Decatur Rotary Club #180

We will go live today at 12:30 for our beachfront drawing!

It was a meaningful and inspiring day at Rotary! ✨

Our club recently sponsored six incredible students to attend the RYLA (Rotary Young Leadership Awards) retreat held April 17–19 at Allerton Park and Retreat Center 🌳. Even with some wild weather 🌧️🌬️, these students made the most of the experience, tackling obstacle courses 💪, building leadership skills 🧠, forming new friendships 🤝, and creating memories that will last a lifetime 💫

Today, we welcomed two of those students back to share about their experience 🎤, and it is clear the future is in great hands 🙌 Several are already planning to attend again next year 🔁, and we are especially proud of one of our sponsored seniors who hopes to return as a counselor 🎓👏

👏 Please join us in recognizing all of our RYLA participants:
🌟Dinah Dukeman Sophomore at Mount Zion High School
🌟Destany Brown Sophomore at Eisenhower High School
🌟Caleb Reed - Senior at Unity Christian School
🌟Makenzie Stanley - Junior at Mount Zion High School
🌟Ziyad Fiad Sophomore at Warrensburg-Latham High School
🌟Aaron Hayes Sophomore at MacArthur High School

We are proud to support young leaders as they grow in confidence, service, and leadership through Rotary Youth Leadership Awards
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We also took time to celebrate our Rotary birthdays 🎂 and anniversaries 🎉 Thank you to our members for your continued dedication and commitment to Service Above Self 💙
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💫 TODAY also marks an important moment in Rotary history 📖 On May 4, 1987, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Rotary International clubs could not exclude women from membership This landmark decision opened the door for women to join Rotary worldwide 🌍

Here’s to leadership, resilience, and continuing to make a difference in our community 💪✨

🌟 At today’s Monday Meeting at Doherty’s Doherty's Pub, we celebrated our April honoree and welcomed a great community partner! 🌟

We’re excited to recognize our Educator of the Month—those who go above and beyond to support students and strengthen our community.

April – Franklin Grove Elementary School
🍎 Courtney Traeger

🎭Thank you to our guest speaker and Rotary grant recipient, the Decatur Area Arts Council! With Rotary support, they brought their “Mardi Gras at the MAC” February exhibit to life, featuring local collections and artwork that capture the energy, music, and culture of New Orleans. The exhibit also included live jazz and a fun, festive First Friday experience for the community. They also have several exciting projects coming up, including the Decatur Craft Beer Festival and more great events for the community to enjoy.

These grants continue to support programs that inspire creativity, learning, and leadership right here in Decatur.

👏 Congratulations to all—keep leading the way! 🌟