Vision: A strong America, safe communities, and unified people.
Mission: Exchange, inspiring communities to become better places to live.
Motto: Unity for Service
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April 2021
Buzz Wachsteter (Rome)
Editor
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Georgia Needs Exchange NOW More Than Ever |
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There Are Things YOU Can Do
To Help Support CAP Month?
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YOU are an Exchange Club member...the National Project of Exchange is THE PREVENTION OF CHILD ABUSE...and there are things you can and should do during Child Abuse Prevention Month to contribute to this effort.
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WEAR YOUR BLUE RIBBON PIN EACH DAY - The blue ribbon is the symbol for the CAP program and YOU should show your support. Don't be surprised if asked why are you wearing that pin? Proudly explain you are an Exchange Club member and talk about what your club does to combat child abuse in your community.
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CALL A CENTER, AFFILLIATE, OR AGENCY YOUR CLUB SUPPORTS - Ask how you can volunteer your time to help or send them a donation to help in continuing their effort in your community.
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WEAR BLUE ON MONDAYS IN APRIL - Show YOUR support and urge everyone else to do the same.
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Click The Video To The Right News...News From Our Georgia District President Fussell Hughes |
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District Board Has "Hybrid" Meeting In Macon |
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Chair Ginger Larrabee reports on A.C.E. program |
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Chair Robert Lindsey reports on Youth of the Year Program |
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Chair Kay Griffin reports on District Awards Program |
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The Georgia District Board met in Macon on March 20th for its quarterly meeting. Discussed were:
- Unfortunately three Georgia District clubs have disbanded. They are Forsyth, Douglas County, and Rossville. COVID has contributed to this situation.
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Awards Chair Kay Griffin reported in changes in the awards program form brought about by COVID's effect on last year's District and National conventions. (The changes are reflected in the revised awards book and a link to it is included in this newsletter.) Because of COVID precautions, this year all judging will be done electronically with the exception of the Club History Books which will be judged at the District Convention.
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Chair Robert Lindsey reported on the Youth of the Year program and said he has to have just one copy of the COMPLETED forms EMAILED to him by April 15th. Entries received after that date will not be considered for the District award.
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Chair Ginger Larrabee reported on the A.C.E. award program and urged all clubs to submit an entry this year. The deadline for this program is also April 15th and she urged District Directors to contact their local clubs to seek out worthy individuals to nominate from all sources in their communities, not just the schools. As with other awards, all applicant information must be EMAILED to the chair.
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District Convention Chair Jess Lucas reported on the ongoing plans for the District Convention still scheduled for June 3-6 at Callaway Gardens. He reported that the business of the District will still be conducted, but this year his committee is stressing FUN at the convention and more free time is placed in the schedule to allow attendees to enjoy the Gardens (free admittance comes as part of your registration for lodging) and surrounding attractions. (Links to more information included in this newsletter.) He also reported on the pandemic safety precautions instituted by Callaway for both meetings, food, and lodging also included as a link in this newsletter.
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District President Fussell Hughes announced that District Officer elections will be held at the convention. Elections will be held for two District Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, and District Director positions in ODD numbered divisions. If you are interest in running, your club MUST submit a letter of endorsement electronically to District Secretary Betty Lindsey by MAY 1.
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***Update***
Remember...April 15th is the deadline
for your club to submit its bulletin
in the District Awards Competition, as well as your club's A.C.E. Award and
Youth of the Year Nominees to the respective District Chairpersons
Also, please know that some changes have been made to the awards program that reflect operations of local clubs in the past year.
BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE REVISED
GEORGIA AWARDS BOOK BELOW
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Georgia District Awards Chair Kay Griffin reminds all local club Presidents and Editors if they want their club bulletin (newsletter) considered for this year's judging, the deadline for submission electronically to Kay is April 15th. Anything received after that date will not be considered for judging.
Editors are encouraged to read over the entry form carefully to make sure you fulfill the requirements that will allow your three entries to be judged and not disqualified. REMEMBER, BULLETIN ENTRIES ARE TO BE EMAILED TO KAY AT kaygriffin1965@gmail.com AND NOT MAILED.
As always, if you have a question you can call Kay at 229-881-1234. Click the button below to download a full copy of the Georgia Awards Program.
Read the latest from Kay to make sure your entries are submitted correctly:
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Make The Decision NOW
Georgia District Convention
June 3-6
Callaway Gardens - Pine Mountain, GA
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It Will Be FUN...FUN...FUN
At Callaway This June
Don't Miss It!
Terrific speakers, expanded free time for you to enjoy plus much much more. This year's convention has so much wrapped up into it you won't want to miss it.
