March 2025
S M T W T F S
23
24
25
26
27
28
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
01
02
03
04
05
Upcoming Events
View More...
Rotary Tuesday Meeting
Welcome to Rotary Club of Sacramento!
Sacramento

P.O. Box 2528
Fair Oaks , CA  95628

We meet In Person
Tuesdays at 12:10 p.m.
The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Ballroom
600 Alhambra Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95816
United States of America
Phone:
(916) 929-2992
Email:
info@rotarysacramento.com
District Site
Venue Map
Foundation
 
Bulletin 
Subscribe to our eBulletin and stay up to date on the latest news and events.

Click here to sign up!
Like us on facebook
 
 
Pulse for the Week of March 18th, 2025
Though it was the day after St. Patrick’s Day, our club celebrated nonetheless. Members wore everything from blinking bow ties to stylish green jackets. Our tables were decorated with shamrock necklaces for those needing Emerald attire, along with green mints and chocolate gold coins. PP Kevin Smith-Fagan entertained us with an Irish song. Money is green, although PP Bob Miller reminded us in his Thought for the Day that “true wealth is not of the pocket, but of the heart and of the mind.”
 
Meeting sponsor PEN Paul Keefer introduced his colleague Tim Ribota of Pacific Charter Institute. Tim outlined PCI’s notable success in student reading achievement, especially among kids from disadvantaged backgrounds.
 
Put Me In, Coach! donations
 
President Bobby celebrated a week spent with his son’s class at Sly Park. Rick Osen donated so he could share a picture of David Brandenburger in high heels at a Christian Brothers fundraiser. Tim Comstock contributed in honor of speaker Kelly Brothers, who still supports Arden Park soccer long after his own kids’ participation. Brite Bowker pledged money in honor of his late father, PP Jack Bowker, who died December 5. He also donated in honor of PP Bob Cole, Bowker’s best friend, who accompanied him to the meeting.
 
Club Announcements -
 
Meeting Date Change! Our next meeting will be held on THURSDAY, MARCH 27, instead of the customary Tuesday because of a scheduling conflict. 
 
Interact Club charitable drive. PEN Paul Keefer reminded members to bring toys and books next week for our Interact club’s drive for Shriners Hospital.
 
Pollinator Garden installation. This Saturday, March 22, club volunteers will plant a pollinator garden at Killdeer Farms in West Sacramento, and organizer Jamie Furlong (323-229-2885) seeks volunteers.
 
Networking Night. Ted White announced the next networking evening will be March 20 at Juju Kitchen (1501 L St.); first drink’s on the club!
 
Millie Stone’s birthday party. Elfrena Foord invited everyone to drop by Millie’s house (36 Keel Court) for her 101st birthday luncheon next Tuesday between 12:30pm-2:30pm.
 
Fireside Gathering. PP Todd Koolakian said the next fireside will be April 23 at the home of Justino Santana.
 
Park Cleanup. Justino Santana invited members to participate in a Discovery Park clean-up on April 12.
 
Hiking Group. PP Jim Leet invited all to join him on a hike to see wildflowers on April 6.
 
Clayton Lee reported on his recent Zimbabwe trip, where Rotary International has created a tree nursery so village residents won’t cut down all the trees needed for the rainforest. He presented President Bobby with a pennant from the Rotary club in Harare.
 
Bob Daly introduced as guest speaker the noted Irishman Kelly Brothers, a wealth advisor with Genovese Burford & Brothers. Kelly recently returned from his aunt’s funeral in Ireland, where he met up with about 50 relatives. His Irish heritage is strong. Kelly’s father grew up in County Wexford and was sponsored into the USA by a cousin in the Bay area. Kelly’s mother was from Galway, and he shared several humorous family anecdotes, including the time his mother attempted to smuggle poteen, Irish moonshine, through US customs as holy water. (It didn’t work.)
 
Ireland is doing well economically as a member of the European Union, he noted, and his own kids are seeking Irish citizenship because of the EU passport.
 
On the American economy, Brothers opined the stock market was due for a correction in 2025. Key issues include the impact of Trump tariffs and whether Trump tax cuts due to expire in 2025 will be renewed; that could have a big impact on estate planning and philanthropy.
 
Elfrena Foord played the piano at the wine reception while PEN Paul Keefer, Tim Comstock and Judy Kjelstrom greeted our members. The wine reception was sponsored by Rick Davis and PP Peter Dannenfelser. Joe Quilici was on photog duty, and Nancy Teichert wrote the Pulse report.
And, finally, the Rock Star award for excellence at the microphone was given by Jim Culleton to Ted White.
 
Next week’s meeting will feature guest speaker Mary Teichert (daughter of PDG Fred Teichert), who was recently promoted to President and CEO of the Sacramento construction firm Teichert Inc. Click here to RSVP for the March 27th club meeting.
 
Photos courtesy of Joe Quilici
 
Pulse for the Week of March 4th, 2025
It was Fat Tuesday as the club’s weekly lunch meeting was called to order by President Bobby Reed.
 
Meeting sponsor Nancy Smith-Fagan gave her time to Reina and Mel Chan of the Olivia Chan Foundation. After the passing of their daughter Olivia from leukemia, the couple found a shortage of grief and healing programs. Their organization is a place where surviving children experiencing grief can find peer-led support groups with kids facing similar challenges, and it’s needed: 1 in 14 California kids will lose a sibling or parent before the age of 18. The Chans are raising money to build a facility in the Sacramento area, modeled after a successful one in Portland.
 
Put Me In, Coach!
David Brandenburger gave in honor of fellow Rotarian Jim Culleton’s quick help with an urgent print job, and Tim Comstock donated in honor of his daughter’s 16th birthday and the impending traffic jams as a result of her new drivers license!
 
 Club Announcements
  • Date change! Due to an event conflict at our regular site, Bobby announced, our club meeting will move from Tuesday, March 25 to Thursday, March 27 – just for that one week only.
  • Interact students are still running a drive for care kits to benefit children in local hospitals. Folks wishing to participate should bring items to the March 27 meeting, announced President Elect Nominee Paul Keefer.
  • New member Jay King will be hosting the next Fireside Chat on March 12; other Firesides will be hosted in April, May, and June by other members.
  • March 20 will be the next Networking Night at Juju Kitchen and Cocktails, sponsored by Harold Bellamy and First Northern Bank, announced organizer Ted White.
  • On Sunday, March 23 join Rotarians for a 3-4 mile hike around Lake Folsom starting at 8:30 am.  See PP Jim Leet and Forrest Junod for more information.
  • Fresh powder! Dave Brandenburger announced the next club ski outing, set for March 19 at Palisades at Tahoe.
  • Sergeant-at-Arms Jamie Furlong talked up a pair of upcoming events in our Rotary district, the District Assembly on March 29 at Twelve Bridge High School in Lincoln; and the April 12 District Conference One Day Conference in Anaheim.
 
