President Alex's Final Meeting Fellow Rotarians- It has been an honor to serve as your President. I am extremely proud of our Club’s Board of Directors this year and our Club as a whole. We weathered two
food vendors quitting on us, substantial budgetary constraints and accounting surprises, and the normal challenges that each Rotary Club faces. However, as
this Rotary Year comes to an end as well as my term as your President, I am confident that the Club is stronger and better than it has ever been.
We fixed, without causing panic or placing blame, the vast majority of the economic issues that were inherited by this Board while at the same time fulfilling all
of our obligations and exceeding many others, such as our adopt a platoon, veterans programs and drives, River Clean Up, and tremendous impact with Youth Services Initiatives, and many more. We completed all of our traditional events, raised money to meet and in some cases exceed all of our charitable benchmarks with one of our most successful Golf andTennis Tournaments since Covid, we held the first of hopefully many more Christkindle Markets that brought our club and community together as well as resulted in fully paying off over $400,000 in expenses incurred by our friends Munich Events, thereby positioning both Friends of Bulloch and our Club to receive hopefully substantial donations for years to come. In fact, this past year, the Christkindle Market had over 120,000 visitors, substantially benefited Friends of Bulloch both financially and with record setting numbers of visitors, and showed off our city, club, and Market to over 720,000 people, and positioned our club to receive substantial donations in the future as well as improving our relationship with the city.
We hosted the Governor with a record setting crowd, as well as had terrific speakers and program throughout the entire year which ranged from politicians, to DEA agents, to community and philanthropic leaders, to opera leaders, to our own members. We held the first Honor Bus Trip since Gordon’s year with Ranger Graduation (thank you Roger, Gene, and Alicia) and with the endowing of the Maurice Hilliard Veterans Fund of over $100,000 we have both neared the
$1,000,000 mark to our own Downtown Community Foundation as well as positioned our Club to forever support Veteran initiatives.
I want to give a special thank you to John Michael Brunetti (our Roswell Rotarian Rookie of the Year who gave so much of his time, talent, and treasure for the
benefit of the Club), David White, who worked tirelessly to manage our meetings and food vendors), Leslie Bassett for stepping up as our treasurer during
trying times and navigating the club into an excellent financial posture, Michael Curling for taking our Youth Services Programs to the next level,
Kadijah Vickers for hosting so many wonderful events, allowing the Christmas Market to use her liquor license, and her leadership on youth reading
initiatives, and Alicia Hughes for arranging all of our speakers (and our AV team for keeping us on track every one of our 48 meetings). I also want to thank
the City of Roswell and our Recreation and Parks Department as well as Steven Malone for being amazing partners. I am positive that I have left out so many others that went above and beyond this year. Thank you to my Board and every member of this Club for the opportunity to represent and serve this Club and
everything that you have done and will continue to do live by the mantra of Service above Self.
I would also be remiss to not take the opportunity to remember so many of our fellow Rotarians that passed away this year and in years past, particularly legends of our club, all of whom will be missed, but never forgotten.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve the Best Rotary Club in the World and good luck to all future Presidents and Boards to continue building on the legacy
that began in 1951.
Alex B. Kaufman - President, 2023-2024
RRAH Hosts Doula Kara at Meeting Tonight!
Roswell Rotary After Hours is hosting a very special and unique guest for their meeting tonight, Doula Kara Hill! Several RRAH members have hopes of being a parent one day, so this meeting will be especially memorable for the future moms and dads of the group. Kara will share what exactly a doula is, why couples may want one at their birth, and what they can do now to change their thinking about birth and empower themselves to advocate for a safe and supported birth experience. A little more about Kara: She is a homeschool teacher, nature lover, amateur baker, bookworm and mama of five incredible children. Starting a family has shaped her in many ways, and one of the most significant was the discovery that she has a serious passion for birth. Kara wants to do her part to provide education and support to parents in her community by making them feel heard, empowered and confident. See you at 6:30 at The Artillery Room @ Gate City! How to Talk with Friends/Family About Hosting Rotary Youth Exchange Students? Discussing the opportunity to
become a host family for inbound Rotary Youth Exchange students can be a
transformative conversation for your friends, neighbors, and relatives. Begin
by sharing the excitement of cultural exchange: “Imagine the incredible experience
of welcoming a high school student from Japan into your home for a few months.
Through the Rotary Youth Exchange program, you can enrich your family’s life by
learning about another culture firsthand and sharing your own. Hosting a
student doesn’t just benefit them; it also brings new perspectives, traditions,
and friendships into your home, creating lifelong memories for everyone
involved.” Highlight the support and safety provided by Rotary: “Rotary
carefully screens students and provides strong support systems, ensuring both
the student and host family feel secure and well-prepared. While hosting
requires some commitment, the rewards far outweigh the effort. It’s an
opportunity to develop empathy, global awareness, and meaningful connections
that extend beyond borders. If you’re curious to learn more, we could attend a
local Rotary meeting or info session together—they provide all the details and
answer any questions you might have.” Contacts: Alesia Booth 404-226-3922; Vivian Bankston 770-309-5676; Michael Gould 770-617-2958; Don Horton 404-409-5558
Sat, 6/22 6-8pm: Your body is asking for this
Summer Sole-stice Walk with a Doc w/ podiatrist Dr Richard Kaufman
Enjoy the longest day of year with a hike led by the Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy (CNPC) at the Island Forge location. Guest Speaker: Podiatrist Dr Richard Kaufman will speak about keeping your feet happy (and pain free). Dr Kaufman (and our other doctors) will be available for questions after his talk and along the 2 and 3.5 mile hikes. After the hike, stick around for community conversation and snacks -- or head out for your next activity. Location: Island Ford -- Meet by the Visitors Center. 1978 Island Ford Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30350 or 33.98682341396897, -84.32653946158321 Trail map: https://www.crnra.vip/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Island-Ford.pdf
Nat'l Park parking fee or annual pass needed.
Contact Hal Schlenger hschlenger@greatsouthbenefits.com or Betty Price emcp@mindspring.com for more info. Sat, 7/20 at 8:30am: Your body is asking for this
Walk with a Doc: Fitness expert Max Nazaire shares advice. Join our walk to get answers your questions
Several Rotarians know Roswell's Safe Haven Fitness as a place for 40+ year olds to stay their healthiest. Owner and CNN Fitness Expert Max Nazaire will share tips for staying your healthiest, then walk with us should you want to ask questions. Our community walk will start at Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee in Roswell. You'll have the choice of a 2 mile and 3.5 mile walk through historic Roswell, seeing places you often drive past and don't notice.
After the hike, stick around for community conversation and enjoy coffee complements of Land of Thousand Hills.
Location: 352 S Atlanta St, Roswell, GA 30075 For more information, contact Betty Price emcp@mindspring.com or Hal Schlenger HSchlenger@GreatSouthBenefits.com
Last Week at Roswell Rotary
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