Clara's Closet Project renewed for next year

CLARA’S CLOSET TEACHER SCHOOL SUPPLIES PROJECT
RENEWED FOR 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR

Newport Rotary announced on May 19, 2025 that its “Clara’s Closet” teacher school supply project would continue into the next school year of 2025-26. The project provides teacher school supplies that may not be provided by the school system to elementary school teachers at Newport Elementary School. The supplies are available semi-annually in a specified area in the Teacher workroom at the school. The needed teacher school supplies are identified through one or more needs surveys conducted with the teachers and input from the school administration.

Clara’s Closet began in the Fall of 2022. The project is named in memory of Clara Wall, “Miss Clara”, a career third-grade teacher at Newport Elementary (1960s-1980s) whose husband, son and daughter-in-law were all Newport Rotarians. Clara’s Closet is funded by Newport Rotary and the Wall family. It has received prior funding through The Newport Halloween Hootenanny, a grant from The Rotary Foundation, and various private donors.

Club Social Set for June 2, 2025 at Shortway's Brewing

Our second club social of the year is set for Monday, June 2, 2025 from 6-7 pm at Shortway's Brewing in Newport. Fun and Fellowship! Bring a guest. 

A 2025 Newport Halloween Hootenanny Committee meeting will follow at 7pm for maximum 1 hour. 

May 19 2025 Rotary Work Day Photos

 See our Work Day photos here.   

We had a great time and made visible improvements inside and out. Thanks to our special guests, Croatan High Sophomores Madison Madden and Maritzel Perez. You are invited back for our upcoming meetings as “Summer Rotarians”! 

Newport Rotarians with guests
Madison Madden (4th from left) and
Maritzel Perez (5th from left)

Work Day Today!

Rotarians will don their hats and gloves and wield their rakes and spray bottles as its time for "Spring-Cleaning" around the club building! One of the joys of owning our own building is that we get to take pride in its appearance, which does take a little effort now and again. 

Emphasis will be on the outside front hedges and beds and on the inside windowsills, jams, chair rail and baseboards. Bring your appropriate tools and supplies!! 

Newport Rotary Adopts New Name Badges

Nick's badge is alphabetically first,
first out of the bag, and
therefore used for this article!!  

After 76 years, Newport Rotary has adopted new name badges. 

Name badges have been synonymous with Rotary club membership since the beginning of Rotary in 1905. To this day they still prominently reflect the Rotary members first name, their "classification" or job descriptor and now possible volunteer status, and the Rotary wheel logo. 

In 2013 Rotary started phasing out the heritage (reads "old") branding and converting products and signage to the "master brand" format.

Name badges make it easier for guests to identify members at meetings and also are identifers for members out doing good in their community as "Rotarians". The new branding is consistent with other Rotary identifiers universally like websites, publications and social media.  

An example of the old badge style is displayed on the left. 

Photos and article by PDG Bevin Wall, Newport Rotary

April 7 2025 program - Aliceson Turnage - Volunteer Coordinator, Newport Pig Cooking

Aliceson Turnage

Newport native Aliceson Turnage will be the guest speaker at Newport Rotary's April 7, 2025 meeting at the Newport Rotary Building. Aliceson is the Volunteer Coordinator for the just completed 2025 Newport Pig Cooking and will share with us some of her experiences and challenges in that role this year. 

A 2005 West Carteret High School graduate, she works at FRC-East at Cherry Point and is a member of the Harvest Church of God where she helps teach children's church, works in the sound room, and assists with other church functions.

Join us at 5:00pm for a meet & greet and our regular meeting from 5:30-6:30 pm. Our meetings are open to the public. Bring a friend! A committee meeting for the 2025 Halloween Hootenanny will follow. 

Newport Rotary to Get CCT Theatre Project Update

Carteret Community Theatre in Morehead City lost their building and all their contents during Hurricane Florence in 2018. Since that time, CCT has faced major challenges in finding suitable performance locations while they work to restore the theater. We are going to hear from Pam Wall, CCT President (and Newport Rotarian) about the progress they have made on rebuilding to once again provide live entertainment, summer camps, and other amazing artistic programs for the citizens of Carteret County.

We will hear about fundraising - including the "Rotary Lobby", and progress on "Phase One" of the rebuild featuring a renovated, upgraded building with new seating, new lighting, an expansive stage, a first-class sound booth, expanded concessions, an art gallery, and new bathrooms. For more, see https://www.carteretcommunitytheatre.com/ovation-campaign