PO Box 61327, Savannah GA 31420 · Ph: 912.961.1331; FAX: 912.961.1860 · grsp@grsp.org

Georgia Rotary Student Program 2011 News Archives

A French Volunteer Firefighter

During my year in Georgia, as a French firefighter volunteer, I worked with the Peachtree City Fire Department. Mr. Ed. Eiswerth, chief of the PCFD, was the guest of the firefighters of Le Sappey en Chartreuse, France, for a week. During this time, he visited many firefighter facilities, historical places, and took part in a 9/11 ceremony I organized for the 10th anniversary of the attacks. Local villagers and Americans from all around came to pay respect and mark once again the friendship and partnership of both our nations. Each chief gave a speech; we played the anthem and exchanged flags. An article will be printed in a French newspaper, speaking also about GRSP.

Quentin Rossetto, France

GRSP Student Class of 2010-2011

Georgia State University

Sponsored by Peachtree City Rotary Club

(posted 09.30.11)

Happy Birthday, GRSP!

On March 17, 2011, Rotarians from across Georgia gathered to celebrate GRSP’s 65^th anniversary, in Thomasville, Georgia, where the Program originated. Featured speakers were William Watt III, grandson of GRSP founder PDG Will Watt and Rtn. Jack Pannecoucke, who is preparing a written history of the Program. Also in attendance were GRSP Chair Jim Drake, Chair Emeritus Greg Adams, Vice Chair Terry Gordon, Trustee Emeritus Beth Sikes, District 6900 Chair Bill Smith, District 6910 Chair Homer Lewis, GRSP Trustee Marlene Free and  Conclave liaison  Billy Kidd. The Thomasville Club under the leadership of President Joseph Brown and Robert Ackerman served as host for this special occasion.  Well done Thomasville!

(posted 04.08.11)

GRSP Welcomes RI President Elect

GRSP Chair Jim Drake was honored to present RI President Elect Kalyan Banerjee, a member of the Rotary Club of Vapi, Gujarat, India, with a Will Watt Fellow plaque and pin at the Presidents Elect Training Seminar in March.

(posted 04.08.11)

GRSP Alumni Update

KEAT KHOO
Selangor, Malaysia
Augusta State
GRSP Class of 1991-1992
Sponsors: Augusta, Augusta West

Author of our slogan, “Bringing Nations Together Since 1946”

Global Malaysians Network recently featured our very own Keat Khoo in an article on its website. Khoo said, “If it had not been for the GRSP program, I would not have had a well rounded experience and education that helped me toward a rewarding career in marketing and information systems.  I went into the GRSP program as a teenager that had just lost his father, afraid and shaken, but I came away a young man with dreams and determination.” With the help of a part-time job, Khoo stayed for another year at Augusta State University to complete his degree. Read the entire article at http://globalmalaysians.com/news/story.asp?file=/2009/9/14/gmn/4580891&sec=GMN.

Photo courtesy of Global Malaysians Network.

(posted 04.08.11)

Congratulations, Oslo Scholarship Recipients!

We are happy to announce the winners of the Oslo International Scholarship and their sponsoring clubs! These students will continue their studies in Oslo this summer.

Miss Clair L. Acree                  Vinings R/C                                         District 6900
Miss Stephanie B. Sexton       Lake Chatuge- Hiawassee R/C             District 6910
Mr. Daniel A. Warren               Dublin R/C                                         District 6920

Congratulations, Glyndwr University Scholarship Recipients!

The Rotary Club of Wrexham Erddig will host two Georgia students at the Glyndwr University in North Walesfor three weeks during the summer of 2011. This will enable them to learn more of the culture and geography of North Wales and District 1180. These dates link in well with the world famous Llangollen International Eisteddfod. In addition, there will be a varied program of tours, but students will have plenty of free time to explore. Congratulations to the two Georgia students who received the scholarship:

Miss Shelby Kate Long                    Sponsored by Atlanta RC
Miss Alison Christine Gauger          Sponsored by Roswell RC

(posted 04.08.11)

A warm GRSP hug goes out to the family of Donald McDougald

Longtime broadcast and cable executive owner Donald Outland McDougald passed away unexpectedly Dec. 22 in a Brunswick, Ga., hospital after a brief attack. McDougald, whose home is in Montreat, North Carolina, was visiting with relatives and friends in Darien at the time. The 83-year-old Statesboro native was born in 1927 and attended Clemson University before joing the Army. After service in World War II, where he was assigned as part of the planned Japanese homeland invasion force, McDougald returned to Emory and graduated from its School of Business. The end of the war in the Pacific Theatre with the Hiroshima/Nagasaki atomic bombs led to a cancellation of the invasion, of which he would have been a part. He remained in Japan for some time as a member of the occupation forces.

In 1958 he joined with his mother and brothers, Horace and Worth, and purchased Radio Station WWNS. Soon, he purchased the full facilities of the station from the other family members and instituted the building of FM Radio Station WMCD, which, with WWNS, he operated until his retirement from active broadcasting. In addition, he owned and operated radio stations in Sylvania, Milledgeville and in Danville, Virginia. He organized and brought into being a partnership of local entrepreneurs in Statesboro to form Statesboro’s first cable company, Statesboro CATV, Inc. He is credited with having what some describe as the “first automated broadcast station in Georgia”, utilizing early-on IBM card sort machines that he became familiar with at the Georgia Teachers College bookkeeping operations. He adapted them to building the daily logs for WWNS and WMCD. Later on, as computers were developed and became available, he moved his stations further into that area.

Don was president of the Georgia Association of Broadcasters at the time of the unexpected death of the executive director, and in order to keep the nation’s largest state broadcasters organization fully active, found it necessary to work many days in Atlanta. He learned to fly at Statesboro’s airport so that he might get to and from Atlanta somewhat easier than driving on two-lane roads the 450-mile round-trip. For this work, Don was named to the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame at the University of Georgia.

Don was extremely active in various civic endeavors in the community, including his presidency of the Statesboro Rotary Club and his work with the Chamber of Commerce, the Jaycees and with various sports activities of Georgia Teachers College and local high schools. He was a leader with the Georgia Rotary Student Program, which offered scholarships for visiting college level students from other countries, developed after WWII when many schools and universities in war-torn cities were not available to their native youth. In return, he and Betty visited the students in numerous foreign countries to renew acquaintances.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Darien Building Fund at P.O. Box 706, Darien, GA 31305; the Don and Betty McDougald Land Conservation Fund, c/o Montreat Cottagers, Inc. Attn.: Philip Arnold, P.O. Box 111, Montreat, NC 28757; or Bulloch County Historical Society, P.O. Box 42, Statesboro, GA 30459. Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com.

(Photo courtesy of the Darien News: Donald McDougald, right, won this painting by Roland Thurston, center, and looking on is chairman for Art in the Park, Margaret Olsen at Art in the Park in April 2009.)

(posted 01.04.11)