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.)
Mary Lou Griffin
Joined Rotary March 2, 2011
June, 2023
Shortly after retirement, I joined Rotary in 2011. I was somewhat acquainted with Rotary as I had several friends in Rotary and had been to several Rotary fundraisers.
A forthcoming service trip to South Africa sponsored by the Rotary Club of Foster City motivated me to join in March 2011. All of the Rotary service trips in which I have participated have educated me and left me with some strong impressions. I have been to Mazatlan three times distributing wheel chairs, seeing a school where we supplied computers, and visiting an orphanage. Lack of sanitation and need for clean drinking water was prevalent in many areas during my visits on service trips. One of the kindergartens we visited had plumbing in the school building. There was no hookup to the sewer line in the street. The children’s use of the hill on the side of the school resulted in constant illness from the lack of sanitation.
The wheelchair trips were awesome. A lady whose old wheelchair had worn out and no longer worked was given a working wheelchair. She was so excited to be mobile that she did wheelies around the room! Another woman in South Africa was given her first wheelchair after having been paralyzed after ten years. For the first time ever, she was able to get out of the house and spend time with her children outside.
The South African trip impacted me greatly. I was shocked by the fact that roughly 40% of South African children are AIDS orphans. AIDS medications were not readily available in South Africa. The death rate of adults and children was very high. The spread of AIDS was very high, partly because of the belief by many South African men that sex with a virgin would cure them of the disease. I met a 13-year-old girl who was raising and caring for her five brothers and sisters. How difficult! Also, we provided school uniforms and shoes to all the orphans in one school. Many children had no underwear or adequate shoes. This project allowed the children to blend in with their school mates.
We also visited a school for autistic children hile in South Africa. I learned that riding horses calmed the children greatly as did placing heavily weighted vests on the children while they were in the classroom. The teachers in the school and the ways in which they educated the children was impressive.
I became president of the Rotary Club of Foster City In 2020-2021.
This was in the heart of the COVID epidemic. Many of our meetings were held on ZOOM, thanks to Curtis Chen and Mark Watson. However, we tried to conduct as many meetings a possible in the Leo Ryan amphitheater so that members could get out of the house and safely socialize. In spite of our travails, our club still won the best club award from District 5150.
My involvement with Rotary is a deeply personal one. While I am a strong proponent of contributing to the community which has given me so much, my immediate friendships in the club are very dear to me. Regardless of being on a winning bocce team, playing mah-jongg or bridge, attending social events with members of social groups to which I belong, I hope to contribute long into the future.