What scholarships did the Rotary Club of Clayton award this year?

The Rotary Club of Clayton awarded $10,000 in scholarships to ten students, including recipients from Rabun County High School, Tallulah Falls School, Rabun Gap Nacoochee School, and one homeschooled student.

Who spoke at last week’s Rotary Club of Clayton meeting?

Walker Rice of MedLink spoke at last week’s meeting and provided an overview of MedLink’s current services, along with plans for future growth and expansion.

What is happening at the May 21, 2026 Rotary Club of Clayton meeting?

The May 21, 2026 meeting will be the final Club Assembly of the Rotary year. Members will hear from newer members, discuss what lies ahead for the club, and review experiences from the Club Leaders Learning Seminar.

How can members nominate candidates for Rotary Club of Clayton awards?

Members can nominate candidates for club awards using the online Club Awards Nomination Form. The awards will be presented at the June 4 meeting.

What awards will the Rotary Club of Clayton present?

The Rotary Club of Clayton will present awards including the Wheel Award, J.C. Dover Wheel Award, Jean Harris Professional Award, Golden R Award, Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, Police Officer of the Year, Firefighter of the Year, and EMT/Paramedic of the Year.

What is on the lunch menu for the May 21 Rotary meeting?

The lunch menu for the May 21 meeting includes a taco bar with chicken and beef, extra lettuce for taco salads, and dessert.

Who is presenting at the May 28, 2026 Rotary meeting?

The American Red Cross will present at the May 28, 2026 Rotary meeting to help prepare members for the Sound the Alarm smoke detector distribution project.

What service projects did the Rotary Club of Clayton complete last week?

The Rotary Club of Clayton completed four service projects, including packing 200 meals, cooking at Rabun County High School spring football games, sponsoring and working at a food distribution at Rabun Gap Presbyterian Church, and participating in the Stekoa Creek Cleanup.

How many people were served through the Food Distribution project?

The Rotary Club of Clayton sponsored a food distribution that provided 40,000 pounds of food to 156 households, serving 523 people, including 57 people over age 65 and 73 people under age 18.

When is the Free Paper Shredding Event?

The Free Paper Shredding Event will be held Friday, May 29, from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM at the Civic Center parking lot. The event is free to the community, but donations are appreciated.

When is the Sound the Alarm smoke detector distribution?

Sound the Alarm training will take place Thursday, May 28, at 2:00 PM at the Food Bank. The distribution will take place Saturday, May 30, with volunteers meeting at Clayton Church of God at 8:00 AM.

When is Rotary Youth Leadership Academy?

Rotary Youth Leadership Academy, also known as RYLA, will take place May 28 through May 31 at Tallulah Falls School. Volunteers are needed as counselors and activity helpers.

What is the Camp Tanglewood Augusta Service Project?

The Camp Tanglewood Augusta Service Project will take place June 4 through June 6. Volunteers will help with hurricane recovery efforts, including carpentry, planting, debris removal, and preparing new cabins.

When is the Rotary Club of Clayton End-of-Year Celebration?

The Rotary Club of Clayton End-of-Year Celebration will be held Thursday, June 25, 2026, from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM at The Dillard House.

What items are needed for Food Bank donations?

The Food Bank is requesting plastic grocery bags, peanut butter and jelly, cereal, soups, crackers, rice, chili and beans, pasta, sauce, beef stew, canned meats, fruits, vegetables, and cash donations. Checks may be made payable to Food Bank of Northeast Georgia with Rabun County in the memo line.

Discover Community Impact in This Week's Rotary Updates

Weekly Newsletter

Week of Thursday, May 21, 2026

President’s Message

What an epic week! We participated in four service projects this past week and sent five members to the Club Leadership Learning Seminar.

This week, we are asking you to nominate your candidates for club awards. There is a link in the newsletter below that allows you to do so online. We will be presenting these awards at the June 4 meeting.

Thank you for your willingness to serve and make a lasting impact on our community.

Recap from Last Week’s Meeting

The Rotary Club of Clayton was proud to award six outstanding students with $1,000 scholarships this year. Representing Rabun County High School were Lindsay Whitmer, Dillan Garrison, and Emmit Watts. From Tallulah Falls School, scholarship recipients included Lily Gagli and Carsyn Giffis. Lucy Vogelbacher, who was homeschooled, was also recognized as a scholarship recipient. The other awardees were Kendall Weisser from RGNS, Rachel Moon from RCHS, Andrew Causin from RCHS, and Hayden Bass from TFS. In total, we gave out $10,000 in scholarships! Congratulations to each of these deserving students on their accomplishments and bright futures ahead!

A special thank-you goes to the members of the scholarship committee — Amy Hulett, Alton Story, Kim Lovell, Frankie Singer, Mike Singer, and Matt Mitcham — for the time, dedication, and hard work they invested throughout the selection process.

We also had the opportunity to hear from Walker Rice of MedLink, who provided an informative overview of the many services MedLink currently offers and shared exciting plans for future growth and expansion.

Thank you to Walker and his associates for taking the time to visit and present to our club!

See our Facebook Reel: Facebook Reel

This Week’s Meeting

We will be having our last Club Assembly of this Rotary year this Thursday. We will hear from more of our new members and lay out what lies ahead for our club.

We had five club members give up their Saturday to attend the Club Leaders Learning Seminar at Lanier Tech this past Saturday. By all accounts, it was the best learning event that Rotary District 6910 has ever put on!

