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WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Rotary Onlinehttps://dunwoodyrotary.org
ROTARY CLUB OFFridays, 7:15 am |
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| President | Tina Philpot |
| President-Elect | Rick Otness |
| Treasurer | Lawrence Domenico |
| Treasurer | Patti Bunker |
| Secretary | Cathie Brumfield |
| Public Image | Dottie Toney |
This Week's Speaker: Nancy Wright Beasley
Nancy Wright Beasley, a member of Brandermill Rotary in Midlothian, VA, as well as a polio survivor, has been a journalist for almost 40 years, including 16 years as a contributing editor and columnist for Richmond magazine. She has spoken at numerous Rotary functions, including district conferences.
Nancy is the author of Izzy’s Fire and The Little Lion, both of which are set in Lithuania during World War II. She has spoken and held book signings (donating a portion of the proceeds to PolioPlus) at many Rotary clubs, including those in Lithuania and Israel. She has also given presentations at the U.S. and the British embassies in Lithuania, and participated in numerous author panels and programs at schools and universities, including Yale. Her books have been continuously used since 2005 in classrooms from middle schools to universities. The Little Lion was adapted for the stage in 2016. During the world premiere, Nancy orchestrated ticket sales for a special project, resulting in $4,512 being raised for PolioPlus in one day.
A polio survivor, who was not supposed to walk again, Nancy has been a member of Brandermill Rotary for 12 years, a Paul Harris fellow and was named as Brandermill’s Outstanding Rotarian for 2015-2016. In 2010, Nancy led the effort to raise nearly $12,000 for physical therapy equipment installed at Lopselis Children’s Rehabilitative Hospital, located in Kaunas, Lithuania, where 65 children (who have emotional, mental, and/or physical problems) make their home. Through the combined efforts of Brandermill Rotary, Kaunas Rotary (in Kaunas, Lithuania), and the Chicagoland Rotary Club of Lithuanians (in Chicago, IL), the Triplet Sister Project was completed in 2013, through a RI grant.
The author earned an MS at the Virginia Commonwealth University (2000) and an MFA in Children’s Literature at Hollins University (2011). In 2005, the Richmond YWCA named Nancy as one of Ten Outstanding Women in Central Virginia. In 2006, the Virginia Press Women named her as their Communicator of the Achievement, an honor given annually to one journalist in the state. The Library of Virginia named Izzy’s Fire as a finalist for the People’s Choice Award in 2006.
2017 GB is fast approaching
Time to get ready for the 2017 Governor's Ball!
Just a couple of quick appeals:
- Invite your friends
- Tickets are $125 per guest ($250 per couple). Please invite people who will also donate at the event, because that is how the Club raises money to do good works.
- Printed invitations are available from Lorri Christopher (lorri504@gmail.com )
- We still need gifts to auction
- If anyone has a million or more frequent flyer points, please consider donating 100,000 points to the Governors Ball. Contact Rick Woods for details at sdoowrm@gmail.com
- If you know someone that owns a company, ask them for a corporate gift to be auctioned off at the event
- They can claim the full retail value of the gift on their corporation's taxes
- Get great exposure for their company's product, while helping the Club's efforts to do good works.
- Example is 3 Bedroom makeover being donated by one member's golfing buddy. The member had the "connection" and most importantly, he asked.
- Plan to drive safely the night of the Ball
- $94 rooms ($112.16 with all taxes) are available at the Westin for the night of the Ball but must be reserved before 5 PM on 02/14/17. When the Ball is done, take an elevator to your room and get a good night's sleep. Awake refreshed and head home in daylight. You can reserve a room by visiting Westin's secure website using this link https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/GCQQ1H1Al
- We still need volunteers.
- Go to the volunteer site by clicking here to sign up for specific activities leading up to the Ball
2017-18 RI President Ian H.S. Riseley announces his presidential theme, Rotary: Making a Difference
Rotary International President-elect Ian H.S. Riseley made the case on Monday that protecting the environment and curbing climate change are essential to Rotary’s goal of sustainable service. Riseley, a member of the Rotary Club of Sandringham, Victoria, Australia, unveiled the 2017-18 presidential theme, Rotary: Making a Difference, to incoming district governors at Rotary’s
International Assembly in San Diego, California, USA.
Environmental degradation and global climate change are serious threats to everyone, Riseley said. “They are having a disproportionate impact on those who are most vulnerable, those to whom Rotary has the greatest responsibility. Yet environmental issues rarely register on the Rotary agenda,” he said.
Environmental degradation is one of the major threats listed by the UN’s High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges, and Change. Riseley added, “The time is long past when environmental sustainability can be dismissed as not Rotary’s concern. It is, and must be, everyone’s concern.”
The president-elect challenged every Rotary club to make a difference by planting a tree for each of its members between the start of the Rotary year on 1 July and Earth Day on 22 April 2018. Trees remove carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the air, which slows global warming.
“It is my hope that the result of that effort will be far greater than the environmental benefit that those 1.2 million new trees will bring,” Riseley said. “I believe the greater result will be a Rotary that recognizes our responsibility not only to the people on our planet, but to the planet itself.”
Securing Rotary’s future
In his address to the 2017-18 class of district governors, Riseley also urged clubs to improve their gender balance and lower the average age of their members. Only 22 percent of Rotary’s members are women, up from 13 percent 10 years ago. At that rate, Riseley said, it will take another three decades for Rotary to achieve gender parity.
“Three decades is far too long to wait to achieve a Rotary that reflects the world in which we live. We need to make it a priority now,” he said. Noting that 103 of the 539 incoming governors are women, Riseley said they are the type of women we need in Rotary, “leaders who will help Rotary connect with, and represent, and better serve, all of the members of all our communities.”
Riseley also believes it is imperative that clubs find ways to attract and engage younger members. Today only 5 percent of reported members are under 40, and a majority of members are over 60, Riseley told the audience. “Consider what Rotary stands to look like 10 or 20 years from now if we don’t get very serious, very soon, about bringing in younger members,” Riseley said.
Clubs will make a difference this year through their own decisions, said Riseley, but it will take teamwork on a global scale to move Rotary forward and secure its future.
“We know that we can do more together than we could ever hope to do alone,” he told incoming governors. “I ask you to keep that spirit of teamwork and cooperation always in your minds and to take it back with you to your districts.”
Photos of Club Events
We are preparing the end of year scrapbook and are desperately short of photos covering meetings and events that have occurred during the 2016-2017 year. Please check your cell phones and /or computers for any pictures you may have. We need them by this Friday (02/17/17).
If you have any, please send them by email to otness_r@mindspring.com with a brief description of the photo (i.e. event & ~ date), or send a text to 770-715-9251 with the description and attach the photo.
Thanks To The “Gold Sponsors” Of The 23rd Annual Governor’s Ball “Wish Upon A Star”
Each year, the Rotary Club of Dunwoody funds its charitable activities by way of two annual events, our Governor’s Ball being one of the events. The 2016 Governor’s Ball had net revenues of $47,453. Our 2016 “Gold Sponsors” helped our club do some very special activities in the local, national, and international community. We want you to express your appreciation to these generous sponsors.
Gold Sponsors
John & Jacquelyne Carr
Bill & Les Woulfin
Robert W. “Buzz” Law -- Creative Financial Group
Chris Gutschenritter -- Ashford Financial