This Week's Speaker
Chris Carr, State of Georgia Attorney General
As Attorney General, Chris Carr believes he has no more solemn duty than to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution and laws of the State of Georgia and the interests of the people of the State of Georgia. He also believes that his office must play a significant role in protecting Georgians. [more]
Bring a Potential Member
Join Us for Thirsty Thursday This Week!
We are excited to invite you to join us Thursday, August 15 for Thirsty Thursday at Marlowe's Tavern in Dunwoody Village for fellowship, food and beverages! It all begins at 5:30 pm. It's a great opportunity to learn more about your Rotary family in a relaxed setting - a good time to share information about our vocations and how we can have fun and make a difference!
As you know, one of our key priorities for the year involves expanding our membership. Thirsty Thursday offers a great way to introduce someone to the club in an informal setting. As an incentive for you to do that, if you bring someone interested in joining RCD to this Thirsty Thursday event, the club will buy a first drink for you and your prospective member!
GRSP
RCD Welcomes Yemarian Workneth from Ethiopia
Our 2019-20 GRSP student is Yemariam Workneth from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We worked directly with Oglethorpe University to select Yemariam from its incoming freshman class of international students. She plans to study at Oglethorpe for the next four years (the first as part of GRSP) and will be pursuing a degree in international studies. Tim and Amy Le will be Yemariam's host parents for her freshman year.
Today, we welcomed Yemariam and her father with lunch at Flying Biscuit in Brookhaven, then helped her move into the dorms. Yemariam will join us at Rotary on Friday, August 23 (she has orientation at Oglethorpe this Friday). Her father will be joining us at this Friday's meeting.
Service Opportunity
Can You Help with Rotary "End Sex Trafficking Now” Project?
In Rotary and in Georgia there are new initiatives to reinvigorate efforts to combat the threat of human trafficking - here in Georgia and around the world. Why? There are over 40 million enslaved people, according to Walk Free’s Global Slavery Index. Louise Barden and I recently participated in a local meeting of Rotarians to discuss ways we could work together to combat human trafficking.
- Rotary International has established a Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS) - led by Coordinator Dave McCleary of the Rotary Club of Roswell. You can learn more about what the Rotary Action Group is doing by visiting https://ragas.online/local-groups/the-americas/
- Georgia’s First Lady Marty Kemp has initiated a project called "Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and Education” (GRACE), with a commission to combat human trafficking here in Georgia.
RCD has participated in the community “Awareness” Sex Trafficking program and I would like to restart our “Awareness” efforts to communicate to the community. Please let me know if you have interest in helping me to develop and implement an "End Sex Trafficking Now” “Awareness” program. If you are, please contact Charlie Augello at italian@e48stmarket.com.
Connect People to Dunwoody Rotary
Incentives to Bring a Prospective Member for Friday Breakfasts
This year one of President Cathie's top goals is membership. As co-Directors for Membership, Hoshi Daruwalla and Fred Brandt need your help with connecting good people to Dunwoody Rotary. We have some great speakers coming up … starting with Mr. College Football Tony Barnhart this Friday. Did you know that when you bring a prospective member on a Friday morning:
- You have our unending appreciation!
- Your guests get breakfast on us for the first two visits
- If your guests needs a little more time to sign on as new Dunwoody Rotarians, they can come back as often as they'd like through September 30 for just $10 a breakfast.
Bylaws Update
Update to Young Professional Membership Category Approved
The Club has approved an amendment to our bylaws related to the terms of membership for our Young Professional Active Members. The vote passed 36-4 (we needed at least 37 votes in total to meet quorum requirements). The change adds a $200 admission fee for new Young Professionals (YP) and set their dues at $200 for a quarter for the first year, or until age 35, whichever comes first. Current YP members will be grandfathered; the change will apply to new YP members inducted July 1, 2019 and after.
Just as a reminder, we created the YP category a few years ago to see if offering significantly lower dues to this age group would grow our membership. The strategy did not work and has had a negative impact on our budget.
Fellowship
Club Celebrates Our Rotary Foundation
Last Saturday night, 23 members of the Rotary Family of Dunwoody were joined by PDG Cheryl Greenway, our District Foundation chair, for an evening of fellowhip and celebration of our commitment to The Rotary Foundation. In brief remarks, Cheryl thanked our club for its generosity - more that $1.3 million in lifetime giving to the foundation, and said she liked to call it OUR Rotary Foundation - because its Rotarian generosity and Rotarians working around the world through TRF that help us make a difference.
Thanks to Ken Levy for organizing this event.
Supporting Each Other
Shop This Weekend at a Special Artist's Show
Ann Feeney is the wife of RCD Past President and Honorary Member Mike Feeney. She is an accomplished potter; several of us have awesome vases, plates and bowls created by Ann. She has also generously donated pieces for our Governor's Ball in years past! Take time this weekend to do a little shopping!
Public Image Opportunity
Help Us Share Rotary
You all know that Membership is one of our key priorities for 2019-20. While that certainly includes recruiting new members, it also means keeping our members informed about and engaged in the work of the club.
As your Public Image chair, I am asking for your help. I would like to build a committee to be sure we are keeping you and prospective members (everyone in our community) up to date on the opportunities for FUN, fellowship and service with the Rotary Club of Dunwoody.
Dottie Toney is already part of that committee, writing stories each week for The Dunwoody Crier. She has been doing this for several years and we have had incredible coverage there. PDG Bill Mulkey is a major contributor to sharing our rich club history.
I would like to enlist help with:
- Getting our story out on social media … Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linked In and more
- Updating our web site … I have completed an audit of the site and have some ideas for making it better, but would welcome your thoughts and hands too!
- Creating the weekly bulletin - I am the Editor this year but could use some back-up ... creating stories, acting as liaison or reporter for our key committes (Membership, Community Service, International Service and The Rotary Foundation, Service to Schools, Fundraising
- Making sure our events are captured with photos … Carter Stout and Mike Parks have been a big help here but we welcome volunteers to make sure we have the visuals to support our story.
Please contact me at 770-597-1183 or cuthbert@mindspring.com to share ideas or volunteer!