My goodness – Burlingame Rotary met on Wednesday, March 14 for our weekly meeting amid near chaos-in-the-culture: The local newspaper headline was: “Trees Falling Everywhere.” Each of us had stories of encountering the largest wind-storm in memory (gusts near 100 mph, rain fairly steadily blowing all directions simultaneously, temperatures dropping into the seeming arctic zone!!!), and more road closures due to blocked streets than the fire department could handle in such a short time. El Camino Real was reportedly closed both ways in four different places in Burlingame, and another four in San Mateo. (Some might go so far as to say that God stepped in to resolve Burlingame’s eternal debate over taking down the eucalyptus trees that have become so large and ungainly. City Council can move on to other topics, since the issue is resolved with a major start on the removal underway thanks to the wind.
But that wasn’t nearly everything: lips were buzzing with talk about the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank [and who knows what others to follow]. Many of the non-profits that make our town great were depositors there, as also funds from many Rotarians: those who are of the venture variety, those who administer the aforementioned non-profits, and also the common depositor / personal check writer type.
As if that were not enough commotion, the annual national holiday of March Madness Bracket Setting was upon us, putting several members into a semi-frenzy. Needless to say, a foundation pillar like Burlingame Rotary was something of a heaven-sent gift of good timing for people who needed to get some perspective on life, regain their good attitude, and reclaim the high purpose of ‘service above self.”
So, our Club met at the Burlingame Community Center, in the poetically named “Room A.” We got rolling with a welcome from our President Fritz which included a warning for us all to “Beware the Ides of March.” Et tu, Fritzl? Them, with all standing for our Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, Col. Alden Cunningham led us forth, and then an invocation was led by Rev. Paul Watermulder.
As we settled into our seats, we were aware of the aromas wafting over us from the lunch buffet, overseen by the always-helpful-and-happy Johnny (aka “Mr. Sappore Italiano”). He had produced a feast of Caesar salad, tortellini, polenta, beef stew [with true quality beef!], and very attractive mixed vegetables. The dessert cannelloni sat idly by waiting for us to finish the first courses before sharpening our sweet tooth pleasures of the day.
We had guests! Again! We welcomed Lora Curran to our fellowship. Lora is a member of the San Carlos Evening Starlight Rotary Club, and she is the Assistant Governor of our Rotary District (the always crazed, but never crazy Rotary District 5150). Lora enthusiastically invited us all to their Club fundraiser: 100 Points of Light. This is a cocktail party with appetizers from Divino Ristorante. The program highlight will be a “speech competition” where attendees are the voters. Sunday, March 19 @ 3-6pm at Hiller Aviation Museum Skyway Center (655 Skyway Road, San Carlos). Info at: 100pol.org.
Rotary Foundation member (of our Club) Bill Tiedeman gave Paul Harris award pins to Mike Heffernan (a multiple time recipient), to Marilyn Orr (a pin with four stars on it symbolizing 5 years of achieving this award) and then President Fritz awarded Bill Tiedeman with special Paul Harris pin with a ruby, signifying 6 times of achieving this level of generosity. YOU too can receive such an annual award with the donation of $1000 to the Rotary International Foundation.
Cary Koh told us that Rotary also shared with us an invitation to the District 5150 Learning and Leadership Development Assembly on Saturday March 25; registration now until March 21. This is a skill building opportunity for us all to join our incoming president Cary. We will hear a keynote speech by gold medal Para-Olympian Matt Scott, and then focus on: First, a mini-project fair including Shelter box, Rotary Youth Exchange, Peace Center Fellowships, Zero Waste, Interact clubs, and the Guatemala Women’s & Girl’s project. Then breakout sessions will be your choice of attending regarding—mental health, environment, empowering women initiative, youth service, club administration, international service, membership retention, membership attraction, Rotary 101, the Rotary foundation, Community Service, Education and Literacy, Event Planning, Diversity, equity and inclusion, and finally, our popular perennial subject—Fundraising. This will be fun! The first 200 people to sign up will receive a free door prize. So, especially if you want a new door, sign up right now!
