club which is funded by the Rotary Club of San Francisco. 

Rotarians volunteer to help with meal set-up and then, sit, eat, and get to know our participants. Supper Club is a weekly event with 5-8 volunteers. We will be reserving the third Monday of every month (2nd Monday of the month if there is a Monday holiday) for Rotarians. If you are interested in volunteering for more nights, please contact Barbara Streett.

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM. He welcomed those online and those attending in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko. The meeting began with a holiday song to welcome the season of celebration and merriment. 

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were Steve Sibulsky from the Rotary Club of Valle Verde-Green Valley in Arizona, Karen Schmautz - mother of Eric Schmautz (Banking: Management | Wells Fargo) - from the Rotary Club of Indian Rocks Beach in Florida, and Carrie Schucker from a Rotary club in Davis. We also welcomed Ilene Wolf and today's speaker - Reverend Glenda Hope. 

 

Clifford Phillips joined our Club in April 2022. He is also a participant of The Arc San Francisco, an organization that our Club's Foundation supports. What makes Clifford's membership notable is that he is our first member with intellectual and developmental disabilities, adding his unique perspective to our activities and conversations. Like all Rotarians, Clifford decided to join Rotary to help others and support the community – something he already does everyday in The Arc community.

A native San Franciscan, Clifford grew up in the Bayview and Western Addition. He now lives in an apartment in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood. He is a lifelong volunteer and cares deeply about social justice. He is also a dynamic performer and public speaker and makes instant connections wherever he goes.

 

I am pleased to announce that the following is scheduled to be inducted into our Club on January 3, 2023 as our newest member:

Congratulations to District 5150 Governor-Elect Laine Hendricks from the Rotary Club of San Francisco who completed her Governor-Elect Training Seminar (GETS) the week of November 6, 2022 at the Rotary Zones 26 and 27 Conference held in Salt Lake City, UT. 
 

In attendance from our Club to celebrate with DGE Laine were PDG Eric Schmautz, Past Club President Stephanie Schmautz, and their daughters, Molly and Katie, Past Club President David Dye, and Dora Dye. They were joined by other Rotarians from District 5150 including District Governor Gary Chow, Past District Governor Danielle Lallement, Past District Governor Mary Bates, Past District Governor Jayne Hulbert, Past District Governor Ron Gin, Past District Governor Jeri Fujimoto, Past District Governor Russ Ketron, and District Governor Nominee Steve Wright.

 

One of our Club's favorite traditions, dating back over a decade, is to serve a Thanksgiving meal to the participants of The Arc San Francisco and The Salvation Army. Helping out this year were Eric Schmautz, Mary Liu, Greg Gutting, Tim Hornbecker, Peter Logan, Chris Davies, Sunny Singh, Gary Dales, Robin Azevedo, Emily Borland, Frank Yoke, Jim Patrick, JT Forbus, Stephanie Schmautz, Ann Daugherty, Rosemary Welde, Anita Stangl, Clifford Phillips, and Margaret Miley. Joining them were Visiting Rotarian Harry Eng, Visiting Rotarian Brandon Fleming, Past Club President Jimmie Jeffery, Erica Kaplan (Peter Logan's guest), James Wong (Mary Liu's husband), Rosie Liu (Mary Liu's guest), and special guests Molly and Katie Schmautz.

 

 

In accordance with our Club's Bylaws, the Nominating Committee has selected these candidates for open positions on the Board of Directors:

 

2023-24 President: Sunny Singh

2023-24 President-Elect: Bob Hermann

2023-25 Club Treasurer: Bill Poppen

2023-25 Club Secretary: Nancy Graydon

2023-25 Vice President of Youth Services: Todd St Vrain
2023-25 Vice President of Club Services: Ozan Yasavur
2023-25 Vice President of Public Relations: Dan Davies
2023-25 Vice President of Vocational Services: Alex Omoko

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM. He welcomed those online and those attending in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko. Rick Harrell (Arts Therapy | Heroes' Voices) played guitar and sang a song that he had composed on the tragedy of suicide among veterans. It was lovely and a touching tribute!

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were Brandon Fleming from the University District Rotary Club in Seattle, Washington, Sharon Herman and Arnie Miller from the Rotary Club of Brookline, Massachusetts, Andrew Quinones of the Rotary Club of Pomona, Julia Spark from the Rotary Club of Busselton-Geographe Bay in Australia, and Carrie Schucker from a Rotary club in Davis. We also welcomed Christopher Kazas, Diane Laster, and today's speaker - Executive Chef Adam Mali. Andrew, the grandson of Robin Azevedo (Retail: Mattresses | Retired, McRoskey Mattress Company), introduced Buster and Beau; they are two dogs belonging to staff members at the Hotel Nikko.

 

Beginning with the Tuesday, December 6, 2022 Club luncheon, the cost for in-person registration will remain $45 if you register early until 11:59 AM on Friday, December 2, 2022. When the clock strikes noon on Friday, December 2, 2022, the price will go up to $60. If you show up at the door on Tuesday, December 6, 2022 as a walk-in, you will be charged $60. 

 

This price increase will remain in effect for all future in-person meetings, meaning that each Friday before the next Tuesday luncheon, the price will go up to $60 starting at 12 noon. To save a few dollars, please register before noon on the Friday before. This is the cost that we pay the Hotel Nikko, and we must pass it on to you. The cost to attend via Zoom remains at $10. If you have questions, please contact President Christopher Wiseman.

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation), sporting a new look and perfect vision, called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM. He welcomed those online and those attending in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko.

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were Brandon Fleming from the University District Rotary Club in Seattle, Washington, Jean Schore from the Rotary Club of Eugene, Oregon, and Jesse Bowdle from the Rotary Club of Oakland. Maureen O'Shea (Governmental Relations | Retired) introduced her guest, Megan Mod. We also welcomed Troy Wilson and Yulanda Kwong from Cameron House and today's speaker - John Rothmann.

 

It was a raucous and happy crowd of Rotarians and guests attending via Zoom or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko that President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called to order at 12:15 PM. Today's event was a Fall Membership Appreciation Lunch.

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were Tekwane Mwendwa from Nairobi and Carrie Schucker from a Rotary club in Davis. Maureen O'Shea (Governmental Relations | Retired) introduced her neighbor, Rae Sansa. Margaret Miley (Hospitality: Hotels | Retired) introduced her guest, Robert Hunter, who was the stage manager for our Club's first fashion show on October 18, 2022. Bob Hermann (Information Technology: Administration | Retired UCSF) introduced Don Morrison, who has helped us over the years with our Bike Build Program. Ann Daugherty (Financial Services: Private Trading | IBN Financial Services) introduced her guest, Ken Tang. President Christopher introduced his husband, Eric Sleigh. We also welcomed Patricia Davico.

 

 

I am pleased to announce that the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of San Francisco unanimously approved San Francisco State University on October 25, 2022 as our newest corporate member. 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) welcomed over 90 members, Visiting Rotarians, and guests to our Club's first ever Rotary Fashion Show and Friend Raiser inside the Monterey Room at the Hotel Nikko. 

 

October 2022 Birthdays
Today's special event opened with everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to members celebrating a birthday in October. See the birthday list here. 

 

Our Club's History
President Christopher shared with the audience our Club's history from its beginnings in 1908 to the present. He explained that our Club is a community to make the world a better place and that our members joined for fellowship and service to others.

 

Our District 5150’s Annual “Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) Fundraising Campaign” is underway. Through this Campaign, we support The Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund Share where almost half of the donations go back to our Club as District Designated Funds (DDF). Our Club makes the decision how to use DDF, either for a District Grant supporting community service projects, a Global Grant, or to contribute to other TRF funds. This year the EREY Fundraising Campaign sets a target for each District 5150 Rotarian to contribute $250. Through our Annual Fund Share contributions, Rotarians ensure that we will continue to “Do Good In The World.”

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone attending via Zoom or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko. He began the meeting with some fun facts about inflation.

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were Werner Sattleger from the Rotary Club of Klagenfurt in Austria attending in person and Carol Hunter from a Rotary e-club in Toronto attending via Zoom. Other guests were Gio Franco, former Club member Esther Landau, Zenna Burge, and today's speaker - Gary Schlossberg.

