Club Meeting Information

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Flatonia, Texas

Flatonia

Service Above Self

1st, 3rd & 5th Thursdays Each Month at 12:05 PM
Robert's Steakhouse
1241 Texas 95
Flatonia, TX  78941
United States of America
Email:
rotaryclubofflatonia@gmail.com
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Club Executives & Directors
President
Martin Cherry
President-Elect
Patricia Satterwhite
Treasurer
Larry Haas
Secretary
Susan Steinhauser
Sergeant At Arms
Sherry Haas
Immediate Past President
Gerald Freytag
Foundation Director
Bernie Satterwhite
Membership Director
Douglas Mach
Public Relations Director
Patricia Satterwhite
Upcoming Events
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FLATONIA ROTARY HOSTS DISTRICT GOVERNOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Left to right: DG-Elect, Bob Crouch; DG, Shannon Coleman; Club President, Martin Cherry; Jeff Coleman)

On Thursday, 4 August, The Flatonia Rotary Club welcomed Shannon Coleman, District 5870 Governor, her husband, Jeff Coleman and District Governor-Elect, Bob Crouch, to their meeting.  Shannon and Jeff are members of the Rotary Club of Pflugerville, and Bob is a member of Rotary Club of Killeen Heights.  Every year, the District Governor (DG) makes a visit to each of the 57 clubs in the distict, which gives the Governor an opportunity to communicate directly with the club members, and recognize individual Rotarians and outstanding projects.  

Lieutenant Governor Carroll Sharp, a member of the Rotary Club of Yoakum, introduced District Governor Coleman, who gave an exciting and motivational presentation on her goals and projects for the coming 2022-2023 Rotary year.  “This year I want to bring the Distict to our clubs, to support you and help with all your Rotary Service needs. Rotary Club of Flatonia is continually doing great service for the Flatonia community through their service projects, and by their giving to the Rotary Foundation, which gives money back to them through grants, projects, and scholarships, both locally and globally.”, said DG Coleman, “So thank you for your support of the Foundation.  And thank you for your Service Above Self”. 

In addition to her presentation, DG Coleman and her husband, Jeff brought supplies for a hands-on, district-wide, service project, partnering with “Backpack Friends”, a non-profit organization based in Pflugerville, Texas. The project is designed to help wipe out weekend hunger for children in communities in our District.  “Did you know that one out of every four kids in Texas won't have enough food to eat this weekend? And did you know that thousands of children rely on school meals during the week, but spend the weekends in homes that are food insecure?” asked Coleman. “‘Backpack Friends’, continued Coleman, “is a way for Rotarians to more fully understand the significant impact a simple hands-on project can have on our communities.”  The Rotary Club of Flatonia then packed 95 bags of food for low food-security children in just 15 minutes.  President Martin Cherry added “This project tonight was an excellent and fun way to make an impact, improve community needs, and build good will. Thank you, DG Coleman for including us in the ‘Backpack Friends’ project”.

 
Club Holds First Meeting of the New Rotary Year

On Thursday, 7 July 2022, The Flatonia Rotary held its first meeting of the Rotary New Year under the leadership of Martin Cherry at Robert’s Steakhouse. Rotarian, Jill Walles, who introduced the program, invited Annie Waneck, a mortgage adviser with Elite Financing Group. Her presentation included the qualifications a borrower must have to become pre-approved for a mortgage, which are an approved credit score, a suitable debt to income ration, and the proper down payment and closing costs. Her talk was interesting, educational in the world of real estate and finance, and well received by the club members.

This month Rotary Clubs, worldwide, are celebrating Leadership Change with new Boards of Directors. The 2022-2023 Flatonia Rotary Board of Directors are Martin Cherry, President, Patricia Satterwhite, President Elect, Larry Haas, Treasurer, Susan Steinhauser, Secretary, Doug Mach, Membership Director, Bernie Satterwhite, Foundation Director, Patricia Satterwhite, Public Image Director, Sherry Haas, Seargent At Arms, Stu Mica, Director-at-Large, and Gerald Freytag, Immediate Past President. Rotary is an organization based on people, relationships, and action. “This will be a great year of taking “Service Above Self” action, and we look forward to acquiring new relationships and serving our community and beyond”, said President Martin Cherry.

