JEAN RUNYON AWARD DAY – THE ENVELOPE PLEASE… AND THE WINNER IS…

Seating was at a premium today as we kicked off March with a packed house!  THE ROTARY CLUB OF SACRAMENTO gathered to celebrate THE JEAN RUNYON COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD presentation!  PRESIDENT BOB MILLER (Vice President Business Services at First US Community Credit Union) settled everyone down and launched into his thank you’s.  Our greeters for the day were LEN SIMPSON (2020 Financial Advisers of Sacramento, L.L.C.),  DENNIS SMITH (V.P./Asset Manager-Office & Property Director of Tsakopoulos Management Company), and DEBORAH RUBINS.  JOHN SWENTOWSKY ( Owner of Swentowsky Photography) provided excellent photography as usual.

NICOLE WILHELM (The Wilhelm Team at Compass) delivered our thought for the day. In honor of Women’s Day, Nicole quoted Mahala Yousafzai…

“I raise up my voice – not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot succeed when half of us are held back”

With all we see in the news today, thank you Nicole for this very timely reminder.

Please click to hear Nicole’s thought for the day.

Special thank you to Rotary’s own Sommelier and wine sponsor – the irreplaceable CHAIRMAN DAVID BRANDENBURGER (Managing Director of Newark)

Our guests included DEE JOHNSON, ESTELLE SALZMAN, SCOTT ROSE, ALICIA LEUPP HANLEY, MIA MULL, ELIZABETH CULP, KRYSTAL AVAVA, SAMANTHA HARVICK, MARIAN JOHNSTON, MATT PAGE, MATSON SEWELL, and STEPHANIE CUMBERLAND.  Visiting rotarians were MARY JO EDMONDSON and PATRICK FURLONG.  And rounding out our Prospective members were JEFFREY DRISCOLL, MARY DELEO, NICK HILTON.

Our meeting SPONSOR, JAMIE FURLONG (Securitized Real Estate Specialist at Legacy Investment), briefly explained 1031 Exchanges.  She is a “Securitized Real Estate Professional.”  Her company Legacy Investment Real Estate can help facilitate sales, explain tax implications and offer advice for those buying and selling properties.

PRESIDENT BOB’S committee spotlight shined on our Speech Contest.  CHAIRMAN DAVID BRANDENBURGER (Managing Director of Newark) and PAUL KEEFER (Pacific Charter Institute) encouraged all to participate.  Tuesday March 8, 2022 at 5pm at 980 9th Street in the office of NEMARK CORNISH AND CAREY will feature students from McClatchy, New Tech, West Campus and Sacramento High Schools giving speeches centered around the topic, “Charity and how it can make you grow.”  Winners get cash!  $200 for first place and the chance to go to Regionals, (then the District).

JOHN SWENTOWSKY needs volunteers for Loaves and Fishes March 31 prepping from 7:30am – 11am and serving from 11am-1pm.  APRIL JAVIST is looking for Golf For Kids Sponsors, volunteers and players.  CHRISTIE HOLDEREGGER (Volunteers of America/Chief Development Officer) is heading up the ROTARY GRANT COMMITTEE.  She is looking for others to review applications to assist her in distributing grant money.  JUSTINO SANTANA (Non-Profit Business Development Manager/eFundraising Connections) wants helpers for the AMERICAN PARKWAY clean up on March 18 from 3pm-5pm.  Armed Forces Day will be May 24th, see JOHN SWENTOWSKY or THOM GILBERT for details.

Generosity was flowing today!  NANCY TEICHERT (Executive Director at the Teichert Foundation) donated in honor of JEAN RUNYAN.  BOBBY REED and DAVID BRANDENBURGER traded barbs and donated to the club.  ROBIN DELONG gave and suggested we may bring back the “Hobby Table” concept as she has been making and donating dolls.  DAN MCVEIGH gave in honor of a trifecta:  JEAN RUNYON, JOYCE RALEY TEAL and his granddaughter, CLAIRE.   JIM PHILLIPS gave in honor of DICK RYDER, who had been a friend since the early 1950’s through 20-30 club and also in JOYCE RALEY TEAL’S honor.  DIANNE WOODRUFF also gave in honor of DICK RYDER, where they both joined  WES YEE’S trip to China.  JIM LEET thanked KATHY HERRFELDT and her efforts today.