Chair of the Day Bob Rosenberg introduced Scott Freshour, emcee for the Sacramento Kings. Missing only the dramatic music and t-shirt cannons, Scott brought the enthusiasm and excitement as he peeled back the curtain and revealed the secrets of the Kings Hype machine!  Scott "Fresh" Freshour has worked 21 years for team and shared his story and some secrets.
 
He attended Sacramento State for art but found a passion in sports marketing through an internship with the Kings as a graphic design intern. His career really took off when the Kings selected him to emcee their games and serve as the stage manager—responsible for everything that happens on the court that is not related to the actual game. From selecting the singers for the national anthem, to creating the games and contests, Scott works with a team behind the scenes that creates these experiences.
 
The club’s iconic “Light the Beam” signal, introduced two seasons ago, is a huge success – only because the fans embraced it. It started during a season when the Kings were on the upswing, Scott noted, and it might have been a flop had the team not surged to the playoffs.
 
Having emceed Kings games for 15 seasons and counting, and having emceed 8 NBA All-Star games, Scott recently launched an independent creative agency.
 
Greeters for the meeting were Joel Hockman, Forrest Junod, and Steve Johanson with photos handled by our resident shutterbug John Swentowsky. Peter Coyl covered it for the Pulse. The wine reception was sponsored by Golden Pacific Bank, and PP Scot Sorensen shared a thought of the day.
 
Next week’s meeting will feature guest speaker Kulvinder Singh, who will share the rich history and contributions of the Sikh community in Northern California. Click here to RSVP.
 
Photos Courtesy of John Swentowsky
Pulse for the Week of March 11th, 2025
Spring was in the air at ye olde Rotary meeting this week, as that smoothest of orators, Past President Todd Koolakian, filled in for El Presidente, Bobby Reed, who was off camping with a bunch of 6th graders in Sly Park (if you can’t understand Bobby’s slang at next week’s meeting, blame the kids).
 
Past Prez Todd kicked things off with an acknowledgment of this week’s meeting crew  -- Jay (now where did I put that Grammy) King, Dee Johnson, and Moira Doherty as greeters, and a trio of Johns (Swentowsky, Goralka and Wood) as Photographer, Wine Sponsor, and Pulse Reporter.
 
Next up was Gabe Gendron, who gave us a meditative Thought of the Day (reports of Rotarians falling asleep during this relaxing part of the meeting were mostly exaggerated), and then it was over to Sarge-at-Arms, Jamie (she won by a) Furlong, for the weekly intros.
 
Another of our members vaulted into the rarified air of Rotary this week, as a Sacramento Rotary Fellowship was awarded to the most deserving Virginia Wade (for you newer Rotarians, a Sacramento Rotary Fellowship is the highest honor that our club bestows to a member).
 
John Swentowsky provided the intro, sharing some nuggets, such as Virginia being a former model for Weinstocks, and meeting her long-time partner (and now husband), Ed, at the community mailbox on their street (try pulling that off on e-mail).  Congratulations, Virginia, for an honor most deserved.
 
Kathy Herrfeldt was the Sponsor of the Day, donating her $350 to the club, and her 3 minutes to Sophie Moeller of Achieve Tahoe, which is a favorite charity of Kathy’s.  And that’s a reminder, fellow Rotarians – if you want to benefit the club and highlight a favorite charity of yours, become a Sponsor of the Day, and donate your time to your favored cause.  Eddie Mulligans, Paul Harris’s, and Lee-Phairs are vital, yet only a Sponsor of the Day benefits the club budget directly.
 
It’s a busy time at Rotary for the next fortnight, with our next Rotary Networking night on March 20th, a Service Day planting a Pollinator Garden at Kildeer Farms in West Sacramento (courtesy of a Rotary Grant that Jamie Furlong obtained for the club – well done, Jamie!) on March 22nd, and a hike (more like a walk) with Jim Leet in Folsom on March 23rd.  See the Rotary calendar online for details (and by the time you’ve read this, Jay King will have already hosted our latest Fireside on March 12th – thanks, Jay!).
 
With Opening Day a few weeks away, Kathy Herrfeldt announced that she’s planning a club outing at a River Cats game and will schedule the date when she has about 20 committed Rotarians.  Contact Kathy for details and to express your interest.
 
Chair of the Day Steve Brandenburger stepped forth to introduce our guest speaker, Kulvinder Singh, who shared with us some history of the Sikh people, and the relevance of California (particularly Northern California) in their history in the United States.
 
The first Sikhs arrived in the U.S. around 1906, and now number in the hundreds of thousands, with over half living in California, particularly Yuba City and Marysville, where approximately 10% of the population is Sikh.  It was an interesting look into the culture of our Sikh neighbors.
 
John Swentowsky won this week’s “Rock Star” award for his prowess with the mic (with Jamie Furlong earning an honorable mention), and next week’s speaker will feature a return visit from Kelly Brothers, who will talk with us about the economy, investments, and (with St. Patrick’s Day just passed), no doubt a good Irish joke or five.
 
Plan to attend next week, and if you can’t be good between now and then, be discreet (that’s the 5th element of the 4-Way Test that just never caught on).
 
The meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 25th, has been moved to Thursday, March 27th. Please update your calendars.
 
John Wood
 
Photos courtesy of John Swentowsky
 
Pulse for the Week of February 25th, 2025
Did you know that Sacramento is one of the most flood-prone cities in the United States? And also that more than a third of Californians live in wildfire hazard zones? Wade Crowfoot, Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, joined us this week to speak about two key aspects of California natural resource stewardship – water stewardship and fire prevention.
 
But before Secretary Crowfoot, we heard about several important service projects, welcomed several new guests, and learned about several networking opportunities coming up. Let’s get down to it. 
 
Past President Linda Geery provided the Thought for the Day – Langston Hughes’ “Dreams” – adding an invitation for Rotarians to dream of peace, and hope; and to be grateful for our ability to be in community together, doing work that makes a difference. Read “Dreams” here.
 
David Rowen, a nurse anesthetist with Rotoplast, was invited to share more about the good work of Rotoplast. While not formally affiliated with Rotary, it was founded by a Rotarian with the goal of bringing life-changing therapeutic plastic surgery to patients in developing worlds. This is most frequently cleft palate treatments for children, but also regularly includes burn treatments for children and adults. Since its founding in 1993, Rotoplast has conducted more than 300 service trips and treated over 20,000 patients.
 
