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From Our District Governor October ... A Time to Celebrate, Consider Opportunities and ActBy Cynthia Edwards September was a busy month for me - traveling through District 6900, celebrating all of your accomplishments, fellowship, creativity and determination to make a difference in our communities and the world. I had the privilege to join Rotarians from Rotary Clubs of Peachtree City, Tyrone, Senoia and Fayetteville - and the Rotary Community Corps, to make a huge IMPACT with the Midwest Food Bank Georgia. As we move into October, we look forward to celebrating World Polio Day - with events and support for continuing our effort to End Polio Now. It is also Rotary's month to focus on Economic and Community Development. And there's more ... |
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Growing Membership: Increasing Rotary’s ImpactBy Cynthia Edwards Across the globe, Rotary is focused on increasing our membership - among Rotarians and Rotaractors. Rotary’s ability to serve begins with its members. Across District 6900—from metro Atlanta to communities throughout western and southwest Georgia—attracting new members brings fresh energy, new ideas, and more hands to meet local needs … [more] |
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Nominations for 2029-2030 District 6900 District Governor Due By 10/31By Cynthia Edwards Nominations for our 2029-2030 District Governor are open. We need your help in identifying qualified candidates and officially nominating them by resolution of your club. The certified club resolution form will be sent to club presidents along with Article 16 of the Rotary Manual of Procedure that outlines the role and responsibilities of a District Governor. Read on for more about the requirements, process and deadline for nominations. |
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Our Rotary Foundation More Than 350 Million Reasons to Give to The Rotary Foundation ...By Bob Hagan This month I want to look at the Foundation in a broader sense in terms of what effects the Foundation has on the world and who else contributes to the Foundation. Let's start with some of the final numbers from the Foundation for 2025-2026 Rotary Year. The Foundation issued 1,804 Global Grants, 463 District Grants and 61 Disaster Response grants. Also of great note is the fact that over 350 million children were vaccinated in 28 countries!! Everywhere you look, Rotary is there working. So who is helping to make that happen? [more] |
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End Polio Now World Polio Day - October 24!By Bob Hagan Over the course of my two years plus as your District Foundation Chair, I’m quite certain you have picked up on my personal focus on the fight to eradicate Polio. I have personally had the honor of working with some incredible individuals in the field in India administering over 2,000 vaccines to children myself during my Rotary years of service. It is an experience I will never forget. And I'm writing today to ask for your continued support of our work to end Polio - as we approach World Polio Day on October 24. |
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World Polio Day We Can Help! Forty Clubs Share Easy Polio InitiativesBy Lee Hollingsworth World Polio Day is Saturday, October 24. We're asking every club for $1,500 to PolioPlus - With the Gates Foundation 2-to-1 match, that becomes $4,500. And DG Cynthia and I are asking every club to hold a World Polio Day Event - five District 6900 clubs have registered a Polio event; the rest have 30 days and need simple, low-cost ways to meet our Polio goals. Take a look at what some clubs are doing ... |
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Steve Ivory Joins GRSP Foundation BoardBy Jackie Cuthbert Immediate Past District Governor Steve Ivory has been appointed to the Georgia Rotary Student Program Foundation Board as a Foundation Director. In this new role, Steve will help advance GRSP’s remarkable 80-year mission of building peace and international understanding—one student and one friendship at a time. He is available to visit Rotary clubs throughout District 6900. [more] |
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Laws of Life Countdown to GLL Founders Day CelebrationBy Carol Gray Walker We’re getting closer to our Georgia Laws of Life 2026 Founders Celebration, and excitement is building for our first celebration at Dunwoody Country Club on November 4! We’re looking forward to an elegant evening of cocktails, food, inspiring student stories, and celebration as we recognize some of Georgia’s most remarkable students and the educators who help make Georgia Laws of Life possible. Learn more about the event and how you can be part of it! [more] |
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Rotary Means Business Rotary Means Business Returns to D6900By Carter Stout Rotary Means Business (RMB) is an officially recognized global Rotary Fellowship that honors this founding purpose - "Empowering your business by the Power of the Pin." We encourage you to join us for:
Read more about RMB and our plans in District 6900. [more] |
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GRSP Update Introducing GRSP Connect NewsletterBy Katheryne Fields We are pleased to share the October 2026 edition of The GRSP Connect, GRSP's quarterly newsletter, designed to keep you connected to the Georgia Rotary Student Program. From welcoming students at the airport to celebrating Conclave and hosting our first student weekend, it has been a busy and exciting few months! We invite you to take a few minutes to catch up on the latest news, activities, and highlights from GRSP. Thank you for your continued interest and support of GRSP and our mission of World Peace Through Understanding. |
