Upcoming Events
Mon 7/8
Environmental Debt
Date: Mon, July 08, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Amy Larkin, Author, Environmental Debt: The Hidden Costs of a Changing Global Economy; Director, Greenpeace Solutions
John Hofmeister, CEO, Citizens for Affordable Energy; Former President, Shell Oil Company
The traditional "grow now, clean up later" economy does little to account for unmeasured externalities like carbon pollution and health impacts. But as the national and world economies struggle with the mounting costs of pollution and climate change, many companies are drawing a connection between a degraded environment and a degraded bottom line.
Amy Larkin says pollution can no longer be free and that government must play a vital role in catalyzing growth while preventing environmental destruction. John Hofmeister agrees that pollution and waste must be dealt with, but he points out that the American consumer might be less willing to pay the higher prices for electricity and fuel that would result from internalizing these costs. Come hear a conversation with a leading environmentalist and former oil executive on pricing pollution and finding business solutions for creating a sustainable economy.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. networking reception
Cost: $20 non-members, $47 non-members with book, MEMBERS FREE, $27 members with book, $7 students (with valid ID).
Also know: The speakers and audience will be videotaped for future broadcast on the Climate One TV show on KRCB TV 22 on Comcast and DirecTV.
Tue 7/9
Chef Hubert Keller
Date: Tue, July 09, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Wed 7/10
Nob Hill Walking Tour #5
Date: Wed, July 10, 2013Time: 2:00 PM
Explore one of San Francisco’s 44 hills, and one of its original “Seven Hills”. Because of great views and its central position, Nob Hill became an exclusive enclave of the rich and famous on the west coast who built large mansions in the neighborhood. This included prominent tycoons such as Leland Stanford, and other members of the Big Four. Highlights include the history of four landmark hotels: The Fairmont, Mark Hopkins, Stanford Court, and Huntington Hotel. Visit the city’s largest house of worship, Grace Cathedral, and discover architectural tidbits and anecdotes about the railroad barons and silver kings. A true San Francisco experience of elegance, urbanity, scandals and fabulous views.
Location: Meet in front of the Fairmont Hotel's Caffe Centro, 801 Powell St. (at California St.)
Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–4:30 p.m. tour
Cost: $45 non-members, $35 members
Also know: Limited to 20. Must pre-register. Tour operates rain or shine.
How to Recover Your Childhood Brilliance: Special Genius of Those over 50
Date: Wed, July 10, 2013Time: 5:15 PM
Pat McHenry Sullivan, Founder, Visionary Resources in Oakland, CA; Author, Your Natural Genius: Lost, Found, Ready for Adventure
Many people think, “If I were a genius, I would have to be as smart as Einstein or as creative as JK Rowing of Harry Potter fame.” Why is that a myth? Sullivan will explain that it’s not true that geniuses are limited to brilliant, highly successful people who have done something the world finds amazing. That widespread notion is actually a modern idea that distorts the original meanings and great potential for the word “genius.” She will discuss the top three things we can do to recover our lost five-year-old genius: First, we explore carefully the true meaning of genius. Next we deal with the elephants in the room: impending death or helplessness as we age – the things we weren't supposed to see or talk about when we were children. Then, we develop a practice of listening to ourselves so we become fluent in the language of our own heart, and know what we are called to do with our lives.
MLF: Grownups
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 4:45 p.m. networking reception, 5:15 p.m. program
Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: John Milford
Also know: In association with San Francisco Village. Photo by Mary McHenry.
Thu 7/11
Damn Few: Making the Modern SEAL Warrior
Date: Thu, July 11, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Lieutenant Commander Rorke Denver, U.S. Navy SEAL
Lieutenant Commander Denver has run every phase of training for the U.S. Navy SEALs and led special-forces missions in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and other international hot spots. He starred in the 2012 hit film Act of Valor, which is based on true SEAL adventures. Don't miss this chance to go inside the personal story and the fascinating, demanding SEAL training program of a veteran of the front lines. Denver will share lessons learned from both the theater of war and his time directing SEAL instruction.
