Governor Andre' addresses the students of M. Agnes Jones Elementary School as part of her official visit to the Rotary Club of Atlanta West End

Governor Andre' addresses the students of M. Agnes Jones Elementary School as part of her official visit to the Rotary Club of Atlanta West End

From Our District Governor

Thanks for Creating Hope in the World

By André Marria

Thank you District 6900 for having the right attitude and embracing our challenge to “Creating Hope in the World! You have done that through your actions, your attitudes, and behaviors in your club and communities!!! The projects that you have implemented, continued, and planned are exceptional.

I enjoyed our “boots on the ground “work, serving the community, celebrating the 100th Anniversary in LaGrange! attending plays, listening to Big Band Music, not to mention the receptions, fellowships, and did I mention food? Thank You!!

Then there is the Work to be done. Membership, Foundation, Public Image, and Mental Health to remove the stigma. [more]

The Rotary Foundation at Work

D6900 Awards More Than $91,000 in Special One-Time Grants to Address Alzheimers Needs

By Anne Glenn

As Rotary International focuses global attention on Mental Health and its worldwide impact, local Rotarians are creating local projects and support programs here in Georgia to addressing the challenges and life-style disruptions these cognitive conditions bring to patients as well as their families, friends and caregivers.

Supported by a generous major donation to The Rotary Foundation targeting Alzheimer’s Disease, plus every Rotarian’s contribution three years ago, District 6900 is awarding special one- time only Community Grants totaling more than $91,000 in Alzheimer’s relief support to 10 clubs performing seven different projects.  Each of these Rotary Clubs submitted plans developed specifically to address needs they discovered through researching their own communities.  District 6900 will also award a global grant or possibly two to allow our Clubs to address the Alzheimer’s challenges on a wider basis.

Congratulations to everyone participating in these pilot projects.  The Alpharetta, Americus Atlanta Airport, Carrolton DawnBreakers, Carrolton at Noon, Bremen, North Columbus, Sandy Springs, Marietta and North Cobb Clubs won D6900’s first Alzheimer’s Disease Community Grants. Read on for a brief descriptions of each of their projects. [more]

Special Speaker Opportunity

Satellite Cub of Stone Mountain Passport Invites You to Freedom Series

By Margie Kersey

The Satellite Rotary Club of Stone Mountain Passport, in partnership with RLI Sunshine Division, is sponsoring a series of Zoom meetings called the Freedom Series. Each quarter we will be presenting a very special speaker at no charge for attendees. This is a Public Image event (not a fundraiser). We can only host 1000 attendees and it is open to Rotarians, non-Rotarians, and all interested people. It is being promoted with VFW, American Legion, and several home schooling organizations – as well as Rotarians. We want to increase awareness of Rotary, RLI, and our Veterans.

All of the speakers are nationally known. First up is Herb Elfring, one of the few remaining Pearl Harbor survivors. The event will take place via Zoom on November 6, from 2-3 PM Eastern time. 

Due to high demand, we are requesting that all attendees preregister for this event.   This event is presented at no cost to you due to the sponsorship of the Passport Club and RLI Sunshine-Division.  You may register by clicking on the following link and providing your name and email address.  A zoom link will be sent to you, via the email you provide, 24 hours prior to this historic moment.

Please click on the link or cut and paste into your browser to register:https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084BAFA62CA2FFC52-44754886-herb [more]

Membership

"The Winners' Circle" - We See You!!!

By André Marria

Join me in congratulating Clubs who have inducted a large number of Members into Rotary this quarter. They have extended their new members the hands of fellowship, friendship, fun, and an opportunity to make a lasting change in their clubs, community, and the world!  

Thank You to:

  • North Cobb 11
  • Thomasville 10
  • Alpharetta  10
  • Carrollton Dawn Breakers 9
  • Peacthree City 8

By this time next month this list will change. Please help your club join our "Circle of Winners" and be recognized for extending others an opportunity to join our awesome Rotary Fellowship! [more]
Special guests (from L to R): PDG Jim Squire, Past RI President Mark Maloney, DG André Marria, PDG George Granade and Past RI Director Robert Hall

Special guests (from L to R): PDG Jim Squire, Past RI President Mark Maloney, DG André Marria, PDG George Granade and Past RI Director Robert Hall

Club News

LaGrange Celebrates 100 Years

By Barb Henigin

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 was the actual 100 Year Anniversary for the Rotary Club of LaGrange. In celebration of the occasion an Anniversary Gala Event was held downtown LaGrange at Del'Avant the night before. The keynote speaker for the event was Rotary International Past President Mark Daniel Maloney (2019-2020). Mark was accompanied by his wife Gay. [more]

District Conference 2024

Where to Stay for 2024 District Conference

By Stephanie Windham

Several hotels have room blocks reserved for us through February 21, 2024.  BUT OUR BLOCKS ARE SELLING OUT QUICKLY!!! When making your reservation, please be sure and reference Rotary District 6900. We have still have room blocks available with the Courtyard by Marriott and The Residence Inn, which have a free island-wide shuttle; Hampton Inn & Suites; Seafarer Inn & Suites; Holiday Inn Resort; and the Beachview Club Hotel.

