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YEARS OF SERVICE
ROTARY CLUB OFTuesdays, 12:00 pm |
January 13, 2026 Meeting RecapOur members sure seemed happy to be back together after the holiday break! We had a special appearance by The Pink Flamingo a/k/a Richard Matherly, to raise awareness for our fundraiser at The Polar Plunge on February 7th (more on that in another newsletter article). Richard was joined by his daughter, Kelly, who has also jumped to show support for Richard. In case you have not witnessed this, Richard's dive, while spectacular, is no match for Kelly's. Kelly was a diver at UGA and executes the most beautiful dive at The Polar Plunge! Mark your calendar for Saturday, February 7th at 10 am at Wills Park Pool! We were also visited by PDG Bob Hagan. When he learned that our very own James Marosek was going to be sharing about his recent trip to Vietnam with his wife Van, Bob didn't want to miss it. Bob was District Governor when James was our Club President and the bond and admiration is strong! HAPPY DOLLARS Richard led us in Happy Dollars and a few of note are that Suzanne Swain shared that she will become a grandparent this summer. Even better, her daughter and son-in-law are moving back to the ATL area! Cliff shared that his travel plans over the holiday included heading north to Montreal and Quebec City. PDG Bob Hagan, who serves on the board of Wellstar North Fulton Hospital, shared that the new CEO highlighted our club's success with CPR and AED training at a recent board meeting. And Brad shared that he appreciated the support and friendship of our club members after his father died. Brad also shared that his retirement is imminent!
CLUB UPDATES Foundation Chair Doug Higgins announced the final amount of our Score for Polio Plus fundraiser: $7347. Wow! Thank you, Doug, for leading this effort! In addition, Doug presented some Paul Harris Fellow recognitions:
Please reach out to Doug if you want to know more about Paul Harris Fellow.
GUEST SPEAKERS Past President James Marosek and his wife, Van, joined us on January 13th to share reflections from their meaningful trip to Vietnam. Van, who was born in Vietnam, left the country in 1975 on the second-to-last C-130 plane before the fall of Saigon. James has been studying Vietnamese for the past three years and eventually persuaded Van that it was time to return and visit her homeland. Despite initial apprehension (worried she might be viewed as a traitor for having left Vietnam), Van agreed to the journey, and they planned a three-week trip in October 2025. Their itinerary included central Vietnam, Hanoi and Saigon; however, heavy rains prevented travel in the central region. Even so, the trip was rich with memorable experiences. James and Van enjoyed exceptional Vietnamese cuisine, including a meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant, and visited numerous cultural and historical sites. Van selected beautiful fabrics and had traditional Vietnamese dresses custom made, one of which she wore to our meeting. They found the Vietnamese people to be warm and welcoming toward Americans, and James was especially popular for his willingness to practice his Vietnamese language skills wherever they went. One particularly touching moment came when Van was presented with a special dessert bearing the words "Welcome Home" written in chocolate. She shared that she truly felt like a sister returning home. James and Van also noted some striking differences between Vietnam and life here - particularly, traffic. In Vietnam, a green light means go, a yellow light means go, and a red light....also means go. Crossing the street can be intimidating, but the key, they learned, was to keep moving forward steadily. Another notable difference: there are no lines, even at the airport. Somehow, though, everything still works. They described the Vietnamese people as forward-thinking and future-focused, with little emphasis on past conflicts. Nationality and religious differences do not seem to create friction. James and Van hope to return to Vietnam someday and who knows? Perhaps some fellow Rotarians might like to join them, as long as they bring a flexible attitude and a sense of adventure!
Polar Plunge FundraiserOn Saturday, February 7th, both Richard and Rick will be taking the plunge - literally - into the icy waters of Wills Park Pool to help raise money for our club. While our quarterly dues primarily cover Rotary International and District dues, as well as our lunches, additional fundraising is essential to support the community service projects we proudly undertake. The Polar Plunge, hosted by Alpharetta Rotary, is one of the simplest and most cost effective ways for us to raise these much-needed funds. It requires no extensive planning, countless volunteer hours, or uncertainty about whether an event will be profitable. If each member reaches out to friends and family and invites them to support the good work we do in our community, we can not only meet our goal of $10,000, but easily surpass it. Please help us spread the word and make this fundraiser a success! Support Rick Clark: Rick's Polar Plunge Support Richard Matherly: Richard's Polar Plunge Many thanks to Kathleen Peneguy for providing the graphic services for their fundraising flyers!
Engaging with Seniors, Part 2!Volunteers Needed for a Fun Day with Local Seniors! Where: Alpharetta/Crabapple Senior Center, 12624 Broadwell Rd, Alpharetta (new location for us!) When: Tuesday, February 3rd, 10:15 am to 12:45 pm Join us for another session of crafts (Valentine-themed), bingo and lunch! If you have any questions, please contact Lisa: (770) 856-9509. Sign up here: Engaging with Seniors!
Membership MinuteSubmitted by Jeffrey Esterkes, Membership Chair An elevator speech is a very brief, clear summary of something important, usually 30-60 seconds, or about the time it takes to ride an elevator. Its purpose is to explain who you are, what you do, or what you need quickly and memorably. Here's one example to promote Rotary and our Club: "Rotary is a service club where you meet great people, give back to the community, and have fun while doing meaningful work together. I belong to the Rotary Club of North Fulton. If you're interested in service and community involvement, Rotary is definitely worth checking out." Build one that you can use to engage people you meet and invite to a lunch meeting, service project or Tuesday social.
First Tuesday Social: February 3rdPlease join us at our First Tuesday Social t Voodoo Brewing on February 3rd from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mark Hutchins at mhutchins75@gmail.com. Voodoo Brewing, 1010 Mansell Road, Suite 180, Roswell
Women in RotaryThe next quarterly Women in Rotary event will be sponsored by Rotary Club of Alpharetta on March 5th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at: The Hamilton Hotel, 35 Milton Avenue, Alpharetta. (Join us in the back of Carrie's Conservatory restaurant) Appetizers will be provided and guests will purchase their own beverages. Please bring a $5.00 or $10 gift card for Publix/Kroger/Walmart to support Children's Development Academy. Please RSVP at: Women in Rotary Gentlemen - please let your significant others know about this! Any questions, please call Joy at (770) 715-5422
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