Serving Rotarians in Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties ● November 2015

In Rotary, for peace, Leah

Give the gift of Rotary Two months ago, I got up insanely early on a Saturday morning to attend one of The Rotary Foun-dation seminars on giving. I am so glad I did. While I walked away with scores of valuable tips and information, the one insight that really stuck with me was a simple phrase: “Do not ask people to give to Rotary. Ask them to give through Rotary.” How insightful. People give to their passions. November is The Rotary Foundation (TRF) month. It is a time when our District’s Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) Campaign is in full swing. We are asked to contribute at least $200 per person to The Rotary Foundation Annual Fund. As I have been out and about, speaking to Rotarians in the 42 clubs throughout our District about their giving goals, I began reflecting on the reasons people give. I came up with a list of 10 to share with you. 1. Poverty can be solved. Effective interventions can break the cycle of poverty for the world’s neediest people. Poverty is a problem with proven solutions and that we can impact through giving. 2. We have the financial resources to help. While 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day, those of us living in the developed world have

significant resources that can make a huge difference. 3. Even small donations have an impact. You don’t have to be a millionaire to make a difference. Even small donations can drastically improve an individual’s quality of life. 4. Giving benefits the world’s neediest people. With a four-star rating from Charity Navigator . TRF channels funds directly to those who need it most. 5. Giving makes us happier. Studies show that giving to others is directly correlated with an increased sense of happiness. 6. Giving is tax-deductible. Charitable giving may entitle you to tax savings that reduce the cost of your donation. 7. Giving brings us closer to creating the world we want to live in. Giving helps us balance the inequality that leads to violence. Through giving, we create a more peaceful world.

8. Giving works. TRF’s six areas of focus, and sus- tainability and reporting requirements, ensure that monies have a lasting impact. 9. Giving is a question of fairness. Rotarians view giving as a way to balance economic inequities. Those born with more have an obligation to help those born into the cycle of poverty. 10. Giving is in our nature. We are Rotarians. “Service Above Self” comes naturally. When someone is a victim of hard times, our first impulse is to help. Whatever your reason, this month, I encourage you to make a contri-bution to continue saving and changing lives. Learn more about The Rotary Foundation. Connect with your personal passion and give to it. Not to Rotary, but through Rotary. You will be making a great investment for a better, safer, more peaceful world.

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News orthy

Dinner with RI President

Make your reservation now for An Evening with Rotary International President K. R. ‘Ravi’ Ravindran on January 3, 2016 in San Jose, CA. Open to friends and family, this is an exclusive opportunity to meet YOUR Rotary International President. For information, go to: http://tinyurl.com/pkyd8pd Register at: http://tinyurl.com/qayhq5k

If you haven’t yet bought your tickets for the Rotary World Peace Concert, best to do it soon.

Tickets continue to sell and social media posts are burning up News Feeds with info on American Idol darling Crystal Bowersox and “Wild Child” Brett Dennen.

Add the beautifully refurbished Herbst Theater and Green Room into the mix and you have a magical evening in store. Keep an ear out for radio spots, too. Rotary is reaching out to the public, attracting concert-goers who share our mission to create a more peaceful world. For ticket sales, go to: www.rotaryworldpeaceconcert. Com Rotary International Convention 2016 Find your Seoul at the 2016 RI Convention in Seoul, Korea on May 28 through June 1, 2016. If you have never been to a Rotary International Convention, this will be an outstanding one. If you are a veteran of RI Conventions, this

one will offer the chance to expe- rience a world jux- taposed between tradition and innovation, while also learning, networking, and having fun with fellow Rotarians. Our District already has a number of people registered. Join us for an unforgettable experience. Learn more and register at http://www.riconvention.org/ Connect with Korea – touch the world. District 5150 announces 2016 PRLS workshops

Michael Ford, Director of the Potential Rotary Leader Seminars (PRLS), announced the schedule for the new year. Starting with Basic PRLS on January 30, 2016 and continuing with the 5-class series of Master PRLS, this program offers a chance to learn about Rotary, to further develop your leadership skills, and to get to know Rotarians from throughout our District. The cost of each class is only $50 and many clubs reimburse members who attend (Check with your club). The Calendar of Events includes a listing of all classes and dates. To learn more, go to www.rotary5150.org and click on Training/PRLS.

Last chance for concert tickets.