We have a new room block at Villas by the Sea.  Attendees can make a reservation online at www.villasbythesearesort.com.  The Group Login code is R-6900. Villas by the Sea is offering a selection of Mini Villas, Studios, and 1-bedrooms at the following ... [more]

Laws of Life

Join the Celebration: 25 Years of Essays Making a Difference

By Linda Hatten

With our third Founders Celebration, An Evening of Gratitude, we will celebrate 25 years of the Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest.  Join us at the beautiful Piedmont Driving Club in Midtown Atlanta on November 16 as volunteers and patrons celebrate the students and teachers who are the foundation of the contest.

Delight in stories first-hand from state-winning student writers. Honor the experiences of devoted teachers. Enjoy hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar and musical entertainment from the Midtown High School Ensemble as you mix and mingle with all who endeavor to help this simple, yet powerful contest transform student lives. [more]

GRSP Update

GRSP Scholars Tour Historic Savannah, Visit Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum

By Katheryne Fields

GRSP scholars toured historic Savannah the mid-October with Rotarians from Savannah area clubs for the Hue Thomas, Jr. Weekend. They visited the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum for an interactive experience World War II from both the European and American perspectives. Thankfully the sun appeared in the afternoon on the second day as they toured the Tybee Island Lighthouse and spent time playing games on the beach. The night ended with a Low-Country Boil hosted by the Hussey family.
[more]

Mark Your Calendar

Rotary Means Business -Tuesday, November 21

By Carter Stout

Looking for a networking opportunity that gives you meaningful connections with service-minded individuals in an international community? Join us for Rotary Meets Business on the third Tuesday of each month. Our next meeting: Tuesday, November 21, 6-8 PM, at Iron Hill Brewery – Perimeter.
[more]

RLI Update

Congratulations Graduates! Next Up: January in Thomasville

By Tracy Van Norman

In October, the North Cobb Rotary Club hosted an RLI event at the Ben Robertson Community Center in Kennesaw, led by President Nancy Prochaska.  25 members increased their Rotary knowledge by taking Parts 1 and 2. 

The next in-person session will be on January 13, 2024 in Thomasville, GA at Southern Regional Technical College.  Parts 1, 2, and 3 will be offered, along with a Graduate Class.  You can sign up online at RLItraining.org.  If you have any questions, please email tracy.vannorman@gmail.com. [more]

Service Opportunity

Join the HAVE Foundation Honduras Wilderness Team

By Paul Ray

The Honduras Wilderness Team was started by Atlanta Rotarian, Bob Hope, in 1999. The team has made the annual trip there each March since. The next trip will run March 2-9, 2024. 

It is the official international trip of the Rotary Club of Atlanta, but is open to anyone, not just Rotarians. Invite your family, friends and teenaged children. We had over 12 members last year who ranged in age from 12-19. Only around 30% of last year’s 54 member team were Rotarians.

We have a wide range of work, most of it supporting the schools. We paint murals in classrooms, teach music/sports/and even improv. There is also work in the clinics, mixing concrete floors in homes with dirt floors and building water filter systems for the families. There is work for all age and skill levels.
[more]

Registration For District Assembly Is Open

By Gordon Owens

We have combined District Assembly with the District Conference weekend this year. This gives you a weekend of your life back! If you will serve in club leadership for the 2024-25 Rotary year plan on arriving Thursday night and join us Friday morning for a leadership development and vibrant club workshop. District Assembly will start with lunch on Friday, followed by breakout sessions to help your club become irresistible in your community. 
[more]

Club News

Americus Hosts Sheffield Gala

By Angela Smith

The Americus Rotary Club was honored to host the 2023 Sheffield Gala & Auction for District 6900, celebrating the newest Sheffield Leadership Award winners and recognizing all past winners in attendance. The Gala was attended District Leadership (DG Andre Marria, DGE Gordon Owens, DGN Steve Ivory, PDGs Bob Hagan, Steve Stanfield, Marion Franklin, Mary Ligon, & George Granade, and many Sheffield Leadership Society members. Emily Sheffield Hollingsworth and her husband Lee were present and recognized as special guests for the evening.
[more]

