September 27, 2024 12:15 pm
President Jared Evans announced
the Club Assembly with the following events and topics:
- Recognition of Ms. Elma McCutcheon,
long-serving AWER member, by Ms. André H. Marria, Immediate Past
District Governor, and Mr. Buck Buchanan, of the Rotary Club of Marietta
Metro and Assistant District Governor serving North Atlanta Clubs. PDG Marria presented t he I See You Award , in recognition of Elma’s many
years of membership and distinguished service to AWER, and whose life is and
has been filled with service to others, including giving to loved ones in their
special times of need (such as she is providing to her beloved husband James)
as memorialized in a short video given to Rotary District 6900. Further, ADG Buck Buchanan presented several
items of memorabilia to Elma from the District.
- Elma thanked André, Buck and
others. She noted that her son Cory, now
nearing 40 was 15 when discovered to have a cancerous tumor in his brain. She thanked many AWER Rotarians supporting
her, including the late Dr. Brenda Watts Jones, former President of
Atlanta Technical College, the renown Otis Smith, MD, first Black
pediatrician in Georgia, Frances Ellison Dansby, and Neil Shorthouse.
- President Jared shifted the discussion
to a way to promote greater notoriety of AWER and possibly raise money for
Rotary International's End Polio NOW decades-long magnificent mission.
Jared stated that District Governor Gordon Owens is calling upon each
Club to donate at least $1500 to End Polio NOW.
We are on track to give $600 through our monthly donations to End Polio
Now through recognition of our speakers - which leaves a $900 goal. Jared
offered some ways to sell AWER shirts to help achieve the goal, including
selling higher fashion polo style shirts and T-shirts. He stated that these sales would not alone
raise $900 but could contribute, plus promoting awareness on the importance the
work of AWER.
- Shifting topics to AWER Club
Membership, Jared stated that not only does AWER gain from adding new and
dynamic members to our AWER community, but new members also expand its service
capacity from income derived through their dues. For example, the club has a
budgeted about $1,428 for the Rotary Foundation activities. This amount is
comprised of the donations made on behalf of program speakers mentioned above
($600) and a portion of each member's dues ($828) which is contributed to the
Annual Fund of the Rotary Foundation. More members would raise that
contribution amount made each year to the Annual Fund automatically. He urged
all AWER members to think of how each of us could bring one new member to AWER
this year. Mark Newman thinks
that once the massive West End Mall revitalization project is formally agreed
to, its project manager ought to become an AWER member.
Announcements included:
· AWER members taking on one of the seven
(7) projects developed by C J Stewart in support of L.E.A.D.
and Booker T. Washington High School students. Two AWER members would together share in one
of the monthly projects.
- The West End Neighborhood
Development Annual Musical Gala on Saturday, October 19th in the West End -
tickets at $55 each. Two remaining seats
are available at one of the two tables AWER has committed to.
- Our Holidays Party is set for December
13th at Wild Heaven Brewery on the Westside BeltLine.
_______
Neil Shorthouse , Keyway editor
Rotary Club of Atlanta West End
Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center
800 Spring St NW
Atlanta, GA 30308