It was High Noon in Burlingame as Rotarians began arriving from all points of the compass.  Like homing pigeons returning to their home loft, the Burlingame chapter of Rotary International faithfully found their way to the Burlingame Community Center.  The program was, after all, known to be focusing in on not just homes, houses, domiciles, ADU’s, and perhaps even nests.

 

At precisely 12:33pm, President Cary Koh called the 12:15 luncheon meeting to order.  He tapped front-row Jim Shypertt to lead the Club in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag.  Recalling his previous duties as Sergeant at Arms, Jim held forth and the Club joined in, aware that this is the week of Veterans’ Day across our nation.

 

Bob Doerr was called to the microphone for the invocation time and gave us a worthy meditation on generosity as a core value of Rotarians’ lives and challenged us each to re-consider the role of sacrificial giving in our own and our families’ lives, and the potential impact that selflessness can have on others.  During the month of November, Bob endeavors to give a “Rotary Foundation Minute” at each meeting to highlight this very accessible and effective opportunity for all of our members to make a special gift, or even a pledge for regular, even automatic, gifting from our abundance to the needs of so many across our globe who look to Rotary as a beacon shining a light toward a future of hope and peace.  Auction tickets are coming available for each of us with a goal of every member purchasing $100 or more of tickets as our goal.  Bob noted that perhaps some members would take this goal and “buy for ten.”  (For any who might be slow on math, that means $1000 to help the Foundation meet its goals for helping “the least of these, the brothers and sisters in the human race.”)

 

The Sunshine Report today focused on an actual bit of joy and goodness:  Tom Chakos was back in attendance, along with his son Alan and a caregiver.  Tom is a longtime Club member, and he is always a cheerful visage to behold, complete with a warm heart.

Two members (Lindsey and Libby; twins!) of the BHS Interact Club came to our meeting, to tell us about Rotary’s presence in the halls of the high school through the work of an Interact partner group:  Students in Action.  Here is a model for a fellowship that has impact—both groups partner together on projects to bring positive change to our community.   On behalf of both groups, these girls went to the summer RYLA and then 2 months ago to the PKO (Presidents’ Kickoff) meetings of area youth leaders.  They submitted reports of what they did last year in partnership and got awards:  They served together in Pacifica Senior Living, Burlingame Rec Center, and Samaritan House.  They had two fund drives:  Socktober (over 400 pairs collected), and Soap, which collected bars and bottles of soap and shampoo for the needy.  They sponsored the Jefferson Awards to be presented to teachers, classmates, staff, etc. at BHS for making notable contributions to the community. 

 

Libby and Lindsey made a direct appeal to our Rotary Club for this year’s project, assembling hygiene packs of soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrush, etc. for distribution by the youth.  They also are seeking $250-$500 so they can purchase other materials which will be welcomed by those in need in our community.  To do this, they worked with Jennifer Pence to present a pop-up auction in the middle of our weekly lunch.  Auctioned items included:  Ducky Car washes, Tix to the Charles Schultz Museum, to the Battleship Iowa (in SoCal), Happy Hollow Farm and Zoo, Scandia Golfland & Laser Tag (in Fairfield), the computer History Museum, Children’s Creativity Museum, etc.  The auction produced predictable mayhem, several winners, and a new and happy rebirth of our relationship with our Interact Club at BHS.