A Moment 0f Silence was offered by Rotarians in honor of Bruce Paris who died unexpectedly over the last weekend.  An avid sailor, cyclist, and outdoorsman, Bruce had been a Rotarian for 30 + years, past-president of the San Carlos Club, and a member of the San Mateo Club since 2012.  

 

Quoting from the ‘Velveteen Rabbit’, Christie Spence, with the Thought of the Day, received an ovation of appreciation for sharing the book's perspective on becoming “Real”:

 

'It doesn't happen all at once,' said the Skin Horse. 'You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.”

 

Given the median age of our club, we can all find meaning in the prose!

 

Mike Kelly (Recology), who established a club record for the longest membership in the Cog Club (2 years, give or take), was awarded his permanent badge….and, perhaps by virtue of his tenure, has become its new Chairman.  Cog Club meets the first Thursday of the month, 7:30AM at the Main Library in San Mateo.

 

 

• REMEMBER:  Thursday, November 14th, MidiCi at Hillsdale Mall for an opportunity to socialize with San Mateo Rotarians and guests.  Start time is 5:30 PM, and the cost of the evening is $40 per person, no-host bar.  Contact Margaret Taylor, Jodi De Smidt, or Cheryl Angeles to sign up.  Failing that….just show up; you’ll be glad you did!

 

Larger-than-life Chris Eckert has his home decorated with Halloween paraphernalia so terrifying that Chris may have had to distribute trick-or-treat goodies on the sidewalk.  You had to be at the meeting to fully appreciate the horror….or you can walk by his home on Hayward Avenue and join the throng on the sidewalk, too fearful to set foot on the property.  He’s now a member of Anne’s President’s Club.

 

Joining the elite and ever-growing President's Club was soon-to-be retired Police Chief Susan Manheimer.  Never one to miss an opportunity to fund raise for a worthy cause, Susan auctioned off 2 Women’s Health Pink SMPD uniform patches along with an accompanying SMPD key fob which could possibly come in handy during one’s next traffic violation.  Top bidders:  Kristin Jensen, who paid $100 more than her last ticket for an illegal U-turn, and Nancy Stanton, whose black Porsche Carrera is a speeding ticket waiting to happen.  Altogether, Susan raised nearly $500 …. more than enough to cover the President’s Club.

 

Other newly-inaugurated President’s Club members are Bob Mendoza for his travels to Isreal and the Holy Land along with John DeRussey, already a member.  And lastly, this week’s Spinnings Editor, Rich Orr, who joined for his ‘heritage’ trip to Ireland and Scotland.

 

 

Intended or not, it seemed most appropriate that the speaker for Halloween and Dia de los Muertos was Rick Riffle, Managing Director of Sneider, Sullivan and Oconnell’s Funeral Home in San Mateo.

                                                                                

His emphasis was on the living, and how families are guided through the turmoil following the passing-away of a loved one.  All who have been in this position, recognize that no matter how prepared we might be for the loss, it is never prepared enough!  To have the benefit of a caring, knowledgeable, and professional funeral director to assist with the myriad of details is crucial.  

 

One of the great gifts we can leave our families, according to Rick, is to talk with them and make our final disposition wishes known.  For those of you who are really proactive, you can take care of most of the arrangements in advance.

 

Military veterans may have additional end-of-life disposition options, but as Bob Mendoza pointed out, accessing those benefits takes time.  Those considering this alternative are advised to begin the process now … with the knowledge that the bureaucracy within the armed forces has not changed much over the last 50 years!