Paul Harris, the Founder of Rotary, was born on April 19, 1868. It was his vision that created an organization in Chicago for mutual advantage and fellowship. This organization became what it is today — an international entity where its members are united by a shared sense of purpose and a dedication to service locally, nationally, and internationally. You can learn more about the life of Paul Harris by clicking here or readings pages 2-6 in A Tradition of Fellowship and Service: The Rotary Club of San Francisco at 100 by Theresa Whitener. This 100th anniversary book has been a gift to each person who joined our Club.
Grants Season: Our Club is proud to continue the vision of Paul Harris as it is currently selecting its service projects for the 2025-2026 Rotary year. So far, the members of the Grant Review Committee (GRC) have been wowed by the passion to serve humanity poured into the words on the grant proposals. More details on the GRC's recommendations to come.
In the meantime, we raise a glass to Paul Harris on his birthday, and thank him for a vision that has withstood the test of time.
Join us at one or both shifts to work with the students in the Salvation Army Culinary Academy at the Central Kitchen to prepare food and box lunches for the Bike Build. Each day requires a three-hour shift and up to six volunteers.
Come and enjoy the fun at our 15th Annual Bike Build event! We'll be assembling 150 brand new bikes for distribution to kids in Kindergarten through 4th grade in the Bayview Area of San Francisco. Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, partner organizations, friends, and family are all welcome.
Catholic Charities invites members of the Rotary Club of San Francisco to attend the upcoming Kentucky Derby Day event. Rotarians get 20% off the admission price. Derby Day will take place at St. Vincent's School for Boys in San Rafael on Saturday, May 3 from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM and will include a live viewing of the 2025 Kentucky Derby. The festivities will include giveaways, food and drinks, live music, lawn games for the whole family, a parade of hats contest, and more! Proceeds from the event will benefit the Catholic Charities programs in Marin including homeless housing prevention, equine therapy, youth services, and case management.
As an early kickoff to San Francisco Pride, our May DEI Film Festival movie is Will & Harper. This powerful documentary follows actor Will Ferrell and writer Harper Steele on a 17-day road trip across the United States shortly after Harper’s gender transition when they share heartfelt conversations and moments of reflection. This film is rated R for language.
Scott Plakun, past President of our Club, will speak to us about why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is of crucial importance to the future of Rotary. He will also lead a discussion about how our Club’s focus on DEI has benefitted and transformed the Club and what we can do to attract more diverse members.
Inika Mehra, the 2025 Miss San Francisco and the founder of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Alliance, joins us to speak about stress management and how unresolved emotions can manifest in our lives — impacting physical health, mental well-being, professional growth, and interpersonal relationships
The annual District Conference where clubs in the District come together to celebrate the year's accomplishments under the leadership of District Governor Steve Wright will be held on May 16-18, 2025 in Santa Rosa, California. Among the traditional events will be Rotary Club Excellence awards and the traditional Governors’ “Passing of the Pick”! All members are encouraged to attend.
Join us for our Club's NEXT EVENING MEETING where we will conduct some Club business, have dinner, and enjoy Rotary fellowship. There is no charge to attend this meeting, but each attendee pays individually for food and beverages ordered at MoMo's. Please register yourself and your guests so that we can plan the space.
Our Club has had a very busy week. Look for the highlights from the April 15, 2025 Passover Seder and the April 17, 2025 Evening Meeting in the next issue.
You are invited to submit stories for publication in Grindings. We are especially interested in stories on recent Rotary events that you have attended. The deadline is every Thursday at 5 PM, and this is a hard deadline so that I can get the issue of Grindings done in time for release on Sunday. If you miss the Thursday deadline, your story will appear in the following Sunday's issue or a future issue.