The schedule is shaping up and it is packed with excitement that starts with the annual District Golf Tournament on Thursday and keeps going.
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You Will Not Believe Your Housing Choices At Callaway
For The Convention
That's right...we are not kidding...this year you have a choice of first class accommodations at Callaway Gardens. You can stay at The Lodge, the convention headquarters hotel, or you may choose a fully equipped 2-BR 2-BA cottage to share with other club members or bring your family. The rate per bedroom is identical, $121 per night.
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To Make Your Convention Even More Safe
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Your Donations Needed To Help Raise Funds For
Child Abuse Prevention
Thru The Georgia CAP Foundation
(A 501c3 Corp)
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Auction Items For Thursday Night's
Live Auction For District Child Abuse Prevention Program Needed
What would really help raise money:
- Time Shares and Vacation destinations for a week or weekend
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New Electronics like televisions, microwaves, Video equipment, etc.
- Gas or Electric Grills
- Tickets to universal appeal sporting events
- Hunting or fishing experiences
and anything else you can think of to help raise significant dollars for the Georgia District Child Abuse Foundation.
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Items Needed For
Silent Auction Bidding
During Convention Weekend
One of the very successful events of our conventions has been the silent auction that runs from Thursday thru Saturday of the convention. All the money raised goes to the Georgia District Child Abuse Prevention Foundation. We could use just about anything like original art, pottery, tools, appliances, gift baskets of "goodies" both edible and drinkable, mens and ladies accessories, sporting goods, camping equipment, celebrity or sports figures autographed memorabilia, etc.
Bring the items with you to convention, or contact your District Director and they will bring them.
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WOW! The Georgia District leadership team pays a visit to the Exchange Club of Dublin.
Georgia District President Fussell Hughes, District President-Elect Thad Paulk, District Vice President Milton Sampson, and Region 12 District Director Jeff Wells all met to attend a meeting of the Exchange Club of Dublin. Our President reports social distancing and mask wearing was followed and the Dublin Club is doing great things for their community. They have a great group of Exchange members.
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National Mid-Year Leadership Conference
Held In Memphis and
Georgia Was There!!
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Georgia District President-Elect Thad Paulk toasts the 110 Anniversary of Exchange with National President Cathy Mize in Memphis. |
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The full Georgia contingent in Memphis. Jim Belzer and Bill King of the Americanism Committee of the Rome Club, National CEO Tracey Edwards, Georgia President Fussell Hughes and our President-Elect Thad Paulk. Our Rome Club is organizing the One Nation Under God program for Memphis this year. |
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Did You Zoom Your Meetings?
Here's An Added Benefit
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If Your Club Does Not Already "Zoom" Your Meetings...
Here's Another Benefit.
Many District clubs have not been meeting live because of the threats of the pandemic. Some have started meeting again and others use a "hybrid" of some members meeting live and others virtually using Zoom. There are added benefits to the Zoom service your club may not have thought of.
- Utilizing a virtual method means your club will continue to meet on a regular basis and all your members have to do is logon (usually one click) and they can see and participate in the meetings like they were sitting in the same room.
- Clubs can now have a huge selection of speakers on timely topics who would love the opportunity to speak to your club and now can do it via Zoom with no travel necessary. Pictured above is Richard Montanaro of the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center who could have just as easily been speaking to your club as the Rome Club recently. Invite them because they are only a click away. Need some suggestions? Contact us and we would be happy to furnish you a list of possible program speakers as would National Exchange by just asking them.
- From the photo above, another great feature of the Zoom program is the ability for you to view a saved copy of the meeting if you missed it, or you want to invite a guest to view it and see what your club is all about.
If you need help joining the Zoom crowd, please contact your District Director or call the National Exchange Club office and they will be more than happy to assist you in setting up the service for your local club.
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Congratulations To Georgia's National Service Award Winners...So Far
A special "clang" of the Exchange bell to those clubs who, in spite of the pandemic situation have achieved the National Service Award for working in their communities.
(Our newest in red)
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Exchange Club of Columbus |
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Exchange Club of Statesboro
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Exchange Club of Brantley County |
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Exchange Club of Milledgeville |
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Exchange Club of Cedartown |
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National Exchange awards the National Service Award and patch to those clubs who have completed and reported one project each in the Programs of Service areas of Americanism, Youth, Community Service, and our National Project the Prevention of Child Abuse, plus two other projects from any of the POS categories including fundraising.
Curious what YOUR club has reported? Click the link below to see the National Headquarters report by club.
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Heard About The Legacy of the Year?
