Washington Rotary Club

08/27/2026

Service, Surfing & a Few Good Laughs.

Today’s Rotary guest speaker, Larry Irwin, brought a little bit of everything to the room—stories from his military background, his passion for surfing, and plenty of jokes along the way. But behind the humor was a serious passion for service, leadership and creating opportunities for the next generation.

Larry shared an initiative he is helping get off the ground: beginning the process of establishing a Junior ROTC program at Washington-Wilkes Comprehensive High School.

At its core, Junior ROTC's mission is to motivate young people to become better citizens by teaching leadership, discipline, teamwork, responsibility, service and accountability.

If successfully established, JROTC could be offered as a PE/Health Education credit toward graduation, giving students another way to meet an academic requirement while gaining practical skills that extend well beyond the classroom.

Thank you, Larry, for the laughs, the insight and for taking the initiative to explore another way we can invest in Washington-Wilkes students. There’s work to do, but building better citizens and stronger future leaders is certainly something Rotary can get behind.

08/21/2026

The Washington Rotary Club is teaming up with Piedmont Hospitals to help local families welcome their newest little ones with the essentials they need from day one.

Now through September 19th, we’re collecting newborn essentials including:
🍼 Diapers & wipes
🍼 Formula
🍼 Newborn clothing
🍼 Blankets
🍼 Baby wash
🍼 And other newborn necessities

Add a few baby essentials to your cart while you’re shopping and help us Create Lasting Impact from the Very Beginning!

Drop boxes are located @ Washington Tavern, Miller's Bistro, Tignall, City Hall and Washington Woman’s Club (Thursdays 12-1 only)

Every donation—big or small—helps give a local family a better start. 💙🩷💙🩷

08/21/2026

𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗞𝗜𝗗𝗦. 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬.

This week at Rotary, we welcomed Josh Owens, who gave us a look at the work happening through The Identity Center and Armor of God Boxing—two efforts with one pretty straightforward goal: give our young people something worth showing up for.

At The Identity Center, that means creating a place where kids can belong, find mentors, build relationships and be surrounded by adults who be surrounded by adults who believe in them and push them to be their best. Through Armor of God Boxing, some of those same lessons get a little more physical. Boxing teaches discipline, accountability, respect, confidence and what happens when you get knocked down—you get back up.

And that's where the impact goes well beyond learning how to throw a punch.

Josh and his team are giving Washington-Wilkes youth a productive place to spend their time, positive people in their corner and opportunities to discover what they're capable of. They're not just keeping kids busy. They're challenging them to become stronger, more disciplined and more confident young men and women.

Communities can spend a lot of time talking about what our kids need. Josh and the people behind The Identity Center and Armor of God Boxing are showing up and doing something about it.

That's the kind of work Rotary can get behind.

Thank you, Josh, for joining us—and for being willing to step into the ring for the next generation of Washington-Wilkes.

08/19/2026

START SHOPPING NOW!

The Washington Rotary Club is teaming up with Piedmont Hospitals to help local families welcome their newest little ones with the essentials they need from day one. Now through September 19th, we’re collecting newborn essentials including:

🍼 Diapers & wipes
🍼 Formula
🍼 Newborn clothing
🍼 Blankets
🍼 Baby wash
🍼 And other newborn necessities

Add a few baby essentials to your cart while you’re shopping and help us Create Lasting Impact from the Very Beginning!

Every donation—big or small—helps give a local family a better start. 💙

08/19/2026

Want to join us for lunch and our speaker? Just message me and let me know you are attending.

We’re looking forward to hearing from Josh about the mission behind Armor of God Boxing & The Identity Center and what happens when a community gives kids a place to belong, grow and discover just how strong they can be.

📅 Thursday, August 20th @ 12P
📍 Washington Woman’s Club 108 N. Alexander Ave. Washington

08/18/2026

We’re looking forward to hearing from Josh about the mission behind Armor of God Boxing & The Identity Center and what happens when a community gives kids a place to belong, grow and discover just how strong they can be.

📅 Thursday, August 20th @ 12P
📍 Washington Woman’s Club 108 N. Alexander Ave. Washington

08/13/2026

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗡𝗜𝗟 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗞𝗶𝗰𝗸:
𝗘𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗘𝗿𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹

At this week’s Rotary meeting, our own Ed Patton gave us a crash course on the state of the game and just how dramatically it has changed. Ed walked us through how today’s teams are assembled through recruiting, the transfer portal and NIL; how athlete compensation and revenue sharing are reshaping college athletics; and the pending federal legislation that could change the rules yet again.

He also took us beyond the field to explain the business of college football—conference media contracts worth billions, the growing competition among broadcast and subscription streaming networks for games and why figuring out where to watch your team can sometimes require nearly as much strategy as calling the plays.

From conference realignment and the College Football Playoff structure to roster management, money, media rights and legislation, Ed covered a sport that looks very different behind the scenes than it did just a few years ago. And, of course, no college football conversation in Georgia would be complete without a look at the 2026 Georgia Bulldogs roster and what we can expect this fall. Go Dawgs!!

08/13/2026

Congratulations to Our Immediate Past President, Frank Fulbright! 💙💛

The Washington Rotary Club is proud to recognize Frank on receiving the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow recognition—one of Rotary's highest honors.

Named for Rotary founder Paul P. Harris, this distinction recognizes individuals whose generosity helps fund The Rotary Foundation's life-changing work around the world. A Paul Harris Fellow is recognized through cumulative contributions of $1,000 or more to The Rotary Foundation, supporting initiatives such as polio eradication, clean water, disease prevention, peacebuilding, education, maternal and child health, and economic development.

Frank's leadership as our Immediate Past President reflects the very spirit of Service Above Self. His commitment to our club, our community, and Rotary's global mission has left a lasting impact, and this recognition is a fitting tribute to his dedication.

Please join us in congratulating Paul Harris Fellow Frank Fulbright on this well-deserved honor. Thank you, Frank, for your leadership, generosity, and unwavering commitment to making a difference—both here in Washington and around the world. 👏🌎💙