Thank you to John Dinos, Gary Kenney, Jef Fincher, Amy Hulett, and Gerald Hulett for giving their time to become better leaders for our club. We will be hearing about their experience.

Pictured above are District Governor Jessica Fleetwood, Amy Hulett, Area Governor Gerald Hulett, John Dinos and Gary Kenney.

We are also asking for your nominations for club awards. We will present these awards at our June 4 meeting.

Go to the online form to make your nominations: Club Awards Nomination Form

Club Awards

Wheel Award — Given annually to individuals or groups in the community who have demonstrated the spirit of Rotary’s “Service Above Self” through service benefiting the welfare of the community. Their efforts may include work with churches, family services, medical facilities, and educational institutions. (Non-Rotarian)
J.C. Dover Wheel Award — The top Wheel Award, named in honor of Dr. J.C. Dover, a member of the Rotary Club of Clayton who practiced medicine in Rabun County for over 66 years and was an active church, civic, and community leader. This award honors his years of unselfish service to the citizens of Rabun County. (Non-Rotarian)
Jean Harris Professional Award — Honors the accomplishments and achievements of a woman in the community who works to improve the quality of life for others. (Non-Rotarian)
Golden “R” Award — Conferred upon the Rotarian judged to be the most contributing citizen toward improving community standards, facilities, and educational institutions. The recipient should have a high attendance record at club meetings, serve as a leader in club functions and projects, and be a living example of the principles embodied in the Four-Way Test. (Rotarian)
Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award (Sheriff’s Office)
Police Officer of the Year
Firefighter of the Year
EMT/Paramedic of the Year

What’s on the Menu?

This week’s lunch menu includes:

Taco bar with chicken and beef
Extra lettuce for those who like a “taco salad”
Dessert

Thursday, May 21, 2026

11:30 AM
Food Bank of Northeast Georgia — Rotary Community Room

Next Week’s Program

The American Red Cross will be presenting and helping prepare us for “Sound the Alarm.” Don’t miss this important meeting and find out how you might be able to help save lives.

We need 20 volunteers and especially Spanish speakers. Sign up HERE!

Thursday, May 28, 2026
11:30 AM
Food Bank of Northeast Georgia — Rotary Community Room

Impact Club Update

Tuesday, May 26, 2026 | 6:00 PM
Food Bank of Northeast Georgia

Service Above Self

We had four service projects this past week!

We packed 200 meals after our meeting on Thursday. Thanks to all of the folks that stayed behind after our meeting.
Rotary Chefs cooked at the spring football games at Rabun County High School Friday night. Thank you to Alton Story, Jim Antosiak, Carrie Beck and Dave Farrington.
We sponsored and worked at the Food Distribution at Rabun Gap Presbyterian Church this past Saturday as part of the Epic Day of Service. Our $1,550 paid for 40,000 pounds of food that went to 156 households with 523 people of which 57 were over 65 and 73 were under 18. Thank you to everyone that showed up early on Saturday morning.
We participated in the Stekoa Creek Cleanup on Saturday in conjunction with the Headwaters Master Gardening Club and Chattooga River Conservancy.

Upcoming Service Opportunities

We are still packing meals this Thursday and every Thursday through the end of May.
Free Paper Shredding Event — Friday, May 29, from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM at the Civic Center parking lot. Bring your old bills and records, and we will shred them for you. This event is free to the community, but donations are appreciated to help cover the cost.
SOUND THE ALARM! Smoke Detector Distribution — Thursday, May 28, at 2:00 PM and Saturday, May 30. We will join the American Red Cross to install smoke detectors for neighbors who cannot afford them.Training will take place Thursday, May 28, at the Food Bank at 2:00 PM. Distribution will take place Saturday, May 30. We will meet at the Clayton Church of God, 255 Stekoa Falls Rd., at 8:00 AM. We need approximately 20 volunteers.We are in special need of volunteers who speak Spanish.
Sign up here:
SOUND THE ALARM Volunteer Sign-Up
Contact Elizabeth Gill for details: (404) 358-4089
Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) — Thursday, May 28, through Sunday, May 31. If you are interested in volunteering, learn more at:
RYLA 6910
RYLA6910@gmail.com
RYLA Dinner — Friday, May 29. Contact Dave Farrington for details: (404) 713-6160
Camp Tanglewood / Augusta Service Project — June 4–6There are moments when service stops being an idea and becomes something you can see, touch, and build with your own hands. This spring, Rotary District 6910’s Disaster Relief Committee is offering an opportunity to do exactly that.The project begins June 4 with a $50,000 check presentation supporting hurricane recovery efforts, followed by hands-on service work. Volunteers will assist with carpentry, planting, debris removal, and preparing new cabins.
No experience is required — just a willingness to serve.
This collaborative effort will include volunteers from Districts 6900 and 6920. Housing is available for Rotarians who would like to be matched with a host family in Augusta during the project.
Sign up here:
Camp Tanglewood Volunteer Sign-Up
This project represents Rotary at its best — showing up, stepping in, and making a lasting impact in communities that need us.

End-of-Year Celebration!

We will hold our End-of-Year Celebration at the newly renovated The Dillard House on Thursday evening, June 25, from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM.

We will install our new officers and celebrate all that we have accomplished this year while enjoying a great meal. We will also look ahead to what is in store for the new Rotary year beginning July 1.

If you would like to help plan this fun event, please contact Susie Howard at (404) 310-0469.