Our 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:

• William Bennett, Paul Harris plus one
• Lisa Gelber, Paul Harris plus three
• Rick Clark, Paul Harris plus six
• Brad Serff, Paul Harris plus eight

Please reach out to Doug if you want to know more about Paul Harris Fellow.

PRAYER BREAKFAST

Jonathan Stelling will lead our Prayer Breakfast Committee this year. Please mark your calendars for Thursday, May 7th for this always-popular event and reach out to Jonathan if you'd like to serve on the committee. It's a big undertaking and as they saying goes, "many hands makes light work". 

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!