MLF: International Relations
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Norma Walden
Also know: Photo by Rob Greer. Part of the Good Lit Series, underwritten by The Bernard Osher Foundation.
Joseph Ellis: The Birth of American Independence
Date: Thu, July 11, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Joseph Ellis, Author, Founding Brothers, American Sphinx and Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence
Roy Eisenhardt — Moderator
From a pre-eminent American historian comes a revelatory portrait of a crescendo moment in American history. Pulitzer Prize-winner Ellis presents a gripping account of the most important summer in our nation's history, when a myriad of forces came together to create a new country. Ellis weaves the political and military experiences as two sides of a single story and shows how events on one front influenced outcomes on the other.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Also know: Photo by Erik Jacobs
Mon 7/15
Bastille Day Celebration with the Bay Gourmet Forum
Date: Mon, July 15, 2013Time: 12:00 PM
Cara Black, Author, Murder Below Montparnasse - the 13th Aimee Leduc Parisian Mystery
Shawn Williams, Chef/Owner, Feve Artisan Chocolatier
Georgeanne Brennan, Author, A Pig in Provence
In conversation with Cathy Curtis, Chair, Bay Gourmet Forum
We have brought together three local Francophiles to transport you briefly to France in honor of Bastille Day. San Francisco resident Black frequents a Paris little known outside the tourist track. She shares this Paris with us in her New York Times best-selling and award-nominated Aimée Leduc Investigations series. Georgeanne Brennan, part-time resident of Provence, writes about all things French, from the potager garden to how to make boudin noir. Shawn Williams explored his passion for chocolate, training in France and working as pastry chef at La Folie and Chocolatier for Au Coeur de Chocolate before opening his own shop. Enjoy a discussion about books, Paris, chocolate, patisseries and all things French.
MLF: Bay Gourmet
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Cathy Curtis
Wed 7/17
Why Austerity Kills
Date: Wed, July 17, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Sanjay Basu, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine and Epidemiologist, Prevention Research Center at Stanford University; Co-author, The Body Economy: Why Austerity Kills
Can public health be upheld during years of financial crisis? Through his international research, Dr. Basu posits that austerity and government policy become a matter of life and death during these historic times. He will discuss his research regarding sugar and diet in relation to the economy and recession.
MLF: Health & Medicine
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Bill Grant
David Gergen
Date: Wed, July 17, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
David Gergen, Political Analyst, CNN; Professor and Director of the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government
Noted political commentator Gergen has helped shape political history, serving in high-level positions during the Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton administrations. Gergen is a professor of public service and director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, positions he has held for the past decade. In addition, he serves as a senior political analyst for CNN. His work as director of the Center for Public Leadership has enabled him to work closely with a rising generation of younger leaders, especially social entrepreneurs, military veterans and Young Global Leaders chosen by the World Economic Forum.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:15 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program
Cost: General admission $25 non-members, $15 members, $10 students (with valid ID). Premium (seating in first rows) $40 non-members, $30 members.
Dale Schenk: The Road to Conquering Diseases of the Brain
Date: Wed, July 17, 2013Time: 7:00 PM
Dale Schenk, Ph.D., CEO, Prothena
Lisa Krieger, Science and Medical Research Reporter, San Jose Mercury News — Moderator
Despite major advances in medicine, diseases of the brain continue to plague our society. Fortunately, because of the work of many dedicated scientists, a three-decades-long effort to conquer diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease is beginning to pay off. Schenk will explore what we know about the brain – often called "the last frontier of medicine" – and describe the journey from an idea to the patient's bedside for new innovative treatments.
Thu 7/18
Trade in Your Rights: Russia's Circuitous March to Democracy
Date: Thu, July 18, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Pavel Khodorkovsky, President, Institute of Modern Russia
Khodorkovsky will discuss the current human rights and political situation in Russia and the importance of supporting civil society there as it develops. Though he cannot return to Russia for fear of endangering his father, famed political prisoner, businessman and author Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Pavel maintains close relationships with many Russian opposition leaders and will relay his thoughts on the current political and socio-economic situation. He will also elaborate on what Americans can do to help support Russia on its journey to modernization and democracy.
