Rotary on Two Week Holiday Break

Meetings will resume Monday, January 6, 2014. 

Newport Rotarians Celebrate the Season

(clockwise from left around the table) Hal & Peggy Clark,
Maher Saikali, Susan & Dick Newton, Winston & Jean Reese

Newport Rotarians and guests enjoyed the fellowship of the season during their annual Christmas Party at the home of Maher and Mary Saikali on Monday, December 16, 2013. The home was very festive and decorated for the season.

Rotarians toasted and gave thanks, as well as remembered the continuing needs in the local and international communities. Well done! It was an evening to remember and got us into the Spirit of the Season! 

Rotary Pedestrian Bench Replaced

With the help of Billy Boyd at East Carolina Builders, this Rotary Bench was replaced last week. The prior one was destroyed in a vehicle accident. The bench, located midway down Howard Blvd. across from the Town Park, serves pedestrians utilizing the sidewalk on the main street in town, which is frequently by exercisers, bikers, runners and strollers, alike.  Rotary has erected and maintains 3 benches in town. Thanks to Billy & ECB. All that remains to be done is a little painting! 

Newport Rotary Project Featured in District Newsletter

From the Dec. 2013 Rotary District 7730 Newsletter. Many of our clubs have participated in Matching Grants in the past, providing much needed help in India, El Salvador, Peru, Trinidad, Puerto Rico, and many other countries. Last year, 2 Districts in India, offered help to District 7730 to feed hungry children in North Carolina. Yes, we do have children that have little or nothing to eat on weekends or holidays. This is a huge problem that affects a child's school performance and quality of life.

Districts 3010 and 3170 matched our District 7730 District Designated Funds and then The Rotary Foundation gave us a match for a total of $80,000 that came right back to District 7730. Each of our 8 Areas received $10,000 to use for food purchases and distribution. Rotarians and their sponsoring organization have been able to feed many children and will continue to do so throughout the year.

Participating clubs and the organizations they are working with were honored at our Foundation Banquet on Saturday, November 9, 2013. Those clubs participating and their sponsoring organizations [included]:Newport Rotary Club, partnering with Cape Carteret Baptist Church. 

Christmas Party Planned

The Newport Rotary Christmas Party is set for next Monday night, 6:30pm, December 16, 2013 at the home of Maher & Mary Saikali, 100 Peggy Court, Morehead City, NC 28570. A sign up sheet was passed at the meeting on December 9. If you plan on coming and did not sign up, or want to bring a different number of guests, please contact Maher Saikali by email at msaikal@hotmail.com.

We always have a good time and it's gets you in the spirit of the season. Rotary membership prospects (you know who you are!), this is a great time to get to socialize and mingle with our great Newport Rotarians. There is no cost for the party. Bring your spouse! 

New Fire Chief Speaks

Chief Bergamini with Rotary Pres. Pam Wall

Newport's new fire chief, George Bergamini, was the featured program at Newport Rotary on December 9, 2013. Chief Bergamini, who has been on the job in Newport for about two months, described his background and then outlined some of his emphases for the department going forward.

The Chief has a federal service background in firefighting, mostly in the Tidewater Virginia area, and when he retired from that employment, he worked in Currituck County (NC) before accepting the Newport Chief position.

He highlighted the quality of the Newport Fire Department personnel, both paid and volunteer, and also indicated that professional development and administration were two of the areas that could be immediately brought up to a high level. He detailed some recent equipment purchases of defribrillators and thermal imaging machines supported by the Town Board in one instance, and the Volunteer Fireman's Association on the other. One of the main concerns he has is the town's ISO Rating for insurance. He spoke in detail and answered numerous questions relating to how that affects homeowners in the Newport area. The club members asked numerous questions which were well answered. 

Newport Fire Chief to Speak on December 9, 2013

Chief Bergamini

New Newport Fire Chief George Bergamini will be the guest speaker at Newport Rotary on Monday, December 9, 2013. Please join us in welcoming the Chief to town.

The public is invited for the meeting, which starts promptly at 5:30 pm.    

