All Star Tidbits
Pam Lightsey, District Governor
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Lots going on for the next 60
days! The deadline is for district awards are right around the
corner! Make sure to send in your awards sheets to your
Assistant Governors who will turn it in to our Awards Chair, Ben
Harvill by March 1! http://www.rotarydistrict6920.net/award_system.php
Do you have a new member to the club that has just jumped in with two
feet? Maybe you need to submit their name for Rookie of the
Year! Look at the bottom of the page from the link above to get
the form to submit their name for Rookie of the Year.
Clubs are full speed ahead on hearing
students to compete for the Preston Johnson Rotary District 6920
Speech Contest. I’m excited to hear those that will be
competing for the $1000 scholarship! If you have any questions,
please check out the webpage http://www.rotarydistrict6920.net/speech_contest.php
or call Jan Horadan. The winners will be presenting at District
Conference.
February 15 is the deadline for the early
bird pricing for District Conference. Hotels are getting full,
so make sure to get your hotel room as well. Don’t wait until the
last minute! We are going to have an amazing weekend!
We will kick off the conference by hearing
Past District Governor Sylvia Whitlock. Sylvia served as the first
female club president after the Supreme Court decision to allow women
in Rotary. She is traveling from another obligation in Ontario to
join us on Friday. WOW! We will also hear from Rodney Bullard, VP
Chick Fil-A Foundation and Nicholas Manus who will be traveling from
Africa to share about the Water and Sanitation Rotary Action Group
(WASRAG). Nicholas is from Ben’s host club that sent him to Georgia
to be part of the Georgia Rotary Student Program!
Register now, as there will be no walk-in
registrations on the opening day of the conference. We have
clubs represented but we aren’t 100% represented yet! 40 of the 64
clubs are sending someone to conference. Let’s shoot for the moon and
hit it! We are the year of celebrating the big 100!
Because we are celebrating 100 years of
doing good in the world, there will be a special recognition for all
those who have made a contribution to The Rotary Foundation this year
(July 1- March 1 for conference program) to become a Paul Harris
Fellow, Benefactor, Bequest Society member or a Major Donor. If
you haven’t already sent in your contribution to Rotary
International, please do so by March 1. Foundation Chair Ted Thompson
sent out an email (via Paula) about the matching points. We are
striving to become a district that has more 100% Paul Harris Fellow
Clubs by the end of the year! We are reaching for the stars and
going to celebrate every single one who has decided to shine and be
part of the year of All Stars!
Don’t forget your final reports for the
District Designated Grants! hat deadline is around the corner
as well! And speaking of grants, sign up for Grants training on
Saturday morning of the District Conference! So much to celebrate!!!
The Rotary Club of Perry will be celebrating
their anniversary this month! How exciting to be part of such a
special time for their club. Watch the Facebook page to see photos
from the celebration! #100ActsofGood #Rotary6920
#TRF100
And last but not least, it is not too late
to have your business card added to the conference program. You can
scan your business card and pay online on the district web page at http://www.rotarydistrict6920.net/online_card_registration.php
Those submitted will be listed in the conference program.
See you soon,
Pam
2016-17 District Governor
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PRESIDENT JOHN GERM
HAS A DISTRICT CITATION
Let’s put District 6920 on the map!! We need to have the
following to districts that:
- Have at least 51
percent of clubs earn the Presidential Citation
- Contribute at least 20
percent of their District Designated Fund to PolioPlus
- Increase Annual Fund
giving by 5 percent over last year’s total
- Achieve a 3 percent
increase in membership
Make
sure to submit your Presidential Citation!!
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RI HOUSE OF
FRIENDSHIP "COUNTRY STORE"
The Atlanta Host Organizing Committee (HOC)
is planning to have a “Country Store” in the HOC Booth in the House
of Friendship. We expect 35,000+ Rotarians and guest to be in the
House of Friendship and all of them want something to take back home
to remind them of their experience at the RI 2017 Convention. Many
will have children, grandchildren, etc that will probably be
expecting something upon their return home also.
It is our desire to have a
representative sample of items to sell from around the southeast,
Zones 30, 31, 33 and 34. I am asking you to reach out in your
respective area and let me know who the best local artist, crafts people,
vendors who could provide our visitors with souvenirs of their visit
to RI Convention 2017 in Atlanta. If you or your friends have
personal contacts with folks who can supply items for us to sell, I
would request you reach out to them. I am also happy to make
the contact myself if that turns out best for you.
