Valdosta Rotary Club

   Inside this week’s edition of your weekly club bulletin the Rota-Reel you will find lots of local club news as well as news from Rotary District 6920 and Rotary International.  It’s all inside so please check it out.  Our speaker today will be Brandon Raddatz, Regional Commercial Manager for ADM Southeast Oilseed Processing plants.

In the local news we have important updates about our next Rotary Unwind and a couple of venue changes.  You’ll need to mark your calendars and make sure you show up at the right place at the right time.  We also have an update from our GRSP efforts and our birthdays for March.

On the district level we have news about this year’s Group Study Exchange coming from Turkey and details about the district conference.  District conference is in Savannah this year and President Greg Reid hopes to have a great group present  representing the Rotary Club of Valdosta.

The Law Enforcement Appreciation Dinner (L.E.A.D.) is the signature project of the Rotary Club of Valdosta. The dinner is attended by Valdosta and Lowndes County government officials, area agencies involved with the law enforcement community and businesses and individuals who support our area’s law enforcement professionals.

The 5^th annual LEAD dinner was held on Thursday, February 16, 2012 at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center in Valdosta.  Judge John Edwards Jr. was the event’s master of ceremonies. After acknowledging the city and county officials who were present, the judge said, “We expect law enforcement to be there when we need them…we want to know they are patrolling our streets and protecting our neighborhoods…but tonight is the night we need to be there for them.”

Photo credits: Dawn Castro/Valdosta Daily Times.  Click here to read the entire article: LEAD Article

We are sad to report that this year’s GRSP recipient Emma Harte decided to return to her homeland of Scotland this semester.  This does, however, free up one-half of our financial commitment allowing us to move forward with securing a student for the 2012-2013 school term.

Our first choice for the new term is a young man from Turkey.  We have just received word that he has accepted our scholarship offer to attend Valdosta State University.  Now he must make application to attend VSU and apply for his student VISA.  Once he has completed these measures we will be able to establish personal contact.  We are very excited about the coming year and hope to establish lifelong friendships.

We will be making several pleas over the next few months asking for volunteers and additional hosts to help make his year in Valdosta a profitable and memorable year for him as well as the members of our club.  We look forward to showcasing all that the Valdosta community and South Georgia has to offer.  For more on the Georgia Rotary Student Program visit:  www.GRSP.org.

The Valdosta area Rotary Clubs provide an age-appropriate book a month from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to registered children under age five in Lowndes County. On Wednesday, Georgia Power South Region Vice President, Terri Lupo, and External Affairs Manager, Kevin McCraney, presented a $1,000 check from the Georgia Power Foundation to the Valdosta Rotary Foundation in support of the Imagination Library project to Past President Dennis Marks (L), coordinator of the Imagination Library project in Lowndes County, and Bill Booth (R), Rotary District Director. All are members of the Valdosta Rotary Club. For more information about the Imagination Library project in Lowndes County, call Dr. Marks at 244-5159.

On Tuesday evening, December 20 we will be hosting our 2011 Holiday Party and our last Rotary Unwind for the year.  Please mark your calendar and plan to attend with your family. We will begin hosting guests at 5:00 PM and will continue until 7:00 PM. Santa Claus will   arrive around 6:00 PM and spend time with the children so you will want to plan your arrival accordingly.

We will NOT be serving dinner; however we will have some delicious hors d’oeuvres and drinks. There will be a cash bar for those who wish to enjoy something more adult. There will be no other charge for the evening for Rotarians and their families or for those bringing a date. We are asking folks not to invite other guests to this particular event as it is a special Family of Rotary event.

We do need to provide the Club with a headcount by this Friday, December 16 so we are  asking your to RSVP immediately.  You may RSVP by emailing Kerry Morris at kwmorris@valdostarotary.org.

Holiday Party & Rotary Unwind Invitation

Inside this week’s edition of our weekly club bulletin the Rota-Reel we have highlights from last week’s Legislative Luncheon, a proposed new member, a letter from Rotary International President Kalyan Banerjee, and two service project updates.  This week’s meeting will be brought to us by club president Greg Reid.  We have just a few items that need to be taken care of before the end of the year as well as a few items to help us move forward in the new year.

Rota-Reel for 12-14-11

For years, Rotarian Ty O’Steen has worked with The Marine Corp “Toys for Tots” campaign.  They collect and sort donated toys and distribute them to needy kids.  Our region covers Lowndes county and six other surrounding counties. However, all toys collected in Lowndes County are distributed in Lowndes County.  They work with DFACS and with area churches to assist in the screening process.

In the past “Toys for Tots” National Foundation has been able to help by sending truck loads of toys donated by corporations.  However, this year the  National Foundation has warned that they will not be able to send any toys.  Your help is needed! If you are interested in helping, please contact Ty O’Steen or bring your unwrapped toy to this week’s meeting and we will see that it gets in the right hands.  You may also bring gifts to the club holiday party next Tuesday at the Valdosta Country Club.

Ringing the Bell – Members of the Rotary Club of Valdosta manned the kettles for The  Salvation Army last Thursday at both entrances of the Wal-Mart on  Perimeter Road in Valdosta. This is an annual service project for our club. Particularly new members were encouraged to participate, however we always have more than enough in line to sign up for a slot. Everyone agrees that we all leave feeling blessed by the true spirit of the holidays. The Salvation Army Captain Guy Nickum is seen here with Rotarian Bill Feimster.

The Rotary Clubs of Valdosta, Valdosta North and Valdosta Sunrise co-hosted a State Legislative Luncheon on Wed. at the Valdosta Country Club. Approximately 200 guests gathered to hear upcoming legislative issues from Sen. Tim Golden and Reps. Ellis Black, Amy Carter and Jason Shaw.

Read Full Press Release Here

Every year, the Rotary Club’s of Valdosta, Valdosta North, and Valdosta Sunrise co-host the State Legislative Luncheon.  The Chamber’s Government Affairs Council presents business issues for the upcoming State Legislative Session to the delegation. Sen. and Rotarian Tim Golden and Reps. Ellis Black, Rotarian Amy Carter and Jason Shaw will then respond to the issues presented.  The joint meeting will be held at the Valdosta Country Club.

Inside this week’s edition of your weekly club bulletin the Rota-Reel we also have a polio update from Rotary International, important news about our upcoming holiday after hours, and highlighs from last week’s program.  We look forward to seeing you at the Country Club!

Rota-Reel for 12-07-11

Our program this week is being brought to us by two of our newest and youngest Rotarians.  Baha Zeidan and Zach Miller are hoping to shed some light on the world of social media and new age marketing.  Inside this week’s edition of your weekly club bulletin, the Rota-Reel, we also have highlights of our last meeting, news from Rotary International, and a new member profile.

Rota-Reel for 11-30-11