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YEARS OF SERVICE
ROTARY CLUB OFTuesdays, 12:00 pm |
Wishing You a Happy ThanksgivingDear Fellow Rotarians, As we approach Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for each of you. Our club is strong because of the kindness, dedication, and generosity you bring to our community and to one another. Thank you for the spirit of service you embody all year long. I hope this holiday brings you joy, rest, and time with the people you cherish the most. For those traveling, I wish you safe journeys and smooth returns. Wishing you and your families a warm, wonderful and grateful Thanksgiving. With appreciation, Erik
November 11th Meeting RecapOur meeting on Tuesday, November 11th was filled with acknowledgement for our nation's veterans. Many members donated Happy Dollars in an expression of gratitude for the sacrifices their parents and/or grandparents made in service to our country. In addition, there were many mentions of thanks for the volunteers who worked on our Peace Garden at North Park on Saturday, November 8th, in particular for the leadership of Steve Siders. Joy Manbeck was so moved by the Veteran's Day program at Rotary Club of Marietta Metro that she was compelled to take our Happy Dollars up to $200 and requested that the funds go to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, supporting first responders and veterans. Jeff Esterkes mentioned that he and Regina have now been members of our club for one year. It sure seems like longer because they both immediately jumped right into volunteering!
District Foundation Chair, Bob Hagan was in attendance to give our 2024-25 Foundation Giving recognitions. Our club was recognized for our contributions to Polio Plus, Every Rotarian Every Year, and for attaining per capita giving of at least $100. Bob shared some statistics on the giving for District 6900 for the 2024-2025 Rotary Year:
Moving on to Club Business, President Elect Dan Jenkins presented the 2026-2027 Board Nominees. Members will vote on these nominees at our next meeting on December 9th. Please reach out to Dan if you are interested in serving on a committee for one of the following areas: Fundraising, Community Service, Membership, Public Image, Foundation. If you have any questions about the nominees below, please reach out to Dan as well.
Since it is Foundation Month, our program for today's meeting was all about The Rotary Foundation, presented by our Foundation Chair, Doug Higgins and District Grants Chair, Mike Mudd. Doug and Mike gave us an in-depth explanation of how The Rotary Foundation works and why it's important to contribute so that Rotary can continue to issue grants to "do good in the world". Although our club is modest in size, we have a rich history of contributing to The Rotary Foundation. Since our club was chartered in January 2000, we have contributed over $900,000 to The Rotary Foundation. Mike shared a few fun facts about our giving:
Many thanks to Doug and Mike - we are lucky to have such knowledgeable members in our club! Peace Garden Refresh!Submitted by Steve Siders, Project Chair for our Peace Garden at North Park We had two beautiful days with many club members volunteering to help enhance our Peace Garden at North Park on November 8th and 15th. The garden is now officially rebranded the Peace Garden and we've planted a second Peace Pole closer to the front entrance to draw visitors in. The back garden has been updated with a cleaning, refurbished Peace Pole and mulch. The front garden has been created from scratch to include a new Peace Pole, some boulders, mulch and 40 new plants including a Japanese Maple, spreading plum yew, oakleaf hydrangea, autumn fern and black-eyed susans. I would like to thank our many volunteers for the work accomplished over the two days. We had about 15 at both work days covering 2 hours and 2.5 hours respectively (that is about 68 man hours total). After our hard work, we were able to enjoy even more fellowship together at Cue Barbecue both days. I am grateful for the support of our project committee: Stacey Nyman, Carolynn DeSandre, Kathleen Peneguy, Andy West, Rick Clark, and Richard Matherly. Special recognition goes to the following three people for their extra effort: Rick Clark, for building and installing the new Peace Pole; Andy West, for refurbishing the existing wooden Peace Pole; and Brad Serff, who picked up the plants and saved our back with his auger!
Engaging with Seniors!Volunteers Needed for a Fun Day with Local Seniors! Milton Senior Center, 15690 Hopewell Road, Alpharetta (really, it feels like Milton, but GPS says Alpharetta) December, 2nd We're looking for volunteers to help us host a joyful morning at the Milton Senior Center. You're welcome to join for any portion of the event - whatever fits your schedule. Every helping hand makes a difference! 10:00 AM - Wreath-Making Craft We'll assist seniors in creating colorful holiday wreaths. Our volunteer need is greatest at this time, as we'll be working with a strong adhesive and want to ensure seniors don't have to handle it. 11:00 AM - Festive Bingo Help run a fun, low-key bingo session - calling numbers, helping with cards, and handing out prizes. 12:00 PM - Lunch Service We'll serve lunch (likely from Ippolito's; final menu TBD) and enjoy time visiting with residents. If you have any questions, please let me know: (770) 856-9509. Click here to sign up: Engaging with Seniors
Rotary Club of North Fulton Supports Military Veterans through CPR Fundraiser
On November 6th, Rotary Club of North Fulton member Marc Gelber donated his time to teach two CPR training classes at Chateau Elan. Attendees contributed a $25 donation to the Chateau Elan Military Support Foundation (CEMSF). Since its founding in 2019, CEMSF has raised more than $450,000 to serve the local military community by providing financial assistance, basic needs, housing support, and mental health resources. The foundation is entirely volunteer-run, with no paid full-time staff, ensuring that every possible dollar goes directly toward helping veterans and their families. The event took on special meaning after the sports club at Chateau Elan experienced two cardiac arrest incidents in the past two months, one of which resulted in a life saved. Although Chateau Elan is outside the North Fulton area, our club was honored to extend support to such a worthy organization making a real impact in the lives of those who have served. Score for Polio Plus FundraiserSubmitted by Doug Higgins, Foundation Chair This week was another big win for Polio Plus with your teams scoring 637 points! Georgia Southern (Joseph) led the way with 45 points, Tennessee (Brad), Oregon (Erik), and Kentucky (Mike) all scored 42 points. Not to be outdone, Richard's Oconee HS and Denmark HS Flag Football (2 games) scored a combined 79 points! In total, we now have pledged $5,703.60! Richard remains in the lead at $539, followed closely by Jonathan at $487.50, and Erik and Kathleen continue to be in a tight race for third at $389 and $385. Some of you have already donated part of your pledge. Thank you! If you do, please let me know. For those of you who would like to donate now, you can follow the link below and select the Polio Plus Fund or give me a check payable to The Rotary Foundation. Our goal is to donate $3500 to Polio Plus. We'd like donations beyond this to go to the Annual Fund, so if you are donating more than $175, please donate the amount above that to the Annual Fund. It is the Annual Fund that provides matching funds for District and Global Grants among other things.
Membership MinuteSubmitted by Jeff Esterkes, Membership Chair Simple ways to spark interest in Rotary over lunch, coffee or conversation Starter Phrases:
Spotting a Good Fit:
Companion Club UpdateReminder that our companion club meeting is November 20th at Thrive, 44 Milton Avenue, Alpharetta (located above Minnie Olivia Pizza) at 6:30 pm. Members will be discussing upcoming service projects and hearing from two members. Stick around afterward and see member Tom Georges and his band playing at Roaring Social. If you have any questions, please reach out to Joseph Powell, (912) 662-2246. |
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