Plans are announced for upcoming District Assembly/ADG Training

Plans are announced for upcoming District Assembly/ADG Training
All club presidents, district officers and other Rotary leaders are being encouraged to attend the 2013 District
assembly/ADG Training, which will take place Saturday, Oct. 5th at Whispering Woods Hotel and Conference
Center in Olive Branch, Mississippi. The session will kick off at 8:15 a.m. with a continental breakfast and conclude
at 2:00 p.m. Meals are provided at no cost to attendees.
“The purpose of the Assembly and Training is to provide the tools for successful leadership through the Rotary Year
2013-2014 for club presidents, officers and club members who want to learn more about Rotary International, District
6800, Outstanding Club Projects, Rotary on the Radio District 6800, and other events scheduled throughout the year,” said
District Governor-Elect Bob Bickley. He emphasized the importance of attending the event in order to have a better understanding
of what Rotary is about . . . from the club level to Rotary International. Please click on the following link to
register: http://rotarydistrict6800.org/district_assembly_registration_form.pdf
A G E N D A
8:15 am - Continental Breakfast
8:30 am - ADG Training (Joe Gibbs)
10:15 am - Conclude ADG Training, Club and District
Leaders arrive, Registration
10:30 am - Welcome, Introductions, Announcements,
Housekeeping Tips (Cary Vaughn)
11:00 am - DacDB Training (Taylor Hughes)
11:30 am - Club President Report (club presidents reporting,
best practices)
12:00 Noon - Rotary on the Radio (Bob Bickley, Tom
Wilson)
12:15 pm - Membership/Foundation Report (Cary
Vaughn, Vijay Surpuriya)
12:30 pm - Luncheon with RLI Speaker (Glenn Vanderford,
Mike Moffatt)
1:30 pm - District Wrap-Up (Tommy White)
2:00 pm - Conclude (Tommy White)
How in the world could the
McDonald’s Golden Arches have
something to do with Rotary?
WHITE BICKLEY VANDERFORD SURPURIYA VAUGHN
GIBBS MOFFATT WILSON
See Page 2

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THE ABOVE NINE PAST DISTRICT GOVERNORS
were present for a “Passing of the Gavel” dinner
and pinning ceremony in late July at the home of
Immediate PDG Marty Petrusek, hosted by Marty
and wife Debbie. Marty passed the gavel to Tommy
White (not pictured), the incoming District Governor.
The above Past District Governors are (standing,
from left) George Rosentreter (1999-2000), Frank
Givens (2010-11), William Dulaney (1997-98), Mike
Moffatt (2009-10), and Marty Petrusek (2012-13);
(seated, from left) Joe Gibbs (1987-88), Vijay Surpuriya
(2005-06), Betty Jo Dulaney (2006-07), and
Joan Ferguson (2011-12).
THE WORLD FAMOUS MCDONALD’S GOLDEN ARCHES loomed in
the background as the entire McDonald's® USA marketing family meeting
in Chicago recently congratulated Robinson & Associates of Tupelo
for 30 years of "polishing the Golden Arches of McDonald's." The Tupelo
firm provides marketing planning, advertising and media services to
the McDonald's advertising cooperatives in the Columbus-Tupelo,
Greenwood-Greenville, Jackson and Meridian television designated
marketing areas. Shown are (center) Tom Robinson, president and
Raymond Jourdan, account supervisor (right) both members of the Tupelo
Rotary Club, and Kiwanian Ty Robinson (left), vice president.
NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT DEDICATED AT RULEVILLE
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - The Drew-Ruleville Rotary Club made the
students at Ruleville Elementary School very happy with the dedication
of new playground equipment. Perhaps you read in last month’s newsletter
that the previous playground equipment was old and unsafe, and
had to be torn down. Rotarians raised the money for the new equipment
and installed it themselves. Rotarians in the above photo are
(from left) Marty Petrusek, Dist. Gov. 2012-13; Tommy White, current
Dist. Gov.; Chris Williams, Drew-Ruleville club secretary and immediate
past president; Brad Cooper, current Drew-Ruleville club president;
Vijay Surpuriya, past District Governor and District 6800 Rotary Foundation
chair.

