Our June 24, 2025 meeting started with a bang...the bang of the gavel hitting the bell by incoming President, Erik Bykat. Erik got an early start leading our meetings as Rick was out of town for business. Everyone was thrilled to see Richard Matherly, only 8 days after hip replacement surgery. Richard did a great job with Happy Dollars, collecting about $200 which will go toward the back to school supply project for North Fulton Community Charities. We were thrilled to welcome guest, Brigitte Vantieghem, whose husband was a member of the Windward Rotary club (which later became the Milton Rotary Club) with Brad Serff. Brigitte also mentioned several family members in Belgium belonging to Rotary, including a former District Governor! We had 27 members present for the meeting as well as Joseph Powell from the companion club.
Erik presented results from the member survey he sent out at the beginning of June. Notably, when asked about how large the club should be, 70% stated under 60 members. This correlates directly with the answer to the question "Why did you join this Rotary club?" Members stated they liked the smaller size and the feeling of camaraderie.
Favorite service projects of members include (in no particular order):
Members also suggested new ideas for service projects:
Erik then listed out his four goals for this Rotary year:
Erik then introduced members of his board and asked them to share a few words about their position:
The meeting left everyone feeling confident about the future of our club and excited for another year of Service Above Self!