The Rotary Club of Greater Greer -- On fire for Rotary!

I came to Greenville to participate in the Health and Happiness Hour for Greenville Metro Clubs on Monday night, October 17th and had a great time meeting many loyal Rotarians at the Blue Fish Grill near Woodruff Road. PDG Myles Golden and PDG George Fletcher invited me to dinner after the Health and Happiness Hour, and we had a great time talking about various issues, the great time enjoyed during my official club visits, and our recent Afghanistan trip. Terry and Pam Weaver were gracious in allowing me to stay in their home overnight, and I was only 0.7 miles from the Thornblade Club where the Rotary Club of Greater Greer was meeting today. The club meets at 7 AM, so I was up early to prepare for the meeting and find the Thornblade Club since PDG George Fletcher mentioned that this was a difficult location to find. The GPS did indicate the club location, but all I could see were large houses that could have easily been a club. Fortunately I did eventually find the actual Thornblade Club building and toured a good portion of the building before finding the actual meeting room. 

President Wanda Moore did a great job directing the club meeting and was truly excited about my visit today. I was thrilled to be able to induct 6 new members to the club today. Wanda would like to see her club's size double this year, and she is well on her way. The club has ambitious plans to expand membership, increase scholarships to local high school students, participate in the Friends of Lake Robinson Day of Celebration, and continue supporting the literacy and agricultural work in Haiti. The Greater Greer Rotary Club is the #1 club in our district for per capita donations to The Rotary Foundation (over $500 per capita!), and I was excited to hear about how they have created a culture of giving to the foundation. Rotarian Tom Faulkner, partner to PDG Becky Faulkner, is the club's Foundation Chair and he believes in The Rotary Foundation. Tom has led efforts to install water systems in El Salvador and promote the good work of the foundation. This club that had 11 members at the beginning of this year is growing rapidly and on fire for Rotary. I can't tell you how thrilling this is for a District Governor! Wanda sent me a very nice note thanking me for inspiring their club, but I believe they inspired me more! As I told the Greater Greer Rotary Club, their size is relatively small now, but they are making a huge difference in their community and our world. Look for great things to happen with this club. President Elect Benjamin Buck is a young and enthusiastic Rotarian who understands social media and how to appeal to the younger generation. The club's future is bright, and we can all learn something from such great clubs. 

I was honored to recognize Tom Faulkner as the club's Notable Rotarian today. Tom has been a member since 1986 and has served as a Charter Member and Past Club President. He is a Paul Harris Fellow, Sustaining Member, Benefactor, and member of the Paul Harris Society. He has perfect attendance since 2003 and is a graduate of the Rotary Leadership Institute. Tom's classification is housing development. I see Tom as a leader who has motivated his club members to donate very generously to The Rotary Foundation and be actively engaged in the club's activities.