The Main EVENT finally arrived!  The committee for this prestigious honor, the JEAN RUNYON COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD, included KATHY HERRFELDT (COMMITTEE CHAIR, TODD KOOLAKIAN,  MAGGIE BRINKOETTER,  HOPKINS,  SARAH HODGE, AND  STRATI VOURAKIS.)   KATHY explained her selection process and recognized the inaugural winner  BARBARA ARNOLD, M.D.   Last year due to COVID, the award was not given.  So we welcomed it back with open arms.

JEAN RUNYON, who passed away in 2009 at the age of 82, was a widely known local-area public relations, marketing, advertising, communications specialist, and activist who started her business in 1960 and gave tirelessly to this community while leading one of the most successful firms of its kind. She received numerous awards recognizing her leadership qualities, creativity, and business success, and in 1997, a group of her supporters, in partnership with the City of Sacramento, renovated the small theater in Memorial Auditorium, which was renamed THE JEAN RUNYON LITTLE THEATER. JEAN is recognized as a trailblazer for women and continues to be a symbol in the Sacramento community.

KATHY described the many contribution made by Rotarian women and the ordeal that went all the way to the Supreme Court.  KATHY played a short video on the history of the DUARTE CLUB’S role in Rotary Clubs throughout the world ushering in women.  The video featured DR. SYLVIA WHITLOCK. In 1982, at the invitation of one of the women, MARY LOU ELLIOTT an elementary school principal, whose admission had caused the ouster of the ROTARY CLUB OF DUARTE, SYLVIA joined the Ex-Rotary Club of Duarte. SYLVIA became President of that Club in 1987, the year the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Club be reinstated, thus making her the first woman in the Rotary World to head a Club as President. In 1988 SYLVIA attended her first International Convention. SYLVIA and the first women to join the DUARTE ROTARY CLUB paved the way for women in Rotary.

A time line of events ushering women in to Rotary:

1879 The California Constitution enacted in provided that “No person shall, on account of sex, be disqualified from entering upon or pursuing any lawful business, vocation, or profession” (former Art. XX, Sec. 18; now Art. I, Sec. 8).

1970 The California law forbidding employment discrimination, first enacted in 1959, was amended in 1970 to prohibit discrimination based on sex.

1971 The California Supreme Court held that sex discrimination was subject to the same strict scrutiny standard applicable to race discrimination under the equal protection clause in the California Constitution.

1974 The Unruh Civil Rights Act, first enacted in 1959, which forbids discrimination by business establishments, was amended to prohibit sex discrimination.

1977 The Rotary Club of Duarte, California, admitted three women as members. In response, Rotary International revoked the Duarte Club’s charter and terminated its membership in Rotary International. The Duarte Rotary Club responded by suing Rotary International under the Unruh Civil Rights Act.

1987 Rotary International v. Rotary Club of Duarte 481 U.S. 537. Upheld the ruling of the California Court of Appeal allowing women to join Rotary Clubs in California. Although this decision was limited to California, in 1989, Rotary International decided to extend the decision’s reach worldwide, and women may now be admitted into Rotary Clubs around the world.

1987 JEAN RUNYON is admitted to the Sacramento Rotary Club and receives her red blazer.

2022 As PRESIDENT NOMINEE, JENNIFER E. JONES will make history as the first International Rotary Club President. On that day women will have officially held every leadership position within Rotary.

KATHY introduced our keynote speaker, MARIAN JOHNSTON.  Representing the State of California, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL, MARIAN JOHNSTON, as head of the Civil Rights Unit, intervened in the Rotary case pending before the United States Supreme Court. She successfully defended California’s law against the claim that its application to Rotary International violated any federal right protecting freedom of association or privacy, in light of California’s compelling interest in ending sex discrimination. In 1987, the Supreme Court upheld the California Court of Appeal’s decision interpreting the Unruh Civil Rights Act to protect the right of women to join Rotary Clubs in California. In 1989, Rotary International extended this right worldwide.

KATHY then went on to present the Red Jacket and the JEAN RUNYON award to ELFREENA FOORD (Foord, Van Bruggen & Pajak).  Her announcement brought the room to it’s feet.  She graciously accepted and thanked all of the Rotarians for their support.  ELFREENA spoke of JEAN RUNYON, thanked DIANNE WOODRUFF for nominating her, and hoped that should will be still attending Rotary Meetings in here 90’s ala JACK BROWKER and BOB COLE.

Click on the link below to see the Award Presentation

CONGRATULATIONS ELFREENA! – So very deserved for all you do…