Events

During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. appointed physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spend years developing and designing the atomic bomb. Their work comes to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witness the world's first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history.

The Mill Valley Middle School Chamber Orchestra conducted by Orchestra Director Steve Gardner will perform for the Club in theor annual visit. They are an award winning string ensemble who play a diverse repertoire of pieces. The students are mostly home grown talent, coming up through our amazing 4th through 8th grade program, which is funded by KIDDO! They are thankful for every chance to perform in our community.

Eric's books are collections of baseball memories and stories from folks around the world. While some clearly involve "play of game" incidents, most of the stories, and the spirit of the book, are really human interest in nature. Stories are funny, emotional, and will make you think back on some of your own memories. 

Eric will briefly describe how the idea for the book came about, and how he collected the stories and ultimately created the book.  The majority of his presentation will involve reading some of the stories.  

Phil Gioia will talk about his book “Danger Close!”, a first-person account of a young man’s coming of age as an Infantry officer, leading American soldiers in action in two of America’s elite fighting units  in the Vietnam War. 

He completed the Army’s Airborne, Ranger, and Pathfinder courses, commanded Infantry companies in the 82nd Airborne Division and First Air Cavalry Division, and survived two combat deployments in Vietnam. Wounded twice, he recorded his experiences in action in his recent memoir. 

Published by Stackpole Books, “Danger Close!” has been endorsed by filmmaker Ken Burns, Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, US Army (Ret), and Victor Davis Hanson. 

Shirley Hasley (nee Andrews) has devoted her life to educating our children. On a sponsored trip across the Golden Gate she was hired as Mill Valley’s first black teacher. The decision was met with trepidation by some parents and others. On threat of violence, Shirley was forced to seek housing outside the city limits. 
In her first year as a teacher, this 22-year-old young woman was assigned to travel with students being bused from Mill Valley to Marin City. It was desegregation in 1965. Was Shirley a natural fit? Hardly. Her presence was resented by many in Marin City. She was called an “Uncle Tom”  and she needed police protection. 
Challenged in Mill Valley, resented in Marin City, Shirley wasn’t accepted until she was “discovered” by an advertising executive. Crossing Blithedale Avenue after school, a polaroid photo mailed to New York, a national ad campaign for Coca-Cola — suddenly every parent wanted their child to be in her classroom. 
Second born of 13 children. Class president of an all-white high school. Presented as a San Francisco debutante by Willie Brown. Photographed by Richard Avedon for Coca-Cola. Esteemed educator. Co-founder of the Andrews Family Scholarship Foundation…. “Have you seen me?”

Does the future of the human race depend on an algorithm? This question will readily come to mind as Dr. Reddie describes the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) into the modernization of nuclear weapons and command and control architecture, and outlines the steps superpowers must take to mitigate the risks posed by autonomous technologies used in war. In the talk, he will offer a brief introduction to AI technologies (used in both commercial and defense contexts). Then, he will examine certain specific military applications of AI, such as signal detection and pattern recognition, and review how AI technologies are (re)-shaping warfare and might impact the future of international peace and security. Finally, Andrew notes how both scholars and analysts are using new analytical tools--including wargaming methods--to assess these risks.

Rotarians are invited to engage with Mayor Urban Carmel and City Manager Todd Cusimano as they share their visions and plans for the City in the upcoming year. They will highlight the city's developments in infrastructure maintenance and enhancements, fiscal sustainability, emergency preparedness, land use and affordable housing, traffic solutions, community engagement, climate action plan, and Mill Valley's ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Additionally, a Q&A session offers participants the opportunity to pose questions and share insights, enabling Mayor Carmel and City Manager Cusimano to better grasp and respond to community feedback.

The Way Out is a recovery-focused homeless initiative designed to restore lives and inspire change through a Recovery System of Care.

The speakers will be from the Salvation Army in the city. 

Additional sperakers incude:

Major Darren Norton (Golden State Divisional Commander)

Captain Mark Stearns (Local corps officer)

June Sargent (Advisory Board)

Col. Kearney will focus on the historical context of the current conflict. He will put particular emphasis on the dramatic change of events from the overwhelming success of the 2014 Russian invasion to the military disaster encountered by Russia subsequent to the 2022 invasion.

The Israel/Gaza conflict that began on October 7th has become an all-consuming story in the media and a divisive issue with local, national and global implications. 

This joint presentation by two local, knowledgeable community volunteers will provide fresh, compelling, and informative insight that goes beyond the daily headlines and cable news commentary.                                                                                                                                     Jeff Saperstein will explore the return of antisemitism to America and Europe, why the American Jewish Community feels so vulnerable and how it impacts Jewish citizens in the Bay Area. He will also illustrate with stories and some relevant history how the majority of Israelis are experiencing this crisis and what their consensus may portend for events moving forward.                                                                               

Dick Spotswood will address why this is an important issue for our community and nation, what are the short/long term implications, and what you can choose to do to become more informed and engage positively in the issue.