Club News and Information
Rotary has long been involved in mental health and wellness initiatives. Rotary’s culture of Service Above Self builds community and promotes acts of kindness, two proven methods to build and maintain mental wellness. Gordon McInally, the 2023-2024 Rotary International President is asking clubs and districts to expand on this culture of care by erasing the stigma associated with emotional well-being, raising awareness of mental health needs, and improving access to quality preventive care and interventions.
  
Camryn Alvarado, who is running for Fayette County Fair Queen and is sponsored by Kyla Faith Memorial, was a guest at our meeting on July 16, 2023. Kyla Faith Memorial Scholarship and Rodeo awards scholarships to children in the community in need of counseling for mental illness. “It was a pleasure hearing from Camryn and the importance of her sponsor. It ties right into Rotary International’s focus on Mental Health Awareness. We will be doing more on this subject throughout the year. We want to create hope and bring awareness on the stigmas of mental health”, said Flatonia Rotary President, Pat Satterwhite.
Tuesday, June 27, 2023 was our last official event for 2022-2023. And what an event! The 2023-2024 Distict Governor, Bob Crouch, installed the new 2023-2024 Board and President, Patricia Satterwhite. Jason Duckworth, from the Rotary Club of Temple, was the guest speaker, and gave an inspirational presentation, and Rotarian Bernie Satterwhite was the Master of Ceremonies. Martin Cherry Jr.was recognized for his exceptional and dedicated year of leadership. He talked about his passion for Rotary, and highlighted some of the many accomplishments for this past year. 
 
District 5870 Governor, Bob Crouch administers the oath of office to new president, Pat Satterwhite
 
 
DG Crouch installs the new Board for 2022.23 (l-R) Larry Haas, Treasurer; Martin Cherry, Past President; Bernie Satterwhite, Foundation Director; Judy Pate, Sergeant-at-Arms; Susan Steinhauser, Secretary.
 
(below) Outgoing president, Martin Cherry receives a commemorative plaque from new president, Pat Satterwhite
On Tuesday, May 10, 2023, the Rotary Club of Flatonia organized and arranged for the junior class at Flatonia High School to travel to Corpus Christi Texas to tour the USS Lexington Museum as part of the club's annual Heritage Pride Program.  The USS Lexington, a World War II era aircraft carrier, provided great insight into what our forbears have endured to preserve the cause of freedom in our country.  The tour consisted of the Flight Deck, which houses vintage aircraft, the Foc’sle Deck, where the anchoring process is stored. the Gallery Deck where the Combat Information Center, the Air Operations, and Carrier Air Traffic Control Center are located, and the Lower Decks, where the students were able to view the engine room, how the 3,000 crew members lived, and the Pearl Harbor exhibit.  A member of the Rotary Club of Flatonia, who is a retired US Naval aviator, was one of the escorts and mentors for the high school students on this tour.  The "Blue Ghost" as the ship is sometimes called and the docents who guided our group through the ship providing educational information, were great hosts and helped to keep our US History and WWII alive for the high school juniors enrolled in the US History class.  

On Saturday, 15 April 2023 the Rotary Club of Flatonia  partnered with Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter of La Grange for a fun service event.  GJAS brought 8 dogs to Flatonia to meet and greet prospective families for adoption.  It was a beautiful day and everyone, including the dogs, enjoyed being outdoors and socializing.  Rotary Club of Flatonia also donated 8 bags of dog food to the Shelter.  

At PETS! PETS! PETS! There were opportunities to visit with dogs of all sizes, shapes, and colors. Families were able to pet them, hold them, and talk to them, in a fun, roundtable forum designed to get future owners and pets aquainted before adopting.  Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter   (GJAS), a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, has been serving Fayette County since 1994.  GJAS takes in, on average, 1,400 dogs and cats annually, many of whom are stray, abandoned, and neglected.  The staff and volunteers work tirelessly to enrich the lives of those in their care, until they can find a new loving, forever home. Teresa Stanley Brown, Director of GJAS and Flatonia Rotary we are already looking forward to next year's meet and greet

 
The Rotary Club of Flatonia sponsors the Flatonia High School Interact Club, who volunteered at the 2023 Texas Independence Relay on Saturday, 25 March.  Interacters and Rotarians together put in over 130 hours during the 8 hours out on the course.  The FHS Interact Club has been volunteering to check in each team as they come through the 4 exchanges in the Flatonia area for the last five races.  It is their main fundraiser for the year, and this year raised over $1,000.  Rotarians attend the event to help guide the runners, the traffic, and to cheer everyone on to the finish.  The race is a 2-day event  starting in Gonzalez and ending in Downtown Houston with 134 teams participating this year.  Go Team!!!
Flatonia Rotary members are taking action to raise awareness, funds, and support to end polio, a vaccine-preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today.  The Rotary Club of Flatonia were ambassadors for the “End Polio Now” campaign.  To help the fight against polio, a fundraiser, Pints For Polio, was held in downtown Flatonia, on Saturday, 4 March 2023, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  The Rotary Club of Flatonia hosted a Pints For Polio Pub Walk Fundraiser at Wine Haus, Henry K’s, and Red Vault Bistro in Downtown Flatonia, Texas.
All proceeds from the
ticket sales were given to Rotary’s Polio Plus and were matched 2:1 thanks to the generous support of the Gates Foundation.  Over $1,100 was raised this year and over $5,400 in the previous Pints For Polio fundraisers, which totaled over $19,500 with the Gates match, to support global polio eradication efforts. 
During our November 3rd, 2022 Rotary Meeting, Rotarian Pat Nickerson (left), was recognized by Club President Martin Cherry (right) for earning his first Paul Harris Fellow award. Congratulations Pat!
Today, the Rotary Club of Flatonia donated a year’s supply of Kleenex, paper towels, and baby wipes to Flatonia Elementary School. “It feels like Christmas,” principal Laura Kutac said.
Presenting the supplies to Elementary School Principal Laura Kutac: (L-R) Bernie Satterwhite, Pat Satterwhite, Laura Kutac, Larry Haas, Martin Cherry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(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”.

 

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.

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.
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. 
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.  
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 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. 
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

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

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. 

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.

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!
Club Meeting Information
Welcome to the Rotary Club of Flatonia, Texas
Flatonia

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Thursdays
Robert's Steakhouse
1241 Texas 95
Flatonia, TX 78941
United States of America
1st, 3rd & 5th Thursdays Each Month at 12:05 PM
Club Executives & Directors
Treasurer
Secretary
Sergeant At Arms
Immediate Past President
Foundation Director
Membership Director
Public Relations Director
Service Projects Director
The Rotary 4-Way Test
Upcoming Events
Our Club's Formation
 
 
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.