NEWSLETTER | Jan. 15, 2025

Friday Lunch Meeting
Jan. 17 | 12:15 pm
. . . . .
 

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OUR SPEAKER
 
Dr. David Wright
Emory University School of Medicine
 
Dr. Wright is a tenured professor and the chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. He also serves as the vice chair for innovation and discovery and leads the Emergency Neurosciences Laboratory (ENL). He is a board-certified emergency medicine physician practicing at Emory affiliated hospitals and Grady Memorial Hospital. He is the co-inventor of the DETECT technology, a rapidly deployable, easily administered, comprehensive system for the assessment of concussion and other neurological disorders.
 

 
ALSO . . .

District Governor Gordon Owens Visits Decatur Rotary This Friday
 
 
Don’t miss this week’s meeting – we need a full room ready with a hearty welcome for our District Governor, Gordon Owens! Gordon will speak for a few moments before the luncheon speaker and share what’s happening in 2025. See you there!
 
 
More about DG Owens
Gordon grew up visiting the Newport Beach Rotary CIub with his grandfather during visits to southern California. Tagging along while his grandfather delivered Meals on Wheels as one of his club's service projects left a lasting impression on Gordon.

When he started his own digital marketing agency, he sought out Rotary to get involved in the community. Early in 2011 he joined the Roswell Rotary Club and jumped right in. This large and active club was a perfect fit for Gordon's fun-loving personality. 

Gordon is proud to say that he is a 3rd generation Rotarian as his father Bob, joined the Boulder Colorado Rotary Club a few years ago. One of his Rotary Moments was getting to exchange flags with his dad during a Roswell Club meeting.

Gordon's wife, Ashley, also grew up with Rotary, as her father, George Stewart is a Iong time member of the Rotary CIub of Dunwoody. She loves being a Rotary spouse as she and Gordon have made many Iife-Iong friends through Rotary. They even have 3 Rotary daughters from hosting GRSP and Rotary Youth Exchange students over the years.

For Gordon and Ashley Rotary is a family affair and they are honored to travel the state visiting clubs as Gordon serves as our District Governor for the 2024-2025 Rotary year.
 

GREETERS THIS WEEK
 
Lawrence Sharp and Jennifer Topple

 
 
Weekly luncheon meetings begin at 12:15 pm
on Fridays unless otherwise noted.
. . . . .
FRIDAY
JANUARY

24
SPEAKER:
Dov Wilker Regional Director, AJC Atlanta
. . . . .
FRIDAY
JANUARY

31
SPEAKER:
TBA
. . . . .
THURSDAY
FEBRUARY

6
THIRSTY THURSDAY
Location TBA
 
. . . . .
FRIDAY
FEBRUARY

7
PROGRAM:
STAR StudentS
. . . . .
FRIDAY
FEBRUARY

14
SPEAKERS:
Shaakira Silvera,
Michelle Kuperman

The Global Village Project
. . . . .
FRIDAY
FEBRUARY

21
SPEAKER:
Gretchen Hiley

Randstad

Weekend of Service Is Here:
MLK Day Service Project Jan. 18, 19, 20
If you have not yet signed up to participate in the annual MLK project, it’s not too late! This weekend (Saturday, Sunday, and Monday), we will be working at 153 Park Dr. Please use the signup link below, so the project manager can plan accordingly.
 
District Governor Gordon Owens will be joining us on the project, too. We are aiming for full club participation. There’s a job for everybody – and it’s a good time!
 
Scroll down to join your fellow Rotarians for the MLK service project January, 18, 19, 20!

SERVICE SIGN UP
 
MLK Sign up for Shifts: sign up HERE
Home and yard maintenance and repair for elderly residents
 
 
. . . . .
Three New Members to Be Inducted
 
We will officially induct three new members at this meeting. Come welcome our newest club members! With a packed agenda, we will begin a bit earlier than usual.
 
 
. . . . .
Rotary Youth Exchange Needs Host Families - Deadline Jan. 31
 
Our club will host an exchange student for the 2025-2026 school year, and we need to identify Decatur host families by January 31. Three families within the City of Decatur School district are needed to host – the student spends about three months at each home and will attend Decatur High. Let John Bennett, Kelly Caudle, or Doug Park know if you or a friend are interested.
 
Why host a foreign exchange student? Read John Bennett’s piece in Decaturish to find out!
 
Read the journal entries of our outbound exchange students, Riley in Italy, and Minelli in South Korea and find out what they’re up to.
 
 
. . . . .
Milestones
Club Anniversaries
David Ewing, 29 years    
Doug Robinson, 12 years    
Bryan Markowitz, 10 years     
 
January Birthdays
 
 
Brian Deutsch, 6 years    
Charles Lutin, 3 years
James Herndon, 1 year
 
 
 
 
Pete Pfeiffer, Jan. 1
Bill Mealor, Jan. 4
Alan Dishman, Jan. 19
Lawrence Sharp, Jan. 23
Doug Robinson, Jan. 27

FRIDAY | JANUARY 31, 2025
 
Harl Pike gave the invocation. Tim Martin (right) reminded everyone that this week’s special program starts early: hosts for STAR program guests should arrive at 11:30, and lunch will be served at 11:45. Doug Robinson (above, left), house captain for our MLK service project, reported that inclement weather prevented us from completing the finishing touches. He’s looking for three consecutive good-weather days for us to return to the home and complete the painting job. Stay tuned for those make-up days. 
 
Wondering where some of our club members are? Are you missing having conversations with anyone? If you notice someone hasn’t been attending meetings, take the initiative and call or email them (use our handy Club Runner directory). Make sure our members know that we care, and we want to see them at lunch. Let’s take care of our Rotary Club community!
 
Maria Alvarez reached out to Mary Ann Cathopoulis, who has been recuperating from illness. Eric Lucas said that he had contacted Barbara Tedrow, who has also been out because of illness. 

Speaker Jon Thompson with Club President Dudley Larus
 
Maria Alvarez introduced speaker Jon Thompson, CEO and co-founder of the nonprofit organization Comunidad Connect, which offers programs in Nicaragua and Dominican Republic designed to improve public health, community development and sustainability, and opportunities for young people through sports. Jon talked about how critical relationships are to his organization’s success. He said, “Real change happens at the speed of trust.” 
 
Visitors were Nedra White-Shaw, guest of John Bennett; Candiace Williams, guest of Danielle Jones; Misty Palmer, guest of Dan DeWoskin; Jailah Zanders, guest of Lawrence Sharp; Dr. Mohamed Saleh, president of the Cairo Rhine-Nile Club in Egypt.

What's New in Cebu?
 
Read the latest newsletter from the Rotary Club of Cebu, Philippines, our sister club.

Thank You to Our Club Sponsors 
 
We are grateful for the support of our local sponsors, and we encourage our members to support them in return.

WANT MORE?

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Sincerely,
The Bulletin Committee
Decatur Rotary Club

 
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