 

The eradication of polio is one of Rotary International's longest standing and most significant efforts. This year World Polio Day is on Monday, October 24, 2022.

Rotary District 5150 is holding a Polio/Abilities Awareness Expo on Sunday, October 23, 2002. Our generous sponsors, Sanofi and PDG Russ and Kathy Ketron, have made it possible to offer to you “Buy One Ticket, Bring A Friend For Free.” The $20 registration fee includes lunch for the both of you. Please invite others, including the public, at this same discounted rate. If you have already registered and would like to bring a friend for free, please return to the Event Registration link below and click on “Manage My Account” to modify your registration.

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone attending via Zoom or in person inside the Carmel Ballroom at the Hotel Nikko.

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were Past District Governor Mark Flegel from the Rotary Club of Menlo Park, Dr. Lily Muldoon from the Rotary Club of Saipan, and Julia Spark from the Rotary Club of Busselton-Geographe Bay in Australia. Dr. Muldoon was a former member of our Club. Bob Hermann (Information Technology: Administration | Retired UCSF) introduced his guests: Lieutenant Jonathan Baxter, Louis Cid Rebolledo and Natalia Mashal. Angelina Preza (Sales: Travel | Aquarium of the Bay) introduced her guest, Shelby Taketa. Dan Davies (Information Technology: Consulting | North American Lighting) introduced his guest, Yuri Yasukawa. Other guests were Carrie Schucker, Captain Brian Quin, and today's speaker - Lewis Loeven.

 

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Marian Sorbo. Marian was never a member of our Club, but she was a dedicated Rotarian and a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of Windsor/Windsor Locks. She was the widow of a Past District Governor in Connecticut and the mother of a local friend of our own Scott Plakun. 

Marian participated in several Thanksgiving luncheons at The Arc San Francisco with us. She visited our Club and generated a strong kinship within our Club. While attending Rotary International conventions, she made it a point to befriend members of our Club. See here for more information on Marian Sorbo and her celebration of life.

 

Our Club's calendar lists all events and meetings including Committee Meetings. During the week of October 2, 2022 to October 8, 2022, the Speakers Committee will meet on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 at 2 PM. Larry Booth is the new Chair of the Speakers Committee. Register here. 

 

The Community Service Committee will also meet on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 at 6 PM. Project leaders joining this meeting should be prepared to share information about their project. Everyone else is encouraged to join to learn about all of our latest local community service projects. Contact Emily Borland for additional information. Register here.

 

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order and shared some historical facts about the San Francisco Police Department.

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were District Governor Nominee and Chief of Staff Steve Wright from the Rotary Club of Pacifica, Carrie Chinn and Rick Chinn from the Rotary Club of Millbrae, Julia Spark from the Rotary Club of Busselton-Geographe Bay in Australia, Marilyn Becklehimer from the Rotary Club of San Francisco Sunset, and Rey Naik from the Rotary Club of San Francisco Evening. Maureen O'Shea (Governmental Relations | Retired) introduced her guests: Catherine Liang (our reigning Miss California), Daniel Riley, Debra Leylegian, Robert Beedle, and Torrance Bynum. Luis Moran (Real Estate: Sales | Coldwell Banker) introduced his guest, Blaire Jahn. Other guests were Carrie Shucker, Jackie Herrin, Guadalupe Valenzuela, Lilli Milton, Sergeant Vic Lee, and today's speaker - San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott.

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone attending via Zoom or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant at the Hotel Nikko.

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were President-Elect Leena Pem Sewpaul of the Rotary Club of Montebello, Mauritius and President Malinda Monterrosa of the Rotary Club of Los Angeles. Our guests were Clifford Phillips, Pamela George, Katherine Grillo, Isabella Montgomery, and Erica Nave.

 

On August 30, 2022, Rotarians met at the warehouse of Hoogasian Flowers to generously stuff 60 backpacks with adorable and top quality clothing and items for newborns of mothers taking classes at the HPP. Many thanks to Harold Hoogasian for offering his warehouse space to assemble the backpacks. Harold also generously donated his own time to deliver the backpacks to the HPP.

 

On September 7, 2022, Club members Victoria Lozano and Robin Azevedo respectively attended the morning and early afternoon baby showers at the HPP building where a dozen expectant mothers were honored. Each of these mothers received one of the Rotary backpacks and other baby items; each was recognized for completing the HPP prenatal classes.

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone attending via Zoom or in person inside the Carmel Room of the Hotel Nikko.

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were District Governor Gary Chow from the Rotary Club of South San Francisco and District Governor Nominee and Chief of Staff Steve Wright from the Rotary Club of Pacifica. Attending in his capacity as Assistant Governor was David Dye (Management Consulting | Retired). Our guest today was Zara Rowbotham.

Our Club's calendar lists all events and meetings including Committee Meetings. During the week of August 21, 2022 to August 27, 2022, the Vocational Service Committee will meet on Monday, August 22, 2022 at 5 PM. Register here. The Development Committee will meet on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 at 12 noon. Register here. The 2023 Emergency Services Day Committee will meet on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 at 6 PM. Register here. 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) logged in from Stockholm, Sweden and called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM Pacific time. Today's meeting was on Zoom only.

 

Today's Visiting Rotarian was Edgar Hernandez Delgado from a Rotary club in Morelia, Mexico. Today's guest was our speaker - Dan Walters.

 

Stephanie A. Urchick of the Rotary Club of McMurray, Pennsylvania has been nominated to be President of Rotary International for 2024-2025, making her only the second woman to hold this position. Read the full story here.

Our new Rotary 101 classes began this past Tuesday, August 9, 2022. Dan Joraanstad led the first meeting covering the nuts and bolts of being a new member:  online resources, the structure of Rotary, the primary officers on the Rotary Board, how to get involved as a Club leader, and last, how to propose a new project. A few long-term members joined the meeting to lend assistance as well as new members interested in getting a broad overview. The people who attended were Rachel Donovan, Jeff Yih, Ozan Yasavur, CJ Albano, Bob Hermann, Anita Stangl, Nancy Graydon, Maureen O'Shea, JT Forbus, Dan Joraanstad, and Margaret Miley. 

 

Past President JT Forbus (Accounting | Bogdan & Frasco) called the meeting to order at 12:16 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant. President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) was on vacation and will return at our next luncheon.

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were Terry Chu from the Rotary Club of Shanghai and Sandhya Jaiprakash of the Rotary Club of Bangalore. Our guests were Rex Vokey; Derick Yih - guest of Jeff Yih (Retired); Dan Carico - husband of Esther Lerner (Law: Family | Lerner Poole & Stewart, LLP); Georgie Evans - guest of Bill Gregory (Educational Services | Retired); and today's speaker - Kevin McCormack.

Our Club's calendar lists all events and meetings including Committee Meetings. During the week of August 7, 2022 to August 13, 2022, the Membership Committee will meet on Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at 12 noon. Register here. The Speakers Comittee will also meet on Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at 2 PM. Register here. 

President Christopher Wiseman (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order at 12:17 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant. Due to the large number of Visiting Rotarians and Special Guests today, President Christopher had all visitors in person and online stand for a big round of applause.

 

In accordance with our Club Bylaws, I am pleased to announce that the following is scheduled to be inducted into our Club on August 9, 2022 as our newest member:

Our Club's calendar lists all events and meetings including Committee Meetings. During the week of July 31, 2022 to August 6, 2022, the Community Service Committee will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at 6 PM. Register here. 

Maria Victoria Lozano joined our Club on July 19, 2022. She is not new to Rotary. At age 14, Maria became a member and former president of an Interact club. In 2013, she was a Rotary exchange student in the Philippines, and in 2019, she joined Rotaract at the United Nations as a volunteer.

 

Maria is from Venezuela and comes from a restaurant family in Rubio. While living in Caracas, she developed her skills as a pastry cook. Five years ago, she joined her sister in San Francisco and found work as a pastry chef. During the pandemic lockdown, she was out of work. To survive, Maria and her sister founded Andina, a pop-up Venezuelan kitchen serving such items as arepas and other Venezuelan foods. Her life and business were the subject of a San Francisco Chronicle story recently.

