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ROTARY CLUB OF
Dunwoody

ROTARY CLUB OF Dunwoody

Meeting Venue: This Friday's Meeting will return to the WESTIN Atlanta- Perimeter North!

Please note, this Friday, we will return to our normal meeting venue at the Westin Atlanta - Perimeter North (7 Concourse Parkway NE, Atlanta, GA, 30328)

Driving Directions can be found at: http://www.westinatlantanorth.com/getting_around

This Week's Speaker: Mary Pat Matheson, President & CEO, Atlanta Botanical Garden

Mary Pat Matheson is the president and CEO of the Atlanta Botanical Garden and directs all operations for the 30-acre urban garden in Midtown, the heart of Atlanta. The Garden showcases floral displays, plant collections, a children’s garden, annual fine art exhibitions, the Fuqua Conservatory and Orchid Center, and the Canopy Walk, the largest suspension bridge of its kind in the United States. Under her leadership since joining the Garden in 2002, the nonprofit organization has actively expanded fund-raising, education, marketing, business administration, horticulture, and conservation efforts with a rapidly growing membership base of more than 38,000. Additionally, she is responsible for the development of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville, a 185-acre public garden in Gainesville, Georgia. She also was the driving force behind a $55 million capital campaign completed in 2012 that enabled the Garden to expand, doubling its size to 30 acres with a new Visitor Center, SAGE Parking Facility, Canopy Walk, and Edible Garden. Currently, she is heading a $50 million capital campaign, launched in 2014, that has supported the development of new gardens, expanded facilities, a new restaurant and a renovated children’s garden.

In November 2008, the Garden was honored with the Managing for Excellence Award by the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and in March 2009 was selected WSB Green Champion. Matheson was named one of 14 Women of Excellence by Business to Business magazine in July 2007 and one of 25 Power Women to Watch by Atlanta Woman magazine in January 2006. In 2005 she was named 2005 Professional of the Year by the American Horticultural Society and the Lexus Leader of the Arts by Public Broadcasting Atlanta. Also in 2005, Matheson accepted on behalf of the Garden a $4 million gift from Turner Broadcasting System, the largest corporate gift in the Garden’s history. Because of her proven leadership and administrative skills, she was asked to participate in two international advisory committees, chairing the Limbe Botanic Garden Conservation Coalition in Cameroon, and acting as delegate for the U.S China Arts Exchange southern Gaoligongshan Sustainability Initiative in China.

Matheson’s visionary outlook is leading the Atlanta Botanical Garden in new directions and delivering big numbers, particularly with outdoor exhibitions of fine art. In 2016, the Garden launched Chihuly in the Garden, an encore of an exhibition by the acclaimed glass artist presented 12 years earlier in the Garden. Bruce Munro: Light in the Garden, presented in 2015, cast a magical spell on the garden with the British artist’s mammoth displays of light, fiber optics and recyclable materials. In 2013-14, the Garden presented the blockbuster show Imaginary Worlds, an international exhibition of mosaiculture never before shown in the United States. In its second year, the show helped the Garden welcome a record-breaking half-million visitors. In 2012, the Garden brought an exhibition of contemporary sculptures by nine internationally acclaimed artists to Atlanta with Independent Visions: Sculpture in the Garden. Moore in America, Henry Moore’s enormous bronze sculptures, was on exhibit in summer 2009; Sculpture in Motion: Art Choreographed by Nature, a collection of kinetic art, opened in summer 2008. In 2007, David Rogers’ Big Bugs & Killer Plants showcased the interaction of nature with the Garden’s carnivorous plants and Conservation program. In 2006 Niki in the Garden opened, raising the cultural arts bar in Atlanta once again. This was the largest outdoor exhibition of colorful mosaic sculptures created by Niki de Saint Phalle displayed throughout the Garden. In 2004 Matheson secured Chihuly in the Garden, a blockbuster exhibition integrating the beautiful glass sculpture of Dale Chihuly within the Garden’s unique plant collections, putting the Atlanta Botanical Garden on the map. The unique exhibition attracted record numbers of visitors from around the country, and, according to the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, yielded $50 million to $60 million for the city during its nine-month run. Garden attendance more than doubled to 425,000; garden gift shop sales increased by 400 percent; and garden membership reached a then all-time high with 19,000 member households. Under Matheson, the Garden started its annual, sell-out, summer outdoor Concerts in the Garden, wintertime Orchid Daze and fall Scarecrows in the Garden. Its most recent blockbuster addition is Garden Lights, Holiday Nights, which debuted in 2011; the 2014 show drew more than 170,000 visitors over seven weeks.