Rotarian Derryl Garner Honored for his Public Service

Sign outside the Civic Center Congratulates Mayor
& Rotarian Derryl Garner for his years of Dedicated Service

Newport Rotarian and outgoing Mayor of the Town, Derryl Garner, was honored at a celebration held at the Crystal Coast Civic Center on December 3, 2013. Over 250 friends and guests crowded into the complex to offer their best wishes on Mayor Garner's 36 years of public service as Mayor of Newport, and his many other government and civic roles he has embraced throughout the years.

All the groups lauded Mayor Garner for his professionalism, integrity, constant presence, and his heart to do what was right for the people of Newport. State Representative Norman Sanderson presented Mayor Garner with the State's highest honor, induction into The Order of the Longleaf Pine.

Newport Rotary was among the groups that honored Mayor Garner. He is a Past President of Newport Rotary and was District Governor for all Eastern North Carolina Rotary clubs in 1974-75.  Past District Governor Bevin Wall of Newport Rotary delivered Rotary's remarks. Click here for the text of the remarks.

Fellow Newport Rotarians Town Councilman Steve Blizzard, and Club Treasurer Winston Reese joined in the celebration. See below for more pictures.

Rep. Norman Sanderson presents The Order of the Longleaf Pine to Mayor Derryl Garner

Moderator Rodney Kemp presides at a packed Civic Center at the Celebration. 

Rotarian & Outgoing Newport Mayor Derryl Garner with his thanks and concluding remarks.

Newport Rotary Trims Tree at Nursing Home

The Tree is Trimmed

Newport Rotarians pose with their "creation". Not bad!

 Newport Rotarians "trimmed the tree" to start off the season of Christmas festivities at Croatan Ridge Nursing & Rehab Center on Monday afternoon, December 2, 2013. The service project was "meeting credit" for the week.

Rotarians were meet by Activity Director Wendi Smith-Gordon, and assisted by Staff Facilitator Daniela Smith and volunteer Margie Ward. Newport Rotarians Steve Blizzard, Joe Garner, Winston Reese and Bevin Wall led the effort. Refreshments were enjoyed by all after the work was done.

Thanks to Rtn. Joe Garner who organized the project and to all of Newport Rotary that purchased a new tree and decorations for this year, the old one being "lost".

Newport Rotarians will take down and store the tree at season's end, so that the project can be repeated next year!

Staff Facilitator Daniela Smith serves snacks...

Newport Rotary to Trim the Tree at Croatan Ridge Nursing Home

The December 2, 2013 Newport Rotary Meeting will be a service project conducted at Croatan Ridge Nursing and Rehab Center. Newport Rotary will continue its tradition of "trimming the tree" at the facility which is always a lot of fun and highly enjoyed by all participants. Club members and Guests are invited to attend.  

REMINDER: The meeting will take place at the regular club meeting time of 5:30pm at Croatan Ridge. The address is: 210 Foxhall Road, Newport NC. Rtn. Joe Garner has coordinated this year's event. 

Club Learns about Massage Therapy

Janet Waid, a massage therapist at The OC Spa and Conference Center in Indian Beach was the guest speaker at Newport Rotary on November 25, 2013. The program was on mature adult stretching techniques, massage chair therapies and her work with students at Carteret Community College.

Ms. Waid, a 1997 graduate of the Atlanta School of Massage obtaining her Wellness Massage and Spa Therapies certificate, and has worked in massage therapy at The OC Spa since 2005. She is an Adjunct professor at Carteret Community College in the Allied Health Department. 

Newport Rotarians Welcome Mayor-Elect Barber

Mayor-Elect Dennis Barber (center-dark jacket) poses with outgoing Mayor Derryl Garner (to his right), and members and guests of Newport Rotary  at their November 18, 2013 meeting.  

Good Program, Mayor-Elect!

 Mayor-Elect Dennis Barber addresses Newport Rotary 

"Our Mayor-elect, Dennis Barber, did a good job with the program. He communicated a good overall vision for the town going forward, had a good grasp of the issues, and deferred to others in the room who had experience with some of the more technical issues. All of those traits will serve him well as Newport's next Mayor. This is insight into our local leaders that you can't get anywhere else but at Rotary!"

