Posted by Larry Booth on Nov 02, 2022
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.
 
Visiting Rotarians and Guests
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.
 
Meeting Volunteers
President Christopher thanked today's meeting volunteers (listed at the end of this story).
 
Club Calendar and Events for Rotarians
Check the Club's calendar for upcoming meetings and events for November 2022.
 
Past and Upcoming Events
Several members of our Club attended the Warriors game together on October 27, 2022. Also, on October 27, 2022, the Rotary Club of Oakland had invited us to its spooky Halloween party at a real funeral home! Peter Logan (Law: Insurance | Peter Logan Law Offices) and his band, 12th Root of Two, entertained on October 29, 2022; in the audience were Visiting Rotarians from Italy.
 
It's back! Mark November 22, 2022 on your calendar when our Club will hold an in-person Thanksgiving at The Arc San Francisco. After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, we are all looking forward to this Club tradition. Registration is now open. Many hands are needed; sign up today.
 
Sad News
President Christopher shared the passing of Robert Scott Thomas. Mr. Thomas was the father of Heidi Kuhn (Peace Building | Roots of Peace) and grandfather of Tucker Kuhn (Peace Building | Roots of Peace) and Christian Kuhn (Peace Building | Roots of Peace). See here for more information on Mr. Thomas' life.
 
Rotarians of the Month
The Club celebrated the Rotarian of the Month since the start of the current Rotary year. Alisha Marfatia (Information Technology: E-Commerce | EvolveWare) was the Rotarian of the Month for July 2022. Ozan Yasavur (Engineering: Mechanical | Bioforcetech Corporation) was the Rotarian of the Month for August 2022. Larry Booth (Engineering: Mechanical | Frank M. Booth, Inc.) was the Rotarian of the Month for September 2022. Robin Azevedo (Retail: Mattresses | Retired, McRoskey Mattress Company) was the Rotarian of the Month for October 2022. Dan Davies (Information Technology: Consulting | North American Lighting) is the Rotarian of the Month for November 2022. Congratulations to all, and thank you for your service to our Club!
 
Chocolate for Twenty Seconds
Lisa StarkThose participating received a bag of chocolates in exchange for 20 seconds to speak to the audience. Participating were:
  • Margaret Miley who introduced Clifford Phillips (The Arc San Francisco); Clifford expressed his love for our Club.
  • Lisa Stark (Communications and Media | Self-Employed) who said that she just loves having lunch with all of us and has lots of very fond Rotary Foundation Group Study Exchange memories.
  • Ann Daugherty who praised the diversity in our Club, and said that she was proud to be a member.
  • Alex Omoko (Human Services | Bay Area Community Service) who appreciated how warmly he was received when he joined our Club. He is still thrilled when Tuesday comes around!
  • Emily Borland (Engineering, Architecture, and Construction | Emily Borland Specifications) who was happy that her grandmother celebrated her 104th birthday!
  • Bob Herman who reminded everyone to join our Club's Friendsgiving on November 13, 2022.
  • Patricia Davico who shared the wonderful story of her daughters regifting their Halloween candy to those without.
  • Robin Azevedo who reported on our Club's EREY (Every Rotarian, Every Year) contributions; we're both generous and good looking!
  • Maureen O'Shea who thanked guest Robert Hunter for his excellent organization of our Club's first Fashion Show.
  • President Chris who reported on his visit to the Santa Cruz Rotary Club that is celebrating their 100-year anniversary.
  • President-Elect Sunny Singh (Financial Services: Advising | PK Wealth Management) who reported on the great turnout at the Business After Hours event with the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce on October 19, 2022
DEI Presentations
 
We were fortunate to enjoy two DEI presentations today.
 
First, Sunny Singh and Alisha Marfatia shared the traditions of the Hindu celebration of Diwali and began with a sample of delicious, Indian sweets. It's a five-day celebration of light, wealth, and triumph over dark, food, and family. Fireworks are a big part of the celebration, as is colorful clothing. A special treat was to see a photo of Sunny when he was 13 years old; he still has that youthful look!
 
 
Robin AzevedoRobin Azevedo described her grandson's deep dive into his background. He claims heritage in the following places: Switzerland, Poland, Costa Rica, England, Spain, Portugal, Virginia, St. Louis, Noe Valley, and Boston, and is a true example of America's melting pot.
 
 
The meeting was adjourned at 1:30 p.m.
 
 
Editor's Note: Thank you to Larry Booth for serving as scribe; to Jim Patrick (Retail: Office Supplies | Patrick & Co.) for serving as photographer; to Alex Omoko for managing the microphone; to Jesse Austin of the Academy of Art University for managing the audio-visual equipment during our in-person meeting; to John Mathers (Management Consulting | eVo Associates) for serving as greeter and to Margaret Miley for doing check-in at the Hotel Nikko. Thank you also to David Dye (Management Consulting | Retired) for his images while attending this meeting in person.