January 20th Update

THIS WEEK’S MEETING

Our guest speaker this week is Paul Bosworth whose talk is entitled Brain Injury: A Survivor’s Perspective. Paul sheds light on US soldiers returning from war with brain injuries as well as the NFL’s stance on concussion awareness amongst players. Paul represents the silent majority of survivors outside of the military and professional sports.

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
Now is the time to introduce prospective Rotarians to the Arlington Club. Do your part and find those people who would benefit from being Rotarians and who would make our club better by their participation in Rotary. Bring a friend, colleague, or relative to lunch who would benefit by learning more about Rotary.

BASKETBALL TICKETS
In appreciation for our help with the Inova blood drive, the club has received two free basketball tickets for the George Mason vs Towson game on 26 Jan – Wed at the Patriot Center. If you are interested in attending, they could be yours. First come first served. I’m a college basketball fan and would be happy to attend the game if someone wants only one ticket. Just let me know.

ARLINGTON CHAMBER 87TH ANNUAL BUSINESS GALA
As our club is a member of the Chamber, we have been invited to a black tie reception, dinner, and silent auction at the Pentagon City Ritz Carlton on 29 Jan – Sat. Cost is $180 per person with RSVP by 21 Jan. Please contact me if you would like details or would like to attend.

PROGRAM ON JOUNALISM ETHICS
The Society of Professional Journalists has invited members of our club to attend this program to be held at Marymount’s Ballston Center on 22 Jan – Sat from 10-noon. This is the second in a 3-part series on “The Press and the Public” and will feature discussion by a panel made up of prominent journalists moderated by former White House correspondent Steve Taylor. Please contact me if you would like details or would like to attend.

ARLINGTON ROTARY SPEECH CONTEST
A jointly sponsored Arlington speech competition for Arlington high school students is tentatively planned for 10 Feb. We have sent the word out to the high schools, but we still need members to make prospective contestants and their parents aware of the contest. Please find time to promote this contest. The theme for each contestant’s talk is “Building Communities, Bridging Continents” and the talk should be 5-8 minutes in length. Top 3 winners will receive a monetary prize and go on to Area competition in March with those winners going on to a District competition in April. More about this event in the weeks ahead.

DISTRICT 7610 CONFERENCE
Registration is open for District 7610’s conference on April 7 - 10 in Gettysburg, PA. Speakers have been selected, exciting events are planned for Rotary fellowship, learning, and just plain fun. Registration for the full conference is $215 per person until February 28. On March 1, registration jumps to $250 per person. Go to “Calendar” on the Club and District Database at www.rotary7610.org, and sign up now!

RECAP OF UPCOMING EVENTS
22 January – Program on Journalism Ethics at Marymount’s Ballston Center

26 January - GM Patriots vs Towson at Patriot Center - Free tickets

27 January – ARC Meeting – Rick Kiernan, VP for Communications, L3

29 January - Arlington Chamber Gala at Ritz Carlton

10 February – Rotary Speech competition for Arlington High School Students

3-5 March - Sister Cities International Conference at Crystal City Marriott

5 March - INOVA Blood Drive at Arlington Public Library

19 March - Finals for Dist 7610 Speech Contest

31 March – Club Spring Luncheon with speaker TBD

7-10 April - District 7610 Conference at Wyndham Hotel in Gettysburg

29 April - ARC Theater Night - "The Real Inspector Hound" at Metrostage

21-25 May – Rotary International Conference in New Orleans

23 June – Club Installation Dinner