If you live in San Ramon or if you’re in business in San Ramon, we’d be honored to have you join the Dougherty Valley San Ramon Rotary Club.

There are no secret handshakes, funny hats, flamboyant regalia or fancy titles just a simple pin representing the value of service to others. With this pin doors to more than 34,000 clubs in over 200 countries around the world will open and welcome you making Rotary’s 1.2 million members your new friends.

Rotary clubs are filled with business and civic leaders who call each other by their first names because friendship and service are more important than ego. Think of it as the oldest, most trusted, social network today.

In addition to having a lot of fun, we do a lot of good work right here in San Ramon, across Contra Costa County, and around the world. For example, our “Rotocare Clinic” helps people right here in Contra Costa County. The “Sentinels of Freedom” help wounded veterans, and Rotary’s Polio Plus project has immunized over two billion children around the world.

These aren’t the kind of projects where you write a check and call it a day. A Rotary project is like boot camp, grad school and the Peace Corps all rolled into one. You’ll learn while testing your leadership and organizational skills. You’ll give by rolling up your sleeves, pitching in, and be rewarded with grateful smiles and hugs.

That’s what Rotary is all about and why every member receives that pin — the one that shows you believe ideas, leadership, and friendship count more than nationality, religion, gender or other factors.

Find out more about Dougherty Valley San Ramon Rotary by being our guest at one of our convenient after work 5:10 pm meetings on Wednesdays or contacting William Wostenberg Membership Chair.

Chris Hemphill

President