Newport Rotary Promotes Post-Helene Blood Drives

Photo credit: American Red Cross

Newport Rotary is promoting giving blood at our local blood drives during the upcoming month. Several recent Hurricanes have reduced available blood supply and the need is urgent. Please consider giving blood and encouraging others to do so. 

The local schedule can be accessed at this link or on the American Red Cross webpage. Please confirm all dates and times with the Red Cross local contact.    

Some local dates and sites (as of date of posting): 

• October 8, 2024, St James, Newport 
• October 10, 2024, Crystal Coast Wellness Studios, Morehead City
• October 11, 2024, Havelock Moose Family Center, Havelock
• October 11, 2024, Emerald Isle Community Center, Emerald Isle
• October 17, 2024, Glad Tidings Church, Morehead City
• October 21, 2024, First Methodist Church, Morehead City

Newport Rotary Donates to WNC Disaster

Hurricane Helene damage, Sept 2024
photo credit: NPR

Newport Rotary members personally donated $750 to Western NC Hurricane Helene Relief effort during its October 7, 2024 meeting, an amount that was matched by the club for a total $1,500 donation. Hurricane Helene has caused widespread devastation in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, leaving countless families in need of urgent assistance. The funds are being sent to the Rotary District 7730 Foundation to support direct funding of Rotarian led projects and supplies in Western NC (Rotary District 7670). Thanks to Steve & Tammy Blizzard, Richard & Anita Moreau and Bevin & Pam Wall for their generous donations.

Newport Rotary Labor Day Party

Newport Rotary will have a Labor Day Party in lieu of its regular meeting on Monday, September 2, 2024 at 5:30pm. This is a thank-you for the hard work put in by Newport Rotary members over this very busy spring and summer. Rotary members Bevin & Pam Wall will be hosting at their home at 1661 Highway 24, Newport. 

Bring spouse, SO, family or guest. Dress is beach/ Rotary casual, so bring your hard soled shoes if you want to go in the water. Any kids must be supervised in the water by adults and have age appropriate flotation gear. Weather permitting there will be water sports, sunning, hot-tubbing, sailing, etc. Bring your summer game of choice for the lawn.    

Food and basic drink will be provided. BYOB for your special beverage. Prepare to have fun. 

A word on the location. This is a direct turn off of Hwy 24 onto a private unnamed drive on the "sound side" between Buena Vista Drive and Florida Park Drive. The green mail box will be marked with balloons. Bear left near the end of the drive.  

20 Volunteers Support School Cleanup

 

NES First Day of School Volunteers

Newport Rotary's annual "First Day of School Cleanup" at Newport Elementary School took place on Saturday, August 17, 2024 with 20 Rotarians, friends of Rotary, school teachers and staff attending. 

In about 2 hours the school grounds were put in a friendly, welcoming condition for first time and attending students during the first week of school. Grass was mowed, trimmed and blown, shrubberies pruned, hanging plants hung and in about 2 hours of intense activity scheduled for the cooler morning hours. 

NES Principal Laura Parish and Rotary Club President Dennis Barber thanked all of those in attendance. It really means a lot to the school, staff and visitors to know that the community supports the school. It also gives a great impression to visitors that Newport is a welcoming and engaged place to be! Thanks to all those who made it out and donated equipment, including Rotarians Pres. Dennis Barber, Maher Saikali, Julia Capps, Tristan Thomas, Matt Shortway & Bevin Wall. 

Year 3 - Clara's Closet stocked by Newport Rotary & Wall Family

Newport Rotary & guests stock
Clara's Closet for the new school year

Click here for photos from our fun morning stocking Clara's Closet with needed teacher supply items at Newport Elementary School. School starts next week so the teachers are in "get ready" mode and this will really help them out. 

Gold stars to special helpers NES Principal Laura Parish, Newport Rotary President (and Newport Mayor) Dennis Barber and Rotary Assistant Governor Barbara Johnson! Also counting, sorting, arranging and displaying were Newport Rotary Members Rachel Bell, Anita Eadie, and Tristan Thomas. Newport Rotary's Bevin Wall & Pam Wall represented the Wall Family who started the project three years ago. 

Click here for the backstory on Clara's Closet. 

District Governor CJ Crooks to Visit Club

2024-25 Rotary District Governor CJ Crooks from the Rotary Club of Jacksonville NC will speak at Newport Rotary during the club's regular meeting on August 5, 2024 at 5:30pm. 

Light refreshments will be served. 

A meeting of the Club's Board of Directors will follow. 

Newport Rotary and Rotarians Recognized by District

District 7730 Clubs and Rotarians were recognized at the District Awards & Installation event on Saturday June 30, 2024 at the Waterline Brewery, Wilmington. District Governor (2023-24) Allen Quigley and District Governor (2024-25) CJ Crooks presided at the event. Newport Rotarians President Rachel Bell, President-Elect Dennis Barber, and Rotarians Rick Moreau, Anita Moreau, PDG Bevin Wall and family guests attended.

Newport Rotary was recognized as a District Governor Award Club for establishing, meeting and reporting a broad array of service oriented goals during the 2023-24 Rotary Year. Only 29 of 50 clubs were so recognized.  

Rotarians Rick & Anita Moreau were recognized with special District Individual Awards for Education Excellence for their roles in District Training and the Rotary Leadership Institute. 

Newport Rotarians were also recognized for their present or upcoming involvement in District Leadership as follows. PDG Bevin Wall as District Secretary & District Audit Chair; Pam Wall as District Trainer, and Rick Moreau as RLI Chair. 