Kathy Herrfeldt shared her experiences at last weekend’s Habitat for Humanity housing dedication, where 15 Rotarians helped install the final fenceline for a new Habitat project – and celebrated with seven families who were given keys to their new homes that day. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento has provided thousands of families with access to affordable home ownership, as well as programs to support low-income, home-owning seniors to age in place. Families have to provide 500 hours of sweat equity as a down payment for a home, and must qualify for a mortgage. This is truly not a handout of a free home, but a hand-up to home ownership for hardworking families in our community, and Kathy and the other participating Rotarians considered themselves lucky to be part of Saturday’s dedication.
 
Club Announcements:
Theatre Night: There are five tickets left for the Tina Turner musical at Broadway Sacramento next Thursday (tix $90). Contact PP Todd Koolakian for details
 
The next Fireside Chat will be at the home of new member Jay King on March 12 – a signup sheet will be going out shortly.
 
The next Networking Night will be on March 20 at Juju Kitchen and Cocktails. Come enjoy a drink with friends; appetizers are covered by Harold Bellamy and First Northern Bank. Signups will also be emailed out shortly by organizer Ted White.
 
Interact students joined us to share that they are running a supply drive for care kits to benefit children in local hospitals. Folks wishing to participate in the supply drive should bring their items to the March 25 meeting.
 
Steve Huffman recently visited Rotarian PP Bob Cole in his new digs at the James Monroe Manor. Bob sends his best wishes to all his Rotarian friends.
 
Put Me In, Coach: Elfrena Foord, PP Linda Geery, and Nancy Teichert made gifts in honor of Rotoplast, the late club member Scot Crocker, and time spent with a dear niece, respectively.
 
Water and Fire – opportunities for conscious stewardship:
CA Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot oversees an agency charged with stewarding California’s forests and natural lands, rivers and water supplies, and coast and ocean. It also protects natural places, wildlife and biodiversity, and helps oversee the clean energy transition of the sixth largest economy in the world. In his comments, he focused on two high profile policy areas – water stewardship and wildfire containment.
 
Water Stewardship. Did you know California has more variability in hydrology year over year than any other state? We’re consistently either battling drought or flood – the driest three-year period in 175 years came to a close with the wettest three weeks in California history. This volatility is expected to become more extreme as climate change continues to advance. Water stewardship in this context includes flood protection, water conservation, and also bridging national and local water projects to ensure that water is collected, conserved, and moved to where it is needed most.
 
Secretary Crowfoot made a point that water issues are economic issues – impacting housing and urban planning, yes, but also economic development far beyond agriculture. The CNRA’s goals include diversifying California’s water sources (capturing more rain and runoff), and upgrading statewide water infrastructure, much of which is currently 75-100 years old.
 
Crowfoot briefly touched on the CNRA’s involvement with the Delta Conveyance (Delta Tunnel) and the reasons he supports it:
  • There’s a 75% chance that an earthquake would impact surface levees, causing flooding and water loss, where underground the water supply is protected.
  • Moving water transport underground protects the water supply from salt water intrusion as sea level rise will bring Bay saltwater further up the Delta
 
Crowfoot noted Sacramento is among the most flood-prone cities in the United States, and he  praised Hon. Doris Matsui for her diligent efforts to gain flood protections for Sacramentans.
 
Wildfire Mitigation. CalFire is considered the most sophisticated fire fighting force on Earth. Unfortunately, they’re the best because California requires a high-performing wildfire-fighting force – more than a third of Californians live in wildfire hazard zones.
 
It’s also important to note that 57% of California forests are federally owned and managed – and California will spend about $400M of state money this year alone to protect state-owned land that abuts the federal land.
 
Over the past five years, in response to wildfires, the CalFire budget has doubled – and investments in tactical fire prevention went up tenfold.
 
The goal of all these investments, Secretary Crowfoot said, was to build our resilience, so Californians can continue to live, grow, and thrive amidst the challenges of the beautiful wild resources among which we live.
 
Christie Holderegger, Buddy Hubbard, Kelly Huffman and Steve Huffman serving as greeters for the day, while Rhonda Poppen hosted the wine reception. Megan Wygant was the Pulse reporter, and photog John Swentowsky captured the mixing and mingling of all who were present.
 
Next week, our speaker will represent a complete 180 from this week’s topic – Scott “Fresh” Freshour is MC for the Sacramento Kings and will share stories from behind the mic and ahead of “the beam.”
 
Photos Courtesy of John Swentowsky
 
 
 
Pulse for the Week of February 11th, 2025
Sacramento’s role as an emerging leader in global culinary circles was celebrated at the club’s Tuesday luncheon.
 
John Wood took the stage to deliver the Thought for the Day—which, in true Rotary fashion, included a few well-aged jokes about bad cooking. Rumor has it, Gordon Ramsay may have shed a single tear.
 
In the meeting sponsor slot, Capital Public Radio’s Gary Vercelli took us on a journey through the history of CapRadio, where he started back in 1980—when their signal barely made it past Sacramento. Fast-forward to today, and they’ve expanded to two stations that now reach across the region. Public radio has come a long way from the days of "Can you hear me now?"
 
Welcome, Sedrick Burkes! David Brandenburger and Harold Bellamy introduced our newest member, Sedrick Burkes, who works for The Federal Savings Bank. A Florida native, Sedrick has made the brave decision to trade humidity for California traffic.
 
 
Jamie Furlong had the honor of announcing two exciting district grants:
  • Bee Boxes in West Sacramento – these will help boost biodiversity and give our local bees a much-needed real estate upgrade.
  • Ralphville at the Ralph Richardson Center – a mini-city where disabled children will learn how to navigate safely through public dangers like crosswalks.
Put Me In, Coach!
 
Members were in a giving mood! PP Kevin Smith-Fagan and Maggie Hopkins donated in celebration of their beloved Philadelphia Eagles winning the Super Bowl (Fly, Eagles, Fly!). PEN Paul Keefer and PE Kerry Wood also jumped on the generosity train—because kindness, like laughter, is contagious.
 
