President's Message
This Week at Roswell Rotary: DG Visit, Our Values, Heroes, Fall Action
This week, we are honored to host District Governor Steve Ivory of Rotary District 6900 as he visits our club and shares his vision for Rotary. The position of District Governor is one of the most important leadership roles in Rotary International. A governor doesn’t just hold a title — he/she serves as the bridge between Rotary International and the local clubs that carry out Rotary’s mission on the ground. Roswell Rotary has had three past District Governors who served from our club: Cheryl Greenway, Bob Hagan, and Gordon Owens. We are proud of them and proud to welcome DG Steve to our meeting. The role of a District Governor is grounded in service, support, and vision. DG Steve provides guidance to dozens of clubs across our State, helping presidents and members align with Rotary International’s priorities, while inspiring us to continue serving our communities with energy and purpose. He is charged with visiting every club in the district, listening to our challenges, celebrating our successes, and encouraging us to dream big about what Rotary can achieve. As Arch Klumph, founder of The Rotary Foundation, once said: “The Rotary Foundation is not to build monuments of brick and stone. If we work upon marble, it will perish; if we work upon brass, time will efface it… but if we work upon immortal minds… we are engraving on that which is eternal.” For Roswell Rotary, DG Steve’s visit is more than ceremonial — it is a reminder that our work in this community is part of something much bigger. As we reflect on DG Steve’s visit, we are reminded that the true measure of Rotary lies not just in ceremony, but in the tangible good we create—through service, building friendships that transcend differences, and focusing on a shared vision of a better world. These foundational values are not confined within club walls; they ripple outward, offering guidance for how we engage with the broader world. As Paul Harris, Rotary’s founder, wrote: “Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves.” Just as Rotary calls us to elevate service above self and to cherish understanding over discord, so too does our daily life demand a commitment to genuine communication and empathy. In a time when listening is rare and conflict too easily found, Rotary’s principles invite us to be bridges—connecting not only communities, but hearts and minds. By embracing the spirit of Rotary, we can choose dialogue over division, compassion over contention, and, ultimately, become agents of the positive change our world so urgently needs. In today’s world, authentic communication is more important than ever. We live in a time when too often people talk over one another instead of truly listening. We live in a time when many would rather argue than seek peace, when opinions are valued more than understanding, and when violence is too often chosen as the solution to disagreements.
Rotary reminds us that we are at our best not when we shout louder, but when we listen with respect and come together for a common cause of service. As Stephen Covey put it: “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” Rotary asks us to do better —calling us to lead with listening, empathy, and the courage to act—demonstrating that service is not just a value, but a living practice. Rotary challenges us not only to aspire to higher principles but to bring them to life through our actions, big and small. Today, our club puts these values into motion as we recognize an individual who personifies the courage to act. As part of our monthly program of recognizing our local heroes, we are proud to honor our Roswell Rotary Hero of the Month, Captain Jeff Mealor, from the Roswell Fire Department. He represents the courage and dedication of all who serve, putting Service Above Self each day by protecting our families and our community. We are grateful for his commitment and sacrifice, and we celebrate him as an example of what it truly means to serve others first. Join me in honoring him and let's let him know what he means to our community! And finally, with the golf tournament behind us (Great job Ryan Gehricke, the committees, and all the volunteers), we look ahead to a busy fall of service and fellowship:
• Polio Awareness Tailgate – October 3 at the UGA vs. Kentucky football game in Athens. • Roswell Youth Day Parade – October 4, celebrating our community and showcasing Rotary’s impact. • First Responders Family Farm Day – October 12 at Gary Garrett’s farm, honoring those who protect and serve us daily. • Roswell Youth Council – recently launched in partnership with the City of Roswell, empowering the next generation of leaders. • Backpacks for Homeless Veterans – Rotary Community Grant project to support those who have served our nation and now need our care. Next week, Senator Saxby Chambliss will be speaking to our club. Please remember to invite your friends and colleagues. Sic Vos Non Vobis, Trummie Lee Patrick III
State Farm Insurance District 6900 Governor Steve Ivory to Visit Roswell Rotary Club Join us this Thursday as Roswell Rotary proudly welcomes Steve Ivory, our District 6900 Governor. Please plan to attend this meeting to show the District Governor our support as he shares updates on Rotary International and District 6900 goals and initiatives.