In a District with 50 clubs, Newport Rotary remains heavily involved in leadership at all levels of Rotary. Thank you Newport Rotary! 

Click here for some event photos.

Photos from Newport Rotary's 75th Anniversary Cookout

Photos from the event can be seen by clicking here or at the following link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/w4Kjqfc4L7jyRbsi9. Enjoy!  

Newport Rotary 75th Anniversary Thank Yous

If you were able to attend, we hope you enjoyed the Newport Rotary 75th Anniversary Cookout. The friendship and fun was outstanding and the food wasn't bad either!! 

We thank our guests who attended including DGE CJ & Krystal, AG Barbara, all attending PDGs and Rotary Club of Morehead City (our club sponsor) members who attended.

Our special thanks to Maher & Mary Saikali (food) and cooks , Matt Shortway and Shortway Brewing (beverage) and all the Rotarians who participated in the program. 

We hope to see you at our next event!

Newport Rotary
Rachel Bell, Pres.
Dennis Barber, Pres. Elect
PDG Bevin Wall, Sec
PP Maher Saikali, Treas.
and the whole Newport Rotary team

Newport Rotary Celebrates 75 Years of Service

Newport Rotary was founded on June 17, 1949. That makes us- 75 years old! So, it's time to celebrate that milestone. Newport is not pretentious- it's the Town with Old Fashioned Courtesy- so we are having a cookout and inviting all of our friends. The stars aligned and June 17, 2024 is our regular Monday meeting day! We will have a cookout from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Newport Rotary Building, 245 Howard Blvd., Newport. If you're now in Newport Rotary, been a Rotary partner, or been a friend of Rotary at any time during the past 75 years - you are invited!

Click this link to let us know how many you have coming, so we can make sure to have plenty of room and food available. See you there!

Newport Rotarians Place American Flags on Veteran's Graves

Newport Rotarians (l-r) Tammy Blizzard,
Maher Saikali, Steve Blizzard, Joe Garner
and Dennis Barber stage the Flags   

Led by Club President-Elect and Town Mayor Dennis Barber, members of Newport Rotary placed flags on veteran graves in Newport area cemeteries on Wednesday, May 23, 2024 ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. In addition to PE Barber, Newport Rotary members Steve Blizzard, Tammy Blizzard, Maher Saikali and Joe Garner participated in the project.   

This is a new project for Newport Rotary. In previous years, Newport Rotarians have been called into service to repair older gravestones in historical areas of town cemeteries, and have occasionally done lawn care in neglected areas, along with the Troop 61 Scouts. In addition to being a part of the world's oldest and most prestigious service organization, Newport Rotary serves as Newport's "Chamber of Commerce" and often fills in where a community need is spotted. Thank you PE Dennis for the donation of the flags! Click here for photos.

Memorial Day, a federal holiday held the last Monday in May, is the nation's foremost annual day to mourn and honor its deceased service men and women. Originally called Decoration Day, it was formalized by a "Memorial Day Order" issued by Grand Army of the Republic Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan in 1868. Veterans from the American Civil War to present are buried in Newport's many cemeteries. 

Join Hospice Service Day

The Morehead City Noon Rotary Club has a planned Day of Service at 9:00 AM this Saturday, April 27 and we would be happy to see you there if you can help us. We will do a "Day of Service" at the SECU Crystal Coast Hospice House on Big Rock Weigh in Newport. We plan to clean up the exterior and grounds. The project is being coordinated by our President-Elect Tim Necaise. If you have a garden hose and work gloves, please bring them. If you have access to a pressure washer, that would be great as well. Thank you in advance. I look forward to seeing you there. PDG Doug Wolfe, Morehead City Noon Rotary Club.  

Newport Rotary Hosts Middle School Essay Contest

Essay Winners with their Rotary sponsors 

Newport Rotary hosted local middle school winners of the "Rotary Four Way Test Essay Competition" on April 15, 2024 at their regular meeting. The three contest winners at the Carteret County level were Madeline Haines (Sponsor, Rotary Club of Morehead City), Emma Marshall (Sponsor, Rotary Club of Morehead City- Noon) and Anna Shortway (Sponsor, Newport Rotary).

Each of the winners presented their essays live to assembled club members, family, Rotary sponsors and school representatives. District Governor Elect C.J. Crooks of Jacksonville, Assistant Governor Barbara Johnson of Morehead City and their club sponsor presented each winner with a Certificate, Four Way Test Coin and a monetary prize from their sponsoring Rotary club. See photos from the event here. 

AG Barbara Johnson also recognized Madeline and Anna for winning at the district level for top three out of more than 100 submissions and they were invited to present their essay at the upcoming District Conference for Southeast North Carolina Rotarians.

The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. The test has been translated into more than 100 languages, and Rotarians recite it at club meetings:

Of the things we think, say or do

Is it the TRUTH?

Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Newport Rotary President Rachel Bell invited the Essay Contest Winners to lead the club in reciting the Four Way Test at the conclusion of the meeting. 

Newport Rotary Supports Middle School Eclipsers

Newport Rotary teamed with Newport Middle School to safely watch the partial Solar eclipse on April 8. Newport Rotarians attended the 2:00 pm viewing event with a mix of the students from different classes. Club President-elect Dennis Barber spearheaded the effort and donated the eclipse glasses. Safely view the photos here.   

Newport Rotary Game Night Feb. 10

Newport Rotary will hold it's first "Game Night" social from 5:30-7:30pm at Shortways on February 10, 2024. Bring you favorite game to share. Come thirsty! If you have any questions, contact Taylor on DaCdb. See you there!