We greeted our visiting Rotarians DG5150 Danielle Lallement, ADG5150 Matteo Rizzo, and former Rotarians Rachel Ni and Dave Gallegos. President Joe La Mariana then asked District Governor Danielle Lallement to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Invocation:
Immediate past president Emily Mathews shared a passage from Theodore Roosevelt.

 

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat".

 

Announcements:
President Joe recapped the recent board meeting to the attending members and highlighted some of the most important topics discussed. These included our service programs and upcoming events, emphasizing the club's annual golf tournament, taking place on October 11 at the Green Hills Country Club.

 

Newscast:
Jennifer and Fritz engaged the attending members with an enticing and riveting discussion by asking who had previous or familial connections with Rotary. After a few stories, it was apparent that service, friendship, and goodwill unto others are some of the themes that bring individuals to the organization.

 

Program:
ADG Matteo Rizzo Introduced District Governor Danielle Lallement to the club. Danielle shared her background working in Reno, Nevada as a nurse for over ten years in the trauma and intensive care unit. She eventually moved to the Bay Area to work at UCSF, where she transitioned to a neurological intensive care unit—subsequently moving to administration, currently serving as director. Danielle described her account as a front-line worker during the pandemic and shared a powerful and moving story about a mother and her newborn child.

 

Danielle also engaged the attending members by mentioning how she is working to support clubs in the district, especially regarding innovation and accessibility with hybrid learning. She discussed how the environment is Rotary's newest area of focus. As such, our district is highlighting this by hosting several events and an environmental fair. Additionally, she mentioned that diversity equity and inclusion is also going to be an area of focus. Dannielle also commended Burlingame Rotary for its innovation with flockings. She closed the meeting by sharing an inspirational quote to encourage the attending members to remain resilient in the effort to serve others.

 

Watch the recording of the Zoom meeting here.