Rotarian Competes with Successful Dragonboat Team

By Claudia Mertl

Past President Pia Dina Valeriano, a member of the new Clifton-Emory Satellite of the Rotary Club of Atlanta Southern Crescent is a member of a very successful Dragonboat team. In September, Pia and her team went to Nashville, TN - winning gold and beating the NYC police Dragonboat team and the Friends of South Africa Vuvuzela team.
[more]

Club News

Alpharetta Hosts Its 26th Annual Mayor's Corporate Challenge

By Clark Savage

With beautiful weather and an atmosphere of excitement, the Rotary Club of Alpharetta hosted its 26th Mayor’s Corporate Challenge 5K on September 21st. The downtown Alpharetta race mustered over 1,000 runners for the 5K and nearly 100 children for the Kid’s Fun Run. Prior to the 6:30 pm start, families enjoyed music, food trucks, a business expo, and bouncy houses for the kids.

This year, the club raised $120,000 for charities like North Fulton Community Charities, the Drake House, Habitat For Humanity, Stand-up for Kids, Homestretch, Foster Care Georgia, and the YMCA. Sponsoring corporations LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Datascan, Wellstar, Fiserv, Chemence, Axis, Wheels, and Morgan Stanley set the pace with teams of dedicated runners. [more]

Club News

Peachtree City Supports Challenge Air

By Mandy Timmons

Challenge Air for Kids & Friends exists to build confidence and self-esteem in children and youth with special needs through the gift of flight.  Rotarians from Peachtree City were so thankful to volunteer and sponsor this event! This type of program is near to our hearts as we love supporting our special needs adults in our Rotary Community Corps!  Special Needs children were given timeslots throughout the day to participate in a flight from Peachtree City’s Falcon Field with pilots that donated their time and their planes for the event.  The joy in the eyes of these children (and their parents and families) was simply amazing!
[more]

Club News

Interact Club Brings Halloween to Local Shelter

By Nancy Prochaska

The North Cobb Rotary Club's Interact Club at Kennesaw Mountain High met yesterday to elect officers and do a Halloween service project. The students discovered that the local Live Safe shelter for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault is currently housing 30 children.  It is unlikely that these kids will be able to go out for traditional Trick-or-Treating, so the Interact students decided to take Trick-or-Treating to them! They designed fun bags, stuffed them with candy, and arranged for delivery.

A good time!  A good cause!  That's Interact! [more]

Club News

Elementary School Hosts Atlanta West End DG Visit

By Neil Shorthouse

M. Agnes Jones Elementary School principal Robert Williams, STEAM specialist Lisa Colbert and Mikaela Zimmerman hosted Atlanta West End Rotary Club members as we welcomed our District Governor André Hadley Marria for an official club visit in late September. Her official club visit included addressing the students, engaging with them in Q&A, dedicating a greenhouse provided through a Rotary Foundation District 6900 District Grant and a tour of the school.

The club also welcomed its Assistant District Governor - Cynthia Edwards - and Mr. Walter Marria, life-long partner of our District Governor and her husband for more than 50 years. The program was led by STEAM specialist Lisa Colbert, who manages the school’s garden, and Mikaela Zimmerman, a science specialist. The program began with a warm and most gracious welcome by the school's principal, who expressed deep appreciation for the club's investment of time and money. [more]

Club News

Griffin Rotarians Join in Pizza for Polio

By Stephanie Windham

The Rotary Club of Griffin and the Griffin Daybreak Rotary Club partnered with Slices Pizzeria in Griffin to celebrate World Polio Day with Pizza for Polio. Slices is donating a portion of its lunch proceeds to The Rotary Foundation for PolioPlus. The law firm of Beck, Owen & Murray, home to four Griffin Rotarians, enjoyed Pizza for Polio in recognition of World Polio Day.
[more]

Our Rotary Foundation

More Special Polio Plus Events ...

By Jackie Cuthbert

As part of World Polio Day activities, the Americus Rotary Club welcomed Ronda Rich and Barbara Dooley to the historic Rylander Theatre for a special evening of humor and storytelling to bring attention to Rotary’s pledge to eradicate the disease. The Rotary Club of Peachtree City hosted 2 FUNdraisers for Polio Eradication during the month of October.  And the Rotary Club of Atlanta Southern Crescent met with Jeff Turner, Chair of the Clayton County Commissioners, to receive a World Polio Day Proclamation.
[more]

Club News

North Cobb Hosts 36th Mountain Top Boys Home Barbeque

By Nancy Prochaska

For the 36th year in a row, the Rotary Club of North Cobb has hosted the annual Mountain Top Boys Home barbeque, at their home in Sugar Valley, GA.  Every year we gather with the boys and the community and hear of the remarkable successes they achieve! Currently there are 14 boys living onsite, though they were able to help 34 boys over the last 12 months.  Counselors and staff provide the guidance and direction they need to accomplish schoolwork and life goals.   They are in the midst of a major remodeling of the Family Reunification Center.    The pictures tell the story -good food, good fellowship, great day!
[more]

Club News

Thomasville Holds Fireside Chat: Fun, Food and Answers!

