Forty members of the Burlingame Lions Club along with 20 Burlingame & Hillsborough Rotarians gathered for the Annual Joint Services meeting. Rotary was hosting so President Phil Siegle took the stage first. After the assembled group recited the Pledge of Allegiance to our Flag, Phil asked Nimisha Melag to come forward to deliver her thought of the day. She shared a story about Taylor Swift's songwriting process, emphasizing how Swift transforms personal experiences and stories into music. She encouraged the audience to reflect on their own creative processes and consider how they can turn their stories into songs or other creative works. Clips from two of Taylor Swift’s concerts, many years apart, were shown.
A member of the Lions Club led us all in singing “Our Country Tis of Thee”. We were then treated to their members singing their very own song, “Where the Hell is Burlingame” to the tune of “Oh Christmas Tree”
President Phil then shared a few highlights of this past Rotary year. 2025 marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of Burlingame Rotary. We marked this milestone with a Gala in January. At that event we unveiled our new name, the Rotary Club of Burlingame & Hillsborough. One of our former members, Jesús Nava, and two students created a video highlighting a brief history. The link is below.
President Phil then invited Lion Jack van Etten to take the podium. Jack is past president of Burlingame Lions as well as the former police chief of the City of Burlingame. Jack gave a brief history of the Burlingame Citizen of the Year award, which began in 1930 and has been given annually since 1950 to recognize residents who contribute significantly to the community through volunteer work.
The current President of the Burlingame Lions Club was introduced by Rotary President Phil. Michael Cihak, born in Perth, Australia, to Czechoslovakian parents, worked for the SF USD for over 40 years before retiring in 2017 and joined the Burlingame Lions Club in 2021.
President Michael reviewed some of the accomplishments of the Lions over the past year. He then introduced the 2024 Burlingame of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Russ Cohen. He is recognized for his contributions to downtown Palo Alto, including curating museum displays and leading civic engagement efforts. Cohen's career spans advertising and creative direction, and he continues to serve the community through various roles and initiatives. Cohen expressed gratitude and humility, attributing the award to the collective efforts of the community. He emphasized the importance of small, consistent efforts and community involvement.
That concluded this year’s Joint Services Luncheon. The Lions will host next year in 2026.