Martin Cherry Assumes the Role of President
The gavel was passed from outgoing president Gerald Freytag to incoming president Martin Cherry to begin the new Rotary year during the June 30, 2022 Rotary meeting. During the meeting, Gerald thanked the club for their support and singled out several Rotarians for special service. Prior to assuming the reins, Martin presented Gerald with a plaque to commemorate his hard work and success during his Rotary year. 
Outgoing President, Gerald Freytag, right, is presented a plaque by incoming president, Martin Cherry, left.
Thanks to our Non-Rotarian Volunteers
At our regular meeting on May 19th, the Rotary Club of Flatonia recognized volunteers that have played an integral part in making Flags Over Flatonia a successful project.  Shown from left to right are Pat Nickerson, Jay Roberts, Bob Roberts, Robert Cunningham, Theresa Pavlica, Michael Pavlica and Flags Over Flatonia chair Gerald Freytag. Rotary thanks these individuals who, though not Rotarians, have helped set out and retrieve some 250 American flags on each of six holidays every year. 
Flatonia Rotary Sponsors "Heritage Pride" Trip to USS Lexington
After a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19, the Rotary Club of Flatonia hosted members of the Flatonia High School Junior Class on a field trip to the USS Lexington Museum in Corpus Christi.  The trip was part of the club's Heritage Pride Program, designed to give the students a feel for what past Americans have done to preserve and protect our freedoms. Pictured left to right are Rotarian Gerald Freytag, Khristopher Toran, Tadan Alvarado, Joaquin Vazquez, Chase O’Reilly, Aidan Miksch, Camden Bosl, Reese Ramirez, Quade Gillum, Elizabeth Palomera, Amaya Tovar, Stephanie Guerrero, Nancy Torres, Celeste Quijas, Katelyn Croyle, Miguel Corral, Nayeli Rodriguez, Augustin Olivares, Valeria Perez, Fernando Guerrero, Kirsten Olmos, Elizabeth Samaniego, Mariela Manzano, Ezequiel Rodriguez, Shenann Kahlich (FISD) Oscar Guerrero, Colt Freytag, Rotarian Martin Cherry, Adolfo Guerrero and Stephanie Delgado (FISD).  Not shown is FISD History Teacher Todd Law.  
Pat Satterwhite Inducted into Roll of Fame
Rotarian Pat Satterwhite was inducted into the District 5870 Roll of Fame during the Annual District Conference of Clubs held May 6-8 in Waco, Texas. Formally established during the District's 1957-58 Rotary year, the Roll of Fame is the highest award conferred by District 5870 and is intended to recognize Rotarians who have distinguished themselves by outstanding service to their clubs. Each honoree is nominated by the president of his or her club and must meet, at a minimum, specific criteria for membership in the Roll of Fame. For over 21 years, first as a spouse of a Rotarian and, for the past 7 plus years as a member of the Rotary Club of Flatonia, Pat has consistently served Rotary in numerous and varied capacities. Currently, the Flatonia Rotary Club's vice-president, Pat served as president in 2017-18 and is slated to serve as president again in 2023-24. For the past three years, she served as the District 5870 Membership Chair and as such has given membership presentations to clubs throughout the District as well as at District training events and conferences. Pat has continually dedicated herself to the Object of Rotary and its mission. Pat is the 16th Flatonia Rotarian to be inducted into the Roll of Fame, and the first female to be inducted from Flatonia. Shown from left to right are District Governor Beverly Luedke, Pat Satterwhite, Bernie Satterwhite.
 
FLATONIA ROTARIANS ASSIST WITH EMPOWERING GIRLS AND WOMEN DISTRICT SERVICE PROJECT
Flatonia Rotarians joined District 5870 and local Days for Girls chapters in Cedar Park, Georgetown and Belton to make the Gift of Literacy and an Education possible to girls and women around the world.
 
WHY WE ARE DOING IT
This VERY impactful project will change and provide equity of not only the girls/women that will receive the kits, but also their children and the communities they live in. Investing in a girls’ education through something as simple as personal hygiene kits can tranform communities and even their countries.
 
WHAT WE ARE DOING
Making personal hygiene kits, that once completed, will be shipped to girls in over 144 countries like Nepal, Guatemala and Uganda.
 
