Club President Chris introduced District Governor Cynthia Edwards who presented the Annual Report for all Rotary Clubs in District 6900 focusing on Rotary's mission, district goals, and the theme of creating lasting impact through peace, culture, education, and economics. Her three key themes as District Governor centered on membership, annual fund giving, and Polio Plus as key themes for the district year.

District Governor Cynthia underscored Rotary’s power: service. Service derives from Rotary International's seven areas of focus: Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention, Disease Prevention and Treatment, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Maternal and Child Health, Basic Education and Literacy, Community Economic Development, and Protecting the Environment. Service also includes Rotary International's four-pillar framework: increase impact, expand reach, enhance participant engagement, and increase adaptability, also known as our Strategic Action Plan.

Governor Edwards outlined the district's three key themes for the year: membership growth, annual fund giving, and Polio Plus. She noted that the district raised $1.1 million last year against a $1 million goal and set a target of 4,000 district members by 2029. She introduced the AI-powered Membership Success Center tool available through Rotary International, which can generate customized membership growth plans for club presidents. She also announced enhanced training for assistant governors and committee chairs, a club video submission platform, and improved succession planning resources.

District Governor Cynthia Edwards’s formal presentation also included her personal motivation for remaining in Rotary, the district's strategic priorities, and a call to action for the club. She shared the story of her father, Thurman E. Dorsey, a Korean War veteran, educator, and community leader in Waco, Texas, who was a Rotarian and whose legacy of service inspired her continued involvement. She framed Rotary's presidential theme — "Create Lasting Impact," set by International President Oleinka Akin Babalola — as a challenge for each club to surpass its own best previous performance.

She stressed peace as a unifying theme, encouraging clubs to connect their existing service work to Rotary's identity as peace builders. She highlighted peace through economics (workforce development, Rotary Means Business), peace through culture (Rotary Youth Exchange, Georgia Rotary Student Program, the Peace Pole planted at the King Center), and peace through education (social and emotional learning, domestic violence awareness). She shared a personal account of a colleague's experience with domestic violence to illustrate the importance of social and emotional education for youth.

The presentation concluded with an invitation to attend the 2027 District Conference in Asheville, North Carolina — chosen in part to support the region's economic recovery following Hurricane Helene — and the International Convention in Barcelona, Spain, in June 2027.

District Governor Edwards explained that Asheville was selected to provide economic support to the region following the devastation of Hurricane Helene. The district also has approximately $10,000–$14,000 in disaster relief funds that can be deployed in that area. She confirmed that the city is in a condition suitable for hosting a conference and that local venues, including contacts connected to the Biltmore Estate, are enthusiastic about welcoming Rotary.

Respectfully submitted:

Christopher Hempfling, Jared Evans, C.J. Steawart and Neil Shorthouse