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The Rotary Times |
Submitted by President Dan Jenkins
Our next lunch meeting on Tuesday, September 8th will be a terrific opportunity to reconnect with the heart of Rotary, the work we do, the professions we represent, and the impact we create together.
We will begin with vocational talks from several of our members - always a highlight of our club experience. These moments remind us how diverse backgrounds, life experiences, skills and careers strengthen our service, deepen our relationships, and broaden our understanding of the community we serve. Each vocational talk is a window into the expertise, people and passion that make North Fulton Rotary such a dynamic club. Additionally, we will hear from Thrive Academy student Chase Merriweather, who will share his experience being involved in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program.
Lastly, Doug Higgins will share some exciting updates about Rotary Foundation programs. The Foundation continues to expand opportunities for global grants, district grants, and innovative partnerships that amplify Rotary's reach around the world. Doug's insight will help us understand how these programs and others are evolving and how our club can continue to play a meaningful role in shaping and supporting them.
I encourage you to join us, bring your curiosity, and enjoy an engaging and informative meeting. Rotary thrives when we show up for one another, and Tuesday promises to be a great example of that spirit.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Members and guests filled the room at our August 25 meeting as we welcomed District Governor Cynthia Edwards for her official visit to the Rotary Club of North Fulton.
We were also pleased to welcome several guests:
The generosity of our club was on full display when Steve Cory kicked off a Happy Dollars "sprint" benefiting CDF Action, a nonprofit organization on whose board DG Cynthia serves. Steve even offered his car detailing services for donations! Before the clock ran out, members had contributed an impressive $425 . President Dan Jenkins then announced that the club would match those donations, bringing our total contribution to $850!
Another highlight came from guest Lori Allen, who officially announced a $5,000 grant from Wellstar Corporate to help expand our CPR/AED training initiative throughout District 6900—and potentially beyond. The grant will help us build on the success of our local program by equipping other Rotary clubs to bring lifesaving CPR/AED training to their own communities.
When it comes to priorities for our District this year, DG Cynthia's message was clear: "Membership, membership, membership!" She encouraged members to strengthen their Rotary knowledge and leadership skills by completing position-specific training through the Rotary Learning Center and participating in monthly webinars offered by Rotary International and Zone 33/34.
DG Cynthia then shared how her own heart for service developed while growing up in Waco, Texas, where she watched her parents lead important initiatives in their community. She also passed along a personal challenge from Rotary International President Olayinka Babalola : "Do better than your best."
DG Cynthia's special focus this Rotary year is Peace—through economics, culture and education. She challenged us to think more broadly about what creating peace can mean in our own communities, including exploring Peace through Education through the lens of social and emotional learning and its potential role in positively impacting domestic violence.
It was a meeting filled with service, generosity, inspiration and plenty to think about as we move through the Rotary year. We are grateful to DG Cynthia for her visit and leadership, to Wellstar for its continued partnership, and to our members for once again demonstrating their commitment to making a difference in our community and beyond.
The Rotary Club of Johns Creek (District 6910) is sponsoring a 9/11 Memorial: Patriot Day Commemoration in North Fulton, marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The event will bring our community together for a meaningful time of remembrance and reflection.
The Johns Creek Veterans Association (JCVA) will perform color guard duties during the commemoration. JCVA is also the recipient of our club’s competitive grant support, making this another meaningful opportunity for North Fulton Rotary to support local veterans and their service to our community.
While the Rotary Club of Johns Creek is sponsoring this year’s commemoration, our club may explore the opportunity to become a co-sponsor in future years. We are grateful for the opportunity to support this important observance and honor those whose lives were forever changed by the events of September 11, 2001.
Please see the flyer for full event details.
We invite club members to take part in a warm, hands-on service activity at Children's Development Academy. Our Annual Treasure Hunt is set for September 16th, running from 10:15 am to 12 pm.
During the event, Rotarians will "hide" treasures on the playgrounds and then assist PreK students in locating them as needed. The activity is designed to be fun, engaging, and supportive for the children.
After the Treasure Hunts conclude, we will join the students for lunch. This is a great opportunity to spend informal time with the children and staff and to share a pleasant meal together.
If you are able to participate, please come ready to help on the playground and to enjoy lunch with the students. We look forward to seeing North Fulton Rotarians at the Children's Development Academy for this annual service tradition.
To participate, please sign up on this link (to complete the CDA waivers): Treasure Hunt
If you have any questions, please contact Stacey Nyman, (404) 368-5552
Show Your North Fulton Rotary Pride!
Our new North Fulton Rotary online store is officially open! Members can now order branded clothing and gear to show off their Rotary pride wherever they go.
Orders will ship every two weeks, so take a look and see what your wardrobe might be missing. Your closet could probably use a little more Rotary!
Order Here: North Fulton Rotary Merch
The North Fulton Rotary Club is pleased to announce its First Annual Fall Gala Event at St. Ives Country Club on Saturday, October 24. The Roswell Rotary Club will join forces with our club as a co-sponsor for a fun night of dinner, dancing and raising money for two worthy causes.
Proceeds from the event will support Areté Scholars and HomeStretch, two organizations dedicated to making a meaningful difference in our community.
Tickets are now available for $150 (price increases to $175 on 9/15) using this link: Fall Gala Tickets
You can also use the QR code on the flyer. If you have any questions, please reach out to Rick Clark, Fundraising Chair (704) 807-0083.
Community Connections
Rotary thrives when we connect locally. Invite a community leader, neighbor, or colleague to see how Rotary builds bridges right here at home.
As a reminder, our Companion Club members, Tom and Stacy Georges, are hosting a golf tournament to raise funds for their non-profit, Special Needs Respite. The date is October 5th and they could use some volunteer help on that day: Volunteer at Golf for Respite
Additional details are included on the flyer. 
The Companion Club is transitioning away from meeting at Thrive Co-working and will be sharing the location for their next meeting, on September 17th in the coming days. Their August meeting was held at Bowlero Roswell and a good time was had by all!
In addition, the Companion Club is collecting items for transitional housing starter kits that will be given to families moving into permanent housing after experiencing homelessness or other difficult life circumstances.
Imagine finally receiving the keys to a place of your own only to realize you don't own a shower curtain, a set of dishes, or even a laundry basket. These are everyday items many of us take for granted, but they can make a huge difference for someone starting over.
To make contributing as easy as possible, we've created an Amazon Wish List:
Click here: Donate Transitional Housing Items
The wish list is simply a convenient way to see the types of items we're collecting. You are welcome to purchase these items anywhere you'd like—the Amazon list is intended as a guide and a convenient option. If you order from Amazon, the items will be delivered directly to my office. If you purchase separately, I will collect at the Lunch meetings or you may drop them off at my office.
Because we'll be assembling multiple starter kits , we need multiple quantities of every item on the list. Even if an item has already been purchased, we still need additional donations of nearly everything. If you're able, consider purchasing two or more of the same item so we can help as many families as possible.
Some of the household essentials we're collecting include:
We'll be collecting donations through the end of September. Once all of the items have been collected, we'll announce a date in October for volunteers to come together and package the starter kits before they're delivered to families.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Joseph Powell, (912) 662-2246.