MLF: International Relations
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Norma Walden
Y Combinator Grads: Founders’ Stories
Date: Thu, July 18, 2013Time: 7:00 PM
Michael Seibel, CEO, Socialcam
Jude Gomila, Co-founder, Heyzap.com
Bill Clerico, Founder and CEO, WePay
Justin Khan, Co-founder, Justin.tv
Companies like Social Cam, Heyzap and WePay are all very different, but they have one mighty factor in common: they received their initial green and insider know-how from Y Combinator. Heralded by Wired as the “most prestigious program for budding digital entrepreneurs,” YC utilizes an expert formula of seed funding, peer networking and a three-month do-or-die boot camp to whip its mentees into startup shape. But how do the incubator’s graduates fare when the training comes to an end? What is it about this program that turns out such a wide range of wildly successful companies? Join us as some of Y Combinator’s illustrious graduates share stories of how to succeed and fail in the startup community and the lessons they’ve learned from the most infamous and celebrated incubator in the Valley.
Location: Silicon Valley Bank, 3005 Tasman Dr., Santa Clara
Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program
Cost: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Fri 7/19
Fracking News
Date: Fri, July 19, 2013Time: 12:00 PM
David Baker, Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle
Abram Lustgarten, Reporter, ProPublica
Felicity Barringer, Reporter, The New York Times
Supporters of hydraulic fracturing see it as a driver of affordable domestic energy that can create jobs. Opponents see a risk to water supplies, ecosystems and human health. Join in a conversation with reporters covering fracking in California and nationally on the dangers and potential of the natural gas bonanza. Will California pass a moratorium? Will the Monterey Shale really be developed? Is gas really better than coal?
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. networking reception
Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Also know: The speakers and audience will be videotaped for future broadcast on the Climate One TV show on KRCB TV 22 on Comcast and DirecTV.
Mon 7/22
The Elephant In The Room: Difficult Talks We All Should Have
Date: Mon, July 22, 2013Time: 5:15 PM
Linda Fodrini-Johnson, MFT, Eldercare Services Founder
Eldercare expert Fodrini-Johnson presents a guide to sensitive conversations that she says must take place to promote independence and quality of life as we age. She will discuss how to have the "difficult" conversations with ourselves, our children and our spouses regarding real and imagined challenges we may encounter in later years. She will tackle tough topics, including keeping or selling the family home, future health considerations, and when it's time to stop driving.
MLF: Grownups
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 4:45 p.m. networking reception, 5:15 p.m. program
Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: John Milford
Also know: In association with San Francisco Village
Tue 7/23
George Shultz: Achieving a Better Future for the U.S. and the World
Date: Tue, July 23, 2013Time: 12:00 PM
George Shultz, Former U.S. Secretary of State under President Reagan; Distinguished Fellow, Hoover Institution; Author, Issues on My Mind: Strategies for the Future
The world is awash in change. What can be done to re-create the sense of relative stability that emerged from the creative efforts of statesmen after the end of World War II? Former Nixon and Reagan cabinet member Shultz offers his views on how to govern more effectively, get our economy back on track, take advantage of new opportunities in the energy field, combat the use of addictive drugs, apply a strategic overview to diplomacy, and identify necessary steps to achieve a world without nuclear weapons.
Secretary Shultz takes a how-to approach to the major challenges facing the United States and the world. The age we live in, Shultz explains, requires a deep understanding of the seismic changes taking place and a vigorous effort to create a global economic and security commons. We must put our house in order and reestablish the leadership that has served our nation and the world so well in the past.
Location: SF Club Office, 595 Market St., San Francisco
Time: 11:15 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing
Prices: $25 non-members, $15 members, $7 students (with valid I.D.); Premium tickets (seating in first few rows): $40 non-members, $30 members
Sky-High Rents, Disappearing Nonprofits
Date: Tue, July 23, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Mark Cloutier, SF Foundation
Masen Davis, Transgender Law Center
Rents across San Francisco are ballooning at a frightening pace, giving New York City a run for its money as the nation's most expensive rental market. How is this situation affecting different populations and organizations within the city? Don't miss this panel exploring the impact on the LGBT community as nonprofit organizations are forced to leave the city due to unaffordable rent increases. Panelists will explore possible creative solutions to retain vital services in the city.