By Shanna Derby

Last month's Fireside Chat with the Rotary Club of Thomasville was a blazing success! It was an evening filled with lively conversations, camaraderie, and wisdom-sharing. Our leadership team and esteemed long-standing members stepped up to answer our new members burning questions in a relaxed and engaging atmosphere. The unpredictability and on-the-spot nature of the chat sparked experiential stories that left us all inspired. From the heartwarming to the humorous, we covered it all! And, of course, what's a Fireside Chat without some delicious dinner and cocktails?
[more]

Club News

North Fulton Hosts Treasure Hunt for Children's Development Academy

By Lisa Gelber

The Rotary Club of North Fulton has a long-standing relationship with Children's Development Academy, a non-profit preschool that provides a high quality preschool education to students who may not otherwise have the benefit of formal early learning. Most recently, Rotarians organized a treasure hunt for the 3 and 4 year old students by hiding over 300 "treasures" on the playground. The children had a great time hunting for these treasures and then Rotarians joined them for lunch afterwards. In addition to the treasure hunt, Rotary Club of North Fulton also provides books (signed by our lunch meeting speakers) so that each child can select a book to take home from the birthday box. This supports the literacy efforts and the vision of the preschool: Best Start. Brightest Future. Every Child.
[more]

Club News

Atlanta Southern Crescent Sponsors Duck Derby

By Claudia Mertl

The Rotary Club of Atlanta Southern Crescent, courtesy of Wrecker 1, sponsored the Duck Derby for the “Nothing But the Truth” organization. This organization packs and distributes bags of food each week for children who would not otherwise have a meal over the weekend. The children take the food home with them.
[more]

Club News

Roswell Celebrates Family Farm Day

By Becky Nelson

Celebrating the 11th Anniversary of Family Farm Day, Roswell Rotarians and their families enjoyed a day out at Gary Garrett's farm. We shot skeet, we panned for gold in the Etowah, we rode 4-wheelers and a hay trailer and we ate!  We ate really well while we got to know each other better. Always a good day to play in the dirt with the dogs and all the farm tools.
[more]

Club News

Griffin Daybreak Busy Making a Difference

By Debby Daniel-Bryant

Griffin Daybreak Rotary has been busy learning from guest speakers and by providing support in the community.

The club donated laptops and I-Pads to the Spalding County Fire Department to aid in communication during emergency situations. Pictured here are Rotarians and Fire Chief Glenn Polk with the new equipment. 

We also recently read to students in Griffin-Spalding County Schools for Pearls, Pumps, and Books Day. [more]

Club News

Meriwether County Hosts Cotton Fair

By Dawn H. Woodard

In October, the Rotary Club of Meriwether County found itself immersed in community events such as the Cotton Fair - a great display of teamwork as everyone came together to share their individual talents to get the job done. We had negotiators, carpenters, shoppers, transporters, financial advisors, and most of all plenty of experts ready and willing to get things going. We dealt with changing times and new rules with diligence and professionalism. The footlong hotdogs and candy apples were their usual hit. This is always a great bonding experience for club members as we work together but this year we were blessed with a new twist – the addition of our Interact Club members from the middle and high schools. This was a great opportunity for these young people as well as a great help to our club.
[more]

Club News

Americus Brands Rotary Eclipse Glasses

By Angela Smith

With two solar eclipses within seven months of one another (the first on October 14, 2023 and the second on April 8, 2024), the Americus Rotary Club branded American Paper Optics, made in America, ISO certified eclipse glasses and made them available for purchase to its members and the community for their clubs, businesses, churches, families and friends. Proceeds from the sale of the glasses provided eclipse glasses to our local first responders and students.
[more]

Club News

Peachtree City Celebrates Diversity

By Mandy Timmons

The Rotary Club of Peachtree City had a great time celebrating our diverse cultures (and National Dessert Day)!  We have 12 nationalities among our members and had 10 of those represented for the event - along with several regions and traditions across the US! From Europe and Asia then to Africa, South America and the Caribbean! So much fun tasting a little bit of ‘home’ for these members! Members shared their recipes and their traditions associated with each before we all dug in to enjoy! Pretty sure there was no need for dinner that night with over 30 ‘samples’ of desserts to fill us up! Thanks to President Amy and her husband Jeff for always being great hosts and allowing us to visit their beautiful home.
[more]