Home Page | Rotary Club of Falls Church

Falls Church Rotary: "Small Club, Big Impact!"

Celebrating Service Above Self since 1952!

Meets most 1st & 3rd Thursdays 6:30pm. Check our meeting schedule for other variances. Dinner $15.
Harvest Moon Restaurant (ph 703.573.6000)

7260 Arlington Blvd.(Rte. 50 at Graham Rd.)
Club email: FallsChurchRotary@gmail.com
Falls Church, VA 22042
United States of America

Email:

FallsChurchRotary@gmail.com

District Site

Pete's Playground Cleanup: Community Service

Club members spent a few hours on Saturday morning, June 15, 2019, enjoying the spring cleanup at our Pete's Playground at Goodwin Court Apartments in Falls Church. This playground was our club's Rotary Centennial Project in 2005, in memory of Past President and Past District Governor Pete Petro.

Thanks to everyone who came out to help -- including Rex Hayes' son Stephen, now a rising sophomore at WVU, and prospective member Lindsey!

More photos at our club facebook page: click here for the photos.

Navigate our Website ...

If you are using a mobile device, here are some quick links to navigate our website:

Upcoming Speakers >>

Club Calendar >>

Club Brochure (pdf) >>

Club Photo Albums >>

Like our club on Facebook >> Lots more photos there too! Click to view

Club Twitter Feed @FallsChRotary >>

Middle School Essay Contest Winner

Our April 4 meeting was our annual Middle School Essay Contest dinner honoring our student winners and their families and teachers. The essay topic was Rotary’s #FourWayTest.

Pictured (left to right): Club President Stephanie Arnold, students Serenna Semonsen, 1st place awardee Laura Zhang, and Peyton Walcott, withthe club's Youth Service Chair Rex Hayes.

Laura, a student at Longfellow Middle School, read her winning essay at the meeting. 2nd place awardee Peyton attends Shenandoah Middle School, and 3rd place awardee Serenna attends Longfellow. Kudos to Laura, who was selected for the 3rd place award in the district contest at the Rotary District 7610 Conference on April 6!

Cancun Raffle Trip Winner!

Congratulations to club member Joe Akkara, winner of the Rotary Club of Falls Church VA Cancun raffle drawing last night 😎 ⛵🌞 🏊‍♀️ 🇲🇽 🍹 🌞 !

He is pictured at center holding the winning ticket with Club President-Nominee Rene Calandria (left) & President Stephanie Arnold (right). Club member Patrick Sisk won 2nd prize -- a $100 Visa gift card.

A huge thank you to Rene, who donated the trip, which enabled our club to raise over $4,500 for our local & international service projects. Thanks to everyone who supported our fundraiser

Packing Party: Welcome Kits for Refugees

What a great turnout on Saturday, Feb. 23 --Rotary International #WorldPeaceAndUnderstandingDay 🕊️ -- at our Packing Party for Refugee Welcome Kits, benefiting Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area! Thanks to all who attended in person at the Thomas Jefferson Library in Falls Church that morning -- as well as those who donated the supplies ☮️ 🕊️ ☮️

For our event photos, click here for the public Facebook photo album.

Thank you to PP and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Erica Brouillette for planning and organizing this heartwarming community event!

Training Leaders of Action!

D 7610 #Rotary Club Presidents Stephanie Arnold of Rotary Club of Falls Church VA & Engie Mokhtar of Alexandria West Rotary Club
on a break from the #MegaMembershipSeminar at the 2019 Chesapeake Presidents Elect Training Seminar (#CPETS19) in Chantilly, VA.

Other Falls Church participants and attendees at the 2019 CPETS included: PDG Horace McCormack, who served a 2nd and final year as Chair of the CPETS Planning Committee; PP Diane Hill, who serves as lead for CPETS

Publicity and PR; and PP and AG Elect Erica Brouillette, there for AGE training and to staff the District 7610 Peace Committee exhibit table.

Official #CPETS19 photo album is here: http://bit.ly/photosCPETS19. Faceboook public album is at this link, for impromptu and photos shared by attendees: http://bit.ly/CPETS19_fbphotos

#WeAreRotary #PeopleOfAction #LeadersOfAction #BeTheInspiration #RotaryConnectsTheWorld

Raffle: Win a 6-Night Stay in Cancun!