MLF: LGBT
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $20-non-members, $8 months, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Julian Chang
Also know: In association with the SF Foundation, the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and the Transgender Law Center
Reza Aslan: Zealot
Date: Tue, July 23, 2013Time: 6:30 PM
Reza Aslan, Author, Zealot, No God But God and How to Win a Cosmic War; Editor, Tablet and Pen; Twitter: @rezaaslan
Michael G. Maudlin, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor, HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Think you know about the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth? Think again. Internationally acclaimed author and scholar Aslan, armed with 20 years of fastidious research, presents a bold and fresh perspective on Jesus as both a man and historical figure, a radical political revolutionary invested in the nationalist struggle for freedom from Roman occupation. Join Aslan as he balances the Jesus of the Gospels against historical sources, creating a vivid picture of one of the most enigmatic and influential people of all time.
Location: Lafayette Library, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette
Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing
Cost: General: $22 non-members, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID). Premium (includes book and priority seating in the first few rows): $45 non-members, $35 members.
Thu 7/25
Russian Hill Walking Tour #12
Date: Thu, July 25, 2013Time: 2:00 PM
Russian Hill Walking Tour
Join a more active Commonwealth Club Neighborhood Adventure! Russian Hill is a magical area with secret gardens and amazing views. Join Rick Evans for a two-hour hike up hills and staircases and learn about the history of this neighborhood. See where great artists and architects lived and worked, and walk down residential streets where some of the most historically significant houses in the Bay Area are located.
Location: Meet in front of Swensen's Ice Cream Store located at 1999 Hyde Street at Union. Your best option is to take bus transportation (details below) or come by taxi. There is absolutely no parking on Russian Hill. (No parking lots or street parking). Muni: 45-Union Stockton will drop you off at the corner of Union and Hyde - right in front of Swensen’s. Use www.nextmuni.com to determine bus stops and schedule. The tour ends about six blocks from the Swensen's Ice Cream Shop, at the corner of Vallejo and Jones. It is an easy walk down to North Beach from there.
Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–4 p.m. tour
Cost: $45 non-members, $35 members
Program Organizer: Kristina Nemeth
Also know: Steep hills and staircases, recommended for good walkers. Parking difficult. Limited to 20. Must pre-register. Tour operates rain or shine. Photo by missmillie/flickr.
Fri 7/26
Week to Week Political Roundtable and Member Social
Date: Fri, July 26, 2013Time: 12:00 PM
Larry Gerston, Professor, San Jose State University; Political Analyst, NBC 11; Author, Not So Golden After All: The Rise and Fall of California; on Twitter: @lgerston
Carla Marinucci, Senior Political Writer San Francisco Chronicle; on Twitter: @cmarinucci
Debra J. Saunders, Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle; "Token Conservative" Blogger, SFGate.com; on Twitter: @debrajsaunders
John Zipperer, Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club — Host
Who said political discussion couldn't be fun? Join our panelists for informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, audience discussion of the week’s events, and our news quiz!
Stay after the program to meet other smart and engaged individuals, and discuss the news over snacks at the member social. The Club attracts the Bay Area's brightest and most connected to its stage and audience. Meet them.
Location:SF Club Office, 595 Market St., San Francisco
Time:11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1-2 p.m. social with wine and snacks
Cost: $15 non-members, $5 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Mon 7/29
Middle East Discussion Group
Date: Mon, July 29, 2013Time: 5:30 PM
Make your voice heard in an enriching, provocative and fun discussion with fellow Club members as you weigh in on events shaping the face of the Middle East. Each month, the Middle East Member-Led Forum hosts an informal roundtable discussion on a topic frequently suggested by recent headlines. After a brief introduction, the floor will be open for discussion. All interested members are encouraged to attend. There will also be a brief planning session
MLF: Middle East
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. program
Cost: FREE
Program Organizer: Celia Menczel