Finishing out the week in Laurens

We enjoyed a short 40 minute drive through Clinton and Waterloo to Laurens. President Angela Marlett and the board met in the Mayor's Office for Laurens. The club is proud of their friendly fellowship, great programs, networking, and weekly meals. Club members read to elementary school children each week (Rotary Reader's Program), participate in Adopt a Highway, and fund several scholarships for Lauren's County residents going to Piedmont Technical College. I had a little fun with PDG King Dixon today when he came in during my presentation. King had a meeting at his bank today, and they had already talked about what a great job he does with the Happy Bucks portion of the program. King also promotes The Rotary Foundation, and the results are excellent. The board hopes to pursue great publicity of club and other Rotary events. 

We had a fabulous pasta meal prepared by a Rotarian chef in the club. I was pleased that the club provided a check for the Haiti Literacy Project and actively works with the Good Shepherd Free Medical Clinic. They provided me with a t-shirt from the town's major event for the year, Squealin' on the Square, a major BBQ event that brings in over 20,000 people to the town each year. My presentation went very well today with no demons loose in the computer! I enjoyed meeting with PDG King Dixon and some other friends in the club including Rich D'Alberto, CEO of the Laurens County Health Care System. 

I was pleased to recognize Price Kennedy as the club's Notable Rotarian. Price has been a member since 2003 and served as the 2009-10 Club President. He is a Paul Harris Fellow and RLI graduate. Price exemplified Service Above Self by developing detailed manuals for each Officer and Chairperson for each of our five committees to ensure goals were met. He also tackled an attendance issue present for some time and enforced RI attendance requirements. As a result of his efforts the club's attendance percentage is now much higher, and he qualified the club for the Governor's Award and the Presidential Citation. The club also donated $2,000 to Polio Plus, co-sponsored a Matching Grant project in Honduras, and was awarded a District Simplified Grant for assistance with the Dolly Pardon Imagination Library in the Laurens area. Price also developed a membership plan to enlist new club members after some left due to attendance policy enforcement. Price, thank you for all that you are doing for Laurens, District 7750, and our world!