Reasonably priced items like tile
coasters with local designs, bagged pecans/peanuts, posters with
scenes from your area etc are some of the items that can be stored in
the suitcase for the return trip home. Some big ticket items
could also be sold like art pieces. Jewelry is usually a hot item.
Use your imagination.
The “ideal” situation would be to have
the items donated, but failing that, we can enter a consignment
agreement with the vendor.
Please contact me, Elwyn Gaissert, HOF
co-chair, at egaissert2@comcast.net,
©678-468-0811 with your findings or suggestions. I look forward to
hearing from
you!
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THE ROTARIAN PHOTO
CONTEST
Do you have a great shot from a club project or fundraiser? Did you
capture a memorable moment at the convention or during an international
trip? Enter your images in The Rotarian's 2017 photo contest and you
might see them in the pages of the magazine. You may enter up to three
photos taken since 1 January 2016. While some photos might have
elements of all three, select one category to enter your photo. Our
previous guest judges have included Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers
David Hume Kennerly and Carol Guzy and Kathy Ryan, director of
photography for the New York Times Magazine. This year's judge will be
announced soon.
See contest rules online at
https://display.engagesciences.com/display/container/d/5ac39aa7-0940-4f8c-8a6b-e3d3cf331d70/details.
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GILBERT R. THARP
GLOBAL GRANT SCHOLARSHIP
The late Rotarian Gilbert R.
Tharp, a former member of the Rotary Club of St. Simons, established
an endowment with the Rotary Foundation. The earnings from the
endowment will enable a student from Rotary District 6920 to study
abroad. To be eligible the student must already have a Bachelor’s
Degree. The individual must meet all of the eligibility related
to the new Global Grants for scholarships, including pursuing a
career in one or more of the Areas of Focus and graduate level
studies or research lasting one to four years. Please review
the Global Grant Scholarships supplement to The Rotary Foundation’s
Grants Management Manual located on the district website at www.district6920.net
Global grant scholars plan to pursue a career
in an area of focus, and their graduate-level educational goals
should support this career interest. Pursuing a career in an area of
focus means the scholar has a long-term commitment to measurable,
sustainable change. Be sure that a candidate’s previous work or
volunteer experience, academic program, and career plans are strongly
aligned with one of the six areas of focus.
If you know someone who is interested to be
a candidate for this scholarship please have the candidate contact the Global Grant Scholarship Chair.
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CELEBRATE THE CENTENNIAL BY
HONORING ARCH KLUMPH
A century ago Arch Klumph, the president of Rotary International, made an
announcement in Atlanta at the Rotary International Convention. The
announcement that day has led to a world of good done around the world by
millions of Rotarians, including the efforts to eradicate polio.
That day, he contributed an initial $26.50 to start the Rotary
International Foundation. Wow. What a difference it has made.
The whole concept of “Service Above Self” took off like a rocket.
Honor Arch Klumph at this year’s Centennial
Convention of Rotary International in Atlanta June 10-14 by purchasing a
square inch of his portrait that will be donated to RI at the convention
to be put on display at Rotary World Headquarters in Evanston. The
portrait by internationally renowned artist Rossin will go alongside
Rossin’s other spectacular painting, that of Rotary founder Paul Harris.
Buy your square inch of this history at http://arch.rotaryconvention2017.org, The funds
go toward a great cause.
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CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
We
have many speakers lined up for the conference. Among them are Nicholas
Mancus, Sylvia Whitlock and Rodney Bullard.
Nicholas Mancus is the current chairman of operations of the Water
& Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG).
In 1990, Nicholas moved from the US to Africa
thinking he’d stay two years, but never left. He’s worked for the
US Embassy in Cotonou, Benin, co-owned and operated a commodity trading
firm, and has worked with a number non-profits and humanitarian
organizations, including the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Malaria
No More, International Lifeline Fund, UNICEF, and currently is the
Country Director of Helen Keller International based in Abidjan, Cote
d’Ivoire. He holds degrees from Georgetown University and Des
Moines University.
He was inducted into the Rotary
Club of Cotonou (Benin, District 9102) in 1997, and through Rotary,
Nicholas has been directly and indirectly involved in more than a
hundred water and sanitation projects in A frica.
