Club Leaders President's Message

Haywood Berkley Joiner My sincere thanks to each of you for your support of the annual Doll and Toy Jr. Drive. Thanks to the Doll and Toy Drive Committee for your great work in President making the drive another great success. Thanks also to the Holiday Party Committee for your great work. The party was outstanding and enjoyed by all in attendance. In addition, because of the fantastic work of our Avenues of Service Dustin L. Matthews Chairs, Program Chairs, Secretary/Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms, and many President-Elect others, we have had a great beginning to our current Rotary year. I am excited about the remainder of the year, and look forward to great things for our Club.

For over 100 years the Rotary Club of Alexandria has been involved in service to the City of Alexandria and beyond. We can certainly be proud of our past, but as Edwin J. Caplan we now enter 2020, and a new decade, we must realize that we have not only a past to cherish, but Secretary a future to fulfill. With over 200 members in our club we must continue to create lasting change Treasurer locally and throughout the world. Our callings are just as valid today as they were 50 years ago, for we are still called to end polio, promote peace, fight diseases, provide clean water, support education, serve mothers and children, help grow our local economy, and respond to disasters. These are monumental challenges that will take commitment, but as Rotarians I know that we are up to the Robert H Ginsburgh challenges. Registrar Thanks for your commitment during 2019, and your continued commitment during 2020. We welcome your ideas and suggestions as to how we may make the Rotary Club of Alexandria and even greater club than it is currently. What can we do locally to help advance the callings listed above? Our club is made up of people of action who have a strong sense of purpose. That is what makes us such a Randall Ponthie great club. The vision of Rotary is certainly something that our club embraces and practices; President-Nominee �TOGETHER we see a world where PEOPLE unite and take action

To CREATE lasting CHANGE across the globe, in our

Kristine Antoon communities, and in ourselves.� Sergeant-at-Arms Let us look forward to the future with hope and continued commitment.to the work that we are called to perform. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Rotary Connects the World� Crystal Y. Burch Board Member Haywood

Charles Klein Charrier Board Member Special Speaker January 7, 2020

On Tuesday, January 7, 2020, we will welcome Tyler Bridges to speak at our Club. Tyler is an author and journalist who reports on Thomas David III politics for the Advocate chain in Louisiana. He is a two-time Pulitzer Board Member Prize winning author and has also written for , Politico Magazine and other publications. He has authored four books centering on Louisiana politics including books about and Governor Edwards. He is a graduate of and has received many accolades for his journalism. Lafe Jones Board Member At our January 7th meeting, he will speak on the recent Louisiana Governor's Race. He will also have books to sign after the meeting. If you would like to bring a guest, you may do so (cost is $15 per guest). Please let Ed Caplan know if you will be bringing guests to this meeting so we can plan to have enough food and tables set up. You can send Joyce H. Lyford Ed an email at [email protected] Board Member

Aaron S. Mangum Board Member Doll and Toy Fund Update

On Saturday, December 21, we held our annual Doll & Toy Fund toy Maggie Burnaman distribution at Alexandria City Hall. Over 40 Rotarians and their family Martin members came to help out. This year, over $7,000 in donations was Board Member received and tech gifts were the most popular toys chosen by families. This project was begun by the Town Talk about 90 years ago and in 1957 Rotary partnered with the Town Talk to purchase and distribute the toys in our local area to ensure families have a Merry Christmas. Jennifer Nichols When toys are received, they are stored at no charge to our Club by Board Member Hathorn Transfer & Storage Company. David Britt with the United Way also provided new books for children of all ages which were distributed as well. Many thanks to Thomas David III and his committee for making this one of our most important projects of the Larry R. Turner year. Board Member (photo features Deborah Novotny-Upton with Santa (Greg Upton).

John R. LeBoeuf Jr. iPast President Annual Holiday Party

Once again, we held our annual holiday party which was our last meeting of the year and the decade. A festive meal was served by John R. LeBoeuf Jr. Panaroma Foods and Sherry Ellington and her committee arranged Assistant Governor for the Red River Chorale to entertain us with holiday songs. It was a great way to end our Rotary year and share it with our families.

Events Winterfete Gumbo Cook-off January 7th Speaker: Tyler Bridges Kudos to member, Jim Smilie for chairing a Gumbo Cook-off as part Subject: The Recent Louisiana of the City of Alexandria's Winterfete celebration. Rotary sponsored the Governor's Race event and all proceeds from the sale of gumbo went to the Doll & Toy Fund. Almost $500 was raised. Five teams participated: First Federal January 14th Bank of LA; Hixson Brother's Funeral Home; Fraternal Order of Police, Speaker: Joe Williams Jim Villard and Matt Robertson. The winner of the cook-off was First Subject: Update on Medical Federal. The People's Choice Award went to Jim Villard. Many thanks to Marijuana in Louisiana the judges, Club members, Haywood Joiner and Dustin Matthews, and Rev. Randy Harris from the City of Alexandria. January 21st Speaker: Jim Brown Subject: Louisiana: The Most Interesting State in the US New Rotary Banner January 28th TBA Our Club recently purchased a beautiful new indoor/outdoor Rotary Banner to give added publicity to Rotary sponsored events in the community. Thanks to Jennifer Nichols and Visual Concepts and Special Thanks Designs for coming up with the idea. We have already used it for the Gumbo Cook-off at Winterfete and the Doll & Toy Fund Distribution. Sidebar The sign easily folds up into a handy case for storage. We look forward to using the banner at many events in the future. Many thanks to Randy Ponthie and Rob Wright for arranging our programs for January.

Club Meeting

Alexandria Meets at Alexandria City Hall Convention Center www.alexandriarotary.com 915 Third St Alexandria, LA 71301 Time: Tuesday at 12:00 PM New Members

Catherine Davidson is an attorney and has a private practice in Alexandria. She received her BA, MA and JD from Loyola University in where she worked as an attorney for over 20 years. Her father was a Rotarian and member of our Club. Catherine enjoys traveling and golf. She remodeled her grandmother's home on Jackson Street where she lives and has her office. Catherine's spouse is Sara and she looks forward to serving the community through Rotary. Her sponsor is Annie Collins.

Member Anniversaries

Name Start Date Years of Service Mike Tudor 1/30/73 47 Pat Moore 1/1/83 37 Sally Foster 1/1/89 31 Randy Welch 1/10/06 14 Bill Wallace 1/2/07 13 Catherine Pears 1/11/11 9 John LeBoeuf 1/10/12 8 Thomas David III 1/26/16 * 7 Aaron Mangum 1/15/13 7 Susan Bowers 1/27/15 5 Trish Leleux 1/27/15 5 Matt Bruyninckx 1/1/17 3 Jill Hooper 1/24/17 3 Nycole Johnson 1/24/17 3 Lydia Poret 1/23/18 2

* denotes some years in another Club

Birthdays

Glenn Riggs Edwin J. Caplan Wally Fall January 1st January 2nd January 8th Michael S. Tudor Reni Mason Kay Michiels January 8th January 9th January 10th Warren Randall Morris Peter Dancy Robert Terry Spruill January 11th January 15th January 17th Frank J Jackson Mary Fowler Joyce H. Lyford January 19th January 20th January 22nd Paul Price Maggie Burnaman Martin Wade Bond January 22nd January 23rd January 24th Jack R. Hodges Matt Henry Corey A. Lair January 26th January 27th January 30th