Welcome to the Rotary Club of Rome, Georgia!
We are a passionate group of community-minded individuals dedicated to making a positive impact both locally and globally. With a spirit of fellowship and service, we work together to support causes that matter—promoting education, health, and peace. Whether you’re a lifelong resident or new to the area, we invite you to join us in creating lasting change and building stronger connections. Together, we can make a difference!
Shinall touts Savoy Museum during May Rotary meeting
The Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville has hosted 44 distinct exhibitions in it's 42 months of existence. Tom Shinall also told Rome Rotarians that the museum has, for the second year in a row, been named as the nation's top attraction for car lovers in a poll of USA Today readers. Exhibits slated for the rest of 2025 include a Harvest to HIghway show, Small Block Muscle, It's a Duesy, Roar of the Jaguar, Cannonball Run, Shelby Built and Ferrari in America.
Unity Christian Interact is Club of the Year for District 6910
The Unity Christian Interact Club was named Club of the Year for District 6910 at the District Conference on Jekyll Island in late April. The club is 18 members strong and led by longtime teacher Mary Holcomb. It's the second time in three years that the Unity Club, sponsored by Rome Rotary, has received District honors. Congratulations to Mary and all 18 members,
Fran Bastias-Arevalo heading back to Chile
Rome Rotary's 2024-2025 GRSP student Fran Bastias-Arevalo has been an absolute delight throughout the year, making it to an overwhelmingly large number of meetings thanks to GRSP Trustee Cheryl Freeman. Fran hails from Santiago and is looking forward to reuniting with her family but she is certainly sad to have her year in Rome come to an end. She has made a lot of friends in Rome and among the three dozen or so GRSP students from around the world. What better "peace building" exercise than to have young adults from across the globe come to Georgia for the summer to learn the 'reality' of American culture.
UGA College of Forestry and Natural Resources Dean J.T. Petty highlight forestry in Georgia
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources Dean J. Todd Petty (right) speaks with Gordon Lee Hight after his presentation to kick off Earth Month for Rome Rotary. Petty explained the importance of the forestry industry to the economy of Georgia, both from a wood products and ecotourism perspective. Dean Petty is a native of Virginia, attended West Virginia University and spent a l ot of time at WVU and Clemson before taking the help of the Warnell School at UGA.
GMA Director Larry Hanson addresses Rome Club
Larry Hanson, longtime executive director of the Georgia Municipal Association explained the many services GMA offers cities across Georgia during a presentation to Rome Rotary on March 27.
Hanson said that Rome has taken advantage of the low-interest Georgia Cities Foundation to improve downtown structures resulting in more than $34 million in private investments over the last two decades. Rome has also participated in the GMA Lease Pool to purchase public safety vehicles including $1.5 million for a fire truck in 2023, $630,000 for a pumper in 2022 and another $32 million in recent years for police and public works vehicles.
Rome is also a major player in the GMA retirement program. “it is a way that your city employees, who are so crucial to your city, can ensure that after working 20 or 25 years…that they can actually retire and have a decent life,” Hanson said.