 

Clifford Dochterman, Rotary International President 1992-1993, passed away on November 23, 2021. Our Club immediately paid tribute to him. See Peter Lagarias' tribute and tributes from other members of our Club. 

 

Cliff's Celebration of Life was postponed due to COVID-19 and is now scheduled as follows: August 13, 2022, at 1:00 PM Pacific time at the Serbian Cultural Center in Moraga, California.

He was a one-of-a-kind man who knew how to bring joy to the world and who positively impacted so many lives with his inspiration and imagination. His family invites you to celebrate his remarkable life. Feel free to dress in accordance with Cliff’s cheerful spirit.

 

If you plan to attend, please RSVP so that there are enough refreshments. Please call (209) 931-4085, or email Claudia Mennuti by August 9, 2022. If you are unable to attend in person, but would like to honor Cliff, a Zoom link will be provided. Please send your email information to Claudia Mennuti. You will receive the link several days prior to the event.

 

President Christopher Wiseman (Event Planning | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order at 12:16 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant.

 

A month ago, I shared with you my experience as mentor to new member Mary Fermi. See story here. Mary and I continue on our journey together in Rotary. This past Saturday, she and I along with Rotarians from eight different Rotary clubs in Rotary District 5150 participated in the monthly San Francisco Rotary Clean-up. This particular Clean-up hosted by the Rotary Club of San Francisco Sunset was held at Ocean Beach. Not only did we get to hang out with great Rotarians and clean up the area around Ocean Beach, but everyone who participated that day was treated to free Ben & Jerry's ice cream, courtesy of Roger Kaufman of the Rotary Club of Fisherman's Wharf.

 

A message from District Governor Gary Chow: Below is a quick 10-minute, online training opportunity to help our Rotarians recognize and safely act upon a potential human trafficking situation. The Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition (BAATC) has presented at many of our Rotary clubs and Human Trafficking workshops over the past four years. Although this particular training focuses on activities at airports, the same awareness and procedures are applicable anywhere. You can report suspicious behavior 24/7 to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at: 1-888-373-7888.

 

Immediate Past President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Carmel Ballroom at the Hotel Nikko at 12:14 PM. She then introduced our 2022-2023 Club President - Christopher Wiseman (Event Planning | Glaucoma Research Foundation).

 

Our new District Governor, Gary Chow, joined in person to induct President Christopher and then, our Club's 2022-2023 Board of Officers and Directors. DG Gary brought out his bag of coins and gave President Christopher and each Board member present a Rotary Four-Way Test Coin.

 

The Rotary Club of Fisherman's Wharf is having its first club social of the year on Thursday, July 21, 2022 at 5:30 PM at the San Francisco Brewing Company in Ghirardelli Square. They have graciously extended the invitation to any of our Club members who are interested in joining. The event will be outdoors (weather permitting), and there is a $20 fee for food which will be included. Beverages can be purchased separately.

 

For those who would like to know more or attend, please email me, your Social Chair, Alisha Marfatia, no later than Wednesday, July 20th at 9 AM.

 

In 2009 when Past District Governor Bill Koefoed was being queried, he immediately went to his decades-long profession as owner of the Dale Carnegie Franchise in the San Francisco Bay Area to tell them that he wanted to bring a superior quality of leadership training to the Rotarians in Rotary District 5150. When he was subsequently selected as the District Governor for 2010-2011, he asked his Rotarian wife and long-time business partner, Betsy, to take the reins on this promise and bring it to fruition into District 5150.

After considerable research into Rotary-based trainings, it was determined that Potential Rotary Leaders Seminars (PRLS), as developed in Rotary District 5240, had the “bones” of the training they wanted to bring to 5150. Wanting to experience the training at its source, Betsy, Michael Ford, and Bob Pope (initially chosen faculty members) drove down to Santa Maria, CA once a month to actually take the PRLS training in District 5240. Having themselves then graduated from PRLS, Betsy, as the designated 5150 PRLS Founder and Director, set up a faculty training program and the date for the first Basic PRLS class - May 1, 2010. The class was held at the Dale Carnegie Headquarters (at the time) in San Mateo and was sold out. Thirty excited Rotarians gathered that Saturday morning to experience the training that would become the hallmark of District 5150. The faculty conducted three Basic PRLS classes in 2010 followed by the establishment of the five Master PRLS class series in 2011.

 

At the June 2022 Board meeting, the 2021-2022 Board unanimously approved an increase in the membership dues by $100 for all levels. Our Club's dues have not gone up in over a decade. Increasing the cost of membership was extensively discussed in the previous year, but taking action could no longer be avoided. This increase will allow our Club to continue to have a balanced budget in the 2022-2023 Rotary year and in years to come.

 

Below is a table showing the increases for annual dues effective July 1, 2022.

 

This week, our Club kicks off the new Rotary year. Join me and the 2022-2023 Board as we share our goals and plans with you on July 12, 2022. If you have not already registered, please register now for the July 12, 2022 meeting. 

Congratulations to Michael Petricca! He is Rotary District 5150's Rotarian of the Month for July 2022. Read the full story here. 

 

This issue of Grindings is the first one for the new Rotary year of 2022-2023. In the past two years, we had to reimagine how to be Rotarians without being together physically. In this coming year, we will Imagine Rotary (this year's Rotary International theme) as we continue to emerge and live with a virus that will not leave us. Read the following message from your new president - Christopher Wiseman - as he takes us on a journey of new ways to connect and do good in the world.

 

Join a committee, read Grindings, and check our Club Calendar often to find events and future meetings and register. Happy 4th of July! 

In accordance with our Club Bylaws, I am pleased to announce that the following is scheduled to be inducted into our Club on July 19, 2022 as our newest member:

Anita Stangl, our 2006-2007 Club President, remains very active in our Club and recently invited a small group of Rotarians to her home for a home cooked meal. As one of the lucky guests, I can absolutely say that "Anita can cook". The menu included marinated chicken, homemade potato salad, homemade coleslaw, warm bread, an eggplant dish, lots of wine, and berries and cream for dessert. Everything was delicious!

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called her final meeting as Club president to order at 12:16 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Carmel Ballroom at the Hotel Nikko.

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were District Governor Danielle Lallement, District Governor-Elect Gary Chow, Assistant Governor Liz Mark, District Governor Nominee Laine Hendricks (Public Relations and Marketing | County of Marin) on Zoom, District Governor Nominee Designate Steve Wright, Past District Governor Ron Gin, Past District Governor Ross Smith all the way from down under - Australia, Cristina Aquino (President of the Rotary Club of South San Francisco), Richard Swart (President of the Rotary Club of San Francisco Chinatown), Mary Geong (President-Elect of the Rotary Club of Oakland), Yuhui Chen (District 5150 Vocational Service - Rotary Means Business Chair and member of the Rotary Club of Menlo Park) and Mukasa Nassar of the Rotary Club of Kampala-Nsambya in Uganda. Michael Petricca (Education Management | Academy of Art) introduced his guest, Brad Jones. President Cristina Aquino introduced her guest - Ricky Garcia. Other special guests were Jennifer Byrd of the Salvation Army and Cherry Albano.

 

Interested in serving our Community? RotaCare Northern Peninsula Free Medical Clinic is seeking long-term volunteers. Ideally, a volunteer commits to working in person one to two times per month over a period of at least six months. Here are the current openings:

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:18 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant.

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were Nick Locsin from the Rotary Club of Manila and William F. Jones from the Rotary Club of Kona Mauka in Hawaii. President-Elect Nominee Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) introduced special guests Victoria Lozano and her sister, Maria Lozano.

 

Sally Swanson joined Rotary in 1991 and our Club in 2013. She is the Founding Principal and CEO of Sally Swanson Architects, Inc., specializing in architecture, planning, and accessible design. Sally has managed her own award–winning firm since 1980. Headquartered in San Francisco, the firm is a 100 percent Woman-owned Business Enterprise (WBE) and DGS-certified Small Business Enterprise (SBE) dedicated to serving the design needs of K-12 school districts, community colleges, municipal agencies, and private clients throughout the United States. 

 

President-Elect Nominee Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant.