He served as Rotary District 9100’s Water, Health, and Hunger
Task Force Chairman (included
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,
Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo),
District 9100 Water Task Force Chairman, and District 9100 World
Community Service Committee Chairman. As a Rotarian, he was able
to help spearhead strategic partnerships with the US Peace Corps,
bilateral aid agencies, UN Agencies and NGOs in order to increase the
impact of Rotary’s investments in water and sanitation. In 2006,
Nicholas received Rotary’s prestigious “Service Above Self” award.
Nicholas believes that beneficiary community
ownership of water and sanitation projects should be a baseline
requirement. To him, this means that any community receiving
Rotary’s support should also be required to contribute financially and
in kind towards the project.
Nicholas has a wide range of interests and hobbies. He is an
active member of REMaRAG (Rotarians Eliminating Malaria, a Rotarian
Action Group), has produced television documentaries for National Geographic,
and has earned his private pilot license
ROTARY’S FIRST FEMALE CLUB
PRESIDENT AFTER THE SUPREME COURT DECISION
Sylvia Whitlock was born in New York City but was educated, through
high school, in Kingston, Jamaica. After returning to New York City she
earned a B.A. in Psychology from Hunter College. Sylvia worked for the
United Nations, as a Statistical Clerk, at the Secretariat Building in
New York, before moving to California to start a career in Education.
In California she went on to earn a Masters Degree, cum laude, in
Education from Cal Poly, Pomona, and a Ph.D., cum laude, in Education,
from Claremont Graduate School. Subsequently, she earned another
Masters Degree, in Marriage and Family Therapy, from Azusa Pacific
University, and began a second career as a therapist. She is licensed
by the Board of Behavioral Sciences in California.
In 1982, while an Elementary School Principal
in Duarte, CA., she was invited to join the history-making Ex-Rotary
Club of Duarte. Sylvia became President of that club in 1987, the year
the United States Supreme Court ruled that the club be reinstated, thus
making her the first woman in the Rotary World to head a club as
President. She has served as President twice, Secretary, Treasurer, and
Foundation Representative. At district level, she chaired the Four Way
Test Speech committee for six years, the Ambassadorial Scholarship
Committee for six years, receiving a Service Award from DG Don Aikin,
and Simplified  Grants
for two years. She has been an assistant governor, presenter in
Governors Institutes, and speaker in Rotary Clubs conventions and
meetings, here and overseas, including South Africa, Jamaica,
Washington and Texas.
Other community activities have included being
a member of the Board of the Spanish Trails Girl Scout Council,
volunteer at Pomona Valley Hospital, Recorder for the Blind and
Dyslexic, and Commissioner at TriCity Mental Health Agency. In 2000 she
was named Woman of the Year by NAACP and in 1998 she was named
Distinguished Alumna by Cal Poly, Pomona. She also chairs Western
Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation teams and has been,
for eight years, a member of the Committee on Credentialing for
California State Department of Education. She attends Trinity United
Methodist Church where she is often a lay reader.
Sylvia considers Rotary to be the best vehicle
she knows for humanitarian ventures in service to mankind. Some
favorite club projects, while in Duarte, have included sinking water
wells in Nigeria, setting up an AIDS Center in Jamaica and supporting
an orphanage in Mexico. She continues to be inspired by the many
Rotarians who have taken the organization to the edge of tomorrow and
is committed to using the opportunity she has been given to further the
cause of Rotary, in her community, in her country, and in the world.
Sylvia is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and
benefactor. She has three adult children - Meredith - a Paul Harris
Fellow, BG is a deputy county counsel in San Mateo County, and Arlan.
She considers raising her children the most satisfying and enjoyable
job she has ever had.
Women Also Serve shares a compelling history
of the Duarte Rotary Club online at http://www.amazon.com/Women-Also-Serve-Duarte-Invites/dp/1491760591/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426181502&sr=1-1
Rodney Bullard is currently Vice President of Community Affairs at
Chick-fil-A, Inc. and Executive Director of the Chick-fil-A Foundation
where he leads the company’s corporate philanthropic and social
responsibility strategy, which is focused on fostering youth and
furthering education. Before coming to Chick-fil-A, Rodney
served as an Assistant United States Attorney prosecuting complex
criminal cases. For his service, the United States Attorney
General presented him with the Department of Justice Director’s Award.
