At our meeting last Tuesday, we had the pleasure of hearing from Gigi Hanna, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity San Bernardino. The organization’s mission is “seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.” The San Bernardino division of Habitat has served our local communities for over 30 years, helping to provide affordable home ownership to families. Gigi shared that Habitat has been going through some changes, with a recent relocation to the Tri City shopping center in the City of Redlands, the closure and subsequent reopening of the famed ReStore, and the planned expansion of the ReStore in the near future. Gigi and her staff work hard with donors and volunteers to overcome challenges posed by construction concerns, permitting delays, rising costs, and security problems to ensure that homes are built and the mission of the organization is a success. Thank you President-Elect Darcy McNaboe for arranging Gigi’s presentation.
Rotary International Convention
The 2024 Rotary International Convention is coming up May 25-29 in Singapore! Several San Bernardino Rotarians have attended these wonderful events in the past, and it sounds as though we will have at least one club member representing us this year. Yes, our newest Rotarian Ladd Seekins and his wife GailSeekins will be venturing to Southeast Asia to enjoy this year’s convention and celebration. For anyone interested in attending, there’s still time to secure a $100 discount on the registration fee if you pay by March 31. There are also discounts on hotels and flights available on the Rotary International website. For more information about the convention, the events and sessions offered, speakers, travel, and lodging, please visit the convention website at www.convention.rotary.org.
Women's History Month
March is Women’s History Month, when we celebrate and honor women’s contributions in American history. While there are countless examples of women making a difference in our great country, I’d like to focus on women’s contributions to and involvement in Rotary. In 1983, the Rotary Club of Duarte, California filed a lawsuit seeking to remove gender barriers in Rotary membership. The Duarte club had female members who were forced to register with Rotary International using their first initials and last names rather than their full first names so as not to reveal their gender. The Duarte club recognized and acknowledged the great value of female Rotarians and took on this honorable fight to openly admit female members. After winding its way through the courts, in 1987 the United States Supreme Court ruled that women could be admitted as Rotarians.
The Duarte club didn’t stop there! After prevailing in the lawsuit, the club elected Sylvia Whitlock as the first female Rotary club president. In 1989, Rotary International opened all clubs to women. It wasn’t long until women became club members and presidents in nations all over the world. In 1995, Mimi Altman, Gilda Chirafisi, Janet W. Holland, Reba F. Lovrien, Virginia B. Nordby, Donna J. Rapp, Anne Robertson, and Olive P. Scott were elected the first female District Governors. In 2005, Carolyn Jones became the first woman trustee of the Rotary Foundation and in 2008, Catherine Noyer-Riveau became the first female member of the Rotary International Board of Directors. In 2013, Anne Matthews became the first RI Vice President and in 2022, Jennifer Jones was selected as the first female President of Rotary International.
While these women leaders are truly trailblazers and have made great progress for Rotary, it is the women in Rotary clubs all over the world serving their communities every day who are making the biggest difference. This month, we celebrate female Rotarians and women across the country for their great contributions to our nation. For a historical video about how women were first admitted as Rotarians, please click https://vimeo.com/87618518.
Happy National Pi Day
This Thursday is National Pi Day, which is celebrated each year on March 14th (3/14). Pi (represented by the Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. Pi Day is an annual opportunity for math enthusiasts to recite the infinite digits of Pi, talk to their friends about math, and eat pie! Did you know, Pi has been calculated to over 50 trillion digits beyond its decimal point? How many digits can you recite? As an irrational and transcendental number, Pi will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern. While only a handful of digits are needed for typical calculations, Pi’s infinite nature makes it a fun challenge to memorize, and to computationally calculate more and more digits. So, whether you want to memorize several digits of Pi for fun or whether you’d rather just enjoy a piece of pie, happy National Pi Day to all!
President, Brian Pellis 2023-2024
Rotary Club of Downtown San Bernardino
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Featured Presenter
Dr. Linda Fontanilla, Interim President SBVC
Dr. Linda Fontanilla is an accomplished community college leader who has taken on the role of Interim President at San Bernardino Valley College, starting on January 23, 2023. With over 50 years of experience in the field, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the San Bernardino Community College District.