 

Today's Visiting Rotarians were Ryan Beil from the Rotary Club of Dallas and Narasimha Dwarakanath, an immediate past Rotary president from Bangalore, India. Andrés Vera (Entertainment | Self-employed) introduced his guests - John Ferguson and Dr. Amr Selim. Lynn Luckow (Development | LikeMinded.org) introduced his guest - Sam Eriksmoen. Anita Stangl (Medical Services | Alliance for Smiles) introduced Mary Fermi; Mary will be inducted into our Club next week. Dan Joraanstad (Financial Services: Advising | Retired) introduced Caryl Ito, who happens to be a neighbor to both Dan and Bob Hermann (Information Technology: Administration | Retired UCSF). Other guests today were ALPS Program Manager Harmony Ma who attended via Zoom and today's speaker - Barry Posner who attended in person.

 

In accordance with our Club Bylaws, I am pleased to announce that the following are scheduled to be inducted into our Club as our newest members:

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant.

 

President-Elect Christopher Wiseman (Event Planning | Glaucoma Research Foundation) introduced his guests - Kenzie Ferguson, Beth Muzy, Roger Rajeshinhia, Cat San Agustin, and Allen Habel. Also present was Mary Fermi. 

 

President-Elect Christopher Wiseman (Event Planning | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order at 12:18 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant.

 

Attending in person were Mary Fermi, today's speaker - Janet Kessler, and her husband, Albert Kessler. 

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) began the Zoom-only meeting at 12:15 PM. Past President Scott Plakun (Management Consulting | The Plakun Group) managed the meeting on Zoom and welcomed everyone as they joined.

 

Today's special guest was Christina Koetteritz, president of the USF Rotaract Club sponsored by both our Club and the Rotary Club of San Francisco Chinatown. Also online was today's speaker, Dr. Diane Birnbaumer.

 

We are excited to announce that we are having two in-person events at the Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP) in June! Maybe you’ve heard about our support of HPP in the past, but you haven’t had a chance to get involved due to COVID. These are your opportunities!

On Tuesday, June 7, 2022, we will gather at HPP located at 2500 18th Street in San Francisco at 5:30 PM to organize diaper bags for mothers-to-be. We have a limit of 12 attendees to make 50 bags of baby clothes, towels, health kits, hats, and other items. Afterwards, we will enjoy a brief tour of the facility so that Rotarians can better understand HPP’s services. Street parking is available near HPP.

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant.

 

Today's visiting Rotarian was Mary Kay Kennedy from the Rotary Club of Menlo Park; Mary Kay is the wife of Jim Kennedy (Interior Design | James Kennedy Design). Ozan Yasavur (Engineering: Mechanical | Bioforcetech Corporation) introduced his wife, Merve. Other in-person guests were Victoria Lozano, Angelina Preza, and today's speaker, Shawn Rosenmoss. Online our guest was Dr. Hollis Pierce-Jenkins.

 

In accordance with our Club Bylaws, I am pleased to announce that the following is scheduled to be inducted into our Club as our newest member on May 17, 2022:

Wendy Shew joined our Club on March 1, 2022. On Friday, April 29, 2022, Wendy was the special guest on Sapiens Signature Event: The Silicon Valley Podcast with Host Shawn Flynn. If you would like to hear this podcast, please contact Wendy.

 

 

Todd St Vrain joined our Club on April 19, 2022. He is the North America Regional Manager for the University of Melbourne. Todd recruits students from the US and Canada to complete undergraduate and graduate degrees or study abroad as a visiting student at Australia's leading university. 

He lives with his partner in the Westwood Park neighborhood of San Francisco. Todd enjoys exploring cultures through food, movies with subtitles, music, and travel. He also likes to get out to experience nature hiking, kayaking, biking, and running. Todd has been in San Francisco for four years, but traveling extensively for work the first two years and mostly being at home the last two years. 

 

At the recent day of service at Rotary Meadow, I captured some amazing photos of the beauty and nature there. Please view and enjoy. In addition to the photos of nature, I have included photos of Abigail Alfonso, who works at the Plant Nursery, and her sister, Alyssa Alfonso. Check the Club calendar for our next day of service at Rotary Meadow and join us.

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant.

 

Today's visiting Rotarians were Joel Valdez from the Rotary Club of Manila; District 5150 Governor Nominee Designate Steve Wright of the Rotary Club of Pacifica; and Jean Schore of the Rotary Club of Eugene. Jean attended via Zoom and was formerly a member of our Club from October 4, 1994 to June 26, 2017.

 

Margaret Miley (Hospitality: Hotels | Retired) introduced her guest - Mary Fermi. Christopher Davies (Real Estate: Property Management | Self-employed) introduced his guest - Jill Hodges. Esther Landau (Nonprofit Administration | The Arc San Francisco) introduced her guest - Kristen Pedersen. Also visiting us was Rachel Kaloian. Tim Hornbecker (Nonprofit Management | Retired, The Arc CA) reintroduced himself to the Club since it had been a while since he had attended a meeting in person.  

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant.

 

Today's visiting Rotarians were District Governor Nominee Designate Nancy Anderson from the Rotary Club of Seabrook in Texas and her guest, Robert Anderson; Joel Valdez from the Rotary Club of Manila; and Paul Vazquez from the Rotary Club of San Francisco Evening. Our guests were Todd St Vrain, Jean Rosenblum, and Colant Scholar Isabella Godillo. ALPS Program Manager Harmony Ma joined the meeting via Zoom.

 

Celebrate Earth Day and our Bay Area ALPS youth leaders on April 23, 2022! Join us at our youth-led beach cleanup at Ocean Beach to help the local community and learn more about the effects of climate change in this neighborhood. Come see what our youth have been up to, how they've used social media to educate their peers about climate change, and spend some time volunteering for Earth Day this year.

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) kicked off the Zoom-only meeting at 12:15 PM.

 

Today's visiting Rotarian was Christian Amsberry from the Rotary Club of San Francisco Evening. Also online were today's speaker Michael Sera, ALPS Program Manager Harmony Ma, Ashley and Jason Boney, and three students from Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco:  Chrissy Collins, Amanda Tam, and Zoe Yee.

 

If you’re coming in person to our Passover Seder at our April 19, 2022 luncheon meeting, please consider bringing one or more pairs of new crew-style socks for men or for women. The Seder teaches us that the time we spent as needy strangers in Egypt compels us to care for people we don’t know. The socks will be donated to the young adults in the California Conservation Corp. who respond to natural and manmade disasters.

In December 2021, we remembered Charlotte Mailliard Shultz who was a member of the Rotary Club of San Francisco from November 1, 1987 until she passed away on December 3, 2021. She was the Chief of Protocol for the state of California and the Chief of Protocol for the City and County of San Francisco. See story here.

 

On March 30, 2022, the top names on San Francisco's social and political register gathered to remember and honor her. See full story here.

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Carmel Room.

 

Today's distinguished speaker was 2016-17 Past Rotary International President (PRIP) John Germ. Joining him was his wife, Judy Germ, who is also a Rotarian. We were honored to have a long list of visiting Rotarians:  District Governor Danielle Lallement, District Governor-Elect Gary Chow, Past District Governor Jayne Hulbert, Past District Governor Eric Schmautz (Banking: Management | Wells Fargo), Past District Governor Wyn Spiller (currently Zone 27 Endowment/Major Gifts Adviser), District Governor Nominee Designate Steve Wright, and District 5160 Governor Designate Dan Geraldi. Other visiting Rotarians attending in person were: Cristina Aquino, Yuhui Chen, Gene Duffy, Brian Flaherty, Ron Harness, and Mary Kay Kennedy. District Governor Nominee Laine Hendricks (Public Relations and Marketing | County of Marin), Past District Governor Chris Gallagher, Past District Governor Bill Koefoed, Past District Governor Brenda Cressey (also first woman Rotary Foundation Chair in 2018-19), Susan Angel, Jesse Bowdle, Salvador Farfan, Betsy Koefoed, John Marshall, and David Stompe joined via Zoom. Other guests were Angelina Preza, Joseph Christianson, and Janice Pavel.