Prior to this role, Rodney was selected as a White House Fellow, the
nation’s most prestigious public service Fellowship. As a White
House Fellow, Rodney was placed at NASA working directly for the NASA
Administrator. A decorated veteran, Rodney also served in the
United States Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps eventually working
at the Pentagon as a Congressional Legislative Liaison in the Office of
the Secretary of the Air Force.
Rodney is a an alumnus of the
United States Air Force Academy, Duke University School of Law, the
University of Georgia’s Terry School of Business and the Harvard
Business School. Rodney currently serves on several national and
local boards of  directors
to include: the Salvation Army National Advisory Board of Directors,
the University Of Georgia Terry School Of Business Board of Directors,
the Junior Achievement USA National Board of Directors, the
Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation Board
of Directors, and the Leadership Atlanta Board of Directors.
A few of Rodney’s recent
recognitions include: Recognition by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of
Georgia’s top young Business Leaders for 2013; by the Atlanta Business League
as one of the 2013 Men of Influence, The University of Georgia’s 2013
listing of the 40 alumni leaders under the age of 40, The Georgia Trend
Magazine’s 2011 listing of the 40 Best and Brightest Leaders Under 40,
The Leadership Atlanta Class of 2012, and as one of 10 Outstanding
Young Leaders in Atlanta for 2010.
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ROTARY SHOWCASE
Add your projects and share the information with Rotarians
around the world on what your club is doing. It is a great way
to see what else is going on around our district and the globe.
Rotary Showcase is a great tool and easy to use. And you earn
points toward your club award. Link to https://map.rotary.org/en/project/pages/project_showcase.aspx
to share what your club is doing and to see what other clubs are
participating in.
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INVOLVED ROTARY COUPLE LOOKING
FORWARD
TO MILLION DOLLAR DINNER
CELEBRATION
When Brigitte Cabeza Shanken joined the Hinesville Rotary Club in 2011
she wasted no time in getting involved. Three years later, she served as
the Club’s President. Now, the Assistant Governor and her husband, Jimmy,
who joined the Hinesville Rotary in 2014 and was sponsored by Brigitte,
are looking forward to attending the Million Dollar Dinner to celebrate
The Rotary Foundation’s 100th Birthday.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to
create a legacy and for me to follow the footsteps of my grandfather,
Joaquin Chen L. He was a treasurer for his club in Chitre, Herrera,
Republic of Panama and was actively involved in the club and his
community,” Brigitte said.
Today, Brigitte, who for many years worked as a
director of volunteer services at Winn Army Community Hospital at Fort
Stewart, is a real estate associate broker, as is her husband. It
was through her new career that she found the flexibility to finally
achieve her dream to be a Rotarian.
She began volunteering with the Red Cross when
she was 15, and since then has been giving back through service. In 2011,
she asked long-time Rotarian George Holtzman to help her become a
Rotarian. “I wanted to be a part of this elite organization making a
difference in the world through the collective power of individuals,”
Brigitte said. And that is why she became so engaged with Rotary.
“You can only make a difference if you are
actively involved. Otherwise, it is like you are a part of team but
always sitting on the bench. Who wants that, “Brigitte said.
Giving to The Rotary Foundation is something
that Brigitte and her husband enjoy. They are both Paul Harris Fellows
and Benefactors. “Thanks to my husband Jimmy, who is a philanthropist,
has made this possible for us. We have too many blessings, and we
need to use our blessings to make a difference in the lives of others. ”
she said.
Plus, as a leader, Brigitte said it is necessary
for her to give. “As a leader, we have to lead by example. We are
proud to be Rotarians! ”
The couple will be at the Million Dollar Dinner
on June 9, at the Georgia Aquarium because they have made an estate gift
of $25,000 to The Rotary Foundation. All Rotarians in District 6920,
6910, and 6900, who make a gift of $10,000 or more to The Rotary Foundation
will be invited to the celebration, where Rotary International President
John Germ will be the guest speaker.
You too can be a part of this special occasion.
Rotarians can make estate gifts, gifts of cash, or gifts of appreciated
stock and be included. If you would like to make a gift, contact District
Governor Pam Lightsey at plightsey@augusta.edu.
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Steed Honored by Houston County
Commissioners
Jack Steed, President, Rotary Club of Centerville, was
recently honored by the Houston County Commissioners for his many
contributions to the county such as community beautification,, Past
Chair, 21st Century Partnership, composed of members from 15
counties, past chair, United Way of Central Georgia, past president, Carl
Vinson Memorial Chapter of the Air Force Association, community
improvements, past member, the governor’s military affairs committee,
past chair, the regional chamber of commerce, numerous other community
activities and his 33 years of military service.