Rotary World Peace Conference 2016 Rotary International has announced the Rotary World Peace Conference 2016 in Ontario, CA, January 15-16, 2016. The two-day conference brings together scores of speakers, presenting at Plenary Sessions and in 13 tracks that offer experts sharing solutions to major issues happening in our communities locally and internationally. If you are serious in learning about peace building, don’t miss this nearby conference. Learn more at http://www.peaceconference2016.org/. Peace starts with you.

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the District A bout

Roots of Peace Founder Heidi Kuhn presenting a Rotary Club banner from Zadar, Croatia to Rotary Club of San Francisco President Stephanie Schmautz--Over $250,000 was raised by Rotary District #5150 to plant 25,000 grapevine and 14,000 apple orchards on the former minefields of Bastica 'Little Garden.

Sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of District 5150, San Carlos Rotary member and now Peninsula Sunrise Rotary President Warren Dale and the Multi-Ethnic Volleyball Team conducted sports camps and formed inter-ethnic soccer leagues (1994) that led to reintegration of local schools (1996) and helped the members succeed in their current endeavors.

The Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay sponsored its annual clam chowder booth at the world-famous Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival. Over 2,600 servings of clam chowder were doled out, with the proceeds going to support Club operations for the year.

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otarian R of the Month

Jim Bryant Rotary Club of Tiburon Sunset

Jim Bryant was selected as November Rotarian of the Month, not for his work this week or this year, but for more than three decades of devoted service to Rotary. Club President Sylvia Mills agrees with Marilyn Nemzer: “Jim ought to be Rotarian of the Century.”

Jim Bryant has an outstanding record of over 32 years of service to Rotary in general and to his club. He was instrumental in helping to found the Rotary Club of Tiburon Sunset in 1992, and served as the club’s first President, establishing the club’s reputation as a 100% Paul Harris club. From that day to this, Jim has contributed his patience, loyalty, and energy to the weekly running of the club in multiple ways central to the success of any Rotary club.

Jim is modest, allowing many of his contributions to go “under the radar:” For instance, he arranges all the logistics of weekly meetings and has done so since 1992. He is incredibly punctual and knowledgeable about Rotary. He stores the club's equipment, which he unfailingly brings to weekly meetings, fundraisers, and other

events. He devotedly brings in the flag, the bell, and wines for Rotary dinners. President Sylvia Mills says, “For the more than 10 years I have been in the club, we have never run out of wine – ever!” He arranges gifts for speakers, pins for members, and collects and keeps track of monies. He is the tireless wizard providing “behind the scenes” organization for audio/visual presentations that do so much to ensure the success of the club’s speakers, annual fundraiser, and other special events.

Jim's logistical largesse and generosity is not confined to the Rotary Club of Tiburon Sunset. His devotion to Rotary extends to other clubs and the community: for instance, he brought and served wines at the recent Hoe Down Celebration. Whenever there is a local parade, he makes sure the club is represented, photographed, and included in the local newspapers. Jim has been the backbone of the quarterlyRoad Cleanup Program on Tiburon Blvd.. He brings the helmets, vests, gloves, bags, and picker-uppers, and then takes the trash

bags to a CalTrans designated site. He obtains flags that have flown over the Capital and has given these with a Rotary placard to Tiburon Elementary school, the local post office, and Sam's Restaurant to name only a few of the many recipients of this honor.

Jim is tireless in his devotion to Rotary. He is a widower with three accomplished adult children to whom he is also devoted. Please join the Rotary Club of Tiburon Sunset and District 5150 in honoring Jim in this, his 80th year – 32 of them in Rotary, with the well-earned accolade of being named Rotarian of the Month this November 2015.

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Moment embership M

Membership growth through district extension

Last year, District Governor Leah Lambrecht, and her incoming District Extension committee, were asked to complete an extensive report with data from all communities within our District. This data highlighted potential areas for new club creation and growth for our District.

Using this information, District leadership and District extension have identified several areas and new opportunities for club formation and growth. The first area that we will concentrate on is in the Castro/Noe Valley com-munities in San Francisco. District Extension Chair Danielle Lallement is working closely with the appointed District Representative Lisa DeZordo on the formation of a new club in this area.

If you have any connections or referrals on potential new Rotarians for this new club, please email Danielle Lallement directly (danilynnl75@gmail.com). The first club meeting will be held in November, and we will keep you updated on its progress.

In Andrew Lloyd Webber’s, “Phantom of the Opera,” there is a scene where one of the lead characters, Raoul, makes a plea to the murderous Phantom to “show some compassion.” The lonely and emotionally damaged Phantom’s angry reply is, “The world showed no compassion to me!”

