Rotary Year 1976 — 1977

When Jim Brim took the reins as District Governor, he was one of the most experienced men to hold the job, and the youngest man to serve the district as governor. Jim had been active in the district for many years, including the job of District Conference Chairman the previous year.

There were 55 clubs with 3,950 Rotarians as the year started, and the District 690 motto was “I Believe In Rotary Service”.

Attendance, membership development and The Rotary Foundation were three areas emphasized by Brim during his year. October, 1976 was designated “100% Attendance Month” and all clubs in the district were encouraged to emphasize attendance and to try to have 100% attendance during October. The district attendance average for July, 1976 was 84.00%, August was 84.55%, September 87.77% and in October, 1976, the District attendance average was 89.73%!

There were 53 students awarded scholarships by the Georgia Rotary Student Program (GRSP) and the GRSP Conclave was held in Columbus, hosted by the Rotary Club of Columbus on October 8-10, 1976. The 1976-77 GRSP Class had nine students from Norway, Eight from Germany, seven from Denmark, six from Finland, three each from England, France and Japan, two each from Iceland, Sweden and Brazil and one each from Austria, Korea, Panama, Rhodesia, Spain and Venezuela. The Rotary Club of Atlanta hosted the District 690 Rotary Information Institute at the new Marriott Motor Hotel in Atlanta on January 29, 1977.

At the beginning of the year, there were two clubs in the District which had not reached the 100% plateau in Rotary Foundation and 17 clubs at 100%. A goal was established for the year of having all clubs reach at least the 200% plateau. By year end, all but nine clubs had reached the 200% plateau. There were 72 Paul Hams Fellows in the District and 18 Paul Harris Sustaining Members. Clubs leading the District in support of the Foundation were: the Pelham Club at 3,000%, the Decatur Club at 1,600% and the Bremen Club at 1,000%.

The Rotary International Zone IV and X Institute was held November 18-21, 1976 at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina under the leadership of RI Director William Skelton, later to become President of Rotary International.

Rotarian Bill Rhyne of the Lafayette Club and Kirk Smick of the Atlanta Airport Club chaired the Family Friendship with District 150 in Germany. Twenty represen- tatives of District 690 participated by going to Germany on May 7-22, 1977.

District 690 Past District Governor Pratt Secrest was selected as Aide to Rotary International President-Elect for 1978-79, Clem Renouf of Australia.

The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees approved District 690’s application for a Group Study Exchange with District 171 in France for the RI years 1977-79.

The District Conference was held at Jekyll Island April 24-26, 1977. Dr. Harold R. Henderson of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada served as representative of RI President Bob Manchester. Highlights of the conference were musical presentations by the Gordon Singers of Gordon Junior College in Bamesville under the leadership of Lanny McAlister and by Jeanette and Carey Jones of Griffin, the address of West End Rotarian Judson Fowler titled “The Spirit of Rotary”, Griffin Rotarian Frank Thomas’ musical presentation: “The American Dream” and entertainment by Sharon Allabash and Glenn Haywood. Conference registration was 1,200 people and the District Conference budget totaled $42,000.00!

The District 690 Finance Committee proposed and the District Conference approved the budget for 1977-1978, a total of $31,840.00. District dues were $8.00 per Rotarian and the District paid to the Georgia Rotary Student Fund the sum of $6.00 per member. Based on 3,980 members in District 690, the District’s allocation to GRSP this year totaled $23,880.00.

The District 690 Assembly was held Saturday, June 25, 1977 in Atlanta at the new Peachtree Plaza Hotel. The Rotary Club of North DeKalb was the host club.

The Council on Legislation was held in early June in San Francisco immediately prior to the RI Convention which was held June 5-9, 1977. Immediate Past District Governor Lang Sheffield had been selected as the delegate to the Council on Legislation and District Governor Jim Brim was elected as alternate. Past District Governor Sheffield was unable to attend the Council and District Governor Jim Brim represented District 690 at the 1977 San Francisco Council on Legislation.

A review of the Governor’s Monthly letters during 1976-77 shows that the District Governor continued to have the same repeated requests of the clubs and club officers which were: to promptly send in the monthly attendance reports and to promptly report to RI and the District Governor the names and addresses of newly elected officers. Not much has changed through the years!