The meteoric growth in attendance over 15 years in turn has enabled the Garden to reach larger and broader audiences for its mission in educating the public about its plant and animal conservation efforts. Those efforts have included research and conservation of rare and endangered species, including the Cigar Orchid, Monkey Face Orchid and plants of New Caledonia. The primary focus has been the monitoring, restoration and conservation of unique, species-rich communities of native plants of the Southeastern United States. A secondary emphasis has been the conservation of threatened or endangered species of amphibians, including frogs and salamanders.

In 2016, the Garden introduced its Center for Southeastern Conservation, a venue for coordination and collaboration with partner institutions throughout the region to better carry out their work in one of North America’s most biodiverse regions. In conjunction with that effort, the Garden hosted the first regional Southeastern Partners in Plant Conservation meeting and launched the Center’s Orchid Conservation Institute, a venue for training both professionals and students.

Prior to joining the Atlanta Botanical Garden in July 2002, Matheson was Executive Director of the Red Butte Garden and Arboretum in Salt Lake City. At Red Butte, Matheson helped to establish a cultural sales tax in Salt Lake County to support botanical institutions in the county and initiated a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to open adjacent National Forest lands for environmental education programs.

While there, she raised more than $15 million for the design and construction of eight display gardens, a children’s garden, four miles of nature trails, an orangerie and a visitor center. During her tenure as Red Butte’s director, she increased annual revenue by more than 600 percent.

Originally a horticulturist, Matheson earned a B.S. in Resource Management & Park Planning and an Executive Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Utah. Matheson is a past president of the American Public Gardens Association (formerly the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta) and has served on its international steering committee focused on the development of a U.S. National Strategy for plant conservation in botanical gardens and has been a member of the board of the American Horticultural Society.

Locally, she has served on the board of directors for the Midtown Alliance, the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau Cultural Tourism Committee, and the International Woman’s Forum. She is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta and is a member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta. She also served on the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition. She and her husband, Bri, divide their time between Atlanta and Athens, Georgia, where she enjoys horseback riding.

Rotary Grove Dedicated on Sunday, October 29, 2017

23 Rotarians braved very cold and windy conditions to witness the official dedication ceremony of the Rotary Grove on Sunday afternoon (10/29/17) at Brook Run. Even President Rick (who grew up in Minnesota) admitted that it was cold. The speeches were short but the crowd was enthusiastic.

Mayor Denny Shortal was there to officially cut the ribbon and dedicated the Grove to those people that had sacrificed their lives defending America.

President Rick thanked the 6 Rotarians that created the Grove as well as Brent Walker (Dunwoody Director of Parks). Those six Rotarians spent the morning of 10/14/17 (Saturday before Run Dunwoody) learning how to properly plant tress and then actually planting our first 5 trees.

Those Tree Planters are:

• Fred Bounds
• Hoshi Daruwalla
• Ed Holiday
• Rick Otness
• Warren Turner
• Lang Wooddy

Here is a list of the Rotarians that were there to witness the dedication and/or attend the Family of Rotary Pumpkin Festivities that immediately followed the dedication. They will receive a make-up. If you were there but are not listed, please let President Rick know so that you too will be credited with an official makeup.

Rotary Grant Application - Deadline Extended to November 8, 2017

Thank you for your submissions.

You can send them to Craig Gregozeski via email at: craig.gregozeski@lpl.com.

The grant committee will review the grants around the end of the November due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. By the way, can you believe it’s that time of year already?

Calling All Entrepreneurs!