Pictured are Jack Steed, center, holding county cup
and shaking hands with Commission Chairman Tommy Stalnaker as other
members of the commission look on.
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Valdosta Clubs Spread
Rotary Message
The Rotary Club has been around
since 1905. What started in Chicago with attorney Paul Harris
and three of his friends has turned into an international
organization boasting 1.2 million members in over 33,000 clubs in
more than 200 countries. In fact, there are two Rotary Clubs here in
Valdosta: Valdosta Rotary Club (No. 4220) and Valdosta North
Rotary Club (No. 4207). But what is the Rotary Club all
about? Is it just a time to get together and have lunch?
Is it simply a place to promote one’s business and make
connections? What is it that Rotarians “do”?
“Service Above Self” is the Rotary
motto. On an international scale, Rotary Club has taken on
truly global initiatives. For instance, Rotary International
began its goal of eradication polio in 1979. It ramped up the
effort with the establishment of the PolioPlus program in 1985.
At that time, 125 countries were polio-endemic with an estimated
350,000 cases. In 2015, only two countries are considered
polio-endemic (Pakistan and Afghanistan) with 74 cases
reported. Rotary International is committed to providing
low-cost health care, sanitary water to drink, HIV/AIDS and malaria
prevention and supporting local medical training facilities in high
poverty areas. Other programs include Rotary Peace Fellows
(strengthen peace efforts through training), CART (Coins for
Alzheimer’s Research Trust), adult literacy programs and economic
growth initiatives in poverty stricken areas.
Rotary International accomplishes much
of this through local Rotary Clubs. In addition to supporting
global programs, local Rotary Clubs strive to make a difference in
their local community. Valdosta Rotary Club has been making a
difference for local law enforcement with the annual Law Enforcement
Appreciation Dinner (LEAD). This event not only recognizes
outstanding officers of the year from the city, county and state
patrol post, it provides assistance to officers in need.
Valdosta Rotary Club is also a big supporter of Dolly Parton’s
Imagination Library that provides a child a book a month from birth
to the age of five. Other programs include the Georgia Rotary Student
Program (GRSP) that brings international college students to study at
universities like Valdosta State. Community Partners in
Education (CPIE) is important to both local Rotary Clubs. In
fact, Valdosta North Rotary Club hosts a Teacher of the Year
Dinner.
Local Rotary Clubs also have the
opportunity to pass on “service above self” to the next generation
through sponsoring Rotaract Clubs (college level service club) and
Interact Clubs (high school level service club). Wednesday,
September 28, 2016 the Valdosta Rotary Club hosted members from the
four local Interact Clubs (Georgia Christian, Lowndes, Valdosta and
Valwood). The purpose was to have a joint service project in
which members put together “Blessing Bags” to give to those in
need. Each bag included a water bottle, wipes,
toothbrush/toothpaste combo and granola bar. The items were
donated by the Interact Clubs and Wild Adventures. The
Rotarians put the bags together and each Interact Club received
twenty Blessing Bags to hand out.
There are countless other ways that
Rotarians are making a difference in our community through Service
Above Self. Each Rotarian strives to live out the Four Way
Test: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build good will and better friendship? Will it be
beneficial to all concerned? Being a part of Rotary Club is
more than lunch and connections. It is about being a part of
something bigger than yourself that truly makes a difference.
If this sounds like something you might be interested in, visit
rotary.org or look for a Rotarian pin and ask how you can become a
member!
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Macon Clubs Hold Rotary Day
Tailgate Event
In Georgia, football and tailgating is a way of life. Therefore, what
better way to celebrate the spirit of Rotary than burgers on the grill,
cornhole and fellowship before rooting your team on to victory. Last
November, the three Macon Rotary groups combined resources and put on an
enjoyable “Rotary Day” filled with clear blue skies, football, and
laughter! Our party planning efforts even earned us the crown of
“Tailgate of the day!” It always a pleasure when we can get together to
celebrate everything that Rotary is doing in our community!
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MACON CLUBS MAKE PRESENTATION TO
CRIMESTOPPERS
Macon
area Rotary presidents make a donation to the Macon Regional
Crimestoppers. Helping them present the check is Rotary District 6920
Governor Pam Lightsey.
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