The Pulse for the Week of June 26th, 2023

The 4^th of July is all about, baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and…all kinds of other good stuff, but not Rotary Club of Sacramento meetings. In observance of Independence Day, there will be no weekly meeting next week. But be sure to mark your calendar for Tuesday, July 11^th (noon at the Annunciation Church), when President-Elect TODD KOOLAKIAN will formally become President TODD KOOLAKIAN. Keep an eye out for the invitation email and register right away for the installation meeting.

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We have two tickets left for our first Theatre Night in more than five years. You’re invited to join us at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 13^th, for the Broadway at Music Circus production of “The Music Man” at the UC Davis Pavilion. If you are interested in attending, please contact Robyn DeLong or Past-President Jon Snyder. (Click on their name to send them an email.)

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If you did not respond to the Committee Preference Survey, but are interested in joining one of our Club’s committees, or want to get more involved in the Club but are unsure of where your help is most needed, please reach out to President-Elect Todd Koolakian directly by either clicking on his name or phoning him at (916) 290-8201.

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If you would like to know more about what our Foundation does, and how it relates to our Club, here is an opportunity for you: For several years now, long-time Foundation trustee LARRY GILZEAN has been providing an excellent orientation for new trustees. This year, we recorded and posted it on Google Drive so that anyone who is interested can view the hour-long presentation at their leisure. If you would like to do so, click here. (You will get a message saying that you need to request access. Staff authorizes your access as quickly as possible.)

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Every year, volunteers from Rotary clubs in District 5180 volunteer to pour wine in the Savemart booth at the California State Fair, which runs July 14-30 this year. If that sounds like fun to you, click here to find out how to sign up.

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Tuesday was our Club’s traditional “Demotion Day,” marking the end of the term of office for President LINDA GEERY (CFO/California Lawyers Association) and celebrating a year of achievement under her leadership.

Chair of the Day Robyn DeLong ((Realtor/Coldwell Banker) kicked the meeting off with thanks to all who helped to make the day of celebration possible, including Greeters Bruce Timm (Attorney/Boutin Jones), Virginia Wade (Retired Vice President/SAFE Credit Union) and THERESA WHEELER (Owner/Prevail Public Affairs, Photographers VIRGINIA WADE and Past President DIANE WOODRUFF (Retired Chancellor/California Community Colleges), and Wine Sponsors DAVID BRANDENBURGER (Managing Director/Newmark) and his dad, STEVE BRANDENBURGER (Retired/Resort Proprietor). She also thanked DANIELLE MCGARRITY (Development Director/Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento) for being the Pulse reporter.

WALTER DAHL (Partner/Dahl Law) shared two thoughts about leadership and service. The first was from Andrew Carnegie: “No one will make a great leader who wants to do it all on their own.” The second was from Eric Hoffer: “The hardest arithmetic to master is that which allows us to count our blessings.”

Anticipating that President LINDA might be able to reclaim some of her free time and enjoy a road trip, our own Rotary Rockers—TOM BACON (Senior Vice President/Bacon Commercial Real Estate), JOHN MCINTYRE (Chief Philanthropy Officer/Mercy Foundation), Dennis Smith (Consultant/Commercial Real Estate Consulting), Past-President KEVIN SMITH-FAGAN Executive Director/Fairytale Town), SHIRLEE TULLY (Interim CEO/Capital Public Radio), KERRY WOOD (CEO/Sacramento Region Community Foundation) and JEFF STONE (Vice President/HUB International)—serenaded her with “Going Up The Country.” Later, they also entertained us with “Monday Morning” and “Moondance.”

Sergeant-at-Arms KATHE NATHAN (Retired/Merchants Bank of Commerce) introduced our guests. They included Mark Geery, husband of President LINDA; District 5180 Governor Karen Cendro; visiting Rotarians J.R. Alward (Sonoma Valley Club), Kathleen Gallagher (guest of Karen Cendro), and Joe Scheimer (Fair Oaks Club); pending member Rio Ray (Salvation Army); prospective members Dusty Hoetger (Avisen Wealth Management) guest of Karen Cendro; Megan Masten (Acuity Technical Solutions) and Tamara Simental (Court-Appointed Special Advocates-Sacramento); Amber Wallace (City of West Sacramento) and Kelly Marin, guests of Maggie Hopkins (Loan Officer & Realtor/Capital Premier Lending and Premier Realty); Laura Mason-Smith, wife of Dennis Smith; and Robert Biton.

BOBBIE HALES (Shareholder/Gilbert CPAs) donated her time to the Sacramento Region Community Foundation and Rotarian/CEO KERRY WOOD who, in lieu of a formal presentation, invited us all to participate in a trivia contest based on last month’s Big Day of Giving and President LINDA’s own philanthropic interests. If you would like to be a meeting sponsor during the 2023-24 Rotary year, contact Danielle McGarrity or Megan Laurie (Director of Development & Marketing/United Cerebral Palsy of Sacramento and Northern California) by clicking on their names.

JAMIE FURLONG (Managing Partner/Legacy Investment Real Estate) and MAGGIE HOPKINS shared big news from the International Service Committee about our Club’s WASH project. This year, via the Crystal giving level instituted by President Linda, our Club members contributed $13,325 toward the project, which then was matched by the Rotary and World Vision to become $74,620 in impact! Between the grant money secured through Rotary International and additional funding from World Vision, this project has become a $1 million investment that will benefit 15,000 people. Inspired by District Foundation Chair Joe Scheimer and District Governor Karen Cendro, all 38 clubs in our district contributed to this project. On a recent visit to the site of an existing improvement project, MAGGIE and CLAYTON LEE (C.K.L. Trust) recently went to Honduras and got to see the impact of a similar project and hear from the beneficiaries. They were presented by local dignitaries with the key to the city of Dolores, and in turn, presented the gift to President Linda in appreciation of her support for the Honduras project.

District Governor Karen Cendro presented both a Club Service Award and a Community Service Award to the one-and-only SARAH HODGE (Regional Affairs Representative/Association of California Water Agencies) for her service as a Foundation trustee and Club board member, Co-chair of the Membership Committee, her key role in Sacramento Century and involvement with the Young Professionals Committee over the past year—even while undergoing treatment for cancer. Sarah announced the incredible news just received from her doctor: While she still has a couple of treatments scheduled, she has been declared cancer-free! District Governor Karen also presented a Service Award to “Modern-Day Hero” CLAYTON LEE for achieving the largest global grant in the history of our District. Clayton shared that our Club has now organized nine $800,000+ projects and he’s already planning the next one!

Fellow Rotarian Jim Henderson (Attorney/Messing Adam & Jasmine) regaled us with some light-hearted stand-up comedy, while resisting the temptation to “roast” either our outgoing or incoming Presidents.

President LINDA shared her heartfelt appreciation of all of the Club members who made this year so impactful and inspirational. From the weekly meeting sponsorships/thoughts for the day/wine sponsors/photographers and newsletter reporters, to the in-depth service committee—the “muscle” behind our terrific events and special meeting days, and the ongoing work of the Club officers and board members, and Foundation trustees, each played a vital role in the many and mighty achievements of the Rotary Club of Sacramento during the 2022-23 term.

Lastly, President LINDA bid a sad and fond farewell to STEVE HEATH and SULAF AL AJEELI for their service as Executive Director and Membership Coordinator, respectively, and thanked them both for their incredible dedication and commitment to strengthening our Club.

(Snapshots of Tuesday’s meeting, courtesy of Virginia Wade and Diane Woodruff)