Are you an Entrepreneur? Would you be willing to serve on a Panel Discussion regarding your Entrepreneurial experience(s)?

If so the Rotaract Club of Atlanta would like to host a panel discussion on Entrepreneurship to its members and guests at an upcoming meeting sometime, over the next several months. This would be our third panel discussion to the RCA on a topic of their choosing. These sessions are moderated, generally lasting 30-40 minutes with 3-4 RCD panelists.

If you're an entrepreneur and interested in sharing your insights with a highly energized group of young professionals (ages 22-30) please contact Warren Turner, RCD Rotaract Liaison, by phone 404-664-6000 or email wturner@cardinalpoints.com

Volunteers Needed: Dekalb County Special Olympics - November 3, 2017

Dekalb County Special Olympics will have a basketball skills event on Friday, November 3, 2017.

Eight volunteers are needed from 9 AM - 12:30 PM at Peachtree Charter Middle School. Between 16 and 20 teams are expected to participate.

Organizers are requesting that volunteers plan to come for the entire event, 9-12:30 so that the event will run smoothly with everyone in place.

If you have never been to a Special Olympics event before, I highly recommend it. The smile on your face will last for days.

Please contact Carol Gage if you would like to be a part of this great event. 404-376-3963 or ceg2444@gmail.com

Thanksgiving Food Drive - November 15, 2017

Kingsley is a title one school with approximately 200 children receiving subsidized meals during the week. A subset of this group, approximately 50, often have minimal food over the weekends. With the long Thanksgiving weekend ahead, we are partnering with Kingsley on a food drive for these families:

What’s Needed:

Canned Goods or Box Supplies specifically, green beans, peas, corn, pumpkin, apple sauce, canned peaches, fruit cocktail, mandarin oranges, apricots, pineapple, chocolate syrup, box of stuffing mix or bag, potato flakes, peanut or almond butter, cranberry sauce, boxes of pudding mixes like chocolate, etc. Alternatively, gift cards at Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Target, etc… will be accepted.

Collection / Drop off:

Above items can be brought to a Friday meeting, dropped off at East 48^th Street Deli or Warren Turner’s Home 4851 Olde Village Ct. Dunwoody GA

For More Information Contact:

Warren Turner 404-664-6000 wturner@cardinalpoints.com or Anita Augello nycgal338@gmail.com

Upcoming Event: Tour of Grady Memorial Hospital - Thursday, November 16, 2017

A few weeks ago our speaker was Frank Blake, Chairman of Grady Hospital Corporation. We learned many interesting things about Grady and the services they offer the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. They are nationally rated and provide outstanding services for burn victims, stroke patients, ER services and many other medical conditions.

Our tour date is Thursday, November, 16, 2017 at 11 AM ET.

Our plan is, hopefully, to have volunteer drives so we can carpool. Dependent upon the number of cars, the hospital will reserve spaces for us in the employee parking deck. It is always fun to ride together and share Rotary ideas and get to know each other better.

RSVP and registration is now closed. Please speak with Kathy Brandt if you have any questions.

GEORGIA ROTARY STUDENT PROGRAM INC. - OSLO SCHOLARSHIP

Do you know a worthy 20-24 year-old looking to study abroad?

The Norwegian Rotary Advisory Board is once again will be inviting three (3) young Georgia students to study in Norway next summer.

Rotary Club of Dunwoody (RCD) is trying to identify possible candidate(s) for this award. The final selection will be made by a committee of Trustees in each District.

The program includes:

• Air fares Atlanta-Oslo and return to Atlanta,
• A field tour to Bergen (administered by the University of Oslo),
• Room, board and tuition at the International Summer School at the University of Oslo (http://www.uio.no/english/)
• and visiting for one week with Norwegian Rotary host families.

The recipients of the scholarships must pay their travel expense to and from Atlanta, plus provide their own personal spending money.

PURPOSE:

While the immediate goal of this International School is to impart knowledge about some aspects of Norway, it also seeks to increase understanding and good will among nations through daily living together.

