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Join us in celebrating this special occasion in honor of Mr. Sharian, one of our longtime Rotary members, featuring a presentation on the history of Sharian Rugs in Decatur by Walt Drake. Don’t miss this special event!
GREETERS THIS WEEK
Dan DeWoskin and Kelly Caudle
Weekly luncheon meetings begin at 12:15 pm
on Fridays unless otherwise noted.
. . . . . FRIDAY
AUGUST 29 No Meeting
Enjoy the
Labor Day Weekend
. . . . . THURSDAY
SEPTEMBER 4 Thirsty Thursday
5:30 to 7 pm
Location TBA
. . . . . FRIDAY
SEPTEMBER 5 Meeting Speaker Steve Ivory
Rotary District 6900 Governor
. . . . . FRIDAY
SEPTEMBER 12 Meeting Speaker George Dusenbury
State Director,
Trust for Public Land
. . . . . FRIDAY
SEPTEMBER 26 Meeting Program RYLA Experience, New Members
Classification Talks
SERVICE PROJECT: DEAM Support During August
August is our DEAM month. What is DEAM? DEAM (Decatur-area Emergency Assistance Ministry) is a ministry supported primarily by 18 area churches that seek to meet the emergency needs of the less fortunate in the community.
Decatur Rotary is partnering with Decatur Presbyterian Church to support DEAM during the month of August as one of our key service projects this summer.
What Can You Do?
The next time you go grocery shopping, pick up a few items from the list below and bring them to the club on any Friday in August. Place them in the basket on the front table. That's it!
Urgent and Ongoing Food Pantry Needs
DEAM relies on contributions of non-perishable food and basic health supplies. DEAM buys many canned goods from the Atlanta Community Food Bank at pennies on the dollar, but the items listed below are always in short supply.
Become a Host Family
Decatur Rotary is hosting a new exchange student, Max, from Taiwan, for the upcoming school year, and we still need two more host families. Hosting a Rotary International high school exchange student is a life-enhancing experience for your entire family. It’s a unique opportunity to get new perspectives, explore new customs, and share American culture and community with others. Most of all, you’ll build special friendships and connections that last a lifetime. By opening your hearts and home you share in international understanding and fellowship.
Want to know more? Click here for more details about hosting requirements. Contact John Bennett for more information.
Apply to Attend High School in Another Country
Know a student who would enjoy an immersive experience abroad? Applications for the 2026-2027 school year will open on August 1, 2025, and the application deadline is October 15, 2025.
Student applicants must be 14 to 17 years old at the time they apply. Students pay a non-refundable application fee of $150 to be considered for the program. Rotary International has one of the biggest student exchange programs in the world. About 10,000 high school students participate in the exchange each year worldwide. The program allows students to immerse themselves in a different culture.
Want to know more?Click here for more details about studying abroad. Contact John Bennett for more information.
. . . . .
SERVICE PROJECT:
Food for Hagar’s House
Maria and Stacey pack up food for Hagar’s House.
Every week, we pack up our lunch surplus and deliver it to Hagar’s House on Church Street (close to Twain’s). Hagar’s House is an emergency shelter for families with children and is a program of Decatur Cooperative Ministries, one of Decatur Rotary’s longtime partners.
We need people to help with two tasks: packing up food and driving it to the shelter. Your participation counts toward our club’s service project numbers.
To deliver the food to Hagar’s, just down Church Street, please sign up here.
Thanks for your help.
. . . . .
Milestones | August
Club Anniversaries
Tom Adams, 46 years
John Bennett, 19 years
Desiree Peagler, 19 years
Doug Park, 11 years
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Donna Phillips, 3 years
Marion Curry, 3 years
Laura Brookshire, 2 years
Desiree Peagler, August 3
Mac Willett, August 6
William Harshman, August 13
Dave Jollay, August 15
Friday, August 15 Recap
David Hughes gave our invocation
Dudley and Alison inducted new member Brian York. Welcome, Brian!
Lunch speaker Paul Welty
Paul Welty: A Talk about AI and Higher Education
Our speaker, Paul Welty, Vice Provost at Emory University, talked about how AI could play a beneficial role in higher education. He noted that education is critical to economic success, as business relies on an educated workforce, yet 50% of workers need reskilling now, and 375 million workers’ careers are expected to vanish by 2030, according to McKinsey. The traditional higher ed model is not ready to meet such demand, although with the use of AI, higher ed could make learning more effective through instant feedback, multimodal learning, mistake analysis, 24/7 availability, and emotional safety. Welty explained how Emory is using practice bots to train people to have difficult conversations for HR applications or in a funding context, such as talking to a “skeptical VC firm.” Welty believes that AI amplifies rather than replaces human expertise.
Rotary Exchange Student Spoke about Her Year in South Korea Minelli Sargent gave the club a thorough presentation about her incredible experiences over the past school year with her host families. She learned the Korean language, participated in the New Year sebae ceremony (in which young people bow to their elders and receive cash in return), got to know Korean café culture, and explored the outdoors. Decatur Rotary was pleased to support Minelli on her journey!
Visitors
Nancy Lucas – spouse of Eric Lucas
Jenna Summers and Matt Westmoreland –
guests of Jennifer Topple
Cristina Montesinos - guest of Maria Alvarez
Anita Jefferson – guest of Danielle Jones
Pam White – guest of Lawrence Sharp
Brady Beard – guest of Kelly Caudle
Donald Sargent and Clarissa Morelli – guests of John Bennett
Max Lee, Minelli Sargent, and Riley Paré – guests of the club
We hope to see you again soon!
Individuals are identified from left to right.
Dave Jollay and Al Adams (Nice to see you back, Dave!)
John Bennett introduced our new exchange student, Max Lee, from Taiwan
Clarissa Morelli and Donald Sargent, proud parents of exchange student Minelli Sargent
