This week’s meeting began on a somber note. After the Pledge of Allegiance by Jay Miller, President Jerry Winges informed us that Jim Shypertt¸ a longtime, beloved member of our club, passed away last week. In lieu of an invocation, Mike Heffernan, Jennifer Pence, and Mark Johnson shared touching memorial tributes to Jim, including words from Bob Doerr, Delia Montano, and Jim himself. Jim’s love of photography and many contributions to the club, including serving as unofficial club historian, during his 35 years of membership were highlighted. Jim is, and long will be, remembered with great fondness.
There were a number of guests: Paul Watermulder’s friend Bruce Antell; Don Clark, friend of several club members; Charlene Drummer’s friend and our speaker Daniel Grossman and his wife, Linda Gerard-Grossman; Canan Sonuk, a Rotarian from the Los Gatos club who was the guest of Philip Holsworth; scholarship student Katherinne Chieppe, and District 5150 Assistant Governor Adele Della Santina, who attended by Zoom.
President Jerry announced the following local events:
Age Well Health Fair on August 8. Free health screenings will be available.
Burlingame on the Avenue on August 15-16. Our club will have a beer and wine booth. Tips earned help fund our scholarships. Volunteers are still needed to staff the booth.
September 19—Jackie Speier Foundation Diaper Drive at Sequoia High School from 9:30am-12:30am
District 5150 Coastal Cleanup Day on September 19. Volunteers are also needed for this event.
President Jerry tried a new approach to our various news and member reports, consolidating them into “Fellowship Moments." He initiated this by announcing an additional personal donation to The Rotary Foundation in memory of Jim Shypertt. Jay Miller also donated in honor of happy memories of Jim. Paul Watermulder donated happy dollars because he was sitting with two men whose wedding ceremonies he performed (Don Clark and Bruce Antell).For additional happy news, the following people joined Jerry’s President’s Club: Charlene Drummer, Doug Person, and Cary Koh. Dan Conway, who previously joined Jerry’s President’s Club, made an additional donation to the club. As sad news, Mark Johnson informed the club that a friend of many, Sheila Burns, passed away last weekend. President Jerry’s new format appeared to encourage member participation and generosity, so “Fellowship Moments” seems like a good innovation for our club.
Rotary Scholarship Student Presentation
Katherinne Chieppe, a recipient of a Rotary Club scholarship who is currently a sophomore at San Diego State University, gave a presentation about her college experience. She is a first-generation college student, psychology major, and honors student who is also working on campus as a student assistant. Katherinne concluded by thanking the club for helping make it possible for her to attend college.
Program:
Our speaker Danny Grossman gave an engrossing presentation about his time as a diplomat in the U.S.S.R. entitled “A U.S. Diplomat’s Hot Takes from Cold War Leningrad.” After setting the scene, Danny read excerpts from his memoir, “Seeing Red: Spies, Lies and My So-Called Life as a Diplomat.” We learned about Danny’s unusual experiences as he described daily life in the Soviet Union, highlighting the constant surveillance and tension he faced. He read about attempting to distribute American magazines to locals without triggering repercussions for them from the Soviet government. He recounted a dangerous incident involving a drunk KGB officer who entered his car, also potentially unleashing repercussions for both of them. Danny detailed the challenging situation when radiation alarms went off in Sweden led to the discovery of the Chernobyl disaster, with minimal public response from the Soviet government. Each of the excerpts offered a fascinating look at a different world in a different time. Several members indicated that they wished we had another hour to hear more.
All in all, despite our collective sadness about Jim Shypertt, it was an invigorating and inspiring meeting.
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