Club Announcements
  • Meeting Sponsors, Josh Pelz – We’re looking for meeting sponsors! Get your name in lights (or at least in the newsletter).
  • Fireside hosts, Todd Koolakian – Todd is seeking host homes for Fireside Chats. S'mores not required, but highly encouraged..
  • Ski Days – David Brandenburger – Upcoming days are 2/19 at Heavenly and 3/19 at Palisades at Tahoe (because nothing says "team-building" like watching your fellow Rotarians wipe out.).
  • Jean Runyon Award, Maggie Hopkins – Nominations are accepted until February 21.
  • Rotary Speech Contest, President Bobby Reed – Judges are needed for the Rotary Speech Contest!
  • Rotary Youth Exchange, PEN Paul Keefer – Paul’s seeking three host families for a foreign exchange student next school year; it’s a three-month commitment, and the hosts should be located in the East Sac or Land Park areas.
Guest Speaker: Patrick Mulvaney – Sacramento’s Culinary King
 
Chair of the Day Kim Mueller introduced featured speaker Patrick Mulvaney, who wowed us with tales of Sacramento’s transformation into a foodie paradise. Arriving from New York in the 1990s, he started out catering from a former mortuary (which sounds spooky but apparently worked out well). With the help of fellow restaurateurs, he built one of the best culinary spots in California—Mulvaney’s B&L.
 
During COVID, Patrick didn’t just survive—he thrived. His team secured grants to keep employees working and fed over 1,300 seniors daily. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade (or, in this case, gourmet farm-to-fork cuisine).
 
He also spoke about the Farm-to-Fork movement, which connects farmers, restaurants, and customers in a true foodie love story. The pinnacle? The annual outdoor Tower Bridge Dinner held right on the bridge —Sacramento’s version of a Michelin-starred block party.
 
And coming to Sacramento in September 2025: a prestigious international slow food conference that will cement our city’s reputation as a world leader in the culinary world..
 
 
Josh Pelz took home the weekly Rock Star Award for his flawless microphone skills. Whether he’ll be going on tour remains to be seen.
 
Our welcoming committee—Ted White, Dee Hartzog, and Maggie Hopkins—made sure members and guests felt as warm and fuzzy as a Hallmark movie. Meanwhile, Virginia Wade captured all the action with her expert photography skills, ensuring we have plenty of evidence that, yes, we were indeed productive. Matt Page served as Pulse reporter.
 
PP Walter Dahl generously provided the libations as wine sponsor because no great meeting in history ever started with “So, I was drinking water…”
 
Next meeting is February 25th, when we welcome Wade Crowfoot of the California Natural Resources Agency. He’ll be discussing critical issues affecting California’s natural resources—because we all know water, fire, and land management are never boring topics in the Golden State.
 
Photos Courtesy of Virginia Wade
 
 Pulse for the Week of February 4th, 2025
OK, so they didn’t get it done in 80 days, but our luncheon speakers did fly around the world in 90 days – and raised $2 million to fight polio. More on that later.
 
President Bobby Reed gaveled the meeting to order and invited his father-in-law, Phil Goldman, to deliver our Thought for the Day. Phil recounted his childhood battle against polio, underscoring the importance of Rotary’s passionate commitment to eradicating the disease worldwide.
 
Meeting sponsor PP Jim Leet handed it over to Clayton Lee, who introduced Jeff Devoll of the Point West Rotary Club. Jeff talked up an April 24-28 service trip, the Rotary Baja Trip, he’s coordinating through the uReach Global program. Club members are invited to sign up for this affordable ($595), extremely worthwhile experience. Trip details are available at ureach.global/rotary.
 
Two new members were inducted into the club! Tim Comstock, a residential realtor with Coldwell Banker, was sponsored into the club by PP Diane Mizell and Robyn DeLong. Jay King, head of the California Black Chamber of Commerce, was sponsored by Bajrang Moran and Gabriel Gendron. These new members raise our arts IQ dramatically – Tim was once an LA indie film producer, and Jay won a Grammy in 1987 with his R&B band Club Nouveau.
 
Put Me In, Coach! Generous Rotarians celebrated happy occasions in their lives. Among them were Sarah Hodge celebrating on the eve of her last cancer treatment, and Bill Wygant in tribute to his daughter Megan’s birthday.
 
Club Announcements
  • A river parkway cleanup morning is set for February 15, and club members are encouraged to sign up
  • the Jean Runyon Award nomination deadline has been extended to February 21. Click here to submit a nomination.
  • River Cats outing – Kathy Herrfeldt is gauging interest in club outings to River Cats games and/or an Athletics games this summer!
 
Guest speakers John Ockenfels and Peter Teahen, both Rotarians from Iowa, talked about their adventures flying around the world in a Cessna to raise funds and awareness for Rotary’s fight to end polio. Their “flight to end polio” spanned May through July 2023, with 37 landings in 19 countries. Connecting with Rotary clubs along the way, they far surpassed their $10,000 goal toward Rotary International’s “End Polio Now” effort. To date, their goodwill trip and subsequent speaking engagements have raised over $2 million! Of course their appeal resonated with our club, which responded in the moment with over $5,000 in donations for End Polio Now.
 
Elfrena Foord saluted the day’s Rock Star – Sarah Hodge!
 
President Bobby thanked greeters Jim Henderson, Kathy Herrfeldt and Bruce Hester. PP Kevin Smith-Fagan served as Pulse reporter, and photography was handled by John Swentowsky. The wine reception was sponsored by Surender Singal.
Next week’s meeting will feature celebrated Sacramento chef Patrick Mulvaney, owner of Mulvaney’s B&L, discussing his work to advance mental wellness among restaurant workers and his commitment to farm-to-fork cuisine. RSVP now to attend.
 
Photos courtesy of John Swentowsky
 
Pulse for the Week of January 28th , 2025
“Get ready to hit the road” by Christie Holderegger
 
President Bobby Reed kicked off the travel-themed meeting by welcoming the club to public television station PBS KVIE, the meeting host, and thanking Nancy Teichert for facilitating today’s meeting. 
 
In Elfrena Foord’s Thought of the Day on the enriching value of travel, she  quoted the Dalai Lama, “Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.”
 
Meeting sponsor Latif Yusufi introduced his colleague Sunni DiBenedetto, division president of Golden Pacific Bank, a division of SoFi Bank. Sunni highlighted the 3 branches in the Sacramento market and their focus on both business and individual banking. 
President Bobby introduced his “Put Me In, Coach” giving levels to many of our newer guests.  A bevy of generous Rotarians celebrated good news such as the births of grandchildren, new positions, exciting travel plans with family members, and past trips abroad, including: Nancy Smith-Fagan, PP Tom Gilbert, Nancy Teichert, PEN Paul Keefer, PP Jim Leet, Lev Kaganovich, PP Ken Noack, and Rick Davis.
 
Jim Relles was the raffle winner for a travel basket. The raffle proceeds benefited PBS KVIE, which hosted this lunch meeting.
 
