From Washington Rotary Club

 

The Washington Rotary Club met Thursday night at the Washington Yacht and Country Club.  President David McLawhorn welcomed the members and guests.  Following the Pledge of Allegiance, Bartow Houston lead in the singing of America the Beautiful, and Russell Smith gave a heartfelt prayer and blessing for the upcoming meal.  President McLawhorn again offered the members an opportunity to adopt a Salvation Army child for Christmas.

It was announced that the club had received a generous financial gift from a Bath resident to help fund Rotary’s Polio Plus program, the mission to eradicate the polio disease from the entire world.  Currently in the world, the polio disease has now been contained in only two countries.

Zeno Edwards conducted the Jack of Diamonds drawing, but there was not a winner, and the pot continues to grow.

Following the meal, program chairman Sandy Mitchell introduced the speaker, Ed Hodges.  Hodges, a retired educator and Chairman of the Washington Historic Preservation Commission, who gave a fascinating and insightful power point program on Washington’s first suburb, Nicholsonville.  The land was primarily farm and woodland.  Nicholsonville, developed in three phases beginning in 1893, was originally located on the east side of Market Street (at that time Market Street was called “Cemetery Road” who knew?).  Businesses, including garment factories, where introduced in 1911, but where gone by 1916 due to the ever-increasing residential development.  Perhaps most interesting of all were the photographs of individual houses in Nicholsonville, and the historical background Hodges gave on each one, such as date if was built, and the names of the families who lived there, and a description of the various architectural styles.

Following Hodges’ presentation he was given a round of applause and President McLawhorn presented him with a highly coveted Rotary pen as a token of the Club’s appreciation for such an interesting program.

The meeting concluded with the Rotarians reciting the Four Way Test of the things we think, say and do.