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RYLA RYLA Club Registration Now OPENBy Jaclyn Donovan RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) will be held June 5-9, 2027. To help us get ready for RYLA we are opening registration Now. Our goal is to fill all 144 student spots for 2027 and we are aiming for 100% club participation in District 6900. All we are asking at this point is to decide if your club is going to sponsor students to attend RYLA and how many students that will be. To send that RSVP ... |
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RLI Find Your Voice: Why Every Rotarian Should Attend RLIBy Walter Marria, Jr. I still remember my first Rotary Leadership Institute session. I was unsure of what to expect and walked out with a completely different sense of what it means to be a Rotarian. RLI isn't about memorizing bylaws or maybe checking a box; it's about discovering the "why" behind our service and finding our own voice as a Rotarian and leader. We hope that you will join us for RLI on January 30, 2027, in Thomasville, Georgia, at Southern Regional Technical College. You can register at RLI - Sunshine Division. |
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RI Convention 2027 Are You Barcelona Bound?By André Marria It has been said that “Some of Rotary’s strongest connections begin at the Rotary International Convention.” Let’s validate that statement by encouraging others to join us in Barcelona from June 26-30, 2027! The Convention is an opportunity to meet Rotarians from different cultures, exchange ideas, share experiences, and build friendships that can last for years. And let’s be sure to encourage our Rotaract Clubs to attend and experience Rotary on an international level! [more] |
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Club News Two Rotarians. Two Cultures. One Conversation.By Josiane Carolino The Rotary Club of Atlanta Brasil is launching a new peacebuilding and cultural exchange initiative designed to strengthen conversational English, build confidence, and create meaningful connections among Rotarians across District 6900. "Two Rotarians. Two Cultures. One Conversation" pairs Rotarians who want to strengthen their conversational English with fellow Rotarians who are willing to meet, socialize, listen, and encourage them in a relaxed and welcoming environment. We are inviting all District 6900 Rotarians to volunteer as Conversation Partners. If you're interested, continuing reading and contact the Rotary Club of Atlanta Brasil, atlantabrasilrotaryclub@gmail.com. [more] |
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A Focus on Peace Every Act of Service is an Act of PeaceFrom Our District Community Service Chair By Laura McConatha I learned a concept from a fellow Rotarian during our August 2024 Positive Peace Activator training that I had never considered before: “Every Act of Service is an Act of Peace”. So, let’s start there. We all know how important it is to have our basic needs met. Physical needs include clean water and sanitation, nutritious food, shelter and safe housing, basic health care, and physical safety - meaning freedom from violence, war and abuse. It's part of why the Eight Pillars of Peace Framework, developed by the Institute for Economics and Peace, was adopted by Rotary International. And part of what I'll be exploring with you in the district newsletter, starting with this article. |
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Domestic Violence Awareness MonthBy Cynthia Edwards Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) in 2026 takes place from 1–31 October, with the national theme “With Survivors, Always,” emphasizing a shift from awareness to action. Many of our Rotary Clubs help provide services/assistance to individuals who are victims or potential victims of domestic violence. The information here provides additional information about the awareness campaign and resources available. |
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Club News 29th Annual Mayor’s Corporate Challenge Breaks Records in AlpharettaBy Clark Savage The skies were bright and the energy electric as over 1,300 runners, families, and dedicated community members gathered in downtown Alpharetta with the Rotary Club of Alpharetta in September for the 29th Annual Mayor’s Corporate Challenge. The event included a kids’ fun run, bouncy house, sponsor tables, and food trucks. Thanks to the incredible generosity of presenting sponsor LexisNexis Risk Solutions, alongside more than 30 dedicated corporate partners, our club proudly raised a phenomenal $121,000. [more] |
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Our Rotary Foundation at Work Emory Druid Hills Grant Equals More Than School SuppliesBy Rani Singh Members of the Rotary Club of Emory Druid Hills came together to support students at Lilburn Elementary School by donating much-needed school supplies. For our club members, this was more than simply a donation—it was an opportunity to serve local children and help provide them with supplies that can support their learning and success throughout the school year. The project was made possible through a District 6900 Community Grant. |