Derryl Garner Retirement Celebration

We celebrate with our friend and fellow Rotarian,
Derryl Garner for his 36 years of service
to the Town of Newport as Mayor. 

Newport Mayor-Elect Barber to Speak

Newport Mayor-Elect
Dennis Barber

The Newport Rotary Club is pleased to have Newport Mayor-Elect Dennis Barber as its guest speaker for the Rotary Meeting on Monday afternoon, November 18, 2013. Guests are welcome. 

After Retiring from the US Coast Guard, and running a furniture business, Mr. Barber now works as a Captain in the Carteret County Sheriff's Department. He has served with numerous area non-profits and boards, many in the mental health and medical field, including the Onslow/Carteret Behavioral Health Board, Crisis Intervention Team Program, National Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, Project Lifesaver International, and numerous groups on motorcycle rides to raise funds for charity. He has been married to Wendy G. Barber for 35 years and has three children and one granddaughter.

His top stated priority during the election as stated in the Carteret News-Times, was to "call upon the community groups and the people of Newport to discuss the issues that they believe are most important. and .... then focus on the ones the people and the community as a whole believe are the top priorities". We look forward to having him at Newport Rotary to start the dialogue.

Support Backpack Friends Brochure

Newport Rotarians Recognized for Foundation Support

PDG Bevin & Pres. Pam Wall
of Newport Rotary display the
recognition crystal evidencing their
support of The Rotary Foundation

Newport Rotarians Bevin & Pam Wall were recognized for their support of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International on Saturday night at the District 7730 Rotary Foundation Banquet in Wallace, NC. The couple became Level 2 Major Donors last year, joining only two other Rotarians in the District making that level of financial commitment or greater to our Foundation.

The Rotary Foundation uses donations to fund projects by Rotarians and our partners in communities around the world. As a nonprofit, all of the Foundation's funding comes from voluntary contributions made by Rotarians and friends who share our vision of a better world. Together, Rotary clubs, Rotary International, and The Rotary Foundation work to make lasting improvements in our communities and around the world. Read more about The Rotary Foundation.

Newport Rotary Recognized for Feeding Hungry Children

Newport Rotary Pres. Pam Wall receives "Feeding Hungry Children" Grant recognition for the club from District Rotary Foundation Chair PDG Lee Dixon at the District 7730 Rotary Foundation Dinner in Wallace NC on November 9, 2013. The club has sponsored the Backpack Friends Project in local schools with the proceeds of the grant.   

Click here for more info about the project. Click here for some more photos. 

Newport Rotary Loads Food for Local Children's Backpacks

Click here for the story. 

Newport Rotary President Pam Wall discusses food delivery process with BackPack Friends Coordinator Becky Rowland of Cape Carteret Baptist Church. Thanks to a Rotary Foundation grant, over $5,000 in food was purchased from WalMart on November 6, 2013 for the purpose of stuffing backpacks for underprivileged children in the local school system. 

November 6, 2013. Becky Rowland, Pam Wall and Newport Rotary Past District Governor Bevin Wall are surrounded by pallets of food destined to fill local children's backpacks this holiday season courtesy of our Rotary Foundation.   

Newport Rotary Organizes Successful Community Hootenanny

Well over 2,000 people attended Halloween night's Newport Halloween Hootenanny at the Newport Little League Park and Community Building.

Newport Rotarians coordinated the community event.

Read more and see the pictures at The Newport Halloween Hootenanny website. http://newport-hootenanny.blogspot.com/ 

Club to Screen "The Final Inch"

Newport Rotary will screen the Academy Award nominated HBO documentary film "The Final Inch" about the worldwide fight to eradicate Polio during its meeting of October 21, 2013. Guests are welcome.

Click here for more details on the film.  

