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August 12th Meeting Recap

Special thanks to Stacey Nyman for taking notes during the meeting!

Our meeting on August 12th was a packed room - no doubt our members understand the importance of the human trafficking problem and wanted to hear our guest speaker, Dave McCleary, speak about the prevalence of the issue and what we can do to help. 

We had several visitors at the meeting - Dylan Thomas is a prospective member who is married with 3 daughters and has a label manufacturing business. Cliff invited two of today's visitors, Josh Mason and Katie Webb. We also were happy to welcome our Area Governor, Butch Carter, to his first North Fulton Rotary meeting. Butch is a member of the East Cobb Rotary and is in his first year as an Area Governor. 

We raised $100 in Happy Dollars today and the funds will bolster our budget for this week's Community Hero (Nurses) Community Service Project. Some Happy Dollars of note are that Dan Jenkins will be minding his dollars and cents as he and Karen prepare for a daughter's wedding; Joseph Powell is volunteering as a football coach at Mt. Pisgah High School; Erik has a new driver in the family AND he took his son, Thomas, to UGA for his first year; Steve Siders mentioned that he and Lynne are now empty nesters with Grace back at UGA for sophomore year and Lexie starting her first year at Auburn. Our guest speaker let Richard wear his super hero cape for our Happy Dollars segment! 

Rick Clark spoke about several fundraising ideas he is working on for the club, including a wine tasting in the fall, a flower market (partnering with Alpharetta Rotary) in the spring, and perhaps a District-wide Rotary cookbook with a digital component that can be used to raise funds for global grants. Keep up the good work, Rick!

Doug Higgins spoke about a fundraiser for Polio Plus that involves football - Score for Polio Plus! Please see the article dedicated specifically on this topic for further details. 

Our Guest Speaker, Dave McCleary, founder of End Human Trafficking Now shared the organization's mission of advancing awareness, driving individual action and helping communities put an end to human trafficking and modern day slavery. Many believe human trafficking to be a third world problem, but there were more than 10,000 suspected cases of human trafficking in the United States last year. The average age for trafficked children is 12-14 years. Although this is difficult subject to discuss, Dave also shared stories of hope, where victims have been removed from the cycle of human trafficking and received transformative care. Dave encouraged us to look at what we can do, rather than what we can't. Please visit endhtnow.org for ways you can help. In addition, our club is exploring the possibility of forming a committee in this area to think of how we can help. You will find an article in this newsletter if you scroll down. 

District Governor Steven Ivory Visit

District Governor Steven Ivory's Official Visit to Rotary Club of North Fulton

August 26th: Our District Governor, Steve Ivory, will be making his official visit to our club. Please plan to attend this meeting to show the District Governor our support!

In addition to hearing DG Steve's inspiring message, we will also be sharing a special video that demonstrates the impact of our global grants with Heart for Africa, including our Lusito Mechanic Project.  

Membership Minute

Submitted by Jeff Esterkes, Membership Chair

Membership Minute: Invite a Guest!

The best way to show someone what Rotary is all about isn't with a pamphlet or a website—it's with an invitation.

Think of someone you know who's passionate about their community, who has a talent they'd love to share, or who is simply looking to connect with like-minded people. Invite them to our next meeting.  It's a low-pressure way for them to experience our camaraderie, learn about a new project, and see the impact we make.

So this week, challenge yourself to ask just one person to join us. You never know who might be the next newest member of the Rotary Club of North Fulton. 

New Club Committee: End Human Trafficking

Submitted by President Erik Bykat

I hope you you found Dave McCleary's presentation on the human trafficking epidemic informative. It was extraordinary to learn about all that he and his team at “End Human Trafficking Now” have done since 2012 to address this global issue.  At the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting, we asked Dave how our club can become involved in the fight against Human Trafficking.  He suggested the formation of a committee to discuss options.  One idea he offered is to coordinate a speaker at a local middle school to educate those at the most vulnerable age groups.  I think this is something we can do with minimal cost but significant impact.  I am told that many years ago, our club funded a similar program to educate students about the dangers and prevention of AIDS and it was very impactful.  Please let me know if you are interested in being a part of the committee to explore how we can prevent children in our community from being trafficked.

Our CPR/AED Training Crew is Expanding Our Reach!

Submitted by Marc Gelber

Have you heard the exciting news? Our club will now be offering CPR/AED training at the Alpharetta Farmer's Market on Saturday, August 23rd, in partnership with Alpharetta Fire Department. We will be offering this service for the entire duration of the Farmer's Market, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. We'd love to see our members out at the Farmer's Market this Saturday!

In addition, please check out our new, dedicated website: www.rotarycpr.com 

Foundation Matters

Submitted by Doug Higgins, Foundation Chair

Great News!  Our Score for Polio Plus competition is off to an exciting start!  So far, we have 12 Rotarians participating for a cumulative total of $12.50 per point.  We have high schools, colleges, and NFL teams represented.  This is a fantastic way to support the eradication of Polio AND have your donations tripled with a 2-1 match from the Gates Foundation.  Our club has a goal of $3,500, more than twice what it was last year.

As a reminder, we are seeking pledges per point for a football team of your choosing for the entire season including (hopefully) post season play.  There is not a minimum or maximum amount per point and the member who donates the most money (pledge x points), will receive 10% of the entire amount raised.  Deadline to sign up is August 26th.  If you have question or want to participate, contact Doug Higgins (doug@doughiggins.com).