Habla Espanol?
“Sixty-seven million children worldwide have no
access to education and more than 775 million
people over the age of 15 are illiterate. Our goal is
to strengthen the capacity of communities to support
basic education and literacy,
reduce gender disparity in
education, and increase adult
literacy.” So said Belinda J. Campbell
of the Rotary Club of Memphis
Central. She was referring to the
club’s Spanish Language Camp, which got under on Saturday,
September 7th and will continue weekly.
Germantown International Festival
The goal is to enable students to gain the skill‐set to
read, speak and write basic Spanish. It’s part of Rotary’s
support of education to “advance world understanding,
goodwill, and peace” and to develop “cultural ambassadors
who will make use of health communications and
care to strengthen the capacity of communities.
Alexandria Schwarz (center), Rotary Exchange Student who traveled
to Strasbourg, France, was given a sendoff at Memphis International
Airport by (from left) Marty Petrusek, then District Governor, Belinda
J. Campbell, president of the sponsoring Memphis Central Rotary
Club, and her parents, Katy Spurlock and Ken Schwarz.
David Rumbarger, CEO of the Community Development Foundation,
references a newspaper article in his discussion recently with
Tupelo Rotarians on the successes and challenges of economic
development in the greater Tupelo/Lee County area.
TOP PHOTO - The flags of all participating nations are displayed
at the conclusion of the grand march, which opened the
festival, sponsored by Germantown Rotary Club. CENTER
PHOTO - The official welcome is given by Vijay Surpuriya,
festival chairman, Past Dist. Gov. and Past Germantown club
president. BOTTOM PHOTO - (from left) Vijay Surpuriya
(PDG); Tommy White (DG 2013-14); Bob Bickley (DG Elect);
Tom Wilson (DG Designate); Dick Wieland, PDG; Marty
Petrusek (PDG).
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ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE IN ACTION ‐ Rotary
clubs in Germantown, Tennessee and Madrid, Spain recently
coordinated the visits of Rotary Exchange Students
Mary Lindsey of Memphis (second from left) and Raquel of
Spain (third from left). Both young ladies had wonderful
experiences in each others’ countries. Shown at extreme
left is Vijay Surpuriya of the Rotary Club of Germantown
and at extreme right, Smith Murphey, Exchange Student
Coordinator for District 6800.
TUPELO HAS A NEW MAYOR, and the Rotary
Club of Tupelo lost no me in inving
him to speak to them. Mayor Jason Shelton,
le, spoke to the Rotary Club of Tupelo
recently and reported on his first days in
office and his concerns for his administra‐
on, posively approaching the state of
the city and his opmisc view for the future.
Shown with Shelton is Rotary Club of
Tupelo President, Jerry Napier.
This year’s sixth annual Bartlett a la Carte tasting
event is set for Sunday, September 15th from 5:00
until 7:00 p.m. at the beautiful Esplanade Banquet
Facility. The venue is located at 901 Cordova Station
Road in Cordova, TN. All District 6800 Rotarians -
and others - are invited to participate. The cost is $40
per individual or $75 per couple. If you would care to get a group of ten together, the cost is $320 for ten tickets
if purchased by an individual.
Bartlett a la Carte is a partnership between the Northeast Shelby County Rotary Club and the Bartlett Area
Chamber of Commerce. These two organizations are not-for-profit entities dedicated to improving the quality
of life in this community. All proceeds from the event will be used for community development, youth development,
and educational programs in Bartlett, Cordova and other areas of North
Shelby County. Proceeds from the silent auction at this event directly benefit Youth Villages, a
Bartlett-based organization that works nationwide to suppose at-risk youth and keep families together.
Last year, the annual event moved to the Esplanade and had overwhelming positive response
from both vendors and guests alike as the sponsors showcased twenty-five wonderful restaurants,
bars, bakeries and food specialty vendors to almost 300 attendees.
Rotarians in the area are encouraged to participate individually, rewarding employees, or treating
clients.
For more information, contact Ken Lee at krlee1@bellsouth.net phone at 901-647-0411 or contact Krista at kantonuk@bartlettchamber.org.