President Bobby invited Rotarians to share funny and inspiring stories of personal travel abroad, and a flood of great stories followed. We were all inspired by the adventurous spirit, grateful hearts, and sincere appreciation of cultural differences and perspectives that you can only experience outside your comfort zone and bubble. There are so many lessons to learn that can only come from travel.
 
Club Announcements Included:
 
  • Wildfire relief – President Bobby proudly shared that our Club raised $3,500 to support two Rotary districts in Southern California that are assisting with fire relief. Our club board has matched the support sending $7,000 to support those impacted. Additional donations are still welcome.
  • Camp RYLA – organizer PP Linda Geery encouraged Rotarians to volunteer at Camp RYLA for a week in June.  For more information please contact Linda for this opportunity to impact the lives of youth in our community.
  • Jean Runyon Award – committee chair Maggie Brinkoetter Hopkins encouraged Rotarians to nominate individuals for the Jean Runyon Award. This award recognizes a Rotarian who embodies the spirit and legacy of Jean, who was a trailblazer in Sacramento. Jean was remembered for her generosity, resilience, leadership, and mentorship of female leaders.  Nominations can be submitted on the Rotary website through February 21.
Guest speaker Rick Steves was introduced by Bruce Hester. An internationally known travel expert, Rick was born in California and has only ever had two jobs: piano teacher and a travel teacher. Fortunately, for us, he followed his passion for travel.  His company is a travel industry leader, and he spends a third of his time in Europe. Through his 60 books, broadcast shows on public radio and public TV, and numerous articles he has inspired the world, especially Americans, to explore the gift of travel.
 
Rick says his passion is measured by the number of people who travel – not by his bottom line. About 30,000 people travel to Europe each year with Steve personally or accompanied by his travel company. Travel can be seen as a political act by celebrating other people and their cultures. The prophet Muhammad said, “Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have traveled.”  Steve shared many insights into the importance of traveling abroad and its power to overcome fear. He believes it is just as safe to travel abroad as it ever has been and that the more we travel, the stronger we can become as a nation. Travel grants us the opportunity to learn, understand, and respect the differences of other cultures.
 
President Bobby thanked our greeters: Larry Gilzean and PP Linda Geery; wine sponsor Chris Ann Bachtel; Pulse reporter Christie Holderegger; and club photographer John Swentowsky.
 
Next week’s meeting will focus on Rotary International’s commitment to end polio. The meeting will highlight the Flight to End Polio program with presentations by program pilots Peter Teahen and John Ockenfels. You can register to attend now by clicking here.
 
Photos Courtesy of John Swentowsky
 
Pulse for the Week of January 14th , 2025
 
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and upcoming MLK Day,  President Bobby Reed blasted the U2 hit "In the Name of Love" as our convening music.
 
Bill Wygant’s Thought for the Day featured a pearl of wisdom from Albert Einstein, "Try not to be a man of success, instead try to be a man of value."
 
Elfrena Foord wants you to be a ROCK STAR!  She gave us a tutorial on how to use and speak clearly with a microphone.  Each week a winner will be acknowledged as our resident ROCK STAR.  Bryan Murray took home this week's honor!  Way to go Bryan!
 
Rick Davis donated his meeting sponsor time to Darrell Roberts, who heads the Roberts Family Development Center. RFDC has over 20 years of service to the community including workforce development, youth development, African American Healing Network, parent education & empowerment, and community advocacy.  RFDC takes a holistic approach focusing on K-12 academic support and enrichment.
 
Generosity flowed today!  Ted White, David Brandenburger, Bob Rosenberg, Kathy Herrfeldt, Jeff Stone, Ruth Tesar, Brad Schmidt, Rick Davis, Amin Elmallah, PP Jon Snyder and Kathe Nathan all donated toward Eddie Mulligans, Paul Harris', Lee Phair or LA fire relief funds.
 
Club Announcements -
  •  Rotary auction items will be available on Feb 4th and 11th.  These are items that our club has had in storage that need a good home.
  • Theatre Night – PP Todd Koolakian announced March 6th for a group outing to see the new Tina Turner musical.
  • Golf for Kids will be May 9th at Land Park Golf Course, Bryan Murray announced. This will be the 104th year of a club fundraiser to enhance life for children with physical impairments!
  • Ski trips – David Brandenburger has organized three top-shelf ski trips: January 22 to Palisades Tahoe Alpine, February 19 to Heavenly, and March 19 to Palisades Tahoe (formerly Squaw Valley).
  • Jean Runyan Award – nominations will be accepted until February 14, said Maggie Hopkins.
  • John Swentowsky needs 3 more volunteers for the pm shift at Loaves and Fishes.
 
Dylan Spaulding, Senior Scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, was our speaker today. Nine (9) countries have nuclear warhead inventories: China, USA, Russia, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the U.K.  Dylan led us through a number of slides including lessons and fear from the Cold War. He noted the US is modernizing all legs of our nuclear triad – land, sea, and air. His comments covered warhead capacity, costs in the future, arms agreements, and reasons for optimism.
 
President Bobby acknowledged our greeters, Karen Diepenbrock, Dan Fenocchio, and PP Peter Dannenfelser.  John Swentowsky handled the photos and everyone's favorite wine steward, Ed Melia, hosted the wine reception.
 
Remember we are dark on January 21. RSVP's REQUIRED for the January 28 meeting with guest speaker Rick Steves, a luncheon that will be held at PBS KVIE in Natomas. Click here to RSVP now.
 
Photos Courtesy of John Swentowsky of Swentowsky Photography
 
Pulse for the Week of January 7th, 2025
 
The first Rotary meeting of 2025 kicked off with President Bobby Reed showing a video from his December service trip to Nandyala India with Rotoplast International. Rotoplast is an independent nonprofit that started out as a service project of the Rotary Club of San Francisco, and, nearly 30 years later, has provided more than 21,000 patients from emerging countries with life-changing reconstructive surgeries. The Nandyala center, which is primarily supported by the Rotary Club of Bangalore, focuses primarily on burn treatments and scar reduction. President Bobby shared that he was deeply moved by his experience and grateful for the opportunity to participate alongside other leaders from District 5150.
 
Surroundings (Maggie Hopkins and Rachel Minyard) sponsored both the wine reception and the meeting itself. Surroundings is a full-service real estate firm, offering buying, lending, staging and marketing support to ensure that when you are home you are surrounded by a place you love. Their new office and event space (opening this spring) will be at N and 25th Sts – directly across from CLARA, where this author can be found most days. Learn more here
Maggie Hopkins also provided an on-theme Thought for the Day around the idea that what – and who – surrounds you, shapes you. Social scientists theorize that our personalities are an average of the five people we spend the most time with, and she challenged us to consider whether those people were supporting our personal and professional goals. It was a provocative thought and challenged our table to consider “our five” and their impacts on our lives. (Anyone whose five included Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan or Charles Shaw – I made that joke first).
 
