Newport Rotary Recognized by Governor

Pres. Joe welcomes Gov. Vanessa

District Governor Vanessa Ervin from Jacksonville was the guest speaker at Newport Rotary on August 25, 2014.

Governor Ervin presented RI President Gary Huang's Theme "Light Up Rotary", unveiled several new service initiatives, and presented several awards to Newport Rotary and its members.

Newport Rotarians and Guests Enjoy Networking!

Initiatives include the 2014-15 RI Presidential Citation, The District's 'Light House Award" for "Clubs of Excellence", the membership campaign "Stronger by 2- Stronger by 4", increasing the Paul Harris Society rolls, the October "Day of Service", the World's Greatest Meal for Polio", and information on the 2015 District Conference scheduled for Atlantic Beach, April 24-26, 2015.      

We thank Gov. Vanessa for her dedication to Rotary! The Recognitions are highlighted below.  

PP Larry Howard (left) is recognized by letter from 2013-14 RI President Ron Burton read by DG Vanessa Ervin (center) citing his 50 years in Rotary. He joins PDG Derryl Garner (right) as the two 50+ year Rotarians in Newport Rotary.

PDG Bevin Wall (left) is recognized by RI President Gary Huang (via Governor Vanessa Ervin, pictured, right) as a Gold-level New Member Sponsor for bringing in 6 or more new members since last year. He is featured on the RI website Member Recognition Gallery.  

Newport Rotary was recognized for over $300 per capita given to support our Rotary Foundation, and was awarded a $500 District Grant to support their new raised Flower Beds project at Croatan Ridge Nursing Home, a project that benefits residents as well as the local food pantry. 

Newport School Landscaping Completed

Chatham Street Front Entrance
to School, with Rotary's Flower Bed

Despite being delayed by a massive rainstorm during Monday's service project at Newport Elementary School (see related story here), and a soggy end of the week, the landscaping of the front grounds of the school was completed this past weekend. Included was about 3 hours of mowing, flower planting and trimming, as it looked like the grass hadn't been mowed in weeks. A manicured and cheery entranceway to the school greeted new and returning students and parents this morning, on the first day of school. This is the impression that we want to give our community! Good work Newport Rotary!

Mowing by Gym and Parking Area

Quad closest to office mowed and edged

Completion of Flowers Planted by
Front Door to School

Clara Wall Memorialized by Foundation Gift

Clara Wall 

Newport Rotary memorialized Clara Wall with a gift to the Rotary Foundation in her memory. The gift was made to the Annual Fund of the Foundation which support projects to build peace & goodwill locally and abroad.

Ms. Wall is the widow of deceased Newport Rotary Past President Wiley Wall and mother of current member and past District Governor Bevin Wall.

She was an active Rotary Partner, 30 year 3rd Grade Teacher at Newport Elementary School, a full-time grandmother for her 7 grandchildren, and a true "Southern Lady". She will be missed.  

Heritage Day Volunteers Sought

We need volunteers. Please consult your calendar and advise Jason Holland at  Jason.Holland@firstcitizens.com if you can be available September 20, 930am-noon for the Heritage Day Parade. We have been asked to help for this Newport Community event. Thanks Tammy, Joe & Craig for indicating your availability. 

District Governor to Visit August 25

DG Vanessa Ervin

District Governor Vanessa Ervin will be the speaker at our August 25, 2014 meeting. She will be bringing RI President Gary C.K. Huang's message and his theme of "Light Up Rotary". This would be a great opportunity to bring family and guests. Heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served. We will meet at the regular time. A Board Meeting with the Governor will follow and is open to all interested Rotarians.

Get Ready for School or Noah?

Some of the Newport Rotary work crew pose for pictures at NES.
From left, Hal Clark, Pam Wall, Pres. Joe Garner, PDG Derryl Garner
 and Maher Saikali. Not pictured Bevin Wall, Tammy Cooper, Winston Reese. 

Derryl Garner and Pam Wall plant colorful flowers by the entrance way. 

Newport Rotarians spread mulch and prune bushes. Pictured, Hal Clark,
Pres. Joe Garner and Tammy Cooper. Right after this picture the heavens
opened up, and the rest of our project time was rained out! 

Click here for the article. 

First Day of School Project

As we have for the past several years, Newport Rotary will be sprucing up visible areas outside Newport Elementary School for the first day of school. Principal Richard Paylor and other staff have joined us in the past, and we look forward to helping our school put its best foot forward with new and returning students and parents. Rotarians will meet at the Newport Rotary Building at the regular time of 5:30pm on August 18 and will proceed to NES. Work clothes and yard tools are requested. We will primarily be spreading mulch, planting flowers, and trimming a few hedges. Amazingly, the front of the school that we heavily mulched last year still looks quite good! It should take about an hour! Click here for the project pictures.      

    

8/11 Important Meeting

Newport Rotarians, In addition to a short program tomorrow, we will be conducting some important business. Among this: the annual budget, planning for the project on 8/18, and preparation for the Governor's visit on 8/25.

We ask everyone to be in attendance for this important meeting.

Pres. Joe, Sec. Bevin, Treas. Maher, PP Pam

Newport Rotary Plays "Name That Rotarian"

Newport Rotarians enjoyed light fare during the Monday, August 4, 2014 Rotary Meeting at the Newport Rotary Building. The group, equally comprised of newer and "more seasoned" Rotarians fielded a series of "Name that Rotarian" questions. Surprisingly, the newer Rotarians won out, guessing a majority of the selections from clues given. The notable Rotarians were US President Warren G. Harding, Marconi,-the inventor of "the wireless", J.C. Hall- founder of Hallmark Cards, Sam Walton of WalMart fame, Duke Kahanamoku- the Father of Surfing", Col. Sanders of KFC, Wilbur Wright of the Wright Brothers, Dr. Norman Vincent Peele, Boxer Manny Pacquiao, and Designer Emilio Pucci. The program concluded with a modern day summation of The Object of Rotary authored by PDG Jim Henry, a key commentator on Rotary trends, in his most recent blog article at Retention Central.