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8th annual Rotary Masters tournament is set
for Sept. 30th; golfers will tee off to benefit
Olive Branch club’s scholarship fund
A 12:30 p.m. shotgun start will launch the Olive Branch club’s
8th annual The Rotary Masters Golf Tournament
on Monday, Sept. 30th at Olive Branch Country
Club. It will be a Four Man Team Scramble
event, with prizes of $400,
$200 and $100 respectively,
for the first, second and third
place teams.
The theme is “Educating Tomorrow’s Leaders,”
said Stephanie Lawson of the host club.
Registration fees are $400 per team or $100
per player, and $100 for a tee sponsor sign.
Corporate fees are $750, which includes one
team, one tee sign, logo on t-shirts and advertising banner, and
information table. Corporate sponsors already signed up include
First Security Bank, Northcentral Electric Power Association, and
Desoto Management and Investments.
Past District Governor Ken
Bender dies
Shelaine Pennington, President of the Rotary
Club of Baldwyn, welcomes Rotary International
6800 District Governor Tommy White
to their meeting. White presented the club
with the 2013‐2014 banner for Rotary International
and congratulated them on past success
and future plans.
Lawson noted that a catered lunch will be provided before the
tournament gets underway.
Questions may be directed to Lawson at 901-828-9566.
Collierville Rotary awards scholarships to seven
WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION
Week ending Sep. 11, 2013
New wild polio cases reported
in the past week for 2013:
6
Total number of wild cases
in 2012 YTD: 223
Total number of wild cases
in 2013 YTD: 256
Collierville Rotary Club has awarded seven scholarships to recent
graduates of Collierville High School. The awards are
based on scholarship, leadership, community service,
and need, and are funded primarily by funds derived
from the club’s annual golf tournament. Scholarship
winners are chosen from the Students of the Month
program, in which selected students attend a Rotary
meeting and give a short talk to the club about their accomplishments
and activities in high school.
The 2013 scholarship winners are: Neena John, University of Alabama
-Birmingham; Grant Powell, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Madison
Marx, University of Alabama; William Gust, Ole Miss; Lina Zhang,
Emory University; Stephanie Galella, Mississippi State University, Emily
Vallor, University of Memphis.

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Rotary on the Radio Celebrates One Year on the Air!
Rotary on the Radio District 6800 celebrated its first anniversary on August 15th. The weekly show airs
at 8:00 until 10:00 a.m. on KWAM 990 in Memphis each Thursday
and is simulcast on the station’s website, kwam990.com.
Bob Bickley, host of Rotary on the Radio and District Governor
-elect for 2014-2015, noted that reaction to the show exceeded
all expectations, with response originating far and wide.
Show in the photo at right, taken during the anniversary show,
are (from left) Alexandria Schwarz, Rotary Exchange Student
traveling to Strasbourg, France for her 11th grade year; Belinda
Campbell, President of the Rotary Club of Central Memphis,
sponsoring club for Alexandria; Tom Wilson, co-host of Rotary
on the Radio and District Governor-designate for 2016-2017 and Assistant Governor and GSE Team
Leader, 2013; Susan Bickley, originator of the idea of Rotary on the Radio and wife of Robert Bickley;
Bob Bickley.
Rotary International’s
2013-2014 Theme
“Engage Rotary - Change Lives”
MEMPHIS CENTRAL CLUB - Rotarian Leroy
Dahler (right) received a third sapphire for his
Paul Harris Fellow pin, presented by Club President
Belinda Campbell (center). Past District
Governor Dick Wieland is shown at left. Dahler
is a charter member of Memphis Central (1975)
and has achieved perfect attendance for his entire
Rotary career. He has been chair of the
Character Achievement Awards Committee
since it was organized by the club in 1986. The
award is given to each year to four students
who have overcome significant physical or personal
challenges in their life.
Bob Ragan, a Rotarian for 48 years, presented a
history of Rotary International and the Cleveland
Rotary Club. He referenced an article in a 1922
issue of the Cleveland Enterprise newspaper listing
names of the charter members in what was
then called the Cleveland-Boyle-Merigold Rotary
Club. More information about the Cleveland club
can be obtained on their facebook page.

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ATTENTION, CLUB SECRETARIES
It’s important that you submit your monthly reports to the
district secretary. Only 3 clubs failed to report in July!
JUST DO IT!
BRUCE ROTARY CLUB - District Governor Tommy
White presents the 2013-2014 Rotary theme
banner to M.B. Martin, club president.
Rotary International’s
2013-2014 Theme
“Engage Rotary - Change Lives”
TIME TO PUT THE SEERSUCKER IN STORAGE!
Traditionally, seersucker isn’t worn after Labor Day,
so more than 30 fans of the crinkly fabric, including
Al Harvey (left, member of Midtown Memphis Rotary),
Judge Robert “Butch” Childers (center, member
of Midtown Memphis Rotary) and Jim Eikner
(member, Memphis (Downtown) Rotary, gathered at
One Commerce Square in Memphis to mark the
season’s final day for wearing summery suits. “You
have to be a little different to wear seersucker,” Childes
said. Now that the seersucker flash mob is
over, it’s time to put the striped suits away until Memorial
Day.(Commercial Appeal photo)
Holly Springs club’s scholarship tournament draws near
It’s almost tee time for the Holly Springs Rotary Club’s 20th annual Scholarship Golf Tournament.
The competition will take place Thursday, September 26th at beautiful Kirkwood
National Golf Club with tee-off set for 12-noon. It’ll be a
four-man scramble, and the $125 per person registration fee includes
mulligans and one ticket ($20) for a chance to win $2,000.
A club spokesman said lunch will be provided to participating
golfers at 11:00 a.m. Refreshments will be available on the course. He sent a reminder
that the tournament is limited to the first thirty teams signing up. Flight winners and
runners-up will receive golf equipment by Callaway and TaylorMade.
More information may be obtained by calling Kirkwood National at 1-800-461-GOLF.