Put Me In, Coach!
The list of celebrations today was short but heartfelt:
President Bobby recently launched a Capitol Tech Solutions sales office in San Diego
PEN Paul Keefer is celebrating his son’s first day on his first grown-up job
Sargent at Arms Jamie Furlong made gifts to both Rachel Minyard and Maggie Hopkins’ Paul Harrises in honor of their new company (Surroundings) and excellent past professional expertise.
Later in the meeting, PP Brian Van Camp made an additional gift in honor of his friend, the late Dr. William Lee, father of speaker Larry Lee, and his contributions to the Sacramento community.
 
Club announcements: Also short and sweet
The memorial for Past President Jack Bowker will be 1pm this Sunday at the Sutter Club
 
Thursday, January 30 is a Loaves and Fishes service day – keep your eyes out for the signup email.
 
Jean Runyon nominations will open next week and close on Friday, February 14.
 
Also: in an unsurprising twist, an attempt to launch “Rotarians Helping Rotarians,” wherein Club members looking for support with miscellaneous life tasks, received a wealth of people happy to be of service – and a dearth of people actually asking for assistance. Please reach out to Maggie Hopkins if you would appreciate support with chores or errands including but not limited to gardening projects, rides to meetings or appointments, groceries, or other errands.
 
And now, the Main event
David Brandenburger served as the host for the day, introducing his childhood basketball buddy Larry Lee, now the Publisher and CEO of the Sacramento Observer. Lee’s accomplishments are many, but most recently include being named one of the Sacramento Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs in 2023, and the Robert T. Matsui Community Service Award from Rep. Doris Matsui during the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.
 
Lee took the mic, observing that Brandenburger was “really, one of the greatest foulers” he’d ever played with. He also thanked the Rotary Club for inviting him, a Black business man, to speak “in a month that’s NOT February" but quickly moved to acknowledge that there’s a lot of overlap between the Rotary mission of service above self, and that of the Observer, which is to lead with service.
 
For those who are unfamiliar with the Observer, it is Sacramento’s Black newspaper and has been named America’s “best Black newspaper” seven times – most recently in 2023. The history of Black newspapers in the US is a long one; the second-oldest Black-owned business in the US today is a newspaper. The importance of a Black press is found in the mission of the first-ever Black paper (Freedom's Journal, founded in 1827): “We wish to plead our own cause, too long have others spoken for us." Even today, the need for the African-American community to have a news outlet that can tell their own stories in their own voices remains relevant. Lee spoke with pride about his father – Observer founding publisher Dr. William H. Lee – and how the Observer became a trusted messenger within and for their community.
 
As his father’s successor (Dr. Lee was the longest-tenured publisher in California when he retired after 52 years) one of Larry Lee’s primary jobs as the successor to that legacy has been transforming the company from a print-first news institution to a digital-forward newsroom with a great print product.
 
Lee had a lot to say about remaining viable in the current journalistic environment – and it’s relevant that, at a time when newsrooms across the country are shrinking, the Observer’s staff has tripled since 2019. He acknowledged the existing expectation that people don’t pay for news, which means that the Observer has had to “get creative” about how to attract funding outside of subscriptions. However, that creativity and diversity of funds gives the Observer the opportunity to shift their content from strictly covering news in the Black community to more in-depth coverage of Black issues that aren’t otherwise being told. He said “even though there’s a million stories to tell and a million ways to tell them, we try to lead with love and as a purpose of service to support the Black community.”
 
Our greeters today were Rick Davis, Joe Quilici, Robyn DeLong, and Bob Daly. John Swentowsky served as today’s photographer, and Megan Wygant is today’s Pulse Reporter.
 
Tune in next week when Dr. Dylan Spaulding from the Union of Concerned Scientists takes the mic to discuss the history of stockpile stewardship and nuclear arms policy. Until then, get out there and be good Rotarians!
Pulse for the Week of December 10th, 2024
Holiday music summoned our members to the tables on Tuesday. Yes, next meeting is Daughters Day so be sure and RSVP because you know your children and grandchildren are writing to Santa Claus. More about flying objects later.
 
PP Walter Dahl filled in for President Bobby Reed, who is on a service mission to India.
 
In his Thought for the Day, anticipating the speaker topic PP Jim Leet encouraged us to embrace the freedom of flight. “Each journey into the air reminds us that with courage and determination, we can break free from the ground that holds us back,” he said. “So dream big, take that leap, and let your spirit soar - because the sky is not the limit; it’s just the beginning your adventure.”
 
Dahl asked for a moment of silence in honor of long-time member and PP Jack Bowker who passed away recently at 102.
 
Two esteemed federal judges were present to sponsor a third judge as our newest club member. Judge Bill Shubb and Judge Kim Mueller joined everyone in welcoming Judge Chi Soo Kim to our club. Lucky for us, she likes cycling which will be good for the Sac Century Ride.
 
President-elect Kerry Wood donated her time as meeting sponsor to Marlene M. von Friederichs-Fitzwater, who announced that after 7 years of hard work to raise $3.5 million, the Joshua House volunteer hospice will open early in 2025. The hospice program will house and comfort up to 15 terminally ill homeless people who otherwise might die on the streets or river banks. Joshua’s House is the only such facility on the West Coast and named in honor of Fitzwater’s grandson who died on the street in Nebraska.
 
Clayton Lee of the International Service Committee showed a video outlining Rotary International’s work in creating micro-funding for small businesses in developing countries. “We are changing lives,” Lee said.
 
Then, our thoughts turned back to flying. Chair of the day and USAF veteran Dr. Barbara Arnold introduced our speaker, club member Steve Huffman. Steve told of his family’s association with the Wright brothers who lived in Dayton, Ohio, where Huffman grew up. As a child, he sledded down a hill where Orville Wright lived. Steve’s grandfather Horace Huffman Sr. knew the brothers and provided them with parts from the Huffmans’ bicycle manufacturing company. Today’s kids still ride Huffy Bikes.
 
Though based in Dayton, the Wright brothers traveled to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina for flight attempts because of coastal winds. The first successful flight of a heavier-than-air flying machine famously was flown by Orville at Kitty Hawk in 1903 – but the craft had no capacity to turn.
 
Their next task was to find someplace where they could figure out how to turn the aircraft. Steve’s great-great uncle Torrence Huffman allowed them to use his Huffman Prairie for their R&D work, and it was on that Huffman family land they solved the mysteries of piloting! By 1905, Wilbur flew 24 miles in 38 minutes. Thanks in part to Steve’s family, the human dream of aviation was realized.
 
