Recently the Rotary Club of Clarke County had the pleasure of hosting speaker Martha Reynolds at the Rotary meeting, where she shared insights about Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville. 


Martha discussed the history, mission, and upcoming events at Barns of Rose Hill, a vibrant cultural center that brings arts, music, and community programs to Clarke County. 

Located in the heart of Berryville, Barns of Rose Hill hosts concerts, art exhibitions, film screenings, and educational programs, providing a unique space for creativity and connection. 

We’re grateful to Martha for highlighting the incredible role Barns of Rose Hill plays in enriching our community!

Also recently, the Rotary Club of Clarke County presented Anne Cushman with a $1,000 check and four carts for the FISH Community Food Pantry. FISH of Clarke County , located at 36 East Main Street in Berryville, provides food, clothing, and support to local residents in need. 

To contact FISH or make a donation, you can reach them at [email protected]. 

Summary from District Disaster Response Chair:

We had over 2000 volunteer hours directly assisting those affected by Helene.

We had 25 District 7570 Rotary volunteers plus 7 friends/family of District 7570 Rotarians, 17 walk up volunteers and 8 DAUSA team leads.

I've been contacted by other county EMA offices in TN that are in our district. I'm working with them and Disaster Aid USA to assess if we will deploy in the next two weeks.
 

Fifty-five people attended the Charter Nite and 30th Anniversary Celebration of The Rotary Club of Lexington Sunrise at Moody Hall, VMI on October 16, 2024. The Club was chartered on October 18, 1994. Sponsorship was by the Rotary Club of Lexington (chartered on February 1, 1922) which in turn had been sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lynchburg.

Guests were greeted by Rotarian Shannon Eskam. Lining the walls of the banquet room were 3 display tables of memorabilia, photos, news articles, past 4th of July balloon rally posters and designed t-shirts. A power-point slide show of Rotarians and community friends ran continuously. On each table were a tent card with a narrative and photos.  Narratives were written by: Rotarian David Dugan (Club Foundation), Rotarian Woody Sadler (History of Club), Jim Halasz (President's Message), Rotarian Monty Kennedy (International Services), Rotarian Clay Devening (History of Road & Relay Benefit), Rotarian Lori Sadler (Membership) and Ruth Parsons (Memories of Balloon Rally, Paul Harris Fellows, Al Hockaday, Sergeant of Arms).

Club President Jim Halasz welcomed everyone. Rotarian Steve Sanders blessed the meal. Rotarian Chuck Newhouse led the Pledge of Allegiance. Rotarian Peter Gruner led us in "God Bless America." Past President Carol Wheeler delivered a devotion sharing how the club involved high school students in Rotaract which seemed to influence some of the student's decisions to participate in Rotary Clubs after graduation and pursue careers involving helping others. One student coordinated raising money for international programs by having students donate their pennies by placing them in a wheelbarrow which resulted in approximately $1400.00 being raised.

Lexington City Mayor Frank Friedman presented the Club a proclamation. Immediate Past President, Woody Sadler said, "When Don Miller and I first sat down to organize the Club, we had no idea how successful it would become. The first 25 members grew to 63 and the club quickly became part of the fabric of our community. Our major event, the Balloon Rally, not only raised money for philanthropy, but gave the community a spectacular event drawing thousands. The Road & River Relay now 45 years in existence continues to engage many people."

Club President Jim Halasz presented Kaydance Sadler with a Paul Harris Fellow given by her grandparents Woody and Lori Sadler. District 7570 District Governor Elect Andy Van Hook was our speaker and shared how he started out in his hometown Rotary Club by promoting his club on social media. He has traveled internationally to work on Rotary service projects and Andy's love for Rotary is contagious and profound. The Club honored Woody Sadler with a matted and framed photo titled: Gift of Mobility of an Ecuadorian boy with his new wheelchair. Woody and Lori Sadler, Marc Hudson and many other Rotarians have distributed wheelchairs in Latin American countries.

Over the years, the Club Foundation has granted $227,400.00 to local non-profit organizations and given local scholarships of $30,700.00 to high school students. Current efforts are: highway trash pickup, meal delivery to shut-ins, backpack school supplies to children, purchase of wheelchairs, and much more. The evening concluded with the reciting of "The Four Way Test" by President Elect Ruth Parsons. 

Find the Rotary Club of Lexington Sunrise on Facebook (click link).




Charter Members:  l-r Woody Sadler, Lori Sadler, Carol Wheeler, Dianne Herrick, and Clay Devening


District Governor Elect Andy Van Hook cheers on current President Jim Halasz.
 

On Friday, November 1 the Rotary Club of Front Royal awarded both Susan Hrbek and Bret Hrbek the Douglas P. Stanley Service Above Self Award.

Pictured: Honorary RCFR member and president of the Rotary Club of Farmville, VA Doug Stanley, Susan Hrbek and Bret Hrbek

November has arrived, and that means it’s Foundation Month—the time when celebrate the Rotary Foundation, our secret sauce. It’s the magical ingredient in a family recipe: you may not always know exactly how it works, but somehow, it turns good intentions into global impact. Behind the scenes, the Foundation is that steady, reliable force turning our passions into real change, from our own communities to corners of the world we’ve yet to see.

This month, I’d like to spotlight a Foundation priority that we can all agree feels particularly urgent: peace. Now, we may not be flying around in capes, but the Foundation gives us all the power to build peace through everyday projects. Clean water, better health, mental wellness, and educational opportunities—these aren’t just “nice-to-haves.” They’re the essentials for creating peaceful, resilient communities. Every project we support with Foundation funds is another brick in the wall of peace. And let’s be honest: at this point, we might need a whole fortress!

