Meeting Recap For March 25, 2013
“Rotary service around the world” was the theme of Monday’s featured presentation at Rotary Club of Sacramento. And if there is anyone qualified to talk about that, it is Cecil “Pancho” Padilla.
A virtual native of West Sacramento and 41-year Rotarian (Placerville Club), Padilla is currently chief of staff for District 5180 Governor Bob Deering.
Introduced by RCS Past President Ken Noack Jr., Padilla has visited 71 countries, most of them in connection with Rotary service projects. He brought with him slides from seven of those trips.
On one trip, he helped replace a dilapidated bridge across a stream at the 6,000-foot level of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
On another trip to Tanzania, this time to help with a new water system, he took time out to scale the 19,341-foot peak, a 10-day undertaking.
Another trip was to the Philippines, where he helped with a medical-surgical mission treating all kinds of maladies.
That was followed by a trip to Nairobi, where he lived among the Maasi and helped to provide a dental clinic. On another visit to Africa, this time to Nigeria to conduct polio immunization.
Padilla also participated on a Rotaplast mission to Argentina and Chile to treat cleft palates, and on a mission to build a road through dense jungle to the location of a new medical clinic in Guatemala.
In 2012, he was inducted into the Arch Klumph Society, which recognizes about 200 distinguished Rotarians worldwide for cumulative contributions in excess of $250,000.
And for the past nine years, Padilla has been a member of Rotary International’s CADRE Committee, which provides advice and technical expertise to Rotarians planning projects.
Padilla doesn’t confine his thirst for adventure to service projects. He has raced cars across Bonneville Salt Flats at nearly 190 mph and recently has taken up drag racing.
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Past President Skip Lawrence presented a brief eulogy for the late Dr. Marty Rosa, a fellow dentist, fellow member of the Four Amigos and Rotarian since 1985. Dr. Rosa passed away in February.
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Mark Huffman and Jay Lowden provided this month’s Rotary Minute, detailing the long-standing relationship between RCS and YMCA of Superior California.
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Oleta Lambert provided the thought for the day, John McIntyre led the club in singing America the Beautiful, Dave Higdon sponsored the wine reception and Paul Stone provided pre-meeting background music on the baby grand piano.
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President Peter reminds us to sign up for the Bids For Kids dinner party on Saturday May 4th and the District Conference the following weekend, May 10th - 12th. Visit the District 5180 web site for easy sign-ups for the conference.
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Next week’s speaker will be Scott Shields, chief curator and associate director of the Crocker Art Museum.
(Bids For Kids venue - The Center at 2300)