(The following narrative is a continuation of a series of how a member was introduced to Rotary and subsequent memories. If you would like Rotary to be part of your life's story, please contact Alison Proctor at alisonproctor@gmail.com.) 

Greg Kuhl

Joined Rotary July 1, 1977

Foster City Rotary Member since December 4, 1979

May, 2022

Born in Minnesota at a very young age, my first Rotary memory was attending the Children’s Rotary Christmas Party, where we all received a stocking full of candy. We all thought it was so wonderful! My dad was the president of the Hibbing Rotary Club. When I was about 10 we hosted Youth Exchange student from Finland. This had a profound effect on my future Rotary career. I graduated from the University of Minnesota, Moorhead and returned to my hometown to look for work, (after the hunting season ended.) One of my clients from summer painting, hired me at his bank.

My boss, who was also a political consultant to Walter (Fritz) Mondale, asked me to join Rotary. I was one of four father/son combinations in my hometown Rotary, which was unique to the Rotary world at that time.

In 1979 I moved to California, to quench my brother’s thirst for nepotism, and joined his real estate firm. I was immediately invited to join FC Rotary. Because of my history with another club, the newly formed FC Rotary Club picked my brain a lot on how to do things. As a result, I became president in 81-82. The qualifications were: I had a truck, and I agreed to serve. In my year as president we began a blood drive, had our first Youth Exchange student, started the scholarship program and hosted our first GSE team.

Shortly thereafter, I became Co-chairman in the District for YE. When the District split, it became increasingly more difficult to find housing, but FC continued to host a Youth Exchange student every year. Between short term, long term exchanges and GSE teams, there have been over 125 students under my roof at 881 Regulus St.

I then migrated to Interact. The SMHS Interact Club is 30 years old this year. I went through 4 High School principals. Frankly, I didn’t think I was that hard to deal with to merit four changes. We began the Bike-fix, Senior Ball, Mazatlan wheelchairs, Ensenada playgrounds, built two schools in Honduras and Mazatlan, Safestreets, and began a relationship with a Hispanic pre-school in San Mateo that continues today.

Because of the wheel chair project, we began hosting students from Mazatlan, including two orphans from an orphanage that we helped. Tito and Nayeli came to us scared and without a word of English, and returned to Mazatlan bilingual and brimming with confidence.

In the past few years, we revived the Playground Project for the Yurok Indian Reservation in Klamath, CA. We have installed four playgrounds in Klamath for our new Native American friends. Over the years, I have had a hand in removing over 60 playgrounds with Interact and FC Rotary, but am remembered most for the time I removed the wrong playground. But if you think about it, if the Warriors were 60/1 you’d say they had a pretty good season!

One of my early lifetime appointments was all-time debunking guy. Not sure that is a voted-on position, but I seem to have a lock. So not counting my own year, and a Covid hiatus, I have done about 40 Rotary indiscretions. Some better than others.

The “Cooking Crew” has done a lot to shape my Rotary career, and I have apologized to most of you for that. “But seriously folks”………… my best friends have materialized out of the smoke.

I have given a lot to Rotary but have received so much more. My greatest takeaways are my friends and Gigi.