A committed Rotarian since 2001, Steve began his journey with the Rotary Club of Peachtree City, where he quickly took on leadership roles including Club Treasurer, Vice President, and GRSP Host Family. As Club President during the pandemic year of 2020–2021, he led with innovation and resilience, achieving a 254% increase in Foundation giving. His leadership continued as Assistant Governor under District Governors George Granade and Andre Marria, and he now brings his vision and energy to clubs across the district. [read more] Roswell Police Dept Hero
Hero of the Month- Captain Jeff Mealor
Captain Jeff Mealor is a US Army veteran who joined the Roswell Fire Department in 2022, dedicating the past 18 years to protecting property and saving lives. Today, he serves as the Captain of the Heavy Rescue Special Operations unit for the City of Roswell Fire Department, continuing to exemplify leadership, courage, and an unwavering sense of duty. Roswell Rotary is proud to honor him as our First Responder Hero of the Month. THIS THURSDAY Sept. 18
Alive in Roswell
Sat Sept 20
Rivers Alive- Need Volunteers
Rivers Alive is an annual tradition in Roswell and sparks renewed pride in our unique riverside city. The event, co-hosted by Keep Roswell Beautiful and the City of Roswell, is part of a statewide campaign to clean and preserve Georgia’s 70,100 miles of rivers and streams. It is a fun and rewarding way to spend a morning! THIS SATURDAY September 20, 8:30 AM till Noon! Annual Statewide River cleanup, locally sponsored by Keep Roswell Beautiful and City of Roswell. Call or text Dutch Earle 770-403-0755 for more details and to sign up. Great project for families! Sept 20-21 10am - 5pm
Volunteers Needed for Roswell Arts Festival
Volunteers Needed to man the Community Painting Booth at the Roswell Arts Festival Sat. Sept 20 & Sun. Sept 21. The fair will be held at Roswell City Hall. It's always a fun day. Great opportunity for a Red Badge to get in a service project!! Sign Up Link Sept 23 5pm - 8pm at Lucky's
Dave Schmit Book Signing Event-Five Men: The Transformative Power of Mentorships
Come out to support Dave Schmit and his new Book Five Men on Sept. 23 at Lucy's 5pm - 8pm.. He will be saying a few remarks around 6:00pm about the book and mentorship along with signing books for people who attend. See you there. Tuesday Sept. 30
Women in Rotary Event
The picture above is of the women members of Roswell Rotary Club.(Missing a few who were absent that day) All of the North End clubs attend Women in Rotary, so it's a great chance to network with other clubs and an excellent opportunity to bring a prospective member to see what Rotary is all about! Our upcoming event will be on September 30th from 5:30 to 7:30 Location: American Legion 201 Wills Road Alpharetta. GA There will be appetizers and $5 wine Bring a $5 Publix or Kroger gift card to support Meals by Grace Please RSVP to Lori Kirn lori.kirn@fairwaymc.com
Polio Plus Tailgate Party
Tailgating with a PURPOSE! Enjoy a fabulous tailgate in Athens while helping to raise money for Polio Plus AND meeting Rotarians from other clubs who love to tailgate. More details coming, but save the date NOW! Sunday, October 12th, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
First Responder Family Farm Picnic
Join us for the First Responder Family Farm Picnic on Sunday, October 12th, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, at Gary Garrett’s “Gold & Grass” Farm. This year, we’re honored to welcome special guests: all City of Roswell First Responders—Fire, Police, EMS, support personnel—and their families. This heartfelt event celebrates the everyday heroes who serve and protect our community. Enjoy a fun-filled day with delicious food, lively entertainment, and engaging activities for kids and adults alike. Activities Include: • 4-wheeling & hayrides • Bouncy house • Paintball & face painting • Cornhole • Birdhouse building and decorating. • Pumpkin painting • Panning for gold and/or buried treasure along the banks of the Etowah River Roswell Rotarians are asked to bring a covered dish or dessert, and your favorite drink. Please sign up here signup genius link Reach out to Michael Curling with questions michael.curling@gmail.com 