Annual Gift of Life, Rotary Polo Picnic set for October 20th
If a fun Sunday outing in the country appeals to you, bring a tailgate spread and invite your friends to enjoy a relaxed
afternoon at Rossville, TN when District 6800 and others sponsor the annual Gift of Life, Rotary Polo Picnic
on Sunday, Oct. 20th. Members of the Memphis Polo Club will be
in action - plus, kids can ride a pony and everyone can test their
skills in a polo shootout. It’s all designed to raise funds for Gift of
Life Mid-South, the wonderful Rotary District 6800 project that
transports kids from all over the world to Memphis, where they receive
life-saving heart surgery.
Gates open at 1:00 p.m. (rain date is Oct. 27th) at the Memphis Polo Club, 2650 Stinson Drive in Rossville, Tennessee
(in nearby Fayette County). The admission is $20 per person and kids under 16 get in free.
In addition to District 6800, major sponsors are LeBoneheur Children’s Hospital, Wells Fargo Advisors LLC,
Trustmark Bank, and Huey’s.
More information can be obtained by contacting Bill Pickens at slimpick@me.com
Cleveland Rotarians Dr. William LaForge (left)
and Bill Bizzell (center) welcome Governor William
Winter to Delta State University, where
Governor Winter spoke at the newly initiated
Colloquia Series.
DISPLAYING THE COLORS ‐ When District
Governor Tommy White visited the Sardis club,
he helped Judge Jimmy McClure (left) and Cris
Fletcher (right) display some of the colors of Rotary,
including the current RI theme banner as
well as the Sardis club banner.
The District 6800 Newsletter strives to includes photos and information about all Rotary clubs in the
district. PLEASE let us know about your club and its activities in order that we can rest the other
clubs know what you are doing. Please send your information to jim@jimbuffington.com
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Space Available for District 6800
Friendship Exchange Team to India
Work on the District 6800 visit to Indore, India, through the Friendship Exchange Program is proceeding.
“The team is rapidly coalescing for the District 6800 visit to India in January 2014,” said FE Liaison
Clifford Brock of the Tupelo Rotary Club.
The program provides for exchanges between clubs worldwide. District 3040 in north central India
indicated they would like to exchange and the two districts set Summer 2014 for District 3040 to visit North
Mississippi and Memphis, while the U.S. team will travel to India in late January and early February 2014.
Presently, Rotarians from a variety of clubs are signed on as participants. They include Pan Awsumb,
Letricia Lewis, Mary Sloan, Sherri Watts and Smith Murphey.
The team still has room for three additional Rotarians and their spouses/companions. Interested Rotarians
should contact District 6800 Liaison Clifford Brock (cliffmid@gmail.com, or 662.205.4630) right away
to express interest.
The District 6800 team will leave for India in late January and travel to a variety of cities. The visit also
allows the team to participate in District 3040’s District Conference in early February.
The team will visit such historic cities as Indore, Bhopal, Udaipur and Ratlam. Team member may
choose to extend their stay and visit Jaipur, Jodpur and Agra, the “Pink City,” the “Blue City,” and site of the
Taj Mahal respectively. These are three of the most important and beautiful cities in India.
This promises to be an outstanding Rotary program, so if you are interested in the District 6800
Friendship Exchange to India, contact your club FE liaison, your club president or email Clifford Brock, District
6800 Friendship Exchange Chair at cliffmid@gmail.com
The Pink City is one of the
most exotic in all of India.
Native dress is not an uncommon
sight.
A warm welcome is nearly always found
in India. The hospitality of the Indian
people is legendary.
This month we are experimenting
with creating links from the newsletter
(a PDF file) to other types of
files, including videos, that are located
elsewhere. The following link
will hopefully will take you to a
YouTube video created by Greg
Udouj of the Memphis East club. It
honors immediate Past President
Leigh Anne Hart and memorializes
Richard Blount, a 21‐year member
of the club who died last November.
Your computer may or may not
permit the link to work, but we
hope it will.
http://youtu.be/7mFjalZZb9w