Exchange, inspiring communities to become better places to live.
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News Exchange
From The Rome Exchange Club
Recipient of Exchange National Service Award 2015-2016
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Rome's #1 Service Club For Over 79 Years
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May 20, 2016
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Winner of the
Leonard Grace Best Club Bulletin 2013-2014
Greg Gaston - Editor
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Exchange Club of Rome Newsletter
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Greetings!
Next Meeting
Friday, May 20th
Georgia Technical Schools
presented by
Pete McDonald - President,
Georgia Northwestern Technical College
Friday's speaker is Pete McDonald, President of Georgia Northwestern Technical College. Pete joined the staff of GNTC in 1995 as Vice President of Economic Development, a position that he held until April, 2013, when he was named President of the college. Prior to joining GNTC, Pete held positions with the Mead Corporation, Digital Equipment Corporation, Georgia Kraft, Savannah Foods and Industries, University System of Georgia, and Blue Cross-Blue Shield. Pete holds a BBA in Economics from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Berry College. He is also a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute, and a Certified Economic Development Trainer.
A resident of Rome since 1977, Pete is very active in community and professional service. As a member of the Rome Rotary Club, Pete has served as president, director, Literacy Committee chair, and trustee of the Georgia Rotary Student Program. He has served as president of Habitat for Humanity of Rome-Floyd County, chair of Floyd County Elections and Voter Registration Board, and chair of the United Way of Rome-Floyd County. He is a past member of the City of Rome Historic Preservation Commission.
Pete has served as a director of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce and is a member of several committees of the Chambers of Commerce in Floyd, Gordon, and Polk Counties. He served the Technical College System of Georgia as chair of the Vice Presidents of Economic Development Council, and is a member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association.
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Georgia Northwestern Technical College was established in July 2009 from the merger of Coosa Valley Technical College (CVTC) and Northwestern Technical College (NTC).
For over 45 years, both CVTC and NTC have been instrumental in providing quality workforce education to the citizens of Northwest Georgia. The tradition of excellence in workforce education will continue through Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC). With an annual credit enrollment of 8,200 students, GNTC is the largest college in Northwest Georgia and the fifth largest technical college in the state of Georgia.
Menu:
Steak and Gravy, Chicken, Cream Potatoes, Corn Casserole, Roasted Vegetables, Rolls, Salad, Cobbler, Cake and Ice Cream.
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Americanism Report
The following was submitted by Exchangite Bill King, Chair of the Rome Exchange Club Americanism Committee:
"The project to replicate the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been in place for some time and it came to fruition this year due to the immense cooperation and support of the members of the Americanism Committee of the Exchange Club of Rome. Once finished, the total cost will be around $8500. It will weigh between 400 to 500 pounds and is an exact replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of World War I at Arlington National Cemetery. "
 It was constructed designed by Exchangite Phillip Burkhalter and his highly skilled workers at Burkhalter Builders. The intricate carvings of the wreaths, 6 of them in total, the wording on one end, and the figurines on the other were accomplished by the highly talented artist who also did the mural inside the clock tower museum, Mr. Chuck Schmult.
Anyone can make a donation to help to maintain this treasure. If you wish to make a tax deductible donation of $250 or more, your check should be made out to "The National Exchange Foundation", a 501(c)(3) corporation, and given to our President orTreasurer. This is called a "Pass Through Grant and will be forwarded to the National Exchange Club and then returned back to the club to be set aside in a sub account for the Tomb project. Donations of smaller amounts are also very welcome and can be made to the Exchange Club of Rome, but are not tax deductible. All funds will be used to maintain the replica and take it to places for others to see and learn about. The real beauty of this creation is that it is mobile with retractable wheels so that it can be rolled into place and sit on the ground or floor.
The real motivation behind this project was to create this for the many people of our area, and possibly others, that will never have a chance to visit Arlington Cemetery to pay homage at the real one. The solemn significance of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is to remember those in the past that made the supreme sacrifice, those that were known and those unknown who fought, bled, and died to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today, tomorrow, and in the future generations to come.  Four members were chosen to represent the Exchange Club of Rome, travel to Arlington National Cemetery and lay a wreath at the real Tomb of the Unknown last Monday at 12:15 p.m. The four Exchangites were Bill Fricks, a WW II veteran of three Pacific Theater campaigns including Okinawa, Saipan, and Iwo Jima as a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy assigned to the Marines, Giles Chapman, an Army combat veteran during the Vietnam War and Exchangite of the Year for 2015 for both our club and the State of Georgia, Ralph White, an Assistant Crew Chief on an air-refueling tanker in Vietnam, and JP Cooper, outgoing President of the Exchange Club of Rome. They were chosen due to their outstanding service to the Exchange Club of Rome, their community, and to their country as patriots.  It should also be noted that on this past Monday morning myself and the other five members of the club that made the trip with the four wreath layers took the wreath layers, especially Bill Fricks who was at Iwo Jima, down to the Iwo Jima Memorial and when we got there the Marine Corps Honor Guard members and the marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps were there, rehearsing for a ceremony that was to happen later that day.