Those two simple lines point out why some people have compassion and others either don’t have any or have difficulty mustering it up at times. People are more

inclined to show compassion for others when they have been exposed to compassion themselves, in small ways, in the grit of everyday life. The learning point is: By expres- sing compassion ourselves, we can develop compassion in others.

Rotary provides endless opportunities to show and model compassion. Packing care packages to take to a local shelter, serving Thanksgiving dinners to the elderly, providing shelter to individuals

who have suffered abuse, writing a check to help those afflicted by tragedy – whatever it may be.

The more we show com-passion, the more we build conditions where thoughts can be shared, where conflict can be reduced or eliminated. Let us not wait for someone to say, “The world showed no compassion to me.” Let us show compassion in every small thing we do. In so doing, we build peace.

Compassion as a Pillar of Peace

Priorities P eace

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C alendar of Events

November 3, 2015 Interact Fall Leadership Conference Learn more at http://www.tinyurl.com/interactflc2016 www.tinyurl.com/interactflc2016 www.tinyurl.com/interactflc2016

November 7, 2015 Master PRLS #5 – Business Planning & Project Management Learn more at www.rotary5150.org and click on Training/PRLS.

November 14, 2015 Rotary World Peace Concert Go to www.rotaryworldpeaceconcert.com

January 3, 2016 Dinner with Rotary International President K. R. “Ravi” Ravindran Go to http://portal.clubrunner.ca/50155/Page/dinner-with-president-ravi

January 30, 2016 Basic PRLS Learn more at www.rotary5150.org and click on Training/PRLS.

February 20, 2016 Master PRLS #1

April 16, 2016 Master PRLS #2

April 29, 2016 The Rotary Foundation Dinner Go to http://www.sfpeacecon.com/

April 30-May 1, 2016 Rotary District San Francisco Peace Conference & House of Friendship Go to http://www.sfpeacecon.com/

May 15, 2016 Major Donor Event (By Invitation)

May 29-June 1, 2016 Rotary International Convention – Seoul, Korea Go to: http://www.riconvention.org/

June 26, 2016 Past District Governor Event (By Invitation)

For listings of specific club events, please go to www.rotary5150.org and click on “Calendar.” Clubs are encouraged to list all “special events” to which others are invited.

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your Team now K

(Belmont, Burlingame, Daly City/Colma Evening, San Bruno, San Francisco International Airport, South San Francisco)

Glen Rojas Assistant District Governor

Mary Marie Bates Assistant District Governor

Janet Fogarty Assistant District Governor

(Foster City, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Mateo, San Mateo Sunrise, Woodside/Portola Valley)

(Half Moon Bay, Millbrae, Pacifica, Peninsula Sunrise, San Carlos)

Janet Fogarty is a member of the Rotary Club of Millbrae, where she has lived for 33 years with her husband, Bill Fogarty, who is also a Rotarian. Janet is an attorney, owning her own firm, Janet Fogarty & Associates. Her practice focuses on Real Estate, Land Use, and Estate Planning.

Janet joined the Rotary Club of Millbrae in 2009, and was President in 2012. She has held extensive positions in the community including City Councilmember, two terms as Mayor, board member and Past President of the Millbrae Community Foundation, member of the first Board of Directors of SamTrans, and board member and Chairman of the Board of the Millbrae Chamber of Commerce. In 2013, she was named a Millbrae Woman of the Year for her work in the community.

Glen Rojas possesses more than 37 years of local government service, serving most recently as City Manager for the City of Menlo Park, where he oversaw an organization of approximately 250 employees and an overall budget of $80 million. He worked closely with community organizations and non-profits assisting them in providing valuable services to the community.

His volunteer efforts include various levels of leadership with the Rotary Club of Menlo Park including President. He also serves as the Senior Advisor to the San Mateo County Managers Association and on the Pacific Art League Board of Directors.

Glen is retired and now enjoys time with his two grandsons who live in Redwood City.

Mary 'Marie' Bates, an eighth generation native Californian, was born in San Diego to a Naval career father and community service volunteer mother. She was schooled in Asia, during her formative years. Her passions of travel, water sports, and volunteerism were passed on through her parents’ examples, and she now continues as a mother of four daughters.

Professionally, Mary Marie is a recreation, parks, and facilities operations consultant. She has worked for numerous city municipalities. Her motto is “continuous improvement.” Throughout the years, she has served on non-profit boards for the American Red Cross, Hillbarn Theatre, Bay Area Maintenance Superintendent Association, Spectrum of Science, and the Rotary Club of Foster City.

