Doug and his Board will share their plans, goals and objectives for the New Rotary Year.

On a regular basis, our resident photo pros Warren Smith and Jack Strange submit pictures of what is going on at the weekly meetings. You can always find the most recent pictures at the websites photo journal called "Meeting Sighting" Please note that all the meeting photos for the entire Rotary year are at this location with the most recent on the last page.

Thanks for all the great pictures Warren and Ross! Link to Meeting Sightings. The most recent are on the last page!

Additional photos may be found on the SR Sunrise Facebook Page.

Proudly displaying his Golden Hammer Award, Sunriser LeRoy Carlenzoli sets out to top his 185 hours-a-month Rotary job/hobby in the coming year.

As The Sunrise Golden Hammer, LeRoy was also received a special T-shirt that will announce his rescue services throughout all Sunrise supported charities.  No pipe, appliance, electrical connection, plumbing problem or carpentry issue will escape his renowned Golden Hammer skill and expertise.

For service above self, bravery in the jungles of Nicaragua, faithfulness in Bulletin writing, devotion to his Queen and loyalty to the club, Queen Meryl Hayes, at her formal debunking ceremony, declared Rich Randolph Sunrise Rotarian of the Year 2016-2017.  Rich maintains a strong, significant, yet unassuming presence at Sunrise projects, events and weekly meetings.  A distinguished honor for a deserving Rotarian!

Above, and always exceeding expectations and "official" duties, John Jones received President Merle's commendation for Service "Above and Beyond".

John's patience, persistence and organizing prowess are legend.  A Rotarian for over 20 years, John set the Service bar early in his Rotary career as the youngest President of the Rohnert Park-Cotati Club before he was 30.  He has maintained his pace and focus on Service locally and internationally.  John offers guided Wild Boar hunting trips for our Club fundraisers, donates goat meat for our Golf Tournament, hosts committee meetings (often with catered dinner) at his CPA-Advisor office and has been the driving force behind Sunrise' International Vision and Dental Projects to Nicaragua for nearly the past decade.  John's contacts in Nicaragua and his commitment to underserved persons healthcare improvement has inspired many to participate both in this Rotary Club, his local church and business colleagues.

Hats off to John!!

You may not have won the drawing, but your actions ABOVE AND BEYOND are priceless!

Finley Center Aquatics staff, Noelle and Adriana, accept $1,000 check from Sunriser Peter Hoberg.  Funds raised from beer sales at the St. Partick's Day 5K Run will be used to sponsor swim lessons for Santa Rosa kids.  Beer was donated by the Bear Republic Brewing Company.

"Without its strong, silent roots, there will not be a tree," says Queen Meryl as she knights Dave Lorenzen for his support of her decision-making process, the Bulletin, and the entire operation of the Rotary Club of Santa Rosa Sunrise.

Sunrise Past President and current member of the board, Steve Heron, is dubbed Quiet Rotarian of the Year by Her Majesty Queen Meryl -- a role that Heron has carried out, year after year, with or without a special award.

Ian H. S. Riseley

President 2017-18

There are as many reasons to come to Rotary as there are Rotarians – maybe even a few more. But each of us has stayed in Rotary because it adds something to our own lives. Through Rotary, we are Making a Difference in the world; and the more involved we become, the more of a difference Rotary makes to each of us. Rotary challenges us to become better people: to become ambitious in the ways that matter, to strive for higher goals, and to incorporate Service Above Self into our daily lives.

What kind of difference Rotary clubs and individual Rotarians make through their service will always be their own decision. As an organization, we are guided by the three strategic priorities our Board has set in our strategic plan: to support and strengthen our clubs, to focus and increase our humanitarian service, and to enhance Rotary's public image and awareness.

In the year ahead, our clubs will have the support of a greatly augmented array of online tools, including a refreshed Rotary.org, a simplified Rotary Foundation grant application process, an improved My Rotary experience, and a rebuilt Rotary Club Central. As we look to strengthen our clubs, two specific challenges stand out in our membership: our gender balance and our average age. To keep our clubs strong, we need to build a membership that reflects the communities we serve and that will continue to develop knowledgeable leaders for generations to come.

For many years, one idea has stood at the heart of all our service: sustainability. Sustainable service means our work continues to have a positive impact long after Rotary's direct involvement has ended. We don't dig wells and walk away; we make sure communities can maintain and repair those wells. If we build a clinic, we make sure that clinic has a way to keep running without ongoing support from us. And when it comes to polio, we aren't working to contain it; we're working to end it.

Eradicating polio is the ultimate in sustainable service. It is an investment that will yield not just a long-lasting but a permanent benefit, on a global scale. It is and must remain our No. 1 priority until the job is done.

For 112 years, Rotary has made a difference to more lives, in more ways, than we can ever count or will ever know. Today, each of us bears a torch, its flame lit by Paul Harris, that has been passed forward from generation to generation, in Rotary: Making a Difference.

Paul A. Netzel

Trustee Chair 2017-18

The Foundation and the power of an idea

It seems like yesterday that I was 26 and a brand-new member of Rotary. When I missed my third meeting and failed to do a makeup, my sponsor sat me down and for the first time really explained the values of Rotary. I took his words to heart and haven't missed a makeup since. Now, 49 years later, almost to the day – as a proud member of the Rotary Club of Los Angeles (LA5) – I am honored and humbled to serve as chair of the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation this year.

The Foundation started with a simple idea: to do good in the world. One hundred years later, we know the story of what happened – as we have learned during this year's celebration of the Foundation's centennial.

During those years, Rotarians have raised and invested more than $4.1 billion in thousands of programs, projects, and scholarships. In short, the Foundation is a living history of the power of one idea. A Rotarian shares an idea with his or her club, and – with the help of grant money from the Foundation – amazing things happen.

This is an exciting time to be a Rotarian. It's the first year of The Rotary Foundation's second century, and we are on the verge of participating in one of the most amazing accomplishments in human history: the eradication of polio. Thirty-two years ago, PolioPlus began and served as a catalyst that engaged Rotarians and partners worldwide. Today polio is on track to become the second disease eradicated in human history. CNBC, a leading global media outlet, recently ranked The Rotary Foundation third on its list of the "Top 10 Charities Changing the World."

In the coming months I look forward to discussing our Foundation goals for the next year and beyond. Share your thoughts with me at paul.netzel@rotary.org. Ask yourself, "What can I do to help tackle an issue that's near and dear to me?" How will you engage the Foundation to help you? Remember, all it takes is one person with an idea – along with a great organization – and those timeless Rotary values I learned way back when. It seems like yesterday.