Rotary Club of Novato
Rotary was brought to Novato in 1954 by the Rotary Club of San Rafael, which at that time, included Novato in its membership area. The Novato club was the brainchild of the Rotary District Governor, Wallace Myers of San Anselmo. San Rafael's President, James Goodale, and a number of his members were involved in the effort, including Fred Enemark, Roy Michael, Roy Wilkie and the Novato based members of the San Rafael Club, veterinarian Charles Stafford (for whom Stafford Lake and Park are named), accountant George Franarnan, and William Cole of the Pini Mill.
The San Rafael committee picked a nucleus of Novatans, and the latter, in turn, selected the new Club's remaining membership. In this first group were James Cuzner, publisher of the Novato Advance, Reverend Joseph Easter of The Presbyterian Church of Novato, school principal Earl Farris, farm advisor Glenn Goble, realtor Alton Lerch, attorney Clark Palmer and banker George Tocalino.
Novato officially joined Rotary International on April 26 of that year. Palmer served as the first President, Easter as the Secretary and Tocalino as Treasurer. The Club charter was presented by District Governor Myers at a dinner hosted by the San Rafael club on May 22, 1954, at the Bermuda Palms hotel in San Rafael.
The new club, 23 members strong, began meeting for lunch each Friday at Tommy's Novato Inn (now Capra's Italian Village, on Redwood Boulevard near Vallejo Street). The Friday luncheon meetings have continued ever since, but the 23 have grown to over 117, requiring changes in location through the years, first to Little Sweden (present site of The Hilltop), next to Cloud 5 (now called Brown's Binyerd), then to The Tomahawk Lodge (today known simply as the Days Inn), with stops at Nave Lanes, Alvarado Inn, Charlie Bolton's, Giovanni's, Cattlemen's, and to the present location at Margaret Todd Senior Center.
Of those 23 charter members, only Clark Palmer remains on the active roster. Also active is early member Jim Studley.
