Welcome by President Emily Mathews

 

 

THIS WEEK:  Joe Galligan, in front of an inspiring backdrop, led us in the Pledge.  Mike Horwitz, always on the mark, delivered a thoughtful Invocation . . . We welcomed back an Old/New member we've missed, Police Chief Matt Matteucci . . . Visitors were Helen Galligan, Board Member, Peninsula Health Care District;  Millbrae Rotary Pres. Joe Teresi; and San Mateo Parks CEO Michele Beasley . . .  For this week's calendar: Friday, Oct. 2 at 5 p.m., Virtual Cocktail Hour.  Why?  It's Mahatma Ghandi's birthday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GOLF:  Green Hills, Monday, October 12 . . . We learned from Cary Koh that this, our 8th Annual Golf Tournament, is within 14 of capacity, and that an "Aloha Cart," with Em Matthews and the irrepressible Wendi Upchurch at the helm, will dispense beer, soft drinks, sympathy, and more--not to mention innumerable cigars (donated by well-remembered grocer Tom Koros) . . . Extremely fine prizes will go to lucky "Big Kahuna" raffle winners.  One hundred bucks a pop . . . Sponsorship opportunities abound.  See Burlingame Rotary website. . . Look for even more data, including Cary's detailed timeline, via email.

 

SPEAKER:  Jim Salyards, Director of Horticulture at Filoli, was brought to us by Donna Colson, Board member of that revered institution, Burlingame Councilperson, and fellow Rotarian  . . .  Jim's topic: the planned quarter-million-dollar upgrade of Filoli's Vegetable Garden.  Our speaker shared his infectious enthusiasm for a project that will make possible youth programs, home gardening classes, outdoor dining, internship opportunities, donations to food banks, and enhanced services for non-traditional guests.  All in a state-of-the art demonstration garden. . . Filoli is one of the crown jewels--maybe the most glittering--of San Mateo County, with a 16 acre formal garden, a 54,000 square foot Georgian mansion, and 7 miles of hiking trails--654 acres in all. . . Oh, and a mighty persuasive Director of Horticulture . . . At the end of his speech we were ready to march down to Woodside en masse . . . An idea that may bear fruit, says Ms. Colson, for it's not your mother's Filoli any more.

 

AS THOUSANDS CHEERED, a Blue Ribbon committee headed by Fritz Brauner (and composed, for the most part, of Fritz Brauner) has awarded the coveted Hebdomadal Homily Prize to Pierre Bouquet. . .  It goes to Pierre for this priceless quip by Groucho Marx: "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.  Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."  . . . But wait!  There's more!  The prize itself, a free flocking, was delivered in the dark of night to . . . the wrong house!  By whom? The answer is veiled in secrecy, but . . . In this season of gift giving, Tim Matthews is on the lookout for a Louis Vuitton miner's helmet.  

 

TUESDAY TALKS: Upcoming at seven on October 13: "Concours D'Elegance" (Alex Buljan) . . . "Fun with Fountain Pens" (Chuck Voltz), is on the way October 20 . . . These Tuesday evening events are terrific . . . You may have missed "Travel Talk" two weeks ago.  If so, you can still ask Jim Shippert about Costa Rica, Em Matthews about sheep's eyes in St. Petersburg, or the present writer about prehistoric Puerto Vallarta . . . Moreover, you're likely to be unaware of Sandra and Dave Behling's annual wedding anniversary "abductions."  On alternate years, one spouse spirits the other away to parts unknown . . .  And did you know that Jerry Winges and Fritz Brauner are both well versed in the Serengeti Plain?  At an early age the latter observed there a truly awe-inspiring sight, the annual migration of several hundred thousand single-minded wildebeest--a plein air version of Black Friday in Loehmann's basement.

 

NEXT WEEK: Our own silver tongued Pastor Paul Watermulder on "Life Lessons Learned as a Cop."  Who'd have thought it?  

 

Adjourn