When we gather, we have an opportunity to learn from each other and with each other —to discover our shared history, gain new perspectives, strengthen our knowledge, and become better equipped to lead and serve. Take the story that follows from the Rotary Club of Thomasville. And think about joining us in the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) - one of the tools available to help us enhance our Rotary journey by creating a space where Rotarians can learn, share experiences, ask questions, and grow together.  I would also like to use this opportunity to offer a gentle invitation to our readers to continue the journey with us at RLI on January 30, 2027, in Thomasville, Georgia, at Southern Regional Technical College. Now for the story.

At a recent reception hosted for District Governor Cynthia Edwards, several members of the Rotary Club of Thomasville leadership had the opportunity to hear a remarkable piece of Wilson Carraway's family's Rotary history.

Wilson shared a limited-edition photograph of Rotary founder Paul Harris, signed in 1937, that had been given to his great-grandfather, Lewis M. Lively.

Wilson explained that his great-grandfather was the second president of the Tallahassee Rotary Club, serving in 1924–25. Tallahassee Rotary had been chartered in 1922, with the Rotary Club of Thomasville serving as its sponsoring club. That connection made his family's story especially meaningful to our club.

Wilson said he had always heard that his great-grandfather attended a Rotary International Convention. He also knew that Paul Harris had been a special guest of the Tallahassee Rotary Club in 1926–27. Because the photograph was signed in 1937, Wilson believes his great-grandfather may have met Paul Harris and may have attended the Rotary International Convention in New Jersey that year.

Then came an even more remarkable part of the story.

His grandfather, F. "Wilson" Carraway, served as president of Tallahassee Rotary in 1938–39. His father, F. Wilson Carraway, Jr. (Bill), served as president in 1967–68. His father was also a charter member of Northside Rotary when Tallahassee Rotary helped establish that club in 1972.

Wilson continued the family tradition. He was a charter member and later president of the Monticello Rotary Club in the 1980s.

Wilson summed it up simply: "I am a fourth-generation president."

For those of us in Thomasville Rotary who heard the story, it was much more than a fascinating family history. It was a reminder of how Rotary connections can reach across communities and across generations.

Thomasville Rotary sponsored Tallahassee Rotary in 1922. More than a century later, that connection continues to be remembered through the Carraway family.

Wilson and his wife Jill are also continuing that legacy today. They have welcomed many Georgia Rotary Student Program students into their home, sharing not only their hospitality but also their love for Rotary and its work.

One photograph. Four generations. Two communities. And a legacy of service that continues.

That is the power of Rotary.