October 14 Meeting: Hootenanny Games Cleanup

It's Hootenanny Game Clean-Up and Repair Night. The club will meet at the regular time and then leave to go to the facility where the games are stored for assessment, priority of repair and apportioning games to Rotarians for necessary maintenance before the event on October 31, 2013.  Newport Rotary is the coordinating sponsor of the Newport Halloween Hootenanny. 

Halloween Program

The October 7, 2013 Meeting of the Newport Rotary Club included a program on Halloween facts & trivia, and preceded the steering committee meeting of the Newport Halloween Hootenanny. Newport Rotary is the coordinating sponsor of that event.  

Club Hears About Election Law Changes

Bill Henderson was the guest speaker at Newport Rotary on Monday evening, September 23, 2013. Mr. Henderson, a lifelong Newport native son, is the Democrat (minority) member of the Carteret County Board of Elections, and former Chairman of the Board. He is the owner of H&H Electric. He was invited by Rotarian Bevin Wall to speak on the subject of upcoming changes to elections laws in our state.

Rotary Club Secretary Joe Garner with Guest Speaker
Bill Henderson from the Carteret County Board of Elections

After making it clear that the recent legislative changes did not effect the upcoming 2013 municipal elections, Mr. Henderson outlined recent changes to election law including changes to Early Voting, Voter ID, Provisional Ballot and the Straight Party Ticket. The club members were very interested in the details of several of the changes, to which Mr. Henderson ably provided detail and examples. He stated that his philosophy was to make try to make it easier for people to vote but that it was also important that people have confidence in the system, and the concept of Voter ID may provide such confidence. He stressed that the mandate of the County Board of Elections was to follow the law, as may be changed from time to time. More information may be seen on this topic in this article from WRAL.com entitled Q&A: Changes to NC Election Law.

Sharon Howard prepared delicious snacks. Secretary Joe Garner filled in for Pres. Pam Wall who was ailing. 

Newport Rotary Hosts BackPack Friends

Danielle Abraham of BackPack Friends delivers a heart-
felt message about the hunger that children face daily
in our local communities 

Danielle Abraham of the BackPack Friends ministry at Cape Carteret Baptist Church was the guest speaker at the Newport Rotary Club on Monday afternoon, September 16, 2013. The project started out as a ministry of the church in 2009 and has grown exponentially throughout Carteret and Onslow Counties as other churches and civic organizations have gotten involved.

BackPack Friends provides nutritional meals and snacks to children who may need a little extra over the weekend. By supplying these bags, their goal is to assist in meeting the child's (and often the family's) nutritional and mental needs and overall well-being. BackPack Friends targets kids who access free and reduced-price breakfasts and lunches at school. Children are identified as “in need” by school guidance counselors and site coordinators. Backpacks are filled with healthy foods and are discreetly distributed to children before weekends or holiday vacations and empty backpacks are recollected and refilled for the next weekend’s use.

District Gov. Andy Chused

District 7730 Governor Andy Chused and Assistant Governor Bill Kaeser were present at the meeting and presented a check from The Rotary Foundation for $5,100 to support the project in the western part of Carteret County. A total of $8,000 is being distributed in Carteret County from this grant to BackPack Friends, with the balance being administered buy other Rotary clubs. The funds are part of a Matching Grant of The Rotary Foundation, which was instigated and sponsored by Rotarians in India as a "thank you" for projects being done in their country. Newport Rotarians will be "hands-on" in the project by helping stock the bags and deliver them to the schools.

Ms. Abraham was joined by Becky Rowland, also involved in BackPack Friends, as guests of the club. Both were invited by Club President Pam Wall.  

Click here for the Brochure on the BackPack Friends Project. Click here for the BackPack Friends webpage. 

Rotary Foundation Grant to be Awarded for Backpack Project

Backpacks will be stuffed with durable food
goods and sent home with at-need students
as selected by their schools

A number of local and Rotary dignitaries are expected at the Newport Rotary Club meeting on Monday, September 16, 2013.

