Posted by Larry Booth on Mar 30, 2022
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.
 
Visiting Rotarians and Special Guests
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.
 
Rotarian of the Month
President Mary recognized Bill Poppen (Banking: Management | MUFG Union Bank) as the Rotarian of the Month for March 2022. Bill serves as the secretary of the San Francisco Rotary Foundation. He was honored for his excellent work on the Bike Build and his behind-the-scene work with the Membership Committee and new members to our Club. Bill was also recognized for his recent grant application to fund wine for the masses to help with social interaction and the syndrome of overvolunteering. Congratulations to Bill!
 
Upcoming Events
President Mary shared the line-up of speakers, service projects, and events through the end of April 2022. See our Club's calendar to register and more details. 
 
Lynn Luckow (Development | LikeMinded.org) reminded anyone who had not yet registered for the ALPS Gala that it was still possible to sign up. Eric Schmautz on behalf of Stephanie Schmautz (Elder Care and Senior Services | The Carlisle) invited the audience to the Rotary Day of Service: Protecting the Environment. Rhonda Poppen (Grant Writing | GRANTdog) encouraged everyone to attend the District Conference: An event fit for the stars. Peter Logan (Law: Insurance | Peter Logan Law Offices) asked everyone to come out and hear him and his band on April 6, 2022.
 
Weekly Recap
Bob Hermann (Information Technology: Administration | Retired UCSF) reported on the recent cleaning and planting at Rotary Meadow. Emily Borland (Engineering, Architecture, and Construction | Emily Borland Specifications) talked about the assembly of 48 kits containing housewares for families who recently found a home with the help of the Homeless Prenatal Program. President Mary shared the highlights of the recent District Assembly and how our Club cheered the loudest when our President-elect, Christopher Wiseman (Event Planning | Glaucoma Research Foundation), was introduced.
 
 
Guest Speaker
John GermDG Danielle discussed today's theme and talked about how giving money is personal. She introduced Dan Joraanstad (Financial Services: Advising | Retired), President of the San Francisco Rotary Foundation. Dan talked about the good deeds made possible by the funds from our Foundation. He introduced PDG Jayne Hulbert. PDG Jayne introduced PRIP John Germ.
 
John is a mechanical engineer and is currently chair and Trustee of The Rotary Foundation. He was President of Rotary International in 2016-17; his motto was "Rotary Serving Humanity". PRIP John was the driving force to obtain the funds that enabled Rotary to conquer polio. In 1979 Polio Plus started with $750,000 and a goal to eradicate polio in the Philippines; it worked. Continuing that success, Rotary then set a goal of $120 million to reach the 1,000 children per day who were being infected with crippling polio. The results are legendary - 99% eradication of polio and over 2.5 billion children have been vaccinated. Former President Barack Obama awarded John Germ the Champion of Change for his successful fundraising effort of more than $228 million in response to a challenge grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, giving Rotary an additional $50 million because of John's fundraising. 
 
PRIP John spoke eloquently about Rotary's ability to reach around the world, its commitment to people, and its passion to improve the life of others. And he reminded us to ask others to join Rotary's service to our community and our world. PRIP John said "History is with us, and our achievements are legendary because we believe in people." In making the world better, one project at a time, one village at a time, John is a Rotarian who truly embraces our motto of Service Above Self.
 
DG Danielle thanked and presented PRIP John with some mementos of San Francisco. President Mary thanked PRIP John and announced that 100 children would be inoculated against polio in his name.
 
Paul Harris Fellow and Major Donor Awards
President Mary introduced the recipients while PRIP John Germ with the help of PDG Jayne Hulbert and DG Danielle Lallement presented the Paul Harris Fellow pins to the following:

PHF: Lisa Christian (Development), Dan Davies (Information Technology: Consulting | North American Lighting), Nancy Graydon (Development | Glaucoma Research Foundation), President Mary Liu, Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management), Andrés Vera (Entertainment | Self-Employed), and Karl Wustrack (Healthcare: Physician | Alliance for Smiles)
PHF+2: Christopher Wiseman
PHF+3: Frank Yoke (Development | Golden Gate Area Council, Boy Scouts of America)
PHF+4Dora Dye (Education)
PHF+5: Elizabeth Giorgis (Financial Services: Management | Gruber & McBaine Capital Mgmt.)
PHF+6: Robin Azevedo (Retail: Mattresses | McRoskey Mattress Company), Larry Booth (Engineering: Mechanical | Frank M. Booth, Inc.), David Dye (Management Consulting | Retired), Laine Hendricks, Robert Schmitz (Consumer Services: Moving and Storage | Corodata) 
PHF+7: Kevin Leong (Development | University of San Francisco)
PHF+8: Peter Logan.
 
 
Emily Borland earned the Major Donor recognition.
Emily Borland is honored with a Major Donor recognition. Joining her are PDG Jayne Hulbert, DG Danielle Lallement, PRIP John Germ, and President Mary Liu.
 
A Touchdown for the Foundation
No meeting can end without a little football, right? Jim Patrick (Retail: Office Supplies | Patrick & Co.), our Club's TRF Chair, produced a couple of footballs signed by Paul Harris. Jim teed up PRIP John to kick a field goal right down the middle of the Carmel Room to start the fund drive for the Foundation. No one blocked the kick, the many ref's in the room scurried for cover, and the ball rolled right down the line. Touchdown!
 
The meeting was adjourned at 1:33 p.m.
 
 
Editor's Note: Thank you to Larry Booth for serving as scribe at this meeting; to Jeff Lerner (Retail: Home Improvement | Floorcraft) for serving as photographer; to Christopher Wiseman for managing the microphone; to Jessie Austin of the Academy of Art University for managing the audio-visual equipment during our in-person meeting; to Maureen O'Shea (Governmental Relations | Retired) and Margaret Miley (Hospitality: Hotels | Retired) for serving as greeters; to Scott Plakun (Management Consulting | The Plakun Group) for managing those who were attending via Zoom; to Nancy Graydon for doing check-in at the Hotel Nikko; and to Gary Dales (Accounting | Fly Leasing) for serving as cashier. Gene Duffy of the Rotary Club of Ignacio also shared a few photos of this day.