After introducing Mr. Fricks, who was dressed in his Marine Corps League clothing, the rehearsal literally stopped and many of the Marine Honor Guard wanted to have their picture made with him and did so, even one full company. To top that off, the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps then marched down the field, executed a very sharp looking left turn and marched over to Bill and accompanied him up to the base and formed a concert formation around him on the base of the Memorial for pictures, one of which will be going into the Marine Corps Public Affairs magazine!
If that wasn't enough, we then moved on to the Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tombs of the Unknowns at Arlington, the most hallowed ground in America paying tribute to all of those who have fallen in duty to their country.
The Tomb replica will be unveiled for the first time on Memorial Day at the Coosa Valley Fairgrounds, May 30. Gates will open at 9:30 and parking and admittance is free. There will be exhibits and concessions open at 9:30 until 10:45 at which time all exhibits and concessions will shut down for the ceremony to begin at 11 a.m. and at its conclusion when the flag will be returned to full staff, concessions and exhibits will be open until 5:00 p.m.
Respectfully,
Bill King, Chairman, Americanism CommitteeExchange Club of Rome
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Katie Dempsey Star Volunteer Award
The Katie Dempsey Star Volunteer Award was developed to identify and select individuals that have displayed outstanding volunteer efforts on behalf of The Exchange Club Family Resource Center.
Past recipients:
2003 - Katie Dempsey
2004 - Jim Bishop
2005 - Sam Evans
2006 - Stephen Patton
2007- John Hine
2008 - Lynn Maddox
2009 - Gail Johnson
2010 - Lisa Stunkel
2011 - Phyllis Pemerton
2012 - Dr. Gary Smith
2013 - George Kastanias
2014--Jason Sanker
2015--Gin Gunther
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| | l-r Tina Bartleson, Exec Director, Family Resource Center, Robin Hice, 2016 recipient, and State Representative Katie Dempsey, for whom the award is named. |
The 2016 recipient was Robin Hice. According to her nomination form, "Robin's level of involvement is a model for all Board members - Exchangites or otherwise. She was a strong leader as President, and seems to have her hand in a leadership in all the Center does. Her work organizing sponsors at the Clocktower Race last year was invaluable and she is essentially the chair of Strike Out Child Abuse."
Thank you Robin for your service! Robin was presented a clock and we thank Ford, Gittings, and Kane Jewelers for this beautiful gift.
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At our last meeting....
Our last meeting featured Miss Rome, Chari Guzman,and Sophie Edwards, Miss Rome's Outstanding Teen.
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| | Sophie Edwards, Miss Rome's Outstanding Teen |
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| And of course, we can't have a Miss Rome program without our own Queen, Wanda Whitten, AKA
Miss Understood. |
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| | Wanda announced the newest member to our Exchange Royal Court, Paula Wachsteter, crowned as Angel... for putting up with Buzz. |
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| Exchange Royal Court, Angel Paula Wachsteter,
Mischievous Barbara Carter, P.I.T.A. Buzz Wachsteter, Our Yard Man, Scottie Edwards, Captain America Giles Chapman, and our Boy Toy Hal Gosnel. |
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Donate Your Clothes And Help The Family Resource Center Families
 Cleaning out your closets? Getting rid of clothes you can no longer wear? You can donate these clothes and at the same time help the families of the Exchange Club Family Resource Center obtain clothes. The Hospitality House operates a "previously worn" clothing outlet and if you donate your old clothes to them and tell them to credit the account of the FRC, families can than secure clothing needs using that credit. The process is simple:
- List the clothing items you are donating on a piece of paper.
- Take the items to the shopping center where the IGA is located on Shorter Avenue and go to the opposite end of the strip center where you will find a door on the side that accepts donations.
- Give them you list and tell them to give the list to Vickie for the Exchange Club Family Resource Center and the donation will be credited to the FRC account for our families.
Just another easy way you can donate to child abuse prevention. |
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Exchange Fellowship
This week please remember these Exchangites in your thoughts and prayers:
Long time Exchangite Bill Wigley passed away this past weekend. The funeral services will be on Thursday at 3 PM at Fellowship Baptist Church. Obituary on line
Exchangite Bobby Padgett is now back at work part time. Please remember Bobby and the Padgett family in your thoughts and prayers.
Exchangite Paul Smith and his wife Gerrell have been in and out of Floyd Hospital during past few weeks Paul was at our last meeting and is feeling much better. He reported his wife is also home now and doing some better. Please keep Paul, Gerrell, and all this family in your thoughts and prayers.
We also need to remember Brenda Gail Baldwin, a former member, who has been seriously ill.
If you have fellowship information, please let us know. The email addresses are:
If you have emailed one of the above and your fellowship need has not been announced within a few hours, please email one of the other contacts.
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Rome Exchange Club
Meetings Held Friday At Noon
The Palladium
Coosa Valley Fairgrounds
1400 Martin Luther King Blvd
Rome, GA | |
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