It Could Mean A $15,000 Scholarship For A
Student From A Member's Family
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The National Exchange Club’s Legacy of the Year Award recognizes high school students who are children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren of Exchange Club members. Candidates also display exceptional community involvement and leadership skills. This program rewards outstanding young people and provides incentive for others to serve their country and communities. Legacy of the Year Award candidates will submit applications directly to Exchange’s National Headquarters.
Click below to read the complete details.
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Tifton Comes Up With Meeting Program Winner |
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Have you ever seen the TV show “Battlebots?” The Exchange Club of Tifton got to see a local version of the popular robot competition at their club meeting. Well, at least parts of it! Brian Saturday and Brian Tapscott, instructors of the Engineering, Technology and Robotics class at the middle schools in Tift County, brought robots, drones and
other engineering items to the meeting. As part of the robotics portion of the class, students learn to build, program, and drive their own robot. They learn how to control the robot so that it can move things around or stack items. One of the goals of having this type of course available for students is to give them the knowledge of programming and engineering, so they are ready for a job. So many of these jobs are filled overseas now, because they have more knowledge.
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This Is What We Do...Georgia's Service Club |
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Albany Club Members Install New
Freedom Shrine in School
A group of members of the Exchange Club of Albany installed Schley County School System's 1st Freedom Shine for their school system. The principal Harley Calhoun was very appreciative of the Exchange Club sponsoring the Freedom Shrine. Harley said, "The Freedom Shrine would be a very important teaching tool for teaching American History." Many teachers and students stopped by during the Installation and asked what is the Freedom Shrine? The Exchange members gladly explained the documents to everyone. The Exchange dedication will be held at a later date when Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
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In This Critical Time
Brunswick Hears About
Jobs Corps
Center Director Rev Mel Gaines spoke to the Exchange club of Brunswick about the Brunswick job corps.
Job Corps is a no-cost education and career technical training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor that helps young people ages 16 to 24 improve the quality of their lives through career technical and academic training. The Center supports the mission to teach eligible young people the skills they need to become employable and independent and place them in meaningful jobs or further education. A typical day at the Center is full of activities to help students prepare for the real world by spending the majority of their day receiving academic and hands-on career technical training.
Pictured from left to right Pres. Gary Wise, Sec/treasurer Randy Pifer, Rev. Mel Gaines, VP Mitch Strickland, Pres elect Bill Foster
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Glynn County Sheriff Talks COVID To Brunswick Club
Glynn County Sheriff E. Neal Jump told the club about how the department has handle the Covid 19 with the staff and inmates. Also, how the departments protects the judges and the court house, how the county sheriffs office serves warrants, keeps up with the sex offenders in their county, and how he has started a new traffic enforcement and education squad to patrol I-95.
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Albany Club Takes A Swing At Child Abuse With Two Golf Tournaments
The members in orange, the Exchange Club of Albany are hosting two golf tournaments this year to raise funds to combat child abuse. The first, "The Deputy Dawg" is the spring classic to be held April 16th. The club is looking for both players at $75 per player and hole sponsors at $125. Interested? Contact the Albany club.
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Waycross Club Devotes Meeting
To Orientation
The Exchange Club of Waycross devoted one of it's meetings to re-educating all of its members on Exchange. Ken Carroll began his Orientation with “the Challenge” from remarks he used when serving as District 10 Director of the Georgia District as part of the New Members Induction Ceremony.“ From this day forward, you will have many challenging opportunities to serve your community through Exchange, so be prepared to freely share with us your own particular talents and resources. As
an Exchangite, you are expected to "aid in our continuing expansion and progress by inviting others to be part of Exchange for personal growth and service to the community.” He then turned to the Covenant of Service and brought attention to “the outstanding legacy of leadership” of the Exchange Club of Waycross—one National Exchange Club President and five Georgia District Club Presidents. He continued with the basics beginning with the Motto, two versions of the Mission Statement before expounding on the Programs of Service—Americanism, Community Service, Youth Activities and the National Project for the Prevention of Child Abuse. He then concentrated on local projects that are a great benefit to the community.
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Albany Club Awards Butch Griffin Scholarships
The "Butch Griffin Scholarship" was born to honor one of the Exchange Club of Albany's most devoted members. Butch was a leader in the Vision, Mission, and, Motto of The Exchange. He took pride in mentoring each student that participated in the SW Georgia Regional Exchange Fair Livestock Show. Butch's attitude was to teach competitors of the Livestock Show about Americanism, Youth, and Community Service. The tools taught by Butch helped each student make their community a better place to live. Congratulations to the three receipts of the” Butch Griffin Scholarship. They are Peyton Brazel, Meagan Miller and Haley Kendrick. All three are members of their local FFA or 4H Chapters. These young men and women started at a very early age of raising, grooming, and caring for their livestock. All three recipients are very dissevering recipients of the scholarship.