 

In accordance with our Club Bylaws, I am pleased to announce that the following are scheduled to be inducted into our Club as our newest members on April 19, 2022:

Wendy Shew joined our Club on March 1, 2022. She is the Founder of Building Education, a non-profit organization that serves to eliminate extreme poverty by building 1,000 schools and sponsoring education to spark a legacy of change. On April 25, 2015, an earthquake hit Nepal and damaged 9,000 schools. Since then only 4,000 have been rebuilt. Wendy volunteered three months after the earthquake in disaster relief and from there, she founded Building Education in 2017 to help with relief efforts.

 

Prior to community service work, Wendy studied aviation, learned to fly single engine prop planes, and worked in the international aviation business as a jet engine specialist. After volunteering in October 2014 at a girl’s orphanage in India, she realized that her passion is making an impact in the world and the lives of others. Wendy quit her job in February 2015, sold all of her things, and left the country to travel the world all across Asia, Europe, and Africa for six years.

 

Neither drizzly rain nor the "It's Saturday; I want to sleep in thoughts" could keep Rotarians away from a day of service in the environment. Spirits, laughter, and motivation were high as the group quickly banded together to do some good work outdoors. Our goals were clear: go out, clear, and propagate Rotary Meadow with Yarrow seeds. Yarrow plants are flowering plants that are usually disease-free, grown to encourage butterfly gardens and to pollinate species, which we all know is good for the environment. Along the way, we did have a butterfly sighting that Dan Davies was quick to snap, and of course, the salamanders greeted those who sometimes were surprised at how agile they are. The occasional snail or banana slug was in close proximity to our work.

 

We are proud and excited to honor Dora and David Dye at the annual ‘Fund the Future’ Gala and Silent Auction on April 1, 2022 for their constant leadership, support, and advocacy for ALPS and Rotary Youth Leadership programs. 

David and Dora Dye have been committed to youth leadership and development initiatives for almost a quarter of a century. David has enjoyed a rich journey with Boy Scouts of America, from his Eagle Scout honor as a 17-year-old-young man to parent volunteer, to in-school character-education program manager and employee. Dora is an incredible administrative asset to any organization with which she engages. She has volunteered as a summer camp counselor and merit badge counselor, served alongside David in each of these positions, and together they have positively impacted hundreds of young people through Scouts over the years. 

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant.

 

Today's visiting Rotarians were Nik Barr from the Rotary Club of Carmel and Stan Pond from the Rotary Club of Foster City. Stan was a guest of Peter Logan (Law: Insurance | Peter Logan Law Offices). Peter brought additional guests: Toby Leavitt and Craig Moody from the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival and Phil Kohlmetz. Other guests were Angelina Preza, Harmony Ma, and today's speaker, Rebecca Ennals. 

 

Ozan Yasavur became a Rotarian in December 2019 and joined our Club in March 2022. He was previously with the Ankara Bahcelievler Rotary Club in Turkey. Ozan is a mechanical/structural engineer for Bioforcetech Corporation, and his main responsibility is designing machines which transform organic streams into renewable energy and biochar.

He has been married to Merve Yasavur for two years; she is an architect. Ozan's favorite hobby is cooking and considers cooking to be more of a passion than a hobby.

 

Every day he sees animals and humans suffering. He would like to touch their lives by way of service projects. Ozan feels that the Rotary Club of San Francisco is one of the best places to create and to participate in such service projects.

 

A breath of anticipation was in the air as arrivals at the Nikko Ballroom took in the beautiful setting for Emergency Services Day (ESD), held since 1987. Everyone was excited. Past attendees knew that tales of heroism and dare were on the program and that the Club would put on the dog for our special guests. A large stage was backed by draperies and lights; spotlights hung from the ceiling to light up the platform. 18 tables were topped with floral displays. There was a bar and a photo booth just inside the room. It was an EVENT!

 

Oversized portraits of the 10 honorees were displayed on easels in the lobby, popular for family and friend photos. Converging on the lobby area for registration were uniformed members of the Coast Guard, Sheriff’s Office, San Francisco Fire Department, and San Francisco Police Department, checked in, making quite an impression. For the first time in the history of this event, Healthcare Representatives joined us having given their all in battling COVID. ESD is a favorite of the Club and usually draws a large audience. This year 140 attendees enjoyed a riveting program, plus a fine three-course lunch if you attended in person. This year we offered an option for those to attend via Zoom if they could not attend in person.

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the 2022 Emergency Services Day celebration to order at 12 noon and welcomed the huge audience in attendance in the ballroom of the Hotel Nikko. Attending remotely via Zoom were more members and guests.

 

President Mary recognized District Governor Danielle Lallement; District Governor-Elect Gary Chow; Past District Governors Chris Gallagher, Ron Gin, and Eric Schmautz (Banking: Management | Wells Fargo); District Governor Nominee Laine Hendricks (Public Relations and Marketing | County of Marin); and District Governor Nominee Designate Steve Wright, who all attended in person. Past District Governors who attended via Zoom were PDG Jayne Hulbert and Peter Lagarias (Law: Franchise | Lagarias, Napell & Dillon).

 

President Mary introduced the following special guests: Deputy Chief Thomas O'Connor from the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD), Chief Bill Scott from the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax, Coast Guard Command Master Chief Travis Cutler, Supervisor Connie Chan from District 1; Supervisor Myrna Melgar from District 7; and Office of City Administrator Carmen Chu.

 

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Audrey McKeague. Audrey was a member of our Club from July 12, 2005 to March 1, 2022 (the day she died). See here for more information. She was a registered nurse. When she moved to San Francisco, she changed her career and sold pianos. Audrey was an accomplished pianist and played the piano often at our Club's meetings.

 

In Rotary, she is most remembered for her work with the Salvation Army Harbor House. Not only did she believe in "Service Above Self", but she also lived by these words. Most of all, Audrey was proud to be a Rotarian. Below are the memories and tributes from two Rotarians who knew Audrey well.

 

President-Elect Christopher Wiseman (Event Planning | Glaucoma Research Foundation) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant. Ozan Yasavur from Ankara Bahcelievler Rotary Club exchanged flags with President-Elect Christopher.

 

Today's visiting Rotarian was Rudy Asercion from the Rotary Club of San Francisco Sunset who attended in person. Also attending in person were guest Merve Yasavur and today's speaker, Rodney Fong. The guests attending online were Aida Jones and Jeanne Gnuse.

 

 

Beginning with the luncheon to be held on March 29, 2022, everyone will pay in advance. You will select either In-Person Registration or Zoom Registration.

 

Thank you to Michael Petricca for serving as our Interim VP of Club Service since July 1, 2021. Michael graciously agreed to continue his role as VP of Club Service until a replacement could be found. The Board is grateful to Michael for introducing us to Greg Grundstrom and Jesse Austin, both from the Academy of Art University to help each week at the Hotel Nikko with setup and tear down of our AV equipment and being our tech support during the meetings. We are also thankful to Michael for securing the venues provided by the Academy of Art University for our Club and district events. 

 

One day John Dracup came to our Rotary lunch at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, and by happenstance, he sat next to me. He was wearing his black horn-rimmed glasses and a pork-pie hat, looking altogether professorial. He was considering joining the Rotary Club of San Francisco because he had heard that Rotary was involved in water projects around the world. He added that he was an emeritus professor of civil engineering at the University of California at Berkeley. I told him that I was a Cal graduate. From that day onward, we became fast friends, and he steadily queried me for knowledge about Rotary with purpose. John was determined to serve.

The Board of Directors met on January 25, 2022 for the first Board meeting of the year. The meeting was called to order by Past President JT Forbus at 12 noon as President Mary Liu was under the weather. The Board reviewed and approved the November 30, 2021 minutes with a few amendments.  

 

Treasurer Gary Dales reviewed the December 2021 financial statements. The Club remains in a strong financial position. Certain Board members are reaching out to members who have yet to pay their 2021-22 dues.

 

John Dracup was a member of our Club from March 11, 2009 to December 2, 2016. He was a civil and environmental engineering professor emeritus, who specialized in hydrology and water resource engineering and taught at both UCLA and UC Berkeley for more than half a century. At the end of 2016, John moved to Santa Monica to be near his family and joined the Rotary club in Santa Monica.

