Giving Thanks by Giving

Rotarians, this past Monday you brought more food than I think we have ever collected in a single meeting — about a dozen grocery bags’ worth, enough to build ten Thanksgiving baskets for ten families of our Horizons Atlanta scholars at Galloway, AIS, and The Temple. Ten families who will sit down to a full table because this club showed up. Thank you.

Now let’s make it more. Next Monday, November 16, we assemble those baskets together at the meeting. If you brought something, bring one more bag. If you didn’t, this is your Monday. Stuffing, canned vegetables, cranberry sauce, boxed potatoes, pie filling — anything that belongs on a Thanksgiving table and keeps without a refrigerator. Ten baskets is a good start. Twelve or fifteen would be better, and I think we have it in us.

This past Monday also gave us a special moment. Army Major General David R. Bockel (Ret.) stood before the club on the eve of Veterans Day and asked every veteran in the room to rise. They did and it was a wonderful moment. To each of you who served: this club is grateful, and we’re proud you call it home. 

Next Monday carries one of our quieter traditions. Once a year, just before Thanksgiving, we invite a speaker from one of our faith communities to address the club. Whatever your own tradition, it’s a chance to pause and remember what the Four-Way Test asks of us before the holiday rush takes over. This year we welcome Dr. Rev. Richard Kannwischer of Peachtree Presbyterian, and I’d ask that you fill the room. Then we celebrate Thanksgiving together as a club — baskets packed, grace said, and a few extra chairs at the table.

Beyond our walls, several Buckhead Rotarians attended the Street Grace fundraiser hosted by Jeff Foxworthy and Ernie Johnson. Buckhead Rotary was a sponsor, and the evening helped raise more than $800,000 to end human trafficking in Georgia. That’s your dues and your Foundation Benefit dollars at work on one of the hardest problems in our city, and it’s worth knowing where they go.

And we grew again. Please welcome Pamela Monastra, Founder of Next Step Strategic Consulting, who received her red badge on Monday. Pamela, you’ve joined on a week that shows exactly who we are. Find a seat next to someone you don’t know yet and ask them what their favorite Buckhead Rotary moment has been. You’ll be adding your own soon.

See you Monday. Bring a friend, bring a bag of groceries, and bring your appetite for a club that gives thanks by giving.

Yours in Rotary,

Jeff Clark
President

District Conference: Buckhead Rotary Goes to Asheville

Mark your calendars: from April 22 to 25, 2027, District 6900 heads to Asheville, North Carolina, for our annual District Conference, and we want a big Buckhead Rotary group there with us.

Here are three reasons to come along:

Friendships that last. District Conference gives us something our Monday lunches can't: four days together. There are shared meals, long conversations and evenings out with fellow Buckhead Rotarians. Some of the best friendships in this club started at a District Conference, and yours could be next.

Rotary beyond our club. You'll meet Rotarians from clubs across District 6900, hear what they're working on, and come home with new ideas and new friends. It's the best way to see the power of Rotary beyond our own club.

The Blue Ridge, Rotary-style. Asheville is one of the most beautiful cities in the Southeast. It sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains and is known for its art, food and views. Seeing it in a Rotarian setting, alongside friends, makes it even better.

How to register. Registration is $350 per person. The host hotels are the Embassy Suites and the DoubleTree in downtown Asheville. Book the group rate through the links on the event page, and your room comes with breakfast tickets. The registration fee goes up on January 1, so sign up early.

[CLICK HERE TO REGISTER]

See you in Asheville!

Did You Know We Have a Podcast?!!

Buckhead Rotary has had its own podcast channel for years — and it's home to something special. Our new "deep dive" episode, generated entirely by AI, traces the club from its earliest days straight through today's signature projects. It's a fast, engaging run through our proudest moments, and there are fun facts tucked inside that even our longest-tenured members won't see coming. Give it 30 minutes on your next drive or walk. You'll come away understanding just how far this club has come — and prouder than ever to be part of it.

There Actually is Such a Thing as a Free Lunch

Buckhead Rotarians remember to carry your 75th Anniversary Buckhead Rotary Challenge Coins:

Every member gets two — one for your pocket, one to give away. Keep one as a reminder of the Four-Way Test and of what it means to be a Buckhead Rotarian. Hand the other to someone who belongs in this club, and tell them there really is such a thing as a free lunch: bring the coin to our next meeting at Maggiano's, and lunch is on us.

[CLICK HERE TO ORDER MORE]

Register for the Holiday Party