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Macon Youth of the Month Goes "Hybrid"
In a first for the Exchange Club of Macon, their presentation of their Youth of the Month awards were presented in a "hybrid" method with both a live presentation and virtual presentations. Pictured is of one of their "8" "Youth of the Month / Youth of the Year" contestants. Jocelyn Tangt with her family and the counselor from Stratford Academy. Attending the meeting (a first for the Club) virtually were Elizabeth Bennett from Mary Persons High in Forsyth, Georgia, and Akweley Allotey from Mt. DeSales Academy in Macon.
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Albany Club Selects
Youth of the Year
The Exchange Club of Albany presented their Youth of the Year Award. The Youth of the Year Winner is Haley Walden. pictured far right. She attends Deerfield Windsor plans to attend University of Auburn. She will now be entered in the District competition and if chosen will be entered into the National Youth of the Year. Two other Candidates are also winners due to their many accomplishments are: Dayla Fritts, Dougherty High Comprehensive High School and she plans to attend New York University and Howard University and
Thomas Waller, Sherwood Christian Academy and he plans to attend University of Georgia.
Although we can only have one winner, this students are already winners and can be expected to excel in everything they do.
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Rome Tomb Replica Displayed To Honor Retirement Home Vets
The Renaissance Marquis Retirement and Assisted Living Center in Rome, Ga.
invited the replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to place the exhibit out in front of their building in honor of the Centennial of the funding for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on March 4, 1921 and for the 100th birthday of one of their World War II residents. (Pictured Bill King, Tomb Project Chair and Renaissance Marquis manager )
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Jim McCubbin, the honoree, is a veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corps from WW II. He shot down 3 German fighters, was shot down, captured, and put in a POW camp. |
Milledgeville Kicks Off Raffle To Raise Funds For Community Work
It’s time for another Milledgeville Exchange Club raffle. For a cash prize of $1000 dollars, tickets are five dollars each. The drawing is April 2nd. Money made from this raffle supports the various charity and community service groups in our community. Please consider buying at least one ticket. Email or message us or see an Exchange Club member.
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Tifton Club Taps
Youth of the Year
The Exchange Club of Tifton presented the 2021 Youth of the Year Award at a special luncheon held in their honor. The Youth of the Year program recognizes twelve seniors from Tift County High School and Tiftarea Academy. Each student prepared an essay to be judged, as well as included information about their extracurricular activities and volunteer services.
Each senior received a plaque and small monetary donation. The winner was Sarabeth Royal, a senior at Tiftarea Academy, received a larger plaque and
scholarship. She will represent Tifton in the District competition.
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Statesboro Club Presents Book of Golden Deeds Award
The Exchange Club of Statesboro honored Bill Taylor of the Statesboro Fire Department as their recipient of The Book of Golden Deeds award. In the words of Statesboro Fire Chief Time Grams, "Bill is kind hearted and community oriented man who deeply cares for his fellow man." His efforts in 2008 created CAFE (Community Assistance in Fire Emergencies) which has become a valuable resource for victims not only of fires but with many types of tragedies.
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(Click on above picture to download details on the Symposium and registration) |
Macon Cosponsors Regional CAP Symposium
April 14

The Exchange Club of Macon is once again a principal sponsor of a Child Abuse Prevention Month Symposium. This year the program will be free and virtual. It is open to Community Members, Law Enforcement, Educators, Health Care Providers and Mental Health Providers. Registration is now open.
Crescent House, Navicent Health, is an Affiliate of the National Exchange Club Child Abuse Prevention Program.
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Savannah Club Continues Strong Programming
The Exchange Club of Savannah continues a strong program in all aspects. Every month they deliver meals for 25 people to the local Ronald McDonald House and they will have a blood drive on April 15th. They continue a student and teacher of the month and have a special Child Abuse Prevention meeting with a speaker each Monday in April.
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Talk About Community Service...Blood Drives Are A Monthly Project For Waycross
Every 4th Monday of the month it is blood drive day at the fairgrounds sponsored by the Exchange Club of Waycross. This vital community service project is an ongoing project that averages 163 pints per drive for the American Red Cross. The club publicizes the monthly event with 28 yard signs that go up thee days prior to the drive throughout the community and the members put 600 flyers on cars to educate the public that the drive is coming up. This Waycross project is rated #1 in Georgia and 35th in the United States.
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Help Is Just A Mouse Click Away |
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