 

In Rotary, he is most remembered for building sustainable clean water systems funded by Rotary International in remote regions of developing countries. He conducted clean water projects in Kenya, Peru, Honduras, and Guatemala, and published a book entitled Clean Water for Developing Countries.

 

Action Leadership Program with Students (ALPS) is looking for new leadership coaches! Last school year, ALPS supported 12 unique youth-led community impact projects. Currently, we are halfway through the school year, and we have already supported 12 projects! Programs are growing quickly, and our capacity is largely limited by the number of leadership coaches available.

If you’ve wanted to make a personal, positive impact in the community and help cultivate ‘service above self’ leaders, becoming an ALPS leadership coach might be for you!

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant. 

 

Today's visiting Rotarian was Ozan Yasavur from Ankara Bahcelievler Rotary Club. Our guests were Aida Jones and Todd St. Vrain.

 

31 Rotarians and guests gathered at the Academy of Art building on Van Ness Avenue to watch the Los Angeles Rams walk off with the big Super Bowl prize. Our Pool was full of action as well with Peter Logan winning one Paul Harris and Wendy Ross winning three Paul Harris Fellows plus an autographed football. The effort raised $7,500 of which one half will go to the San Francisco Rotary Foundation and the other half to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. 

 

For many Asian American youth, talking about mental health is not a common or comfortable occurrence. Whether within the family space or even among peers, many Asian Americans feel there is a lack of a safe space to share challenges or experiences with mental health struggles. 

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone attending either online or in person inside the Anzu Restaurant. She noted that it had been over a month since we got together in person, and she was just coming off her personal quarantine for COVID. On each table were plated hors d'oeuvres and fresh ice tea, showing the appreciation of the staff at the Hotel Nikko for our return.

 

Today's visiting Rotarian was Ozan Yasavur, a Rotarian from Turkey who is planning to join our Club soon. Additional online guests were Aida Jones, Jeanne Gnuse, and Paul Vazquez from Alliance for Smiles. Guests in person included Theo Ellington from the Salvation Army, Donald Brooks, and today's speaker - Kate Sofis.

 

Rick Harrell has won a Jefferson Award. This Award is given to people who build better communities and contribute to better a future for those around them. Rick's work with veterans in the Heroes' Voices Program is giving back to those who had put themselves on the line to protect our freedom and values.

 

Here is the news clip honoring Rick and his Program. Rick joined our Club on August 1, 2014. Through the years, he has shared his musical talent as well as his Heroes' Voices Program with Rotarians and has served as a speaker. Congratulations to Rick!

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) kicked off the Zoom-only meeting at 12:15 PM, wishing everyone a 恭禧發財 Gung Hay Fat Choy in celebration of Chinese New Year. It’s the Year of the Tiger!

 

Today's visiting Rotarians were Ozan Yasavur, a Rotarian from Turkey who is planning to join our Club soon; Salvador Farfán, a Rotarian from Washington, DC; and Assistant Governor Liz Mark from the Rotary Club of San Francisco Chinatown. Cynthia Yee was President Mary's special guest.

 

It was another fine community service day. Dan Davies, John Dean, Susan Dean, Bob Hermann, Alisha Marfatia, Maureen O'Shea, and Christopher Wiseman of the Rotary Club of San Francisco each spent 2.5 hours at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank on Saturday, January 29, 2022. They were joined by other groups to pack 616 boxes of food onto four completely full pallets, totaling over 20,000 pounds of food. Just imagine the nourishing food of fruits and vegetables to be distributed to the thousands of needy in our communities.

 

The Board of Directors met on November 30, 2021 for the last Board meeting of the year. The meeting was called to order by President Mary Liu at 12 noon. The Board reviewed and approved the October 26, 2021 minutes with a couple of edits.  

 

The October 2021 financial statements were reviewed by Treasurer Gary Dales who reported that the Club is in good financial shape. Lower attendance at in-person meetings has reduced certain costs. Gary sent out reminders to members who have not yet paid their dues. 

 

In accordance with our Club Bylaws, I am pleased to announce that the following are scheduled to be inducted into our Club as our newest members on February 8, 2022:

In preparation for our discussion at the Semi-Annual Club Assembly on February 15, 2022, please provide your input here. This survey focuses on your day-to-day experiences in the Rotary Club of San Francisco. Your input is valuable and will be used to make our Club even better. There are no right or wrong answers; we simply ask for your honest opinions.

Raffle: Members who complete the survey by or before February 7, 2022 may choose to enter the Raffle to win a $50 Gift Card to Amazon. If you have any questions, comments, or just want to chat, please contact President Mary Liu.

Super Bowl LVI will be played on February 13, 2022. (We're hoping to see our San Francisco 49ers in the big game). Our Club is holding its annual Super Bowl Pool and Social on this date, and you are invited. 

The Super Bowl Pool is our Club’s annual drive to raise funds for The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International (TRF) and the San Francisco Rotary Foundation (SFRF). Rotary's mission is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. Every Rotarian around the world is asked to donate to TRF every year. Super Bowl Pool winners receive a Paul Harris Fellowship.

 

Communication & Media for Business Professionals, a District 5150 Rotary Means Business event, was hosted by the Vocational Services committee of our Club. This was a virtual event. We had 38 attendees.

 

The first part of the presentation was a short description of the RMB fellowship, vocational service, and its role within Rotary. After that, our featured speaker, Amy Scruggs, did her presentation. In her presentation, she shared tips on how to communicate better in person and virtually.

 

I have been newly appointed as Rotary District 5150 Endowment/Major Gifts Chair or EMG for short. I appreciate the opportunity to serve with the District Leadership Team and to start what will probably be a three-year term. In my role, I will help the many generous donors in our District to realize their goals in giving to The Rotary Foundation (TRF).

 

Consider how generous District 5150 Rotarians have been this year in their gifts. Our Districtwide goal of $1 million to TRF for the fiscal year has already been exceeded - $1.2 million has been given. District Governor Danielle Lallement’s new mid-year goal is to reach $2 million for TRF by June 30, 2022. It is a joy to consider the good work which these dollars unleash across the world, our country, and our own District.

 

The virus continues to place limits on our ability to get together. While our Club remains active, things can change on short notice. If you signed up for a meeting or an event recently, please check www.sfrotary.com or your email for any change that might have been made on short notice before heading out to the meeting or event. You can also contact a Board member listed here if you have questions.

 

The San Francisco Rotary Foundation (SFRF) presents a new online application for Grant Requests found here.  Additional information for Grants for service projects can be found here:  https://sfrotary.com/page/sfrf-grants. The fillable form works easily as you move through the document and will also be a boon to the people reviewing the applications.
 

 

The plans to celebrate Cliff Dochterman's life in person have been postponed due to concern over the current variant of the COVID-19 virus. We will let you know of the new dates later this year.

 

 

 

2021 began with many of us in search of the first shot of COVID vaccine. Who got the first shot was determined by age and health risk factors, but eventually, anyone who wanted a shot got one and then two. Our Club began 2021 on a high note: Past President Laine Hendricks (Public Relations and Marketing | County of Marin) was selected to serve as District 5150 Governor in 2023-2024.

 

We never wavered from the Rotary motto of 'Service Above Self'. In fact, we did many service projects by carefully following the health guidelines and limiting the number of participants. We expanded our reach to groups we had not partnered with in the past such as TogetherSF by loading food boxes for delivery to churches to feed those in need and by donating dictionaries in print for distribution to children who could not afford electronic devices to use for educational purposes. We delivered personal safety alarms to Asian seniors in our community.

 

Peter J. Logan is a solo attorney advocating for clients against insurance companies. Says Peter, "It's great when I can help people collect what they are due." When not practicing law, his main hobby is playing drums in a rock band. He and his band love to get people up and dancing. Peter has a daughter who is a magazine and aspiring television writer living in New York City.

 

Peter joined our Club on April 1, 2011 and joined the Board of the San Francisco Rotary Foundation in 2018. On the Board, he is a member-at-large and provides input on most matters that come before the SFRF Board. The input can cover the Foundation's rules, grant applications, and status reviews on projects already funded by SFRF.