Jennifer Pence invited us all to our own Club fundraiser on Sunday, April 30: Burlingame’s Got Talent! This fundraiser will be actually fun, so you ought to sign up and give it a whirl: 5-8pm, Burlingame Community Center, Sequoia Room. This will be non-stop talent, delicious cuisine and delectable cocktails (wait, are they allowed to serve booze in the new building? Answer is a resounding YES—come and try out the “signature cocktail” of the evening. Mocktails available for those too young, shy or driving to Los Angeles at the end of the evening.) This showcase of chefs and cuisine from several Burlingame restaurants while we watch/hear local musicians, magicians, poets, dancers, etc. is unique. Not only “please come!” but please tell other people to come. But wait, there’s more: please consider signing up to do an act, whether you are a juggler, a stand up comic, 3 or 4 person skit team, or just a wanna be performer—this is a wonderful chance to strut your stuff to a =n easy crowd—those who try to boo, heckle or throw tomatoes will be escorted out by BPD and given “the treatment” in some dark shadowy place!
Speaking of poetry, this being St. Patrick’s Day, Jennifer asked ChatGPT to write limericks uniquely for Rotarians. And yes, Ted, they are all amazingly clean—you also are cleared for reading below. Our very first custom made Burlingame Rotary limericks by artificial intelligence:
In Rotary, you'll find business folk and more
Committed to making their community soar
To projects big and small
Rotarians give it their all
Making a positive change that people adore.
Limerick about Rotary including the 4-way test:
There once was a club with a test,
That challenged its members to do their best,
They ask, "Is it true, fair and just?
Will it build goodwill and trust?"
Rotarians live by this test, we’re impressed!
Limerick specifically about Burlingame Rotary:
In Burlingame, Rotary's at play
Their service is felt every day
With projects that abound
Their impact is renowned
Rotary's making a difference, in every way!
Well now, the main event of the day was the program, brought to us by member Bobba Venkatadri. Bobba partnered with Club members Bob Doerr and Frances Boscacci to make possible a remarkable Rotary Foundation sponsored education project in Bobba’s home state in India, for children to become not only literate, but skilled in digital matters. Known as Project ZPHS Unguturu, in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India, the Zilla Parashad high school has been rebuilt, staffed, equipped and even as you read this is busy teaching hundreds of children in ways that will free them from the poverty cycle of their region of Krishna.
This school, Bobba’s alma mater, now has a UV purified water plant, 18 spacious digital classrooms, a solar power plant, a room for eating meals at tables (not on the bare dirt), CCTV system, and more. The key problem attracting Bobba’s and others’ attention is the reality that “the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer” because of educational opportunities (especially around digital computing) missing in the 8 villages all below the poverty line for the 300+ students enrolled, until now.
The leadership of Bobba, Bob and Frances, the Burlingame Rotary and Rotary International attracted the attention of other philanthropists as well as government officials who helped make this miracle possible. Frankly, the enthusiasm for this project far exceeds my poor attempt to capture it in mere words. I conclude with a few notes from Bobba:
1 Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much.
2 The power of Rotary to change lives is barely tapped.
3 the “three keys” to our leadership team (Bobba, Bob, Frances) are: Transparency, trust, teamwork.
4. Burlingame Rotary is now a beacon of hope to these village children.
5. This project is a great example of dreams that come true.
6. This has been a great learning in emotionally connecting with a different culture. Please see the adjoining slides.
President Fritz took a few questions and then adjourned our meeting at 1:32. Rotarian Chris Ramirez then appeared as if an apparition, fresh from doling out huge amounts of money at Silicon Valley Bank to frightened depositors, and he offered to tell interested Rotarians about what was happening and to give some insights “not shared with CNN and the national media.” Those comments were not part of our official meeting, and thus are intentionally not recorded here.
This coming week, our program is the Executive Director of the San Mateo County historical Society telling us about a founding series of events for our county by the Portola Expedition. You will be amazed as well as informed by this program.
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