GENERAL COURSES:

Norwegian Art, Norwegian Language, History, Folklore and Literature of Norway and Scandinavia, Economics, Politics, Culture and Society, International Relations and Development Studies

GRADUATE COURSES:

Educational System of Norway, Physical Education in Norway, Medical Care and Health Services in Norway, Peace Research, Energy Planning and the Environment, Special Education, Kulturlivet i samtidesn Norge, Norwegian Petroleum Law and Transboundary Pollution.

The University of Oslo will issue a Certificate of Achievement to all who satisfactorily complete the Summer School courses. Credits may also be certified.

For More information or an application please contact Warren Turner Director of RCD Youth Services at 404-664-6000 or wturner@cardinalpoints.com until December 15, 2017. The scholarship application deadline is: December 31, 2017.

Get Ready to Welcome the World in January 2018!

No we’re not having another Rotary International Convention here in 2018, but January 13, 15, 2018, we will host the 16th GRSP Leadership Weekend – bringing all 45 students from the class of 2017-18 to Atlanta. There is at least one opportunity for every Dunwoody Rotarian and your families to be involved as the students explore “Service Above Self” and their possibilities for making a difference in the world. The weekend starts Friday afternoon at the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta and continues all day Saturday and Sunday morning at Oglethorpe University. Friday and Saturday evenings are for fellowship and fun.

We’ll share more details on the weekend’s agenda as we get closer. For now, we’re especially looking for host families who can welcome GRSP students to their home on Friday and Saturday night. It’s a great way to get to know a couple of students better – and from personal experience, it’s pretty easy. Host families provide beds to sleep in, breakfast Saturday and Sunday, a Saturday night meal, and transportation (home from Friday night’s event, and to and from Oglethorpe Saturday and Sunday morning). We already have previous host families signed up to help again – with room for about 20-25 of the students, so we’re looking for more volunteers.

If you’re interested, please contact Jackie Cuthbert at cuthbert@mindspring.com or 770-597-1183, and remember - even if you can’t host for the weekend, we’ll have other opportunities for you to spend time with the GRSP students. So watch for more information in November and December.

RCD Caring Hands

An oft-quoted maxim says, "No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care". - Theodore Roosevelt

The cards for members and their families that circulate during our meetings are one way to express shared joy over good news or shared concern about difficulties experienced. As one of our members recently stated at his return from surgery, getting a card with heartfelt greetings from all the members present helped him feel better and heal sooner.

Once we know our friendly breakfast club is also a caring club, our dedication to "Service Above Self" is stronger and we look forward to participating in projects and events with other Rotarians. If we are in need of a service, the first call made will be to a Rotarian.

So, if you are aware of an approaching or pat event worthy of celebration or concern, please tell Dottie Toney-Ransom at toneydot@me.com. You can also write it on either a yellow card (for joy) or a blue card (for concern) and leave it on the table, or place it in Dottie's hand at the end of the meeting.

We ARE a very caring club! Thank you for helping to make it so.

From the desk of the Newsletter Editor

Send your Newsletter submission to: rcdnewsletter@yahoo.com

Our Club's Weekly Newsletter typically consists of:

• Speaker bio
• New Member Name(s)
• Featured article(s) (regarding events, service projects, or on-going topics general club administrative items, etc..).
• Foundation initiatives or other topics of interest to Members and with value for our Club archives.
• Announcements (seeking volunteers, advertising service projects, etc.)
• For Your Calendar (Club and other activities we encourage members and/or their spouses to attend, including Family of Rotary events
• Member News (birthdays, anniversaries, accomplishments, Caring Hands)

Please keep in mind key components to include with your submission:

• Title of your article
• Description of the activity
• Dates, Time, Location, deadline, etc... (especially for upcoming events)
• Key Points of Contact Information and/or a link to reference website for details
• Names and/or headcount of Rotarians (and others) participating,
• The reaction of those benefiting and the numbers of those benefiting.
• Picture(s)

Please also tell me the number of weeks would you like the article published.
Finally, the deadline for articles to run in the current week are Mondays by 5 p.m.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Thank you!
The RCD Newsletter Editor