QR Code for Sign Up Thank you Gary Garrett for your generosity! Board Member Spotlight
Courtney Lott
Since joining Rotary in 2021, Courtney Lott has been an active member, initially taking on the role of Service Project Chair. With a deep passion for community engagement, she is excited to transition into her new position as Membership Chair, aiming to foster connections and enhance the club's outreach to potential new members. Growing up in the Milton/Roswell area, Courtney attended Roswell High School and following graduation, pursued higher education at the University of Mississippi, earning a double major in Education and English. Continuing her academic journey, she obtaining a Master's degree in both Elementary Education and Curriculum and Instruction, all while working for Ole Miss Athletics. Shortly thereafter, Courtney moved back to Atlanta, pursuing her career in Real Estate. Upon returning to Atlanta, Courtney married Jim Lott, Real Estate Developer and proud alumnus of the University of Georgia. Together, they are raising two wonderful sons, Taylor (8 yrs) and Tucker (1yr). United by their shared interests, the family enjoys immersing themselves in the vibrant world of real estate, the excitement of football, and traveling with their children to the beach and to football games! Professionally, Courtney thrives as a real estate agent at Keller Williams Peachtree Road, specializing in serving the North Fulton area. Her commitment to her career aligns with her dedication to community service, allowing her to make a positive impact in both realms. She feels truly blessed to do what she loves while contributing to the well-being of her community. Driven by a mission to connect people through shared passions and charitable causes, Courtney embodies the spirit of Rotary in her daily life and all her various roles. Fun fact: During their free time they love to travel, to date, to just over 20 countries. The most memorable experience was cage diving with 7 Great White Sharks off the Coast of South Africa, next to Seal Island (before they had kids!). Interact News
School has started and so have the Roswell Rotary Interact Clubs! This year we have 14 active Interact Clubs with 5 elementary (which meet once a month), 4 middle schools and 5 high schools (both MS & HS meet twice a month). Pictures will be in the RotaScope as the Interact Clubs meet and serve. Want to learn more about working with a club, reach out to RRC Club member Becky Nelson or come to the meeting this Thursday after the meeting in Classroom #1. All are welcome. SEED money checks will be ready. Thank you to the current Interact liaisons! High Schools Clubs - Blessed Trinity HS/Rotarian Bill Swank (needs a 2nd liaison)
- Centennial HS/Rotarians Debbie Cwalina or Gabriel Prado
- Fellowship HS/Rotarian Angela Medley (needs a 2nd liaison)
- Roswell HS/Rotarians Becky Nelson or Frederick Levy
- The Cottage School HS /Rotarian Ron Cowan (needs a 2nd liaison)
Middle Schools Clubs - Elkins Pointe Middle/Rotarian Michael Schoppenhorst (needs a 2nd liaison)
- Crabapple Middle/Rotarians Sam Lane or Joe Gillespie
- Queen of Angels/Rotarians Nate Porter or John Gordon
- The Cottage School Middle/Rotarians Gordon Owens & Sid Discher
Elementary School Clubs - Mimosa ES/Rotarians Gabriel Prado & Michael Curling
- Mt Park ES/Rotarian Priya Crumpton & Liaison John Stone
- Roswell North ES/Rotarian Vivian Bankston (Needs a 2nd Liaison)
- Sweet Apple ES/Michael Schoppenhorst (Needs a 2nd Liaison)
- Vickery ES/Liaison Stacy Perlman (Needs a 2nd Liaison)
Joining us for lunch Oct. 2
Roswell Youth Council