 

 

The Rotary Club of San Francisco’s Holiday Party and Annual Meeting were held on December 14, 2021 at the Hotel Nikko. Members and guests were welcomed starting at 11:00 AM to fellowship, a photo booth, and a chance to spin the Rotary wheel to win a prize before the meeting moved to the main dining room.

 

Clifford Dochterman, Rotary International President 1992-1993, passed away on November 23, 2021. Our Club immediately paid tribute to him. See Peter Lagarias' tribute and tributes from other members of our Club. 

There are now two Celebrations of Life planned that will take place as follows:

John Mathers joined Rotary on March 1, 2011 and became our Club's president in 2017-2018. He is married to Peggy, and they enjoy traveling for fun and enlightenment. These days, many of us know John because of his work and active involvement with the Rotary Climate Action Team.

 

John joined the Board of the San Francisco Rotary Foundation (SFRF) in 2017. On the Board, he is the Chair of the Nominating Committee and serves on the Executive Committee. When SFRF president Dan Joraanstad is unavailable, John stands in for Dan. John's goal is to support the fundamental purpose of the SFRF Board, which is to manage the monies and support the projects of the Rotary Club of San Francisco.

 

We have reached the final issue of Grindings for 2021. I will be taking a short break. Grindings will not be published on December 26, 2021, but will resume on January 2, 2022. We have already started to plan the new year. Take a moment to view the Club calendar for events in January 2022. Registration is required for all events so that we can send you additional information as needed. 

 

What a year! We started 2021 (Year 2 of a global pandemic) as we had ended 2020 and continued to meet via Zoom only except for an occasional service project in person in very small groups. During his term, Past President JT Forbus held only one meeting in person - his debunking in June 2021. President Mary Liu ushered in the era of meeting simultaneously in person and via Zoom. We continue to adapt and evolve, proving our resilience.

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone to the second oldest Rotary club in the world. This is our Club's 113th year. 

 

Special Guests
Ann Daugherty (Financial Services: Private Trading | IBN Financial Services) introduced her guest, Rose Marie Cleese. Scott Plakun (Management Consulting | The Plakun Group) introduced his guest, Michael Harrington. John Mathers (Management Consulting | eVo Associates) introduced his guest, Tracy Roberts. Also present was today's speaker — Bill Yenne who introduced his guest, Hudson Martin.

 

Our Club gathers to celebrate the holidays on Tuesday, December 14, 2021. After a year when gathering together was not possible due to COVID and safety issues, we will treasure this moment even more. The Holiday Party is not the only reason for us to come together on Tuesday; very important is your attendance at the Annual Meeting happening at the same time.

 

The Fund the Future ALPS Gala is back! This benefit and silent auction will be held on Feb. 16, 2022 at The City Club. All proceeds will go to helping expand the ALPS mission to empower youth with the confidence and tools to successfully lead change projects in their schools, communities, and world. Action Leadership Program with Students (ALPS) programs prepare youth to be ‘service above self’ leaders for healthy communities and a civil society.

 

Charlotte Mailliard Shultz was a member of the Rotary Club of San Francisco from November 1, 1987 until she passed away on December 3, 2021. She was the Chief of Protocol for the state of California and the Chief of Protocol for the City and County of San Francisco. Charlotte was married to former United States Secretary of State George P. Shultz from 1997 until his death earlier this year. We join the community in mourning her loss and appreciate her many contributions to the City and County of San Francisco.

On November 20, 2021, Rotary District 5150 held its annual The Rotary Foundation (TRF) Gala at the Green Hills Country Club in Millbrae, California. The Gala was in person, but one could attend virtually as well. It was also the first occasion to dress to impress since the start of the pandemic. And dressed in their finest from the Rotary Club of San Francisco were President Mary Liu, Bob Hermann, Dan Joraanstad, David Dye, Dora Dye, Frank Yoke, Heidi Kuhn, Cecile Chiquette, Eric Schmautz and Stephanie Schmautz and their daughters Molly and Katie. Also from our Club was District Governor-Elect Nominee Laine Hendricks who served as emcee for the evening.

 

The Club Board met on October 26, 2021; President Mary Liu called the meeting via Zoom to order at 12 noon. In attendance were President Mary Liu, Christopher Wiseman, Gary Dales, Nancy Graydon, Casey Blair, Sunny Singh, Lisa Christian, J.T. Forbus, Miranti Ojong, Ed Shenkan, Bob Hermann and Stacey Poole, constituting a quorum. Brian Lan and Michael Petricca were absent. Dan Joraanstad was present, representing the San Francisco Rotary Foundation (SFRF). Non-Board members in attendance were Jenny Campbell, Jeff Lerner, and Marc Johnson.

Robin McRoskey Azevedo is the CEO of McRoskey Mattress Company – the Bay Area’s trusted mattress retailer - founded in San Francisco in 1899 by her grandfather and his brother. She enjoys gathering with family and friends to connect and share experiences, and she certainly enjoys being a Rotarian, having been a member of our Club since July 2, 2004.

Robin joined the Board of the San Francisco Rotary Foundation in 2019. On the Board, she is a member-at-large and serves on the Grant Review Committee which sifts through the grant applications received to see what should go to the Club level for approval and eventually to the Foundation. Her goals are to oversee the causes that our Club sponsors and share the far reaching impact that the Rotary Club of San Francisco and Rotary International can and do make.

 

 

 

 

Cliff Dochterman was, and remains, a brilliant beacon of light about service and Rotary. I first met Cliff in 1985, when our Club’s then executive director, Bill Ecker, recruited me for PETS (President-Elect Training Seminar). I was not a President-Elect at the time; rather I was sent as a Sergeant-at-Arms. Cliff was one of the speakers, and his talk was “If I Could be President Again.” Over the years I heard him deliver these remarks at least ten times (including when I became President-Elect and then District Governor and beyond). His message was about service and what was available and possible through Rotary. During his talk he mentioned his years as an Administrator at the University of California and joked about Berkeley and also about a Rotary project by some Rotarians in Oklahoma where “they were trying to smuggle books into Texas.” 

 

What's new? Actually, it's what has come back. Club socials returned in July; the next one is a historical walking tour in San Francisco's Chinatown. There are still tickets left.

 

After a year of silence, bells will ring once again for the Salvation Army. Sign up here.

 

Also back is our Holiday Party and Annual Meeting in person with a Zoom option. This is always the most festive and fun-filled luncheon of the year; don't miss it.

 

The San Francisco Rotary Foundation (SFRF) Board met recently. Our invested funds continue their strong growth cycle. The funds are up $500K YTD, and now stand at the highest value ever, about $5.3 million. Also, the Colant Scholarship fund has risen to a record high of $509,000. Here is an update on our recent activities:  

 

2021-2022 GRANT REQUESTS
SFRF has been busy fulfilling the grant requests for 2021-22. Approximately $164,500 plus $28,000 in district-designated funds have been allocated to 19 projects. All Vocational and Community Service project requests to date have been funded. Up for consideration next will be requests for International and Youth Leadership projects.

 

The Rotary Club of San Francisco has a long-standing tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving with the Participants of The Arc San Francisco. In 2020, we had to pivot from an in-person celebration to a virtual event. The virtual tradition was repeated in 2021 with the preparation of 300 hot meals delivered to 150 of The Arc Participants this past Tuesday, November 23. 

 

Past President of our Club and Past District 5150 Governor Eric Schmautz along with support from Rotarian Marti Sullivan, former Senior Director of Development & Communications of The Arc, and our Club's Vice President of Community Service Bob Hermann led this project to prepare, package, and deliver hot meals with a festive Thanksgiving theme to The Arc Participants experiencing social isolation and food insecurity. 

 

For nearly 25 years, Roots of Peace, a humanitarian non-profit, has worked to cultivate peace through agriculture in war-torn lands worldwide. Now, they have expanded their business model for peace to include the Western Highlands of Guatemala seeking the "root" cause for out-migration in the Northern Triangle of Guatemala. Instead of investing in higher walls at the U.S. border, the Kuhn Rotarians seek to build longer tables so that families may stay home with the dignity to break bread with fruits grown in their homeland and income from exports to international markets.