Meeting greeters were Dennis Cook, Dr. Craig Alpha and Sulaf Al-Ajeeli. John Swentowsky photographed members enjoying the wine reception provided by Tom Bacon, and Nancy Teichert wrote the Pulse meeting report.
 
Next week is one of our club’s treasured traditions, Daughters Day. Be there for the holiday fun!
 
Photos courtesy of John Swentowsky
 
 
 
 
Pulse for the Week of December 17th, 2024
Daughters Day, a longstanding holiday tradition for our club, unfolded in full Yuletide glory this week.
 
As is custom, the daughters control the proceedings. So President Bobby Reed called the meeting to order and immediately handed the gavel to the day’s president Ella Keefer, Loyola Chicago sophomore and daughter of PEN Paul Keefer.
 
President Ella applauded Elfrena Foord for beautiful holiday piano music during the wine reception, and she acknowledged photographer John Swentowsky. She thanked greeter Kayla Abbott, granddaughter of Bill Proffit, and saluted the day’s sergeants-at-arms, Jamie Furlong and her twin sister Noelle. The duo circulated around the room to introduce the many guests in attendance.
 
Seven-year-old Mila Reed (daughter of President Bobby) led the Pledge of Allegiance, and the national anthem was performed by Rachel Lee (daughter-in-law of Clayton Lee). Alisa Shubb (daughter of Judge Bill Shubb) delivered a Thought for the Day on the value of good traditions – like Daughters Day.
 
President Ella awarded prizes to a few daughters of distinction - a pair who traveled furthest to attend the luncheon (Barcelona youngsters Clara and Maria McVeigh, granddaughters of PP Dan McVeigh); the one who has attended the most Daughters Day events (Dr. Harold Strauch’s daughter Kim Briggs, who first attended back in 1968), and the youngest daughter in attendance, three-year-old Emma, great-granddaughter of Kiefie Breuer.
 
Five youth performers from McKeever Irish School of Dance wowed the crowd with a selection of jigs and reels, culminating in a traditional Irish dance holiday number. The youngest dancer, just a tot, bore an endearing resemblance to Cindy Lou Who, who was no more than two!
 
Then it was time for Yuletide singing, karaoke-style. Shirlee Tully, PE Kerry Wood and PP Kevin Smith-Fagan backed featured singer Rachel Dee Minyard in a spirited version of All I Want for Christmas is You, and then the foursome coaxed the room into joining in some caroling.
 
A raffle drawing made prize winners of several folks including Kathe Nathan, Rachel Dee Minyard, Rhonda Poppen, Ted White, PP Walter Dahl, Mary McVeigh, and Sulaf al-Ajeeli.
 
The star of the season, Santa Claus himself, made a surprise entrance!, and Santa led the group in song as he spread holiday cheer.
In drawing the gathering to a close, President Ella thanked the many contributors to the day’s success, in particular organizers Justino Santana and Megan Laurie, PEN Paul Keefer, and club administrator LaToya Wong.
 
Club luncheons resume on January 7, 2025!
 
Thank you to our Photographers for the day, owner of Swentowsky Photography, John Swentowsky, and Virginia Wade.
Pulse for the Week of December 3rd, 2024
The Rotary Club was convened by Past President Kevin Smith-Fagan, filling in for President Bobby Reed, who was on a Rotary Service Trip to India.
 
Dee Johnson’s Thought for the Day featured quotes exalting wine — which has been around since at least 7,000 BCE. Historically it was a status symbol of kings and rulers, leading to the aphorism, “In victory you deserve wine, in defeat you need it.”  Dee shared other pithy remarks about wine, including Galileo’s very scientific observation that “Wine is sunlight, held together by water.”
 
Meeting sponsor Mike Polis yielded his podium time to John Riehl of the nonprofit Breakthrough T1D (T1D = type 1 diabetes). John outlined the remarkable gains in treatment achieved by the group and talked about the importance of supporting its work.
 
New member Joe Quilici was inducted into the club upon an introduction by Dave Brandenburger. Joe, the owner of Quilici Engineers, was an active member of the Rotary Club of San Jose before moving to Sacramento. Sarah Hodge and President Bobby Reed were his sponsors into our club.
After Joe received his very warm welcome, the club waited with anticipation as the President Elect Nominee (PEN) for 2026-27 was announced.  Like the last drops of the wine being poured out of the bottle, PP Walter Dahl shared hints of the background of the prospective leader: an Eagle Scout, a Masters in Education, and a marathoner.  At last the answer to the riddle was announced: Paul Keefer! Paul shared brief comments displaying his humble enthusiasm to take on the role.
 
Rotarians shared good news and donated to their Eddie Mulligan or Paul Harris funds. These included big grant winner Rhonda Poppen, John Swentowsky (who shared the good news of his first grandchild), Megan Wygant (who shared good news about a grant CLARA received), and others I did not get to write down…….
 
Club Announcements
 
Club leadership for 2025-26. PP Kevin shared the results of the election for club leadership. Newly elected board members are Jaydeep Balakrishnan, Peter Coyl, Christie Holderegger, Nancy Teichert and John Wood. They join incumbents Mary deLeo, Megan Laurie, Mik Miklaus, Bryan Murray and John Swentowsky. Sarah Hodge will serve as sergeant-at-arms, Jim Henderson will be club treasurer, and of course PE Kerry Wood will succeed President Bobby Reed as the next club president with the new term commencing July 1.
 
Bell Ringing. Rotarians were reminded by John Swentowsky about the opportunity to serve as a bell ringer for Salvation Army.
 
Holiday Toy Drive. The holiday toy drive invites you to bring a new unwrapped toy (or just money!) to next week’s meeting, said PP Jim Leet. 
 
Daughters Day will take place in 2 weeks and Rotarians were encouraged to bring their daughters and RSVP, noted PEN Paul Keefer.
 
Chair of the Day Bob Rosenberg introduced Mike Dunne, a wine expert and former wine reporter at The Sacramento Bee. Mike shared wisdom from this long career, much of it packaged in his book “The signature wines of Superior California: 50 wines that define the Sierra Foothills, the Delta, Yolo and Lodi”.[Available for Checkout at the Sacramento Public Library].
 
Mr. Dunne shared about the multifaceted nature of the wine business which includes not only the day-to-day business of growing and cultivating, but also the cultural aspects of wine making. Frequently a wine judge at competitions, Mr. Dunne shared a tip that often silver medal winners are equal or superior to gold medal winners – and sell as relative bargains.
 
