July 31 Pool Party

Newport Rotarians and guests will enjoy at Pool Party 7/31 at Past Pres. Maher Saikali's house in Phillips Landing. 5:30 - until!

Bring something... 

District Surpasses Foundation Annual Fund Goal, Newport Rotary Among Leaders

District 7730 Annual Fund Chair Steve Hellersperk announced this week that District 7730 (Southeast NC) had surpassed its giving goal for the year raising over $250,000 for the Annual Fund of The Rotary Foundation and becoming an "Arch Klumph District".

Newport Rotary was in the top 4 clubs of over 50 clubs in support of the Annual Fund of the Foundation with a three year per capita average (showing consistency) of $327.27 per capita. Congratulations to Past Pres. Maher Saikali and his team. 

We Painted the Town, and other news...

Guest Jessica, Rtns. Julia & Pam keep the sodas chillin' 

BIG...BIG THANK YOU - to everyone who braved the heat to help today...what a great turnout of Rotarians we had to man the hot dog/chips/sodas - it was great fun and fellowship - and one of us (not mentioning any names Pam Wall) brought her broken foot along. So in the midst of this learning experience, we found that when it gets this hot, the cotton candy isn't a great idea - but you gotta try it once...we'll save it for the Hootenanny.

Many, many thanks to Julia Saikali, Rick Moreau, Bevin and Pam Wall (and their niece Jessica), Steve and Tammy Blizzard and Matt and Lindsay Shortway. It was a hot day - but Kinetico provided cold water...there were lots of tents for shade...and it was great watching the walls come to life. 

Bevin and Julia will be sending out an email with information about a pool party on July 31st at Saikali's...should be a great time. We missed those who couldn't make it this time - but there will be other chances to have fun.

Don't forget, we have a dinner for the Hospice House scheduled for Wednesday August 2nd - we still need pasta salad for 10 and some sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. We (the Newport Rotary) received a nice thank you note from the Hospice House for the dinner we delivered on the 19th - it was a big hit...  Thanks again for all you do... Pres. Anita

Paint the Town Celebration

Newport Rotary will provide lunch at the "Paint The Town" Community Mural Celebration on July 22, 2017 from 10am - 2pm at Shortway Brewing Company, Chatham Street, Downtown Newport. This is a fundraiser for the Halloween Hootenanny and other community projects. Click here for the event flyer. Contact Matt Shortway if you have questions about the event. shortwaybrewing@gmail.com

New Leadership Team Installed

Pres. Anita Moreau

Newport Rotary has new leadership! President Anita Moreau will guide the club during the 2017-18 Rotary year where the Rotary theme is "Rotary: Making a Difference". She and other club officers and committee members were sworn in during a change of leadership ceremony at the club's regular meeting on July 17, 2017.

The new club leadership, by position, can be viewed under the "Leadership" tab on this website.

Confirmed was 2018-19 President-Elect Richard Moreau and the club selected Julia Saikali to serve as Club President in 2019-20.  

Reflections on a Successful 2016-17 Rotary Year

2016-17 Pres. Maher Saikali 

The Rotary "year" ends June 30, so as new officers take over Newport Rotary, it is fitting to reflect briefly on some accomplishments of the club, before the new group blaze their trail.

Pres. Maher Saikali and his team are to be congratulated on an exemplary year of service to the community, support of Rotary goals, financial stewardship, and diversifying the club's membership base. Newport Rotary is among the top 17% of clubs in the district meeting the RI President's Citation Goals for the year. We are strong supporters of The Rotary Foundation, with 100% of club members being "sustainers" at the $100 per year level, and many more going above that with additional personal contributions, leading to club support level of over $325 per person. We are consistently among the top 10 clubs in giving by size and participation in grant funded projects.      

Newport Rotary's model of 1 "meeting" and 1 "service project per month is a good fit for the community and our members. Our new dues discount of 50% for the 2nd family member has been well received. We are in the community at least monthly for community events and projects at our local schools, parks, care homes, hospice, and local businesses. Monthly programs are a mix of "speaker" programs and planning programs, both geared toward informing and engaging our members. Newport Rotary's building, one of only two owned buildings in the district, is an asset to the community and is wholly supported by dues and rental income. Our fundraising for projects, primarily through the Halloween Hootenanny, is strong. For the first time in recent memory, there is (modest) money to fund projects and grants for the next year. Membership is still a priority for this year, but we are building on the success of last year's 45% membership increase, and significant lowering of our average age in the process. More importantly, those newer members bring energy, fun and a new circle of friends and family to the club. The future for Newport Rotary is bright.  The energy fueled by "Service Above Self" is back in Newport. The welcome mat is out for more to share in the fun! 

Leadership Transition Meeting July 17 & other dates to remember!

There is no Newport Rotary July 10.

The next meeting is our Leadership Transition Meeting on July 17 at 5:30pm at the Newport Rotary Building. Please join us as we celebrate with Pres. Anita, thank Past Pres. Maher, and set our course for 2017-18! Bring a Guest!

The District Membership Meeting is August 5, in Wilmington. We hope to have a group go, since this is a priority area for us! BUILD ON SUCCESS!

The Governor is scheduled to be with us on August 7.  Make sure it is on your calendar, and bring a guest! 

June 19 Meeting: Club hears about local "Friends of Aging"

Newport Rotary heard from guest speaker Pat Wesson on June 19 on the topic of the Council on Aging.

Rick & Erin Smith were both inducted into the club as members. They are proprietors of SuperCenter Mattress & Furniture Sales in Ocean Way Plaza.

Guest, Gus Davis of Riverside Pizza, set up our food for the meeting.