At that time, a check for over $5,000 will be delivered to the club so that it can participate in the county-wide Backpack Project, a child hunger project in association with the Carteret County School System and other local church and community groups. Newport Rotary will take the largest portion of the grant, and deliver backpacks to the most children among the participating Rotary clubs.

The Grant is funded by The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International for local community service projects. Rotarians, their significant others and other guests are invited. The club meets at 5:30pm at the Newport Rotary Building, Howard Blvd.    

What Attracts & Engages Younger Members - by A Younger Member

Speaker Brian Boyette and
Newport Rotary President Pam Wall 

Brian Boyette, President of the Morehead City Rotary Club, was the guest speaker on September 9, 2013. His talk centered on his personal story and what attracted and engaged him at his current club, which is an older, smaller club, similar to the Newport Rotary Club.

Brian shared these points:

• He wouldn't have joined if someone wouldn't have asked. 
• Every Rotarian needs to ask qualified members to join their club. Like what was discussed at the D7730 Membership Seminar, it's a culture of asking, not just a "membership drive"
• A "no" can sometimes turn into a "yes" if the prospects situation changes. 
• Friendships are a key component of his club experience. 
• Quality and community-connected programs keep him in Rotary.
• We need to ease new members into Rotary and not overwhelm them with jargon and duties. 
• Make-ups are a real benefit of Rotary membership.       

Brian is celebrating his 10th year as a Materials Engineer at the Naval Air Depot at Cherry Point. He is a native of Kenly, NC and was a recipient of a Rotary Scholarship in High School, and received his degree at NCSU in 2003. Brian, we thank you for your insights! 

Featuring Ms. Jane's Cookies

Rotarian Larry Howard happily poses with a tray of Mrs. Jane Garner's
molasses cookies! Believe me, they were a hit on September 9!  

Past President Recognized

Newport Rotary Club Immediate Past President, Steve Blizzard, was recognized by the club with his Past President's Pin during the September 9, 2013 meeting of the club. The pin was presented by 2013-14 Club President Pam Wall. (both pictured at left)

The New Generations Programs of Rotary and Engaging Members

Pres. Pam Wall with District Governor-Elect Kay Gresham
and her husband, John.  

Kay Gresham, District Governor-Elect of the Southeast North Carolina Rotary District, was the guest speaker at Newport Rotary on August 26, 2013. DGE Kay, a career educator from Jacksonville, NC, spoke on the topic of using the New Generations Programs of Rotary International to engage existing, new and prospective club members.  She was the Youth Programs Chair of the district for many years.

We welcome back Rtn. Larry Howard (seated) from his
travels. Also, congratulations to Larry & Sharon!  

DGE Kay using an interactive style to lay the groundwork for her presentation. By the end, the club had discussed the Rotary International New Generations Programs of Interact, Rotaract, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) and Youth Exchange. Further, the Club had explored how those programs might lead to young person or parental involvement in club activities and events.

DGE Kay was accompanied by her husband, John. They received a short tour of Newport after the meeting.

The club was happy to welcome back Rotarian Larry Howard from his travels, and got an update on the health of Manley Smith, who we hope will be able to get back to Rotary soon.

Thank you from Newport Elementary School

Dear Newport Rotary,

On behalf of NES, I would like to thank you and the Newport Rotary Club for the work you did at our school. The appearance of the front of our building was noticeably improved as I pulled into the parking area this morning. We truly appreciate your efforts!

Sincerely,
Richard Paylor, Principal 

Newport Elementary School 

Newport Rotarians Ready Elementary School for Opening Day

Rake'ish Newport Rotarians Steve Bizzard,
Bevin Wall and Joe Garner prepare school for students 

The Newport Rotary Club's community service project for the month of August, 2013 was to beautify the garden beds along the entryway and front of Newport Elementary School in anticipation of the arrival of students on Wednesday. Thankfully, the persistent rain broke for the two hours that the project was scheduled, allowing for its completion.

Rotarians positioned, opened, distributed and spread 20 bags of mulch in the front beds of the school, and in addition did some weeding and pruning. The Carteret County School system provided the mulch, and Principal Richard Paylor served as the school liason for the project. This is the second consecutive year that Newport Rotarians have adopted this project. Rotarian and Town Councilman Steve Blizzard, Red & White Grocery Proprietor Joe Garner, and Attorney Bevin Wall led the effort. 