Sacramento region wines are outstanding but suffer in prestige, he said, because of the long shadow cast by Napa and Sonoma, areas which enjoy tourism advantages like spas, galleries, and elite restaurants. Sierra Foothills wineries have relied heavily on Zinfandel, he noted, which limits the region’s variety of wines.
 
PP Kevin thanked meeting greeters Todd Aquilina, Tom Bacon, John Brackenbury and Bill Wygant. Photography duties were handled by John Swentowsky, and Pulse reporting was done by Peter Coyl. The wine reception was generously provided (and generously poured) by Nancy and PDG Fred Teichert.
 
 
Join us for our club meeting next week on Tuesday, December 10th.
 
Photos Courtesy of John Swentowsky
 
Pulse for the Week of November 19th, 2024
“Paul and Eddie’s Impact” by Christie Holderegger
 
It was the club’s annual Foundation Day, and president Bobby Reed welcomed club members and guests to this special Rotary meeting held at CLARA Studios – and he set a tone of gratitude as we kickoff the holiday season of giving.
 
In his Thought of the Day, PP Jon Snyder reminded us of the power of service. Service Above Self was reflected in the quotes from Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill and Albert Schweitzer. Volunteerism and generosity are not just good for our community but create happiness in our lives.
 
Meeting sponsor PP Diane Woodruff donated her time to Anne Geraghty to talk about Co-Housing. This unique nonprofit mutual benefit 35-unit housing community in West Sacramento attracts residents of all ages.  These neighbors desire to be in a tightknit community that supports each other. There are still three 2 BR units for sale. For more information call Shelly at 425-308-0639.
 
Our meeting host/location sponsor Megan Wygant provided some background on CLARA, the organization she runs. This unique performing arts campus, formerly an elementary school, was donated by the City of Sacramento. Today over 65,000 elementary school students engage in arts education through CLARA’S work every year. By investing in the arts industry we positively impact the overall economy and the future of our children.
 
Club Updates
 
Community Grants – Applications are open now through December 31st and can be submitted on the club's website here. We encourage you to help spread the word to organizations that could benefit from this opportunity.
 
Daughters Day – Megan Laurie announced that Daughters Day will be on December 17th.  Please let Megan know if your daughter will be joining us that would like to be a part of the program.
 
RI Trip – PE Kerry Wood extended an invitation to all Rotarians to join her for a post-trip adventure adjacent to the annual Rotary International conference in Calgary next June. Reach out to PE Kerry for more information.
 
Club foundation leaders Larry Gilzean, Matt Page, Harold Bellamy and Shirlee Tully updated the club on Rotary International Foundation and the Rotary Club of Sacramento Foundation. Donations to your Paul Harris and Eddie Mulligan are funding projects internationally and locally.
 
 
Among 2,500 Rotary club foundations worldwide, ours is the 20th largest. As of June 30, 2024, the balance was $3.5 million. With a strong investment strategy, we earned 10.5% for FY24. The earnings supported many local projects that enhance the quality of life in our region while also supporting international efforts. Something we should all be proud of.
 
Between the two foundations, our club has supported $605,345 in local and international projects including clean water in Honduras, the Crisis Nursery at Sacramento Children’s Home, our Golf 4 Kids recipients and a myriad of community projects.
 
Several inspired Rotarians stood to finish off their next Paul Harris or Eddie Mulligan.
 
Shirley Tully wrapped up the Foundation report by celebrating the generosity of past Rotarians who left our club in their estate plans. She invited all of our generous Rotarians to join “the Immortals” by making a bequest of $10k or more to Rotary to continue our legacy of giving.  If anyone has questions about the foundation, please reach out to any of the Foundation board members.
 
President Bobby thanked greeters Ann Ryan Solomon, David Brandenburger and Bill Wygant; wine sponsor Harold Bellamy; and club photographer of the day Virginia Wade. Christie Holderegger handled Pulse duties.
 
Our next lunch meeting is December 3 at the Greek Annunciation Church,  and it will feature wine expert Mike Dunne. It’s the annual meeting as well, so our next president-elect nominee will be announced! Click here to RSVP if you plan to attend.
 
Photos courtesy of Virginia Wade
 
   
 
 

Pulse for the Week of November 5th , 2024
Posted by Matt Page
As America went to the polls on Election Day, President Bobby Reed called upon the Rotary Club of Sacramento to resolve “critical issues of national security.”
 
And that’s how we narrowly decided, in a polarized electorate reflecting national norms, that the egg preceded the chicken.
 
(The club also determined the Kings’ biggest rival is the Warriors rather than the Lakers, the best local university is Sacramento State over UC Davis, and Lake Tahoe is the #1 getaway destination over Napa.)
 
Turning to actual accomplishments, President Bobby reported on a string of recent service endeavors by the club – the dictionary giveaway project for third graders, meal preparation and service at Loaves and Fishes, and Rotarian presence at the recent Dirty Kid Obstacle Race hosted by Sacramento Adventure Playground, a satellite site of Fairytale Town.
 
In the meeting sponsor slot, visiting Rotarian Carol Van Bruggen-Kuhn spoke about the Africa Hope Fund and invited Rotarians to join an upcoming excursion to Zambia next July. The trip features both helping local kids with literacy and safari sightseeing. Details at africahopefund.org.
 
Next up was the spreading of good news. Past President Jon Snyder gave because he and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Past President Diane Woodruff gave toward Paul Keefer’s next Eddie Mulligan because Paul helped Diane’s granddaughter with a job hunt.
 
In honor of upcoming Veterans Day, Dave McKie introduced our guest speaker, retired military chaplain, pastor and newspaper columnist Norris Burkes. An Air Force veteran, he served as a combat hospital chaplain in Iraq with additional deployments to Saudi Arabia and Panama.
 
Burkes’ syndicated spirituality column appears in 38 papers nationwide, and he recently published a collection of columns as the book “Tell it to the Chaplain.”
He encouraged the audience to engage in dialogue with military veterans and ask vets these three insightful questions: What did you do in the military?  Where have you served?  Why did you serve?
 
Jamie Furlong, Sergeant-At-Arms, reminded everyone that we are dark next week. Our next lunch meeting will be Tuesday, November 19, 2024 at CLARA Studios (25th & N), and it will be Foundation Day. Click here to register and make note of the location change.
 
President Bobby Reed thanked meeting greeters Ann Ryan Solomon, Sharna Braucks and Hadley Wilson. Virginia Wade was there to memorialize our meeting with her excellent photography, and Matt Page handled Pulse duties. PP Scot Sorensen furnished the Thought for the Day. Steve Huffman provided the libations with a great selection of wines.
Photos courtesy of Diane Woodruff
Read more...