From Our District Governor

Rotary Foundation Month: Thanks for Helping Us Do Good

By George Granade

As we approach Thanksgiving, I am grateful and proud to be part of an organization with members who are very giving to their community and the world.  Having visited over half the Rotary clubs in our district, I see the caring and concern that each club has for their community and fellow citizens as well as the world. One cannot imagine all the good the clubs are doing in their community regardless of their size. I have found that every club has a passion for something in their community. Clubs are using their District Grants or doing fund raisers to improve their community. This shows the generosity of our club members by giving to The Rotary Foundation and supporting their club’s fundraisers.

November is Rotary Foundation month. The Foundation provides the funds we need for our District Grants, Competitive Grants and Global Grants. About half of the money we give this Rotary year will be returned to the District in three years, providing the dollars to fund those grants.  [more]

D6900 Rotarians Cut Ribbon for Warm Springs Polio Museum

By Mandy Timmons

What a great event leading up to Rotary's End Polio Now celebration ... the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Ann Johnson Polio Museum at the Warm Springs Historic Pools. Rotarians, friends and guests gathered to honor Ann! After a brief ceremony, attendees enjoyed lunch outside on a beautiful fall afternoon - and took time to browse the museum and visit Roosevelt's Little White House.

Thanks to PDG Steve Stansfield for continuing the job he started back in 2008! [more]

GRSP

GRSP Scholars Explore Savannah; Look Forward to Alpharetta

By Katheryne Fields

Georgia Rotary Student Program (GRSP) scholars spent time in Savannah and the surrounding area for the 16th Hue Thomas Jr., Weekend sponsored by Savannah-area Rotary Clubs in mid-October. A member of the Rotary Club of Savannah and PDG in District 6920, Hue Thomas guided GRSP through 35 years of growth from 1955 to 1989. Hue and his wife Alma enjoyed hosting students from various countries around the world. The weekend named in his memory featured a Low Country Boil along with a ghost tour and visits to the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum plus the Tybee Island Lighthouse. GRSP Chair Emeritus Jim Drake, a member of the Rotary Club of Savannah South, served as the weekend chair.
[more]

The Rotary Foundation

Sharing Our Thankfulness

By Jackie Cuthbert

As we take time this November to think about all we have to be thankful for, I can't leave The Rotary Foundation out of my list. In my 15 years as District Newsletter Editor, I've had the privilege to see many stories come through my email - from global grants supporting everything from family health clinics in Africa to schools and water, to global scholars dedicated to making a difference when it comes to health or world peace, to projects in our own neighborhoods providing educational opportunities, turkeys for Thanksgiving baskets, and so much more! This is Rotary Foundation month - and our D6900 Foundation team has been hard at work evaluating global grant and global scholar opportunities already this month.

The work the Foundation is able to do depends on our generosity - and District 6900 Rotarians have proved over and over again how generous we can be - so much so that we have a huge global reputation for our commitment to giving. [more]

Interact Update

District 6900 Interact Conference is a Success!

By Becky Stone

About 40 Interactors from around the District enjoyed the Nov. 5 Interact Conference at Global Impact Academy in Fairburn. With Amy Head as the featured speaker, the students learned transformative leadership skills through the “Be the Bean” program. C.J. Stewart (President of Atlanta West End Rotary) organized the eight discussion groups facilitated by Rose Caplan, Veronica Crenshaw, Francis Ellison-Dansby, Marilyn Jackson, Jemillatu Lewally, Carl Patten, Karen Patten, and Jermale Ransby.  Becky Nelson (Roswell Rotary) and Regan Pierce (Roswell High School Interact Advisor) shared best practices for leading Interact Clubs with Interact Advisors and Rotarians. And that was just the start!
[more]

Club News

Peachtree City Hosts 15th Annual Dragon Boat Festival

By Mandy Timmons

The Rotary Club of Peachtree City hosted its 15th Annual Dragon Boat Festival in September on beautiful Lake Peachtree/Drake Field. This year’s event was the biggest fundraiser in its history with all proceeds going back into the community through grants for the Rotary year starting July 1, 2023.  This year’s chairperson was President-Elect Amy Benton who stated, “The event is a total team effort with all of our members participating in some way throughout the weekend and over the months leading up to the event.  This is not only our club’s signature fundraiser, but also a tremendous community event with over 4,000 people attending each year.”
[more]

Club News

Roswell Hosts Corn Hole Tournament to Raise Funds for Polio

By Michael Gould

Roswell Rotary raised over $1,100 for Polio Plus at its first annual World Polio Day Corn Hole Tournament! Over 75 members and guests took part in the single elimination tournament at Lucky's Burger & Brew last Monday night. Lucky's donated 10% of the proceeds from that event to the charity. Past President Jim Coyle and Bill Swank will be back next year to defend their title.
[more]

Club News

Douglas County Interact Clubs Pack Crisis Kits

By Nell Boggs

This year the Rotary Club of Douglas County is focusing on growing the Interact Clubs at schools in the community. Currently, there are six Interact Clubs in middle and high schools in Douglas County. In October, 15 Interact members along with three advisors and two Rotarians came together to assemble crisis kits to be used in 32 schools. The supplies and bookbags were donated by Rotary, and the items in the crisis kits will be used at the schools to assist students whenever a crisis occurs. After assembling the kits, students enjoyed pizza and conducted their Interact business.
[more]

Club News

Tucker Celebrates 15% Membership Growth

By Lizbeth Dison

In October, the Rotary Club of Tucker inducted two new members: Honey Van De Kreke, MarketMakers Inc. and Old Town Tucker Merchants Association, and Janet Hughes, Family Management Services. The club has added five members already this Rotary Year – a 15% increase!more]

Club News

Roswell Rotary Launches Roswell Teen Talk Podcast Series!

By Becky Stone

That’s why Roswell Rotary, in partnership with Wellstar Foundation and Wellstar Health System’s Behavioral Health experts, has designed and launched Roswell Teen Talk, a five-episode limited series podcast featuring authentic peer-to-peer content and stories sharing resources, tips, and experiences to help navigate struggles with behavioral health in today’s challenging environment.  [more]

GRSP Trustee Ed Worrell with Rob O'Connor

Meet Rob O'Connor

GRSP Scholar Shares Story, Gratitude to Rotary Club of Griffin

By Katheryne Fields

Rob O’Connor shared slides of some popular tourist attractions in the United Kingdom and facts about the British economy and culture, from the popular fish and chips meal he misses to his home country’s new monarch King Charles III as he spoke via Zoom to the Rotary Club of Griffin in a recent October meeting. O’Connor attends the University of Georgia along with three other Georgia Rotary Student Program scholars sponsored by Rotary Clubs within Georgia.

O’Connor is 19-years old and from Winchester, UK. With the endorsement of the Winchester Rotary Club, O’Connor applied to the GRSP and was selected for the one-year ambassadorial scholarship by the Rotary Club of Griffin. “I’ve been here a few months but have already experienced so much, and there’s barely a weekend that goes by that I’m not doing something,” he said. “There’s a stereotype that has been proven about Georgia regarding ‘Southern Hospitality,’ and it’s massively appreciated. I must deeply thank the generous sponsors for my scholarship,  [more]

Club News

Newnan Rotarians Learn More About New Local Car Museum

By Clay Neely

Tom Shinall, director of development for the new Savoy car museum, recently spoke to the Newnan Rotary Club. Devoted to the history and variety of cars, the 65,000-square-foot museum opened last December to showcase the history and culture of the automobile and features more than 100 restored antique … [more]