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The District’s annual fund EREY fundraising campaign is in full swing! Prizes this year are Visa Gift Cards and the grand prize is $2,000 with another $4,000 in gift cards. Tickets are available from your TRF Chair or Club President. Our goal is to have each Rotarian donate $200. Donations will go to the Annual Fund and will count toward your Paul Harris Fellow. Deadline for submitting tickets is November 18, 2015. Let’s have another great fundraiser for the Annual Fund! Remember November is Foundation Month!

Officially reported Wild Polio Virus cases 2015 Year to Date 2014 Calendar Year Total Global Cases 48 359 Pakistan 36 108 Afghanistan 12 8 Nigeria 0 5

Data from World Health Organization as of October 7, 2015.

DID YOU KNOW? The seed for The Rotary Foundation (TRF) was planted by Rotary President Arch Klumph at the Atlanta Convention in 1917. From the first gift of $26.50, the Foundation’s assets have grown to approximately $1 billion, and more than $3 billion has been spent on programs and projects – transforming millions of lives across the globe. “We should not live for ourselves alone, but for the joy in doing good for others.” wrote Arch C. Klumph to Rotary Club Presidents on February 5, 1929.

TRF CONTRIBUTIONS: Congratulations to the top District 5150 contributing Clubs as of September 30, 2015. To view your Club’s TRF Contributions click here.

RANK ANNUAL FUND Per Capita

POLIO PLUS Dollars

TOTAL GIVING Dollars

TOTAL GIVING Per Capita

1 San Rafael Harbor - $184 Marin Evening - $7,400 Marin Evening – $10,275 Marin Evening - $467 2 Marin Evening - $130 Mission San Rafael - $2,000 Mill Valley - $7,846 San Rafael Harbor - $198 3 Mill Valley - $119 Burlingame - $1,500 Novato - $5,763 Marin Sunrise - $140

TRF EARNS 4-STAR RATING: The Rotary Foundation earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the largest and most prestigious independent evaluator of nonprofits in the United States. This year’s top distinction is the Foundation’s eighth in a row, which places the Foundation in the top 2 percent of U.S.-based charities. MAJOR DONOR: Many of our District’s Rotarians have achieved Major Donor status through their generosity to TRF. When cumulative cash donations of $10,000 or more in cash you are recognized as a Major Donor. There are four levels of recognition. For further information please visit: https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/take-action/give/recognition POLIO UPDATE: Just three years ago, Nigeria accounted for more than half of wild polio cases worldwide. But in September, Nigeria was removed from the dwindling list of polio-endemic countries, following more than a year with no reported cases of wild polio. This is a remarkable success; but the country, as well as the rest of the Africa continent, must maintain vigilance and momentum for a least the next two years before the World Health Organization’s Africa region can be officially certified polio-free. Indoor Ride for Polio: Please follow this link to participate in this year’s Indoor Ride for Polio – something we can do to support the eradication of Polio! http://ridetoendpolio.org/category/indoor-ride-to-end-polio/ Please continue to donate to eradicate Polio. Every US dollar Rotary commits through 2018 to Polio eradication will become three dollars, thanks to a 2-to-1 match from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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.......On a Final Note EDITOR’S NOTE: We encourage your submissions—Please follow the guidelines at www.rotary5150.org and click on “NEWS” and “Submit a Story.” To be considered for inclusion, all content must be received at news@rotary5150.org by the 15th of each month. Aline Estournes, editor

Pacific Currents November 2015

houghts T for the Month

T his & That

“No one has ever become poor by giving.” ~ Anne Frank, diary of Anne Frank: the play

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.

~ Plato

“We only have what we give.” ~ Isabel Allende

Unusual Make-up Meetings Which Rotarians have to travel farthest for a make-up meeting? You are right if you guessed the members of the Rotary Club of Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia, which is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and is the club that is most remote from any other. The southernmost Rotary meeting is that of the Rotary Club of Base Marambio-Antártida in Antarctica. The northernmost club is the Rotary Club of Svalbard, Norway, on the Svalbard island group north of the Norwegian mainland. It is said there is a Rotary meeting being held someplace in the world every hour of every day. If you attended one meeting per day, it would take more than 80 years to visit all of the 34,000 Rotary clubs in the world. — Excerpted From “The ABCs of Rotary” by Clifford L. Dochterman We know you love your club the best, but why not visit another Rotary club – in or outside our District? Use Club Finder, or a Mobile App, to locate a club. Visiting other clubs sparks new ideas. Report back to your club on your most unusual make-up meeting!

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