Weekly Newsletter
Week of January 8, 2026
Welcome to 2026 & the Second Half of Our Rotary Year!
Happy New Year, Rotarians! As we step into 2026 and the second half of the 2025–2026 Rotary year, this is a wonderful moment to reflect on how far we’ve come—and to look ahead with excitement and purpose.
Thanks to your passion, generosity, and commitment to Service Above Self, the Rotary Club of Clayton has experienced one of the strongest first halves in our club’s history. Below is a snapshot of what YOU have helped accomplish.
Half-Year Review — 2025–2026 Rotary Year
A Strong First Half: Accomplishments & Highlights
The Rotary Club of Clayton has experienced remarkable momentum in the first six months of the Rotary year. Together, we have grown, served, given, and elevated Rotary’s presence in Rabun County.
Membership & Club Growth
- Began the year with 87 members — now at 104 members, reflecting 20% growth
- 37 women members, representing 35% of total membership
- Launched the Rotary Impact Club of Clayton, now at 14 members and growing
Service & Community Impact
- 32 service projects completed
- 300+ volunteers engaged
- 1,000+ service hours logged
- Participated in 6 food distributions, helping distribute nearly 240,000 pounds of food
(valued at approximately $1.2 million) - Awarded a $5,000 Opioid Trust Grant to expand awareness of mental health resources in Rabun County
Visibility & Outreach
- Grown to 1,500+ Facebook followers
- Launched our new website: www.claytonrotary.com
– featuring an updated calendar and links to weekly newsletters - 13 members registered for the District 6910 Conference — the most of any club in the District
- Hosted 15 outstanding guest speakers
- Enjoyed 4 fantastic social events
Club Development
- Updated and improved the Red Badge → Blue Badge transition process
- Approved new Club Bylaws aligned with District standards
Fundraising & Giving
- $1,895 raised for Polio Plus
– with Gates Foundation and partner matching = nearly $11,000 impact - Impact Club Food Drive:
– $1,724 raised and 2.5 tons of food collected for the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia - Festival of Trees:
– $750 raised for the Food Bank Teaching Kitchen - $5,531 contributed to the Rotary Foundation Annual Fund
(includes Polio Plus, Foundation Grants, Endowment & other giving)
What an incredible first half—thank you for making this possible!
Goals for the Second Half of the Rotary Year
Looking ahead, we will continue building on our momentum with a focus on engagement, structure, visibility, and meaningful impact—all while celebrating fellowship and joy within our Club.
Strategic Goals
- Increase member engagement by strengthening committee involvement
- Establish a Fundraising Team to lead the Spring Fundraiser and support the President-Elect
- Create a Club Manual of Policies & Procedures
– developed by committees and approved by the Board - Enhance claytonrotary.com as the central information hub for members
- Begin streaming weekly meetings on YouTube
- Participate in a Global Grant project
- And above all… HAVE FUN while serving others!
Recap from Our December 18 Meeting
At our December 18 meeting, the Club voted unanimously to approve the Slate of Officers and Directors for the 2026–2027 Rotary Year.
Officers & Directors (Elected)
- President-Elect: Lee Penland
- Treasurer: John Dinos
- Secretary: Susie Howard
- Sergeant-at-Arms: Stewart Harvard
- Membership Director: Todd Faircloth
- Service Director: Amy Hulett
- RI Foundation Director: Elizabeth Gill
- Public Image Director: Brooke Cannon
- Impact Club Director: Jon Tuck
Not on the Ballot
- President: Laura Seberg
- Past President: Matt Freeman
Committee Chairs
- Club Administrator: Jef Fincher
- Youth Services Chairs: Allison Beck & Julie Harris
- Program Chair: Matt Slappey
- Family of Rotary: Paige Coffey
- Mental Health Initiative: TBD
- Internal / Community Affairs: David Farrington
- Impact Club Chair: Jon Tuck
- Impact Club Membership: Jim Carlson
- Impact Club Secretary: Katie Kelly
Please thank these Rotarians for stepping up to lead—and consider joining them as we move into an exciting second half of the year.
Guest Speaker Recap
We welcomed Buzz Williams of the Chattooga River Conservancy, who spoke about environmental protection and ecosystem restoration. A highlighted project was the Stekoa Creek Park restoration, in partnership with the Headwaters Master Gardeners Club.
See our Facebook post:
https://www.facebook.com/
This Week’s Meeting
Thursday, January 8 | 11:45 AM
Food Bank of Northeast Georgia – Clayton
Program Speaker
Kyle Bryner — Blue Hound Barbecue
Award-winning pitmaster and Food Network Master of ‘Cue champion, Kyle will share his journey as a food entrepreneur—and provide barbecue for members and guests ($15 for guests and Impact members). We already have 69 RSVPs, so please let us know if you are attending.
Limited to 75 attendees — RSVP required
RSVP here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/
This Week’s Menu
Barbecue and sides by Blue Hound Barbecue
Impact Club Update
Next Meeting: Tuesday, January 13 | 6:00 PM
Food Bank of Northeast Georgia – Clayton
Upcoming Service Events
Meal Packing
Immediately following this week’s meeting
Stekoa Creek Cleanup
Saturday, January 10 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Wear comfortable clothes and bring gloves if you have them.
Upcoming Social Events
Comfort Crawl — Fifth Thursday Social
Thursday, January 29 | 5:30 – 8:30 PM
Rabun County Civic Center Diner
Sign up: https://forms.gle/
Next Club Meeting
Thursday, January 15 | 11:45 AM
Rotary Community Room, Food Bank of Northeast Georgia
Guest Speaker will be John Wilkinson
President of North Georgia Tech in Clarkesville
Important Dates
- January 29 — Comfort Crawl
- February 29 — District Governor Visit
- April 2 — Rabun County Special Olympics
- April 25 — Murder Mystery Gala Fundraiser
- April 30 – May 3 — District 6910 Conference
- June 25 — End-of-Year Celebration