First Day of School Project Looms

Newport Rotarians and guests- the August 19, 2013 Rotary Meeting will be a Service Meeting at Newport Elementary School as we beautify the front of the school for the arrival of students on Wednesday. Bring your tools and a smile! 

Battle of Newport Barracks Park

Pres. Pam Wall and speaker, Dwayne Oglesby, from
The Newport Historical Museum  

Dianne Johnson and Dwayne Oglesby were the guests speakers at the Newport Rotary Club on Monday afternoon, August 12, 2013. Both represented the Newport Consolidated School Alumni Association's newest venture, to build on The Newport Historical Museum, and to establish a Civil War Memorial Park across from the Elementary School and beside the Teacherage/ Newport Historical Museum.

Dianne spoke of the changing roles, while Dwayne filled in Rotarians on the details of the proposed park. The park will be a 100' x 200' fenced in area located to the north of the Teacherage Building and fronting on Chatham Street in downtown Newport. It will contain a replica cannon, information center, typical barracks, a railroad bridge, recently removed from the Newport River, gravesites commemorating Union and Confederate dead, and lots of seating areas. Click here for a site drawing of the proposed park.    

Both thanked Gerry Mann who has done work on the drawings and contributed to the project, and Eric Lindblade, who is the historian for the group. 

Difficult Issues in Humanitarian Aid

Aug 5 Rotary Speaker Madison Wall (r) with her friends,
(from l-r) Morgan Flythe, Megan Linney

The August 5, 2013 program at the Newport Rotary Club was presented by Emory University sophomore Madison Wall on Difficult Issues in Humanitarian Aid. The presentation was a summation of her class at The College of Charleston on The Politics of Humanitarian Aid. She was the guest of Rotary Club President Pam Wall, her mother.

These types of images are used to
manipulate the emotions of the viewer,
sometimes creating unintended consequences...
Picture Credit: humanitarianaid.weebly.com 

Madison put humanitarian aid in the context of a triangle, with aspects at each point of independence, neutrality and impartiality, and then explained the importance of each. She discussed the intersection of the media, and the psychological reaction the masses have to crises or conflicts based on the way and the time in which they are presented. Lastly she talked about the economics of aid, sustainability, and the lack of accountability for the end result of aid, which often ends up prolonging the very conflicts and problems it is meant to alleviate. Examples from the World War II Concentration Camps, Biafra, Ethiopia to the Rwandan genocide and later related central African conflicts were used as examples.          

Related to Rotary Aid Projects, it was mentioned in later discussion that "sustainability" in grant projects, and a verifiable local presence by Rotarians, helped to minimize some of the issues raised.

Madison was accompanied to Rotary by her friends Morgan Flythe and Megan Linney. 

Our Rotary Foundation Advocate

Foundation Advocate Steve Hellersperk with
President Pam Wall 

Steve Hellersperk, our club's Area Rotary Foundation Advocate, and immediate Past President of the Morehead City Noon Rotary Club was the guest speaker during the July 22, 2013 Meeting of the Newport Rotary Club.

Steve's role as a Rotary Foundation advocate is to work as a team with the Area Assistant Governor, and the Area Membership Advocate to help serve clubs and be resources. Area I are all of the Rotary clubs in Carteret County. Steve talked about getting to know his new role, which he began July 1. he spoke of the power of the Rotary Foundation to do "big things" like sustainable projects and Polio Immunization, and to bring solutions of scale to some of these projects, as well as people with a passion to "do good in the world". He also shared some about his unique background as a child of the Polish underground in World War II, and the very lucky trip he and his mother took toward the end of the War during the Russian occupation, on a "purchased" American visa.

In other club discussion, the vacancies on the Newport Town Council and Mayoral position were discussed, and it's reflection on the want of citizens to take up the mantle of leadership. Thanks were voted to Newport Rotarians Mayor Derryl Garner and Councilman Steve Blizzard for their past leadership. Maher Sakali provided the hors d'oeuvres. President Pam Wall presided.       

