Palo Alto Rotary Committees - 2024-2025
 
MEMBERSHIP - Board Member, Linnet Kwok
Membership - Linnet Kwok, Chair; Anne Cribbs, Rebecca Geraldi, Steve Player, Karen Rohde, Dana Tom  
Responsible for building a solid base of new members each year and integrating them into the club.
 
We Care - Julie Jerome 
Coordinates the Club’s response in the event of a member’s/spouse’s serious illness, difficult circumstances, or death.
 
CLUB OPERATIONS – Board Member: Ginny Lear
Audio Visual Setup - Ben Threlkeld, Dana Tom, Joop Verbaken 
Handles the audio visuals for our club and speakers
 
Microphones: Ben Threlkeld, Dana Tom, Joop Verbaken 
Handles microphones during meetings
 
Welcome Desk:  Katie Seedman
Schedules members to record lunch sales & attendance at club meetings

Club Website - Bruce Gee, Ginny Lear, Dana Tom
Maintain and improve our club's web site.
 
Pinion: Editor Ginny Lear
Schedules writers; ensures Pinion is written and composed after each meeting.
Writers: Betsy Bechtel, Trish Bubenik, Matt Dolan, Steve Emslie, Eric Jensen, Duane Kalar, Hal Mickelson, Karen Rohde, Sally Tomlinson, Geoff Ziman
Pinion Distribution: Bruce Gee  -  Ensure Pinion is distributed to members after each meeting.
 
CLUB SERVICE - Board Member,  Steve Emslie
Greeters - Liz Kniss 
Organizes greeters to welcome members and visitors before meetings.
 
New Member Talks - Steve Emslie
Arranges the Program for Red Badge members 
 
Coffee with a Rotarian - Dana Tom
Arranges for members to meet with each other socially
 
Opening Remarks - Trish Bubenik
Coordinates the 2-minute member remarks at each meeting’s opening

Program - Sally Tomlinson, Chair: Betsy Bechtel, Diana Diamond, Mary Ann Gee, Stans Kleijnen, Pam Krudop, Hal Mickelson, Daryl Savage, Ullrich Schwertschlag, Jim Sutherland, Ben Threlkeld, Dana Tom, Jake Yoo
Ensures that each meeting has outstanding speakers who are introduced at the meeting and sent post-meeting thanks.
 
Social Events - Greg Hood, Chair, Henrietta Burroughs, Nancy Peters, Jackie Wheeler
Works with various members to plan and manage club social events throughout the year in a member's home, such as TGIF and the holiday party, in a restaurant or at a theatre.
 
Vocational/Long Time Member Talks - Jim Sutherland 
Arranges the Program on these topics
 
COMMUNITY SERVICE - Board Member, Eric Jensen
Annual Fund Raiser, 2025, Mitchell Park - Bruce Gee, Sally Tomlinson, Rebecca Geraldi, Ginny Lear
Produce a community based fundraising event.  Proceeds to support the Palo Alto Rotary Club Annual Charities Fund.

Local Charitable Grants - Bruce Gee, Chair; Betsy Bechtel, Rick Block, Mike Couch, Hersh Davis, Len Ely, Leannah Hunt, Eric Jensen, Bill Johnson, Duane Kalar, Iris Korol, Ginny Lear, Le Levy, Simon Pennington, Andrew Pierce, Ullrich Schwertschlag, Peter Shambora, Art Stauffer, Charlie Weidanz, Jackie Wheeler
Solicits, visits, and evaluates applicants to be recipients of our charitable community grants. Presents the list of selected recipients to the club Board.
 
Hands On/Sleeves Up - Eric Jensen, Chair

Social Media/PR-   
Obtain media coverage for events that are of interest to the wider community.
 
VOCATIONAL SERVICE - Board Member: Joy Oche
Vocational Scholarships - Rebecca Geraldi and Pamela Krudop, Co-Chairs; Julie Jerome, Ed Lauing, Joy Oche, Dana Tom, Sally Tomlinson: Publicizes opportunities, evaluates candidates and awards scholarships to those seeking a vocational education at our local community colleges. These Palo Alto Rotary Vocational Scholarships are officially named the Dr. Robert Smithwick Vocational Scholarships. In 1959, Dr. Smithwick was the founding President of the Board of Trustees of Foothill College, now FoothillDeAnza Community Colleges, and a long time Rotarian in Palo Alto and Sunnyvale.
 
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE -  Board Member: Charlie Weidanz
The Rotary Foundation - Liz Kniss, Chair;  Mike McMahon, Club Record Keeper
The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.  
The Rotary Foundation helps fund our Club's humanitarian activities, from local service projects to global initiatives.  Our Club or District can apply for grants from The Rotary Foundation to invest in projects and provide scholarships.  The Rotary Foundation also leads the charge on worldwide Rotary campaigns such as the eradication of polio and the promotion of peace.

 
World Community Service - Stans Kleijnen, Mike Reynolds, Co-Chairs; Khashayar "Cash" Alaee, Anne Cribbs, Mike Fogarty, Rob Lancefield, Susan Lutter, Karen Rohde, Art Stauffer, Joop Verboten, Tim Watson, Amy Yang, Geoff Ziman
Selects and monitors our participation in international community service projects.  Applies for District matching grants and coordinates projects with other Clubs.
 
International Hands On/Sleeves Up - Stans Kleijnen, Mike Reynolds, Co-Chairs
Plans and directs annual international community activity.
 
Climate Action Committee: Geoff Ball, Chair
 
YOUTH SERVICE - Board Member:  Judy Kleinberg
Youth Protection Officer - Ben Threlkeld
Ensure that Rotary Youth Protection Certification is completed by the Youth Service Chair, the President, and is offered to all members.  
 
Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts -  Geoff Ziman
Provide liaison and support to the Boy Scout Troop 50, which is formally sponsored by the Rotary Club, and to Cub Scout Pack 6.
 
Girl Scouts - Annette Glanckopf
Provide liaison and support to the Palo Alto Girl Scout Troop Unit 601
 
Interact/YCS at Gunn HS -  Pam Krudop
PA Rotary contributes funds in support of their activities. The Interact Chair gets to know the leaders and supports their activites with time and keeping Rotarians aware of them.
 
Camp RYLA - Pam Krudop
Selects and supports campers for the Rotary Youth Leadership Training Camp held each summer
 
Rotary Youth Exchange - Pam Krudop
Occasionally, a Gunn High student attends school for a year in a foreign country and lives with a host family. At the same time a foreign student lives with a Palo Alto family and attends Gunn HS. 
 
A reminder that Palo Alto Rotarians support four interrelated, yet separate organizations.
1.  Palo Alto Rotary Club (501(c)(4)) - club operations
2.  Palo Alto Rotary Club Annual Charities (PARCAC) (501(c)(3)) - local charitable disbursement  
3.  Palo Alto Rotary Endowment (501(c)(3)) - 5% of principal annually goes to PARCAC
4.  The Rotary Foundation  (501(c)(3))  of Rotary International - annually gives grants to Clubs and Districts; funds ongoing projects such as End Polio Now.
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