New to Roswell Rotary Club (RRC) this year is an exciting collaboration between the RRC Interact High School Clubs and City of Roswell to relaunch the Roswell Youth Council (RYC - formerly known as Youth Ambassador Council). The 2025-26 RYC will learn how a city works from being paired with a City Leader for the Youth Day Parade to a meeting to learn more about their personal leadership style as mentoring, etc. We will be able to meet the 2025-26 Youth Council members at our Oct 2 lunch meeting when Mayor Kurt Wilson is our featured speaker. Congratulations to this newly chosen Youth Council Members: - Brady Berry, Fellowship, Jr
- Ashley Boomhouwer, Fellowship, Jr
- Kayden Cheng, Centennial HS, Jr
- Annie Etheridge, Roswell HS, Jr
- Emily Frezell, Roswell HS, Sr
- Jule Hernandez-Ramirez, Centennial HS, Jr
- Caitlyn Hobby, The Cottage School, Sr
- Ava Huebner, BT, Sr
- Yeimi Hurtado, Centennial HS, Sr
- Joy Jorday, Centennial HS, Jr
- Kate Martinez, The Cottage School, Sr
- Addison Nowokowski, The Cottage School, Sr
- Taylor Patrick, Fellowship, Sophmore
- Jennifer Sanchea, Centennial HS, Sr
- Mary Katherine Tucker, Roswell HS, Sr
Please Help with Supplies
Youth Day Parade Float
The beginning of the Interact year focuses on the Youth Day Parade! This local tradition will be celebrating it’s 75th birthday as our Roswell Rotary Club is too! Our float entry is being designed and built with a committee lead by RRC Member Joe Gillespie. Joining him: new RRC member Jay Pittroff, RHS Construction Teacher Kevin Squiers and Youth Parade Veteran Jack Wyche. Candy/Trinket Coordinator - Priya Crumpton Youth Day Parade Costume Coordinator - Frederick Levy With the competitive spirit natural to Roswell Rotary, Joe and his crew have an aggressive design that will celebrate our twin 75th anniversaries. The middle and high school student members of our Interact Clubs will be building the float after school the week prior but all clubs will be riding on or walking along the float during the parade. It is always a fun time with phenomenal community spirit. Join us! Thank you for your support! Can you help? We need Gift Cards from Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe’s or Walmart. Link for Candy/Trinket Wishlist: Link for Float supplies Link for 2 of these Lattice sheets:
Meal Train for Bartlett Family
Thank you to everyone who has been dropping off meals to Claire & Darrell Bartlett. They are so grateful for the prayers and kindness that Roswell Rotary members are delivering to them every day. If you would like to sign up for a meal, please sign up on the sheet at Rotary Thursday Contact kathy Igou 404-408-4188 or kligou@gmail.com. Cards are much appreciated as well-215 Putting Green Lane, Roswell GA 30075 April 16-19, 2026
2026 District Conference- Lake Lanier Islands
Click Here to Register Register NOW- Early Bird Discount Ends TODAY Tuesday September 16th Your body is asking for this
Walk with a Doc: Apple Picking in Ellijay plus Phy Therapist Dr Kim Richards speaks
Physical therapist Dr Kim Richards of All Points of Health Physical Therapy speaks about balance to avoid unnecessary trips, slips and falls.
Then the joy of tasting and picking the freshest apples at R& A Orchard is at 5505- GA 52 East, Ellijay GA 30536 Details at https://randorchards.com/ Additional walk and talk to follow the apple picking. Contact Hal Schlenger or Dr Betty Price for more info. Upcoming Roswell Rotary Events
Save the Date: Find Your Spot and Help Us to Unite for GOOD
Alive in Roswell Thursday, September 18 5pm - 8pm
Add To Calendar Rivers Alive- Sweep the Hooch
Saturday, Sept 20 8:30 am
Add To Calendar Walk with a Doc Saturday, Sep 20 8:30am - 1130am
Apple-picking in Ellijay with Dr Kim Richards, Phy Therapist
Add To Calendar Youth Day Parade
Saturday, October 4 Time: TBD
Add To Calendar UGA Tailgate w Athens Rotary
Saturday, October 4 Time: TBD
Add To Calendar Farm Day with First Responders
Sunday, Oct. 12
Gold & Grass Farms
Add To Calendar Alive in Roswell
Thursday, October 16 5pm - 8pm
Add To Calendar December 13, 2025
Roswell Rotary Holiday Party
Saturday, Dec 13
Add To Calendar District 6900 Conference Lake Lanier Islands
Thursday April 16 - Sunday April 19
Add To Calendar
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