Rotary- Morehead City Marlins Social July 16

Rotarians are gathering at the Morehead City Marlins game Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 6:00pm for a meal and baseball game.

Come see your friends and cheer on the home team!  

Governor brings Annual Message to Club

Gov. Andy Chused and Newport Rotary President Pam wall

Newport Rotary was privileged to have District Governor Andy Chused as its guest at its Monday 5:30pm Meeting July 15, 2013. Each year the Governor is charged with bringing the Rotary International President's message and theme to clubs, and this year, RI President Ron Burton's theme "Engage Rotary, Change Lives" was highlighted.

Governor Andy's message was informative and inspiring, as he urged participation in community events, international projects through The Rotary Foundation, and the building of membership.

Governor Andy thanked the Newport Rotary Club for having a good percentage of members at his installation, and said he was adding Newport Rotary's "Rotary Minute" to his "Best Practices" list in his talk to other clubs. Governor Chused is a member of the Morehead City Noon Rotary. Also attending with the Governor was Assistant Governor for Area 1 Clubs, Bill Kaeser.    

Gov. Andy Chused to Visit July 15

District Governor Andy Chused will visit the Club on July 15. Please be present to meet and greet Gov., Andy, who was installed a short 2 days ago! 

July 8 Patriotic Program

The July 8, 2013 Meeting of the Newport Rotary Club featured a patriotic program on the lives of the three signers of the Declaration of Independence from North Carolina. The program identified the sacrifices made by each of the signers, their varied backgrounds, and the fact that all of them died by age 50. North carolina led the Continental Congress in one important respect. They were adamant about a protection for individual rights - that ultimately turned into unwavering support for the "Bill of Rights" amendments to the Constitution. The program was presented by Bevin Wall. 

New Meeting Time Announced

By unanimous vote of the membership of the club present at the July 1, 2013 meeting, the club decided to change its meeting time to 5:30-6:30 PM Mondays. Snacks and beverages will be provided, except during service meetings. 

Paint the Flagpole, Take 2

For the meeting of Monday June 17, 2013, there will be a Service Meeting and the work project will be to paint the flagpole at the Newport Rotary Building.  

The meal is "Dutch Treat". 

I am sorry I will be missing that. It sounds like it would be fun to watch... 

June 10, 2013: Rotarians at Work

June 10, 2013 was an "outside clean up" meeting at the club.

Lured by the prospect of Joe Garner's famous hot dogs, the club members clipped (Winston), swept (Hal & Steve), trimmed (Bevin), powerwashed (Pam), hauled (Joe), and otherwise worked on the exterior of the building. We thank Amos and Derryl for dropping by!

Isn't it funny how good food tastes when you've been working hard outside?

Pres. Steve Blizzard works -
with some needed supervision from PDG Derryl Garner

PDG Bevin Wall with power tools. Look out!

Raise the Flag

The June 10, 2013 Rotary Meeting Service Project will be repairing the flagpole at the Rotary Building and performing other associated maintenance. Show up and Lend a Hand!  6:30pm. Visitors welcome!

The Fun of Rotary International Conventions

Past Pres. Pam Wall

The June 3, 2013 Meeting of the Newport Rotary Club had a program by Rotarian Pam Wall on the Fun and Value of Attending Rotary International Conventions.

An eight-time Rotary International Convention attendee, since 2001 Pam has attended conventions in San Antonio, Barcelona, Osaka, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Los Angelos, Montreal, Bangkok, and will be attending the upcoming Lisbon Convention.

According to Pam, the fun of attending conventions is meeting the people from different cultures, all who have shared goals relating to their Rotary membership.

For Pam, the value of attending conventions is a renewal of her drive to make the world a better place through her Rotary membership, seeing everyone pulling in the same direction, and validating why she became a Rotarian and remains a Rotarian.

Maher Saikali hosted a great meal. The meeting was well attended.