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.

Did you feel it last night at the restaurant? Even though we were seated at several different tables? In the waves, glances, hand-shaking, hugs and greetings from one table to another, fellowship ran from table to table and bound us like a bright ribbon, as one body. Fellowship by other names is the secret weapon of many organizations. It begins with a handshake, and is based upon mutual respect. It is the tool by which champion sports teams, successful businesses, and the most effective military organizations are created. Winning for the Gipper, and fighting for the guy next to me in the foxhole, are both born of fellowship. Fellowship is the key that unlocks the infinite resources of the human heart. Each of us has fellowship stories; here is one of mine. My best friend in college was Marine Staff Sergeant R. Michael Myers, a total stranger to me the day we entered freshman class. We hunted together in the Pennsylvania woods (here, think “Rotary projects”), struggled with calculus (Rotary Board-work), and I became God-father to his son (sponsorship). The day we graduated he left me sitting as his guest at the supper table while he walked to a bedroom. Returning, he came to military attention in front of me and presented me with the sword of a Marine Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) – it was HIS sword!! Inscribed on the brass of the scabbard were the words, “With Pride in a Friend.” That’s who we are in Rotary: people who take pride in one another.

Volunteerism may be the engine that drives us as individuals, but fellowship is the bond that makes us a worthwhile force in the community. It is also the sweetest scent drawing new membership to the Rotary flower. June is Fellowship Month. Come to Rotary and sit with a friend.

Our Rotary Club will honor President Dennis Fargo and President-Elect Charlie Mills at an American Transition Dinner on Thursday, June 25 at the Piedmont Club. Cash Bar Cocktail Receptions begins at 5:30 pm and bell ringing will be at 6:30 pm.

Click here for more details. .

Our Rotary Club sponsored a hole at the 2009 Dave Cole Charity Golf Classic, which took place at Heritage Hunt Golf Club last week. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Prince William Chapter of the American Red Cross. Several of our club members, including Jim Aram played in the tournament. Jim snapped this picture while on the course. This provided great exposure for our Rotary Club, while supporting a very worthy cause!

Eric Latham, Walk About America

Our own Eric Latham will be speaking to us today about his organization, Walk About America. On April 14, 2005, Eric began a cross country walk to raise awareness and money for cancer research. He started in Nags Head, NC and walked 3,591 miles over 206 days before reaching San Francisco. Eric raised over $21,000 for the American Cancer Society in the process. This trip inspired him to write the book, "Take Steps with a Purpose: A Walk About America for Cancer Research". But this was only the beginning of Eric's journey. Today we will learn more about Eric, his cause, what brought him to Rotary and his plans for the future...

Austin House, Farthest Corners

Austin House is a native of Nokesville, VA. Following graduation from Brentsville High School in Nokesville, Austin entered the US Army, where he served with distinction as a Chaplain’s Assistant and an Army Ranger. Three years following his discharge from the Army he graduated from Virginia Military Institute. Following graduation he accepted a mission assignment to teach English in a school in Udon, Thailand

In February of 2006, while home on furlough Austin met with a small group at Greenwich Presbyterian Church to share his vision for a mission he felt led to start in Asia. Plans for this mission took shape while fulfilling the teaching assignment in Udon. His time off from teaching was spent traveling into Burma where he witnessed firsthand the plight of displaced persons fleeing from the Burma Army. Some of these people, many from the Karen nation, flee to refugee camps; others stay hidden in the jungles until the Army leaves, then they head back to their often burned out villages.

Austin’s vision convicted the group to agree to form Farthest Corners with the commitment to provide humanitarian aid as well as spiritual and educational assistance to the displaced people of Burma. In March 2006, he returned to Asia as field coordinator for the newly-formed organization. Working from his base in Chiang Mai, Thailand he organizes missions into Burma and also works in refugee camps along the Thai/Burma border. He arranges for the purchase and delivery of medical kits, rice and other food supplies, and educational supplies to villages where Farthest Corners serves.

Austin gave us a presentation on the work they are doing to help the refugees which included pictures of the mission they support and some of the people who play key roles in the organization. He talked about the dangers involved in their work and some of the obstacles they have to overcome to help these people. It was an inspiring presentation.

Date	Speaker	Description	Guest Of
June 17	Jim Aram	Classification Talks	members
June 24	NO MEETING
July 1	TJ Hassan & Kevin Turner	Forum International	Amelia Stansell
July 8	Jeff Brown	Independent Energy Consultant	Don Rusch
July 15	Dr. Chris Leet	Commonwealth Preventive Medicine Institute	Jim Aram

Date	Event	Time
Thursday, June 25	Rotary Transition Celebration	6:30 pm at Piedmont Club
Saturday, July 11	Rotary Fellowship Dinner	6:00 pm at Anothai Restaurant
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

Post a comment about "Eric Latham - June 10, 2009"