Dr. Fontanilla's diverse background includes her time as an air traffic controller for the U.S. Air Force, where she played a critical role in the safe landing of aircraft returning from the Vietnam War era. Additionally, she has served as the executive director of the YWCA Marjaree Mason Center, an adjunct faculty member, and as the Vice President of Student Support Services at Irvine Valley College. During her time at Irvine Valley College, she was an executive committee member of the statewide Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative and now coaches new higher education executives throughout California.
Dr. Fontanilla holds an associate's degree in communications studies from Sacramento City College and an Ed.D. from the University of La Verne School of Organizational Management. With her extensive background and qualifications, she is well-equipped to lead San Bernardino Valley College forward and serve the students and community.
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Rotary Club Website
Attention San Bernardino Rotarians,
You can now access the Rotary Club of San Bernardino website by entering the domain name: rotarysb.org and rcsb.net.
Member Assignments
Greeter: ............ Larry Asmus
Invocation: ....... Brian Pellis
Pledge: .............. David Hahn Four-way Test: .. Jim Smith
Songs: ............... Mary Ellen Grande
Fines: ................ VACANT
Rotarian of the Day:Bill Orr
ROTARY LIFE ADVISORS
Freshman Class –
Sophomore Class – Lindsey Cobaugh and Shirley Jean
At our meeting last Tuesday, we had the pleasure of hearing from Gigi Hanna, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity San Bernardino. The organization’s mission is “seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.” The San Bernardino division of Habitat has served our local communities for over 30 years, helping to provide affordable home ownership to families. Gigi shared that Habitat has been going through some changes, with a recent relocation to the Tri City shopping center in the City of Redlands, the closure and subsequent reopening of the famed ReStore, and the planned expansion of the ReStore in the near future. Gigi and her staff work hard with donors and volunteers to overcome challenges posed by construction concerns, permitting delays, rising costs, and security problems to ensure that homes are built and the mission of the organization is a success. Thank you President-Elect Darcy McNaboe for arranging Gigi’s presentation.
The 2024 Rotary International Convention is coming up May 25-29 in Singapore! Several San Bernardino Rotarians have attended these wonderful events in the past, and it sounds as though we will have at least one club member representing us this year. Yes, our newest Rotarian Ladd Seekins and his wife Gail Seekins will be venturing to Southeast Asia to enjoy this year’s convention and celebration. For anyone interested in attending, there’s still time to secure a $100 discount on the registration fee if you pay by March 31. There are also discounts on hotels and flights available on the Rotary International website. For more information about the convention, the events and sessions offered, speakers, travel, and lodging, please visit the convention website at 
March is Women’s History Month, when we celebrate and honor women’s contributions in American history. While there are countless examples of women making a difference in our great country, I’d like to focus on women’s contributions to and involvement in Rotary. In 1983, the Rotary Club of Duarte, California filed a lawsuit seeking to remove gender barriers in Rotary membership. The Duarte club had female members who were forced to register with Rotary International using their first initials and last names rather than their full first names so as not to reveal their gender. The Duarte club recognized and acknowledged the great value of female Rotarians and took on this honorable fight to openly admit female members. After winding its way through the courts, in 1987 the United States Supreme Court ruled that women could be admitted as Rotarians.
This Thursday is National Pi Day, which is celebrated each year on March 14th (3/14). Pi (represented by the Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. Pi Day is an annual opportunity for math enthusiasts to recite the infinite digits of Pi, talk to their friends about math, and eat pie! Did you know, Pi has been calculated to over 50 trillion digits beyond its decimal point? How many digits can you recite? As an irrational and transcendental number, Pi will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern. While only a handful of digits are needed for typical calculations, Pi’s infinite nature makes it a fun challenge to 
Dr. Fontanilla's diverse background includes her time as an air traffic controller for the U.S. Air Force, where she played a critical role in the safe landing of aircraft returning from the Vietnam War era. Additionally, she has served as the executive director of the YWCA Marjaree Mason Center, an adjunct faculty member, and as the Vice President of Student Support Services at Irvine Valley College. During her time at Irvine Valley College, she was an executive committee member of the statewide Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative and now coaches new higher education executives throughout California.