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OBJECTIVES
OF THE CLUB
The Golden Gate Breakfast Club was formed at a meeting of 19 men
on August 21, 1946. Originally, the Club was named "the San
Francisco Breakfast Club", and its founder was a most interesting
personality named Frank Beckmann. Frank was an author, businessman,
lecturer, photographer, traveler, and speech instructor. The original
Breakfast Club members were students in Frank's speech course, and
one of the original purposes of the Club was to give the Club's
members opportunities to improve their public speaking skills. Frank
was a noted teacher of public speaking, and his most famous student
was former Governor Pat Brown.
The original purpose of the Golden Gate
Breakfast Club was to "foster interest in San Francisco and
to create good fellowship and understanding among its members."
The Breakfast Club increased its membership to 108 by the end of
the first year. Early in its first year, however, the Club's Motive
Committee proposed the Club assist the Log Cabin Ranch School for
Boys. This philanthropic motive of the Club, assisting the wayward
youth of San Francisco to find a straight and narrow path, has continued
over the past 57 years. The Club has contributed thousands of dollars
to help boys and girls clubs, veterans and other worthwhile charities.
Officers in the original club were colorful personalities. One of
the most colorful was Gardiner Blackman. He was an excellent public
speaker. Even though the founding purposes of the Club were serious,
the club emphasized the humorous aspect of our daily lives.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership was controlled and limited for
several decades. There were restrictions preventing members from
competing businesses. Up until the early 1990's, there was a waiting
list to join. [Interesting, it must have truly been a wonderful
Club to belong since, originally, only one lawyer was allowed!].
Since the Bay Area had 12 military bases, the most senior Army,
Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps officers stationed in the Bay Area
were active in the Club.
All of the San Francisco-based large Corporations have had members
in our Club. At one time the CEO of GAP, Stan McGinnis, was a Club
member. One very significant aspect of this Club was the fact that
the most senior Civil Servants in the City were Members, including
all city and county service organization heads, and the City's Fire
Chief and Police Chief. In 1983, the Bylaws were changed to allow
women to join, although it was 15 years before the first woman was
admitted as a member.
Today, the Club has 102 members representing
San Francisco's core businesses and government.
TRADITIONS
Many traditions of the Club have survived
the years. First is the manner that each meeting is conducted. There
is an informal, historical agenda for each meeting. Each Wednesday,
between 0630 and 0730, the Club members gather for social discussions
and coffee. Breakfast buffet begins at 0730 and the Members and
their guests sit down to eat. Soon thereafter, the Club President
welcomes the Club Members. Then the Guests are introduced. Following
the introduction of Guests, the Members introduce themselves, giving
their names and the business/profession they represent. This is
a time when many of the members will tell their latest jokes. Laughter
will often drown out comments. Clean jokes are the order of the
day, although some Members will risk being shouted down for telling
a slightly off-color joke.
After the self-introduction, the Sunshine Committee will provide
the status of any members who have experienced medical problems.
Then, the Birthday Committee will announce those members who have
a birthday during the week, and the entire Membership will sing
“Happy Birthday”. In the recent years, the Club’s
rendition of this traditional birthday song has evolved into being
a truly ‘eye-watering event’, demonstrating how dysfunctional
a group can become when trying to sing a song.
Next is time for Announcements. Here the
Members disseminate information on the Special Activities and Events
for the Club.
Finally, the Program Committee Chair will introduce the Speaker
of the Day. Ideally, the Speaker is the senior member of a local
corporation or service organization who will speak on a topical
and interesting subject. Over the years, some of San Francisco’s
most famous and notorious characters have been speakers at the Golden
Gate Breakfast Club meetings. City Supervisors, community leaders,
and representatives of the US Navy Blue Angels have kept the Breakfast
Club crowd spell-bound week after week.
The Club has this practice of giving a speaker a Standing Ovation
when he/she is introduced, rather then after the person speaks.
This seems to relieve the pressure to recognize the less-dynamic
speaker with some kind of standing ovation after he/she has spoken.
One cardinal rule prevails. The Speaker must conclude by 0830 so
that the Membership can adjourn to get to work.
Some traditions have not survived. For a
number of years, the Club would hold a “heroes day”,
honoring the most heroic firefighters, police officers and paramedics
each year. Each October, 2 individuals from each of these services
were presented to the Club and honored, with their respective Chiefs
present. This was a very well received event by the ‘first
responders’ in the City. Unfortunately, this tradition has
stopped. We hope to revive "heroes day" in the near future.
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