One year ago, Greg Johansing was sworn in by Fang Fang Ho, his predecessor, as president of Rotary Club of San Marino. Last week, Ho hosted his traditional “demotion” celebration.
Greg Johansing has added a daughter and lost a beard since the COVID-19 quarantine, but his typically affable manner hasn’t changed a bit — as he showed last Thursday afternoon when he was remotely “demoted” from his role as president of the Rotary Club of San Marino.
With “El Presidente” emblazoned across his Zoom screen, Johansing received a good-natured ribbing from a cast of characters acting out a “Star Wars”-themed skit that claimed that the coronavirus was the creation of the villainous Darth Vader and was spread among the masses by his COVID cannon.
But as he did during his one-year reign as president, Greg “Skywalker” successfully negotiated a settlement with Vader, eventually winning over his mythical “father” by waiving his dues for the first quarter, thus halting the threat — or so the story went.
Rotary District Governor Lu Arredondo borrowed the cinematic theme for her remotely delivered words of appreciation for Johansing, quoting one of the franchise’s most popular characters.
“Greg, as Yoda says, ‘Try not, do — there is no try,’ and you have surely succeeded,” Arredondo said. “With all that has been going on, it’s easy to lose sight of the most important thing, and that is the people. The force is an energy that bonds us together and the force you created penetrated the world with hope and love.”
She also welcomed Johansing “to the ranks of ‘past president’” and credited him for “teaching old dogs new tricks.”
“You taught them how to operate Zoom,” she said, as the muted attendees were seen laughing heartily. “That really helped keep everyone’s spirits high.”
Arredondo also informed the club of several awards it has received this year, including the Rotary Citation with president’s international platinum distinction. “Out of more than 35,000 clubs, less than a handful receive this award,” said Arredondo. The Rotary Club of San Marino is also in the running for the prestigious Governor’s Bell Award, which will be announced in October.
When it was his turn, Johansing told the audience his term was “an absolute pleasure,” and provided a poignant tale.
“My first meeting was actually the Fourth of July parade,” he explained. “I rode in a car and everyone was doing great things around me and I was able to enjoy the day. It was a sign about how the year was going to go.”
Well, maybe how his term was supposed to go, but Johansing made the best of a very challenging situation. Rotary’s in-person presence was canceled on the morning of its flagship event, the Paul Harris Luncheon at the Huntington Library. Also sacrificed to COVID were the San Marino Motor Classic — the main beneficiary of Rotary Charities — Rotary on the Town, the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and the popular Business Plan contest.
“Nevertheless, it felt like a complete year,” said the eternal optimist.
“What impresses me the most about Greg is his sense of calm,” said Gilda Moshir, a past president who penned the “Star Wars”-style script for Johansing’s swan song. “We never missed a beat. It was seamless and Greg led us during this difficult, turbulent time.”
Johansing virtually and skillfully passed the gavel to Aaron Gil — a commercial photographer — who will take over as president for the next year.
“You have been my MVP,” said Johansing of his successor. “It is crazy, the amount of stuff you have been doing for the club, and you were always there for me.”
As the new head of a club that has demonstrated its impact on the community, Gil is counting the days until the return of its traditional Thursday lunch meetings.