No matter the project your club takes on this year, it’s part of the peace puzzle. When your club receives a district grant, it’s not just funding—it’s a practical investment in advocacy for a better, more connected world. Every dollar spent on these projects is like putting fuel in the Rotary peace machine. And that machine, my friends, is powered by all of you.

I know what you’re probably thinking: “What can I, a humble Rotarian, do to make a dent in the big ol’ peace problem?” Well, it turns out that every effort counts. Every dollar you contribute, every hour you volunteer, every wild idea you bring to the table—together, they’re part of a grassroots army for peace. You’re a bricklayer for a better world, one Foundation-funded project at a time. And for every dollar you contribute, nearly half will come back to our district in just three years, ready to fund the next project your club is passionate about.

So, let’s make this November a Foundation Month to remember! Consider how you and your club can contribute. Every donation not only makes a difference but also brings us closer to creating a peaceful and connected world, one community at a time. 

Thank you for all that you do. Let’s keep building a world we can all live peacefully in—and maybe even share a good laugh or two along the way. After all, peace and laughter make the perfect pair!

Recently, students from E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School began planting the Rotary Tulips at their school. We look forward to them blossoming in the spring.

When our Johnson City Noon Rotary Club Treasurer Theresa Billings heard I was traveling to the Azores in October with my husband, she sent me abroad with our club flag featuring Daniel Boone. What an honor and privilege it was to take part in an international club flag exchange with Marie Sousa in Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal. I returned with their club flag and presented it to our past president Brackton Smith. The Portuguese love to explore (we saw a statue of Vasco da Gama at the port in Angra, Terceira.) so naturally, Marie enjoyed receiving the flag featuring our frontier folk hero.


Mary Ellen “Mel” Miller of Johnson City noon Rotary Club exchanges flags with Marie Sousa in Ponta Delgado, Azores, Portugal.

After traveling across the Atlantic, Miller presented the Azores flag to Johnson City noon Rotary Club Past President Brackton Smith. It will be displayed, along with other international flags, at club meetings.

The 2024-2025 District Conference Award Applications are now open! Our District Conference Awards Committee, along with fellow Rotarians in District 7570, are eager to see the amazing accomplishments your clubs have achieved over the past year.

To submit, visit https://www.rotary7570.org/district-conference-awards/ and scroll down to the blue button labeled “SUBMIT A CLUB AWARD APPLICATION.” Select this button for each award category your club would like to enter (there are 10 categories total). Please remember, only one application per category is allowed per club.

Applications are due by Saturday, February 1st.

For any questions, feel free to reach out to Josie Russell.

Hi everyone! My name is Burt Duren, and I am a proud member of the Rotary Club of Lynchburg – Morning. DG Bret also recently appointed me to lead the Rotary Friendship Exchange (RFE) program for D7570.
For those who may not be familiar, RFE is a reciprocal travel program between two Rotary districts from different countries. Teams are comprised of 8 to 10 people representing each district travel at their own cost to the reciprocal district for 10 to 14 days where they are hosted by local Rotarians in their homes. Each district designs an itinerary for incoming guests which includes visits to noteworthy sites and attendance at local Rotary meetings and free time with hosts. 
My wife, Donna, and I have been privileged to participate in several RFEs when we lived in D7430 (Lehigh Valley, PA). I’ve included photos from RFEs in [Argentina, Sweden, Türkiye, and Wales]. In every experience, our hosts provided rich insights about the local area – far beyond what we could have gleaned traveling on our own. We have also hosted inbound Rotarians on several RFEs in our home, as well. In all our experiences, the richest benefit has been becoming close friends with like-minded Rotarians from around the world.
As you might imagine, D7570 RFEs took a pause due to the pandemic. But we are restarting efforts to identify reciprocal districts, increase awareness and excitement about RFEs within the district and develop an outstanding itinerary/program for incoming guests. If you are interested in participating in future RFEs or would like further information, please contact me at [email protected].

Rotary is deeply committed to fostering a culture of peace globally, and the first step in any movement toward peace is raising awareness. In alignment with this mission, we are encouraging clubs within District 7570 to participate in the Peace Pole initiative. Peace Poles are powerful symbols—6-8 feet tall and inscribed with the phrase "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in multiple languages. It is my hope that by erecting Peace Poles in communities across our district, we can spark conversations about peace and inspire action toward conflict resolution locally and worldwide.
District Support for Peace Poles
To promote this initiative, we have set aside $3,000 for Peace Poles in District 7570. The District will provide $175 to clubs interested in participating, with each club contributing $100 of its own funds to receive the District's support. To apply for the District’s $175 contribution, clubs should email Marc Hudson, District Grants Chair, at [email protected]with confirmation of their intent to erect a Peace Pole. Funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, and Marc will notify clubs once they have been granted the funds.  
Once you receive confirmation, clubs can proceed with ordering their specific Peace Pole. Please refer to the attached information for purchasing details.
Learn More
To learn more about the Peace Pole program and explore ideas for enhancing the pole’s surroundings with benches or landscaping, visit rotarypeacepoles.world. Peace Poles often serve as locations for ceremonies when they are first erected and throughout the year, becoming rallying points for other peace-related activities and events.
Let’s work together to promote peace and inspire meaningful discussions in our communities!