The Gainesville-Haymarket Rotary meets every Wednesday at 7:30 am at the Piedmont Country Club. Here's the address:

14675 Piedmont Vista Drive, Haymarket, Va 20169

Please sign on to the District Club Database and review/update your membership information.

We Americans are by nature a giving people. The sharing of resources was how the American Colonies survived. It was how wagon trains survived. And it was how our frontier towns survived. Giving was and is as natural to us as it is necessary to the world. But I, for one, can under-appreciate the importance of my giving without bright or unexpected evidence, and it dampens my natural inclination to donate. For example, Peggy and I were present at the first international convention of Worldwide Marriage Encounter to which Korea sent a delegation, and it was a large one. During a plenary session several hundred Koreans spontaneously chanted, over and over, “SECOND COLLECTION U.S.,” explaining to us later that they were expressing their gratitude that this was how they built and sustained their churches. Wow! And I had been throwing those envelopes away…

Another roadblock for me is to allow my search for just the right avenue of giving to lead to inaction. Apparently I am not alone and this is not a new American trait. The great Hunkpapa Sioux Chief Sitting Bull noted in 1863, “The white man knows how to make everything, but he does not know how to distribute it.” What has changed? I ask you to consider, my friends, that Rotary International is changing this for the world. Rotary provides us a ready and reliable means of giving that is more and more a necessity to our planet. When I was a boy, the U.S. population was 180 million, and world population was 2.5 billion. Today those numbers are 306 million and just under 7 billion, respectively. Many of these fellow time-travelers are born destitute. American giving was never more necessary. The world depends upon it. The world depends upon us.

Congratulations to Robin Adams, pictured with club president Dennis Fargo and Foundation Chair, Russell Tuck, who became a Paul Harris Fellow at our last meeting on March 18. We are so proud to have you as a member of our chapter!

Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt, News & Messenger

Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt writes for News & Messenger, formerly the Potomac News and Manassas Journal Messenger. She covers Brentsville, Bristow, Nokesville, Gainesville and Haymarket. Her two weekly columns appear on Wednesdays and Fridays. Katherine also writes feature stories and provides related photographs.

In addition to practicing journalism, Katherine teaches English composition online for a private, Midwestern college. As a contractor, she periodically assess ESOL students enrolled in Prince William County School's Adult Education programs.

Poetry is one of Katherine's loves. Thus, she facilitates a Writers' Group at Bull Run Unitarian Universalists Church in Manassas where she is a member. Katherine supports a number of community-based groups as well, including the League of Women Voters for whom she produces newsletters. She is Secretary for Unity in the Community and assists the Committee 100's Communications Committee.

Katherine lives in Bristow with her two lovely, school-aged daughters, her handsome husband, two spirited dogs, two eccentric cats and two fish whose tank turns green far too often. When she is not bowing to the whims of the animals, Katherine enjoys scrap-booking, card making, reading, blogging and hiking.

Zed Wondemu, owner of Zed's Bistro & Wine Bar

Zed Wondemu recently opened her second restaurant right here in Gainesville - Zed's Bistro & Wine Bar, which specializes in Ethiopian cuisine. Her original restaurant, Zed's Ethiopian Cuisine has been successfully operating in Georgetown for over 20 years now. The new restaurant in Gainesville features an open kitchen so you can watch the chef cook while enjoying a glass of wine. Zed's Bistro and Wine Bar is located at 6850 Piedmont Center Plaza in Gainesville - across the street from the post office (in the same shopping center as Ali's Quick Trip store!).

Zed told us a little bit about her personal history - how she came to the United States for her education with the intention of returning to Ethiopia, but how her plans had to change because of political unrest in her native country during the time. She has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and has started several businesses, including some small "snack shops" in Washington DC before embarking into the restaurant business. She credits her success to hard work and perseverence, as well as maintaining faith in the good and the rough times.

Last week we had Eric Latham visit us as a guest at our Rotary meeting. He is pictured here with Don Rusch. Eric is the founder and president of Walk About America, whose mission is to promote healthy lifestyles, with an emphasis on cancer care, research, and awareness. Eric is visiting several local clubs with the intention of becoming a Rotarian - here's hoping he decides to join our chapter!

Please invite someone you know who might be interested in learning more about Rotary to join us at one of our breakfast meetings.

Date	Speaker	Description	Guest Of
April 1	Earth Day Team	Earth Day, Every Day Update	members
April 8	Club Assembly	Board of Directors
April 15	Debi Alexander	Rainbow Center Therapeutic Riding Center	Linda Marlow
April 22	Michael Kieffer	Bull Run Mountain Conservancy	Linda Marlow
April 29	Timothy Burtch	Aircraft Accident Investigator - National Transportation Safety Board -	Linda Marlow
May 6	Curt & Margaret Dierdorf	Volunteer Chaplains	Marti Dahl
May 13	Jan Nelson	National Wildlife Federation	Marilyn Karp

Date	Event	Time
Saturday, April 25	Earth Day, Every Day
Saturday, September 26	Childrens Wellness Festival

2008-2009 Board of Directors

Officers	Name	Directors	Name
President	Dennis Fargo	The Rotary Foundation	Russ Tuck
President Elect	Charlie Mills	Club Administration	Lori Power
Vice President	Alan Myers	Membership	Linda Marlow
Secretary	Don Rusch	Service Projects	Marilyn Karp
Treasurer	John Grzejka	Club Public Relations	Amelia Stansell
Sergeant-at-Arms	Ali Sayed	Rotary Community Corp	George Layne
Interact Club	George Layne	Past President	John Grzejka

Places to make up a meeting

If you would like to make up a meeting online, you can click here.

Excellence is the result of:

• caring more than others think wise
• risking more than others think is safe
• dreaming more than others think is practical
• and expecting more than others think is possible

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