Kristine Schaffner (first row R) headed up the project for the Rotary Club of Flatonia and was joined by her daughter Jennifer (first row L), along with Flatonia Rotary Club president Gerald Freytag and his wife Beckie in Cedar Park to help package the hygiene kits to be sent to girls overseas. 
PAT & BERNIE SATTERWHITE RECEIVE 1ST MAJOR DONOR RECOGNITION
On January 29, 2022, during the District 5870 Foundation Gala, Flatonia Rotarians, Pat and Bernie Satterwhite were presented with their first Major Donor Award, signifying cumulative donations to the Rotary Foundation totaling over $10,000. The presentation was made by District Governor Beverly Luedke, assisted by DGE Shannon Coleman and the evening's keynote speaker, David C. Forward, author of "The Rotary Foundation: Doing Good in the World."
l-r: DGE Shannon Coleman, DG Beverly Luedke, Bernie and Pat Satterwhite, David C. Forward
RISE AGAINST HUNGER - FEBRUARY 5, 2022

On Saturday, 5 February 2022, the Rotary Clubs of Flatonia, Hallettsville, Shiner, and Yoakum co-sponsored a global service project, Rise Against Hunger, at the Flatonia Civic Center.  

Driving Rise Against Hunger’s work, since their founding in 1998, is the recognition that ending hunger is more than just feeding people, which led Rise Against Hunger to focus its feeding programs in areas where they can have a real impact and expand its hunger-fighting programs beyond meal packaging and distribution. Because there are over 720 million people across the world that don’t receive enough nutrition to lead an active, heallthy life, Rise Against Hunger, is growing a global movement to end hunger by empowering communities, nourishing lives, and responding to emergencies. Their meal packaging program harnesses the passion of local volunteers and has impacted 2.8 million lives in 2020 alone.Since 2005, volunteer groups have packaged over 540 million meals, and each year hundreds of thousands of volunteers are engaged.

This Rise Against Hunger meal packaging event in Flatonia had 91 volunteers, young and old, from over 6 local communities, 6 Rotary Clubs, 4 Rotary Interact Clubs, and packaged 10,152 meals in less than 2 hours. It also embodies Rotary’s motto and theme, along with being able to share it with their local communities and friends. Thank you to all who volunteered to make this a successful global service project. For more information visit www.rotary.org and www.riseagainsthunger.org

End Human Trafficking Campaign
Flatonia Rotarians gathered at the Flatonia Gazebo on January 11, 2022 at 12:15 PM wearing blue in support of Rotary's efforts to raise awareness of Human Trafficking. 
Flatonia Interact Club Serves to Change Lives With a Highway Clean Up

On Thursday, 30 September 2021, The Flatonia High School Interact Club had a service project to clean up the frontage road north of I-10 between FM-609 and State Hwy 95 for the “Adopt-A-Highway” program. The Flatonia High School Interact Club, students ages 14-18, is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Flatonia and was chartered in February of 2003. The purpose of Interact is to provide opportunities for young people to work together in a local and world fellowship dedicated to service and international understanding. The officers for this year are Senior AnaLyn Kozelsky, President, Junior Reece Ramirez, Vice President, Junior Elizabeth Palomera, Secretary, and Junior Nayeli Rodriguez, Treasurer, and the Interact Teacher Advisor is Mrs. Lora Cherry.

Rotary members support Interact as sponsors, guides, and mentors, working alongside Interactors to serve the local schools and community. Rotarians play an active role in the Interact Club by helping Interactors develop leadership skills, build connections in the community and become a part of Rotary’s family. “These Interact students are great kids and yearn to do service projects for their community. We had fun and had a great turnout today. They worked hard to help beautify our city.”, commented Lora Cherry, Interact Advisor.

 

(Above) INTERACT students of Flatonia High School helped to make our community more beautiful by picking up nearly 30 bags of trash along the I-10 north frontage road. (Below) Flatonia Rotarian mentors and supervisors helped with the highway cleanup.

Welcome New Rotarian, Tammy Collins
Sponsor and mentor, Judy Pate (l) and President Gerald Freytag (r) welcome Tammy Collins (c) as the newest member of the Flatonia Rotary Club. Welcome Tammy!
Subscribe To "Flags Over Flatonia"

The Flatonia Rotary Club’s “Flags Over Flatonia” Program is a fundraising project that is managed solely through volunteer efforts of Rotarians.  The subscription fees are applied to projects and services that benefit our community and the flags are an attractive and patriotic addition to local residences and businesses. For more information, CLICK HERE. To subscribe, CLICK HERE.