Three months into this Rotary year and I have visited 41 clubs as of October 1.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I am having a ball visiting with the clubs and their boards.  It is amazing what Rotarians in our district are doing.  There are so many wonderful service projects going on that have such positive effects in the local communities.  The generosity of our Rotarians continues to astound me.  Already after only 3 months we have raised over $250,000 for the Annual Fund of The Rotary Foundation.  We are well on our way to another great year of doing Good in the World.

At the Rotary Institute for Zones 25B-29 in Kansas City, District 5870 received a Recognition Award for our District giving for Rotary year 2018-2019.  We received recognition for First in our Zone for Annual Fund Giving.  The total was $753,842.  A recognition for First in Annual Fund Per Capita Giving.  The per capita was $306.94.  And a recognition for Second in Total Giving.  The amount was $1,004,530.  These were all records for our District and reflect the generosity of Rotarians in District 5870.

On 9/11/19, the Rotary Club of Marble Falls noon club held their 18^th annual Day of Remembrance Ceremony at the Lakeside Pavilion in Marble Falls and it was both impressive and well-attended.  Burnet County Judge James Oakley was the keynote speaker, Mayor John Packer proclaimed an official “Day of Remembrance” in Marble Falls, and many local first responder groups and Chiefs were present and/or involved. 

Tamale Season is here again, and The South Austin Rotary Club has a great way for you to get the BEST Tamales in Texas... and MAKE A DIFFFERENCE at the same time! Each CASE contains 2 dozen DELIA’S Tamales of the same flavor and is packaged in an insulated sport pack.

Grady Brown, the past President of the Rotary Club of Temple, Texas, had a great love for dogs.  During an obedience course for his own dog, Grady met a classmate who was training a dog to be a therapy dog with Canine Companions for Independence (CCI).  Grady was so enamored by the organization and process that he arranged for CCI to do a presentation at Rotary.  As a result of the presentation, the current President of the Rotary Club of Temple, Dr.  Phil Davis got interested in training a dog for CCI as well, and, so the “Journey” began.

Mark your calendars to be in Bastrop, Texas on November 23, 2019! The Bastrop County Rotary Club will be hosting its 9^th Annual Men Who Cook fundraiser at the Bastrop Convention and Exhibit Center. This “International Edition” of our all male chef extravaganza will highlight world class cuisine from the kitchens of 24 chefs. Your $100 ticket includes opportunities to bid on Live and Silent Auction items, and an open bar, live entertainment and dancing will make the 2019 Men Who Cook a special experience.