See this ABC7 News segment to learn how Rotarians may become involved in sowing the "economics of peace" to solve the U.S. border crisis.

 

 

 

In accordance with our Club's Bylaws, the Nominating Committee has selected these candidates for open positions on the Board of Directors:

 

2022-23 President: Christopher Wiseman

2022-23 President-Elect: Sunny Singh

2022-24 Vice President of Community Service: Emily Borland

2022-24 Vice President of Development: Maureen O'Shea

2022-24 Vice President of International Service: Frank Yoke

2022-24 Vice President of Membership: Margaret Miley

 

The Rotary Club of San Francisco and the San Francisco Rotary Foundation launched the Action Leadership Program with Students (ALPS) in 2019. Below is an ALPS project where we can help by donating canned food. Any questions, please contact Harmony Ma, ALPS Program Manager.

 

Sue Rokaw, Past District Governor (PDG) of Rotary District 5150 and member of our Club, sends her best regards and announces that she and her husband, Alan Test, recently moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Ocean Springs in the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone to the second oldest Rotary club in the world. This is our Club's 113th year. 

 

Visiting Rotarians and Special Guests
Today's Visiting Rotarians were Past District 5150 Governor Jayne Hulbert and Rotarian Gene Duffy (PDG Jayne's husband). Also in attendance were Jatinderpal Kaur Sahi, CEO of RotaCare Bay Area; Armando Zumaya from Catholic Charities; Clifford Phillips from The Arc San Francisco; Dorian Luey and Meshtli Villalta from the University of San Francisco; Hamid Ansari from Roots of Peace; and Victoria Cooper.

 

Nine Rotarians and friends gathered at Hoogasian’s Flower Shop on October 26 to sort and bag housewares for the Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP). It was a fun event and a change of pace from our typical projects in the past, when we bagged items for new babies.

 

This time, we bagged the housewares for 50 moms who are moving into new homes with their families. Items included bakeware, knives and mixing spoons, bowls, colanders, and other kitchen basics. 

 

On a rainy day, a small group of Rotarians ventured out to attend the Tuesday luncheon. Joining them was another group of Rotarians on Zoom. President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and introduced Jessie Austin of the Academy of Art University. Jessie now manages the audio-visual equipment during our in-person meetings, and we are truly grateful.

 

On November 3, 2021, a group of 15 people participated in our Vocational Service event - Professional Portrait and Business Networking. President Mary Liu offered her office at Vanguard Properties for this event. Pat Johnson, a well-known Bay Area photographer, took a professional headshot of each attendee.

 

Jenny Campbell, one of our Club's new members, led the networking during the event. Each attendee partnered with someone in the group and learned their elevator pitch. Next, each person went up to the stage and presented the partner’s elevator pitch. 

Having a safe space where young people may learn about the foundations of health and exercise is an important aspect of developing a healthy understanding of fitness and positive body image. This is what our latest group of ALPS leaders believes. In our current day and age of social media and competition/comparison-driven environments, our ALPS students have been striving to create a program that provides positive mentorship and role models as well as fun activities for elementary students. 

Since July, these student leaders have been planning a collaborative exercise program with their local elementary school. They’ve learned to work under COVID-19 guidelines, event and spacing logistics, and equipment loans and donations in order to plan safe programming.  

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone.

 

Visiting Rotarians and Special Guests
Attending in person were the following guests: Saswati Mukherjee, a visiting Rotarian from India; Devon Kessler; and Angelina Preza. Online as guests were Beatrice Steele and Zelda Okia.

 

On October 28, 2021, Club members and their families joined in a virtual game of Halloween-themed, musical bingo. Our Halloween costume winners were brothers JT and Daryn Borland-Wong, sisters Leyna and Emmy Blair, and sisters Leia and Mae Forbus. Our bingo winners were Casey Blair, Mary Liu, and Stacey Poole. It was a spooktacular event enjoyed by all!  

We hope to see you at our next Club social on December 4th.  

A cornerstone of the Action Leadership Program with Students (ALPS) is multigenerational relationships, and this group of participants really showed us what that is all about! By fostering a collaborative and positive group environment, ALPS students were able to execute their vision of bringing generations together through connection and song. 

Over the past few months, a group of five students gathered together to explore ways to show the seniors and older adults in their neighborhood that they are seen, valued and important members of our community, but especially that they are not alone. The students decided to show the seniors how much they cared through connecting in a way that was very personal and meaningful to them: song!

 

In accordance with our Club Bylaws, I am pleased to announce that the following are scheduled to be inducted into our Club as our newest members on November 9, 2021:

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone to the second oldest Rotary club in the world. This is our Club's 113th year.

 

Visiting Rotarians and Special Guests
Attending in person was ALPS Program Manager Harmony Ma. Attending online were the following visiting Rotarians: Brent Ainsworth of the Rotary Club of Novato; Jenny Bates of the Rotary Club of San Rafael Evening; and President Paul Ekstrand, Barry Hytowitz, Malinda Monterrosa, Christina Moses, and Jose Luis Sanchez (all from the Rotary Club of Los Angeles). Also online were the following guests: Daniel Catena, Rosa Santos, Christina Laird, Martha Ryan from the Homeless Prenatal Program, and today's speaker — Laine Hendricks.

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone. 

 

Hispanic Heritage Month: The audience watched a video on Hispanic Heritage Month. This observation from September 15 to October 15 started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

 

91 Rotarians, family members, and guests gathered together for a fabulous, front row seat overlooking Jefferson Street, Fisherman's Wharf, and the San Francisco Bay to view the Blue Angels in motion on Saturday, October 9, 2021. The maneuvers and the choreography of the Blue Angels left the audience in awe. The location of the event, the space, the food, and the décor were spot on.  

 

Ed Shenkan joined our Club on December 10, 2019, but says that he has always had Rotary in his genes! Ed’s great grandfather and grandfather were Rotarians, and his father Sid has been a Rotarian in New Castle, Pennsylvania for over 60 years (previous club president and regional chair of Polio Plus). Ed proudly says that Rotary had a meaningful impact on his life by sponsoring him for a year of study in Épinal, France as a high school Rotary Exchange Student. For over 30 years, he has continued his friendship with his three French homestay families. 

 

As a result of the positive impact on his life from his exchange year in France, he and his wife Amy chose the French American International School in San Francisco beginning at age 4 for their daughter Maddie. Maddie is now in 12th grade and is preparing to graduate with the French Baccalaureate designation.

 

President Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group) called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM and welcomed everyone to the second oldest Rotary club in the world. This is our Club's 113th year.

 

Visiting Rotarians and Special Guests
New member Esther Landau (Nonprofit Administration | The Arc San Francisco) introduced her guests - Barbara Streett and Kristen Pedersen. Joining online were Rosa Santos and today's speaker — John Rothmann.

 

Rotarians and guests met on September 30, 2021 to tour the Mission District murals hosted by the Precita Eyes Muralists Association (the Association). The Association was founded in 1977, originally as a community muralist workshop. It now supports nearly 100 murals in the Mission, many of which are in Balmy Alley. Balmy Alley homeowners have allowed muralists to beautify the privately owned passageway, and murals are occasionally refurbished and refreshed in collaboration with the original artist(s) and homeowner. The Association's mission is to support Chicano muralism’s original objective: to create public art that authentically represents a community’s history and culture.

See more photos here. We hope to see you at future social events!

 

 

The Rotary Club of San Francisco is proud to be in its 7th year to support the Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP). Martha Ryan, the Executive Director of HPP, will attend our lunch meeting on October 19 to accept our Foundation’s donation. Martha will also give us an update on the latest happenings at HPP.

 

While we were originally scheduled to bag diapers and attend quarterly baby showers this fiscal year, our Club will once again adapt to the Community’s needs due to the COVID Delta variant. HPP is not distributing diaper bags or holding baby showers at this time. Instead, they have asked our Club to bag personal care items for their clientele.

 

A team of 17 Rotary volunteers gathered high atop Rotary Meadow in the foggy heart of Sutro Forest on Saturday, September 25 at 9:15 AM. The volunteers came from several Clubs, including the Rotary Clubs of San Francisco #2, San F