Founded in 1914 in Virginia
 

Susan Donn's Address

Sigur has been kind enough to let me have the floor                               

Feel like this is a Graduation Speech and I finally know what our club and RI is all about! I do not think I have ever worked harder on a job and been so rewarded.

When I started the year I said there were several things I wanted to accomplish and we did

            1  More new members--we have certainly done that--have 145  in spite of those no                    longer with us--got 19 new members this year

            2  More satisfied and energized existing members--I hope you feel we have done    that

            3  More visibility and positive impact in the community--

                        Gala
                         press coverage
                        numerous Gala attendees not Rotarians
                        Gala sponsors other than Rotarians                          

            4  Getting our message out to the Community

                        Gala Program
                        Newspaper articles
                        George's video
                        Bob Batcher's TV show.
                        Sponsor solicitations included information on our club

            5  Raising more money so we can be more effective

                         Gala netted almost $80 thousand, so we can now do big things in our community.    

            6  Setting the direction for our club for the next 100 years

                         Outstanding projects like Rotary Smiles unique to Rotary and the community will grow into                                   something national for all of Rotary.      

                        Plentiful financial reserves able to keep us alive for many years and they keep growing.

                        Improved website

                        Organized records that are going to get more organized

Many thanks for your help in accomplishing these things to

             the membership for sending me to Lisbon and exposing me to what this whole organization is really about--It was one of the most eye opening experiences I can remember.       

             all of you for putting up with my sometimes unusual ideas

            Kay Kemper for sponsoring me

            Shep Miller for encouraging me to get in line for President and      

                        a  irascibly insisting that we  find something unique to spend our money on

                        b  letting those we solicit know what their money will be used for

                        c  bringing in some very lucrative sponsorships once he was appeased.         

To my Board who stood by and worked so hard this year--as I said in my note to them:

 Because of your efforts our club will continue to bloom for the next 100 years and give life to our community- I had to be flowery due to bud vases

            Lindsay Russell, our Parliamentarian, who reacted immediately with             research and an answer whenever I needed advice

            Joey Rothgery for her help with the Christmas Social and for coordinating our             search for unique Centennial causes

            John Padgett my go to for club questions and for working so hard on our Band    Contract and procuring lucrative sponsors and being a big sponsor

            Jennifer Palestrant for the D'Art’s Social and Art Contest--and her work on the             House Committee despite all other obligations.

            Ray Norton for analyzing our financials and coming up with suggestions we will be working on implementing.

            Angela Kerns for working with Ray on his suggestions as well as other  important financial necessities in our club and being a big sponsor.

            Lynne Berg for her work on Rotary Smiles-helping with the contract--moving the project forward evenly with her pleasant manner and keeping this on track

            Dean Thomasson --always smiling and willing--worked so hard on Erey and helping Greg with the Car Show

            Lisa and Mark for their hard work on the Antique Flea Market

           Kelly Dickerson for her hard work on the web site and face book

            Lorna Cochrane who was so helpful in manning organizing both the Flea Market and Gala

            Bob Powell for his help with the legal forms for the Rotary Smiles Grant       

            Diane Wallach for her help rain and shine n all of our environmental and community service projects.

           Sally Hartman for unprecedented speakers.

            Will King for his calm prodding and successful monitoring of sponsors

            and all of our Gala Chairs

           Bill Eisenbeiss, Ben Mason and Mark Johnson for their help with big sponsorships

           Jane Dembert who has stayed with us and continued to work her heart out despite dealing with a serious illness--what an example she has been!

            Carlisle Wroton for his help with the group photo

            Chuck Spence for the weekly ROWs [Rotarian of the Week]

Then last but certainly not least those who have not only performed service above self by their roles as

            chairmen of committees or events but have spent countless individual hours doing work for the club

            in unique ways

            I always feel like one can accomplish anything if one really works hard,

            but the things these people did,  could only have been done by them and our Centennial year was successful because of them

           THEY HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND SERVICE ABOVE SELF AND I  WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT A SPECIAL THANKS TO THEM:

            MARTY RAISS                 

            Took over the Gala Chair late and helped make it a great success despite an ill father who lived far away she had to take care of and move and some physical problems of her own.

            BARBARA LIFLAND

            without her we could not have had a Centennial program that will serve as  a reminder of what our club has done for the past  100 years.  With her expertise she   spent countless hours soliciting ads, getting bids, designing ads, organizing copy etc, etc, etc.

             GREG SUTTON           

            Came up with a great new idea for an antique car show and planned and organized  the whole thing and secured the cars      

            GEORGE COMPO

            Created a wonderful video which will enable members in the future to see what our club was like in the first 100 years--and helped explain our story to those at the Gala who were not Rotarians.

             Was a big table sponsor for the Gala

             Helped with picking up merchandise for the flea market and in the past has always helped with any duties like that--I remember the Barnyard Fundraiser with the Zoo! The Social at his home.

              He is quiet but he is always there--he is superman!

            LOIS KERCHER

            Always scurrying around behind the scenes organizing everything and everybody.

            Sorted through our office and tried to organize things found Sarah Teachy for us and helped move the administrative part of the Gala along

            helped George Compo with this photos and video,

             filled in for Marty as Chair of the Gala when she was out of town, helped staff and organize the flea market,  and so much more.

            She does this quietly but enthusiastically and spends so much time no one realizes helping our Club.

I feel like the Academy Award Music is playing  and there are so many more of you to thank but, it is time to move on to a new face, your new President and esteemed author--I know the new year and the next 100 years  will be GREAT. !