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Club News A Rotary Legacy Four Generations StrongWhat We Learn When We Share By André Marria At a recent reception hosted for District Governor Cynthia Edwards, several members of the Rotary Club of Thomasville leadership had the opportunity to hear a remarkable piece of Wilson Carraway's family's Rotary history. Wilson shared a limited-edition photograph of Rotary founder Paul Harris, signed in 1937, that had been given to his great-grandfather, Lewis M. Lively. And that's just the start of the story ... [more] |
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Club News Henry County Turns Used Medical Equipment into Renewed IndependenceBy Debbie Donaldson The Rotary Club of Henry County continued one of its most impactful annual service projects this year partnering with Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC) to collect used durable medical equipment. This year’s drive collected an impressive 966 pieces of medical equipment and supplies valued at $267,466. |
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Club News Vinings Cumberland Helps Bring Tandem Cycling to Blind AthletesBy Thomas House A tandem bicycle ride takes two cyclists working together. For athletes who are blind or visually impaired, the Georgia Blind Sport Association (GBSA) makes that partnership an opportunity to enjoy cycling, and the Rotary Club of Vinings Cumberland is glad to help make the rides possible. |
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Club News Maciej Derecki Continues a GRSP Legacy in NewnanBy Nicholas Ramey Thirty-two years ago, a young man named Piotr came from Poland to Georgia on a Rotary scholarship and enrolled at the University of West Georgia. This year, his son is doing the same thing, at the same university. Maciej Derecki is the Rotary Club of Newnan's Georgia Rotary Student Program scholar for 2026-27. He arrived from Bydgoszcz, Poland, at the end of July, was welcomed to Georgia by club member Kevin Barbee, who serves as a District 6900 GRSP Trustee, and is living on campus at West Georgia. A younger sister hopes to apply next year. And the whole story is fun ... [more] |
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Club News North Cobb Joins 9/11 Field of FlagsBy Sheila Hines North Cobb Rotarians took part in a moving tribute at the 9/11 Field of Flags, organized by the Kiwanis Club of Marietta through the Marietta Kiwanis Foundation. Displayed every five years on the battlefield at Kennesaw Mountain, the event has grown into one of the largest commemorative displays in the nation. Club members walked in the processional and helped place 2,977 flags — one for each life lost in the September 11 attacks — joined by veterans and first responders for a powerful ceremony of remembrance. An honor to stand with our community and never forget. |
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Club News Atlanta West End: Service Above Self on the Westside BeltLineBy CJ Stewart In September, the Rotary Club of Atlanta West End came together to clean up the Westside BeltLine trail and help keep this shared community space welcoming for everyone. Our service benefited neighbors who live along the trail, people who use it for walking and exercise, and visitors who come to enjoy the Westside. |
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Club News Atlanta Southern Crescent: Where Tacos Meet Self-Defense!By Trina Kolawole What happens when you combine a great taco bar, practical self-defense skills and a room full of Rotarians? For the Rotary Club of Atlanta Southern Crescent, the answer was an evening filled with laughter, learning and plenty of fellowship. Sometimes strengthening a Rotary club starts with something as simple as sharing a good meal, trying something new and enjoying time together. For this club, tacos followed by self-defense turned out to be a pretty great combination. [more] |
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Club News Muscogee-Columbus Hosts Oyster RoastBy Lora Warren The Rotary Club of Muscogee-Columbus is continuing to grow - and has been enjoying some socials out in the community and are happy to say members from both the other clubs in town have participated. Our most recent gathering was at one of our members' homes on the lake for an oyster roast. This brings back fond memories for Club President Lora Warren as her family was always the workforce behind the downtown Columbus Rotary oyster roast at Jekyll Island. Check out the "then" and "now" photos. [more] |
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Club News Roswell Responds to Michigan Rotarian Request for HelpBy Leslie Bassett The call for help started more than 700 miles away. A Rotarian in Ann Arbor, Michigan, reached out to Roswell Rotary Club President Leslie Bassett about Sonja, a single mother here in Roswell who had been experiencing homelessness and was about to move into her own apartment. Sonja needed hands and a little muscle, and Roswell Rotary answered. How did they help? |
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Club News North Cobb - Where Service Meets SocialBy Sheila Hines North Cobb Club President Sheila Hines had the winning idea of combining the club's monthly social with a hands-on service project, and North Cobb Rotarians turned out in force at the Rise Against Hunger facility to put a club grant to work. Teams squared off in some friendly competition at the packing stations, assembling balanced, nutritious meal kits that will be distributed to individuals and families in need around the world. |