The Touchdown Times
February 2025
2nd Edition
 

 

๐Ÿ“ฃ Get Ready for the 2024-2025 Rotary District Conference! ๐Ÿˆ๐ŸŽ‰

Rotarians, the countdown is on! Get ready for an exciting weekend of fun, fellowship, and inspiration at the Rotary District 6840 Conference, happening June 5โ€“June 8, 2025, in Bay St. Louis. This football-themed event is packed with incredible experiences you wonโ€™t want to miss!

๐Ÿ† Conference Highlights

๐Ÿ“… June 5 โ€“ Kickoff with the District Golf Tournament โ›ณ & Luau ๐ŸŒบ๐ŸŽ‰
๐Ÿ“… June 6 โ€“ Game Day! ๐Ÿˆ Rise Against Hunger Food Packing & Food Fest ๐Ÿฝ๏ธ๐Ÿ’ช
๐Ÿ“… June 7 โ€“ Speakers & District Awards Ceremony ๐Ÿ…๐ŸŽค
๐Ÿ“… June 8 โ€“ Paul Harris Foundation Jazz Brunch ๐ŸŽท๐Ÿพ

Itโ€™s going to be an unforgettable weekend filled with service, learning, and celebration. Donโ€™t miss out!

๐Ÿค Support the Conferenceโ€”Become a Sponsor or Advertise!

To bring you this amazing event, we need your help! Conference funding comes from sponsorships and program ads, and weโ€™re asking for your support to fill our program book.

๐Ÿ’ผ Club Members: Own a business? Promote it in our program and connect with fellow Rotarians! Work for a company? Ask them to sponsor or place an ad.

๐Ÿ“ข Club Leaders: This is a great opportunity to highlight your clubโ€”thank your outgoing board, welcome your incoming board, celebrate Paul Harris Fellows, or promote your clubโ€™s signature events!

๐Ÿ’ก Know a business that might be interested? Send their contact information to our sponsorship chairs:
๐Ÿ“ Mississippi โ€“ Carolyn Ishee
๐Ÿ“ Louisiana โ€“ John Olinde

Visit https://rotary6840.org/ for sponsorship details and forms.

๐Ÿ“ข Register Today!

๐Ÿ“ข BSL Rotary Satellite Club Gives Back! ๐Ÿ’

The Bay St. Louis Rotary Satellite Club teamed up with Hancock High School and Bay High School to take their special education students to a Mississippi Seawolves hockey game! ๐Ÿ’โ„๏ธ

The energy was electric, the smiles were endless, and the excitement was absolutely contagious! A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this unforgettable experience possible. ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ‘

Rotarian Amy Bouton, Director of Communications at St. Tammany Hospital, organized a tour of the new St. Tammany Health System Surgery Centerโ€”a $75M, 126,000 sq. ft. facility for advanced, one-day surgeries. The center features state-of-the-art tech, including the Da Vinci robotic system, Stryker Mako for joint replacements, and germ-killing lights.

A big thank you to Amy and Bridget from St. Tammany for an insightful tour! ๐Ÿ‘

๐Ÿ“ข Northlake-Mandeville Rotary โ›ณ๐ŸŽ‰

Exciting news! Our Inaugural Golf Tournament Fundraiser was featured in Social Magazine! ๐ŸŒ๏ธโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿ“– A huge thank you to Social Magazine for highlighting our event! ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’›

This fundraiser was a huge success, and we want to give a special shoutout to our dedicated member and incoming president, Chase Villeret, for his incredible efforts in making it happen! ๐Ÿ‘

๐Ÿ“ข Hammond Rotary's Charity Shamrock Run ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿƒ

Join us for the 1-Mile, 5K, and 10K at the Renaissance Festival grounds in Hammond, LA! ๐Ÿ… Enjoy finisher medals, age group awards, and fun challenges like Best Costume, Biggest Team, and "Beat the Leprechaun"!

๐Ÿ“… Race Day: Saturday, March 22, 2025
๐Ÿ‘• Register by Feb 28 to guarantee a T-shirt!
๐Ÿ“ฆ Packet Pick-Up: March 20 at Perfectly Fit or race morning.

Interested in sponsoring? Contact Amanda Bennett at 985-320-1819.

๐Ÿ”— For more info, click below! โฌ‡๏ธ

๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŒถ๏ธ๐Ÿง€ Get Ready for the 20th Annual Chili Mac N Cheese Cook-off! ๐Ÿง€๐ŸŒถ๏ธ๐ŸŽ‰
 
Itโ€™s back and better than ever! The largest fundraiser for the Bay St. Louis Rotary Club, this event is all about fun, food, and giving back. For just $15, youโ€™ll get unlimited tastings of the most mouthwatering chili AND mac-n-cheese creations in Hancock County. ๐Ÿ˜‹ Local businesses and community groups are bringing their A-game, and we need you to be the judge of their cheesy, spicy, savory goodness!
 
๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ Tickets: Available from any Rotarian or at the door.
๐Ÿป Drinks: Beer, wine, soft drinks, and water for sale.
๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ 50/50 Raffle: Test your luck!
๐Ÿ† Awards: Who will reign supreme?
 
Your $15 goes directly toward supporting the Bay St. Louis Rotary Clubโ€™s incredible service projects that make our community a better place. โค๏ธ
 
Whether you're here for the food, the fun, or to support an amazing cause, this event is the perfect way to connect, give back, and fill your belly.
 
๐Ÿ”ฅ Pro tip: Bring your friends, your appetite, and maybe a side of Tums. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Don't miss it - this is THE event everyone will be talking about! ๐ŸŽ‰
๐Ÿ’ก DON'T FORGET TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR UPCOMING EVENTS! ๐Ÿ’ก
 
Got an awesome event coming up? Just send the details over to Ashley Mayley-Yarber at ashley.mayley.5@gmail.com, our newsletter guru. She'll work her magic and make sure your event gets the spotlight it deserves!
District-Sponsored Events
Metairie Sunrise DG Visit
la Madeleine
Feb. 13, 2025
7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
 
Metairie Club DG Visit
Metairie Country Club
Feb. 13, 2025
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
 
Poplaville Anniversary (1926)
Feb. 15, 2025
 
Long Beach Anniversary (1986)
Feb. 17, 2025
 
New Orleans Anniversary (1910)
Feb. 23, 2025
 
Rotary's anniversary
Feb. 23, 2025
 
Rotary's Anniversary (1905)
Feb. 23, 2025
 
Hammond's Rotary Jazz Brunch
Feb. 23, 2025
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
 
Picayune Anniversary (1925)
Feb. 24, 2025
 
Summit DG Visit
Summit Rotary Gym
Feb. 24, 2025
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
 
Columbia DG Visit
Magnolia Grille
Feb. 25, 2025
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
 
McComb DG Visit
Golden Corral
Feb. 26, 2025
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
 
Mid-City New Orleans Anniversary (2015)
Feb. 27, 2025
 
Tylertown DG Visit
Methodist Church
Feb. 27, 2025
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
 
Chili Cookoff
Community Hall
Feb. 27, 2025
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 
View entire list

๐ŸŒ February is Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution Month! ๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ

This month, Rotary focuses on promoting peace and resolving conflicts, both locally and globally. As Rotarians, we believe that lasting change begins with understanding, dialogue, and action.

๐Ÿ”น Support efforts to reduce violence and foster reconciliation
๐Ÿ”น Participate in peace-centered service projects
๐Ÿ”น Attend discussions on conflict resolution strategies
๐Ÿ”น Share stories of peacebuilding efforts in our community

Letโ€™s work together to create a more peaceful worldโ€”one step at a time. ๐Ÿ’™โœŒ๏ธ

๐Ÿ“ข Alligator Festival Poster Contest ๐ŸŽจ๐ŸŠ

The search is on! Pat Bowes is looking for original artwork for the 2025 Alligator Festival poster. Know an artist whoโ€™d be interested? Share the application below and help us find this yearโ€™s masterpiece! ๐ŸŽจโœจ

๐ŸŒ Rotary USA-France ICC Positive Peace Seminar ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท

The 5th biennial Positive Peace Seminar will be held October 14-17, 2025, in Orlรฉans, France! Applications are open through May 30.

This tuition-free seminar is open to Fourth Year Undergraduates, Graduate Students, Young Professionals, and Rotaract Membersโ€”20 from France and 10 from the U.S.

As District 6840 is a member of the USA-France Intercountry Committee, we encourage you to share this opportunity! Travel is covered for American participants, who will be hosted by Rotary Clubs of Orleans.

๐Ÿ“ข Know someone who should apply? Encourage them to submit their application today!

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Folks, this is starting to look like the Super Bowl, and Mississippi is looking more and more like the Chiefsโ€ฆ and NOT in a good way! ๐Ÿ˜ฌ๐Ÿˆ But seriouslyโ€”WHO THE HECK WOKE UP PONTCHARTRAIN?! ๐Ÿ”ฅ Louisiana is running away with it while Mississippi is stuck in the huddle. โณ Timeโ€™s tickingโ€”can they turn it around before the final whistle? Letโ€™s hope for a miracle! ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿ’ฅ
SUBMIT YOUR POINTS BELOW TO GET IN ON THIS ACTION!
 
Remember there are social media aspects for most entries.

Club Points Submission Update

  1. Point Summaries
    If you notice discrepancies in your clubโ€™s points, please reach out individually so we can work through any updates.

  2. Submitting Points
    To ensure accurate tracking, we encourage clubs to submit points via the designated form (link below). If multiple individuals are reporting points, each must complete a separate form. Alternatively, bulk points can be emailed directly Meg Noonan at meg.noonan@comcepts.net to simplify the process.

  3. Deputy Governors
    Weโ€™ve noticed an absence of point submissions from Deputy Governors. As a reminder, Deputy Governors are responsible for entering their clubโ€™s points. 

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our records accurate!