Brrr .... it's cold outside! Doesn't a trip to sunny warm Cancun sound really great? 🇲🇽 🍹 🌞 ⛱

Even better: how about the chance to ...

Win a 6-Night Stay at the The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort Villas & Spa in Cancun, Mexico! 🍹 ⛱ 🇲🇽

Rotary Club of Falls Church VA is hosting a fundraiser Raffle!

Tickets are just $20 & only 300 will sold ... pretty great odds, right?!

Download Raffle Flyer (pdf) >

Drawing held March 7, 2019 at our club's early St. Patrick's Day dinner. Need not be present to win!

Purchase your winning tickets from any FC Club member, via cash or check payable to Falls Church Rotary Club. Send us an email to fallschurchrotary@gmail.com to reserve yours -- and we can make arrangement to get your payment.

== Grand Prize ==
6-night hotel accommodations at The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort Villas and Spa in Cancun, Mexico. Property accommodates up to 4 people, including children. May be used any time in calendar year 2019, subject to availability of reservations and excluding holiday blackout periods. (Airfare and other amenities not included.)

== 2nd Prize ==
$100 American Express gift card.

Please help us spread the word!

Club Holiday Party - Dec. 20

Join our club for our HOLIDAY PARTY on Thursday, December 20!

We’d especially like to see some of you who haven’t attended a meeting recently. We miss you!

Wear your ugliest holiday sweater, bring a gift valued at no more than $10 to exchange and donations of non-perishable food items and cold-weather gear (including hats, scarves, gloves and socks) for the Veterans Pantry and other local charities.

Please RSVP to PP Carlota at lotusbud254@gmail.com by Friday, Dec. 14.

Click here for our invitation flyer >

We’re expecting some special guests! It will be a fun evening!

"Small Club, Big Impact"

"Small Club, Big Impact" -- Our club and activities were featured in the March 2018 issue of the Rotary District 7610 newsletter! We are proud to have been named "Best Small Club" of 7610 once again for RY 17/18 Read all about it. Image below and newsletter pdf is at: http://bit.ly/2Et6Evk

Message from Club President Stephanie Arnold 9/5/18

Dear Falls Church Rotarians,

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend! I look forward to seeing everyone at our club meeting tomorrow at Harvest Moon at 6:30pm. We will have a club assembly to discuss our initial plans for the year in the different avenues of service, fundraising, membership, etc. We’ll keep this a fairly informal discussion over dinner, and look forward to everyone’s input.

It’s hard to believe – especially with this heat wave we’re having – that summer is pretty much over now that it’s September. Did you know that September is Basic Education and Literacy Month on the Rotary calendar?

"Small Club, Big Impact"

Rotary Coffee & Conversation - 9.13.18

Posted on Sep 08, 2018

Join members of Rotary Club of Falls Church VA in a casual setting to learn about Rotary & to find the opportunity you're looking for: service, leadership, networking & much more:
Thurs. Sept. 13 - Stop by for a beverage on us! Between 7 - 9 pm

All welcome -- fellow Rotarians from other area clubs too!
Location: Starbucks Falls Church City, 344 W. Broad St., Falls Church VA 22046 (plenty of free parking in shopping center)

Click here to view the event at club facebook page >> For questions or more info, email fallschurchrotary@gmail.com.
#WeAreRotary #PeopleOfAction #ServiceAboveSelf #RotariansRock #FallsChurchRotary #RotaryC2

Upcoming Club & District 7610 Events

Upcoming Club and District 7610 Events Rotary Year 2018/19:

Sept. 8 – End Polio Now Nationals vs. Chicago Cubs 7 PM (Sat.) - $41/ticket

Sept. 15, 9:00-11:00am (FREE) – District 7610 Northern Virginia Regional Membership/Public Image Summit, Mason District Governmental Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA (register at www.rotary7610.org)

Sept. 20 – Rotary Times Taping, 3:15 PM at Fairfax Public Access Studio, Merrifield, VA

Sept. 22 – Rotary District 7610 Foundation Seminar, University of Mary Washington-Stafford Campus-South Building, 121 University Blvd., Fredericksburg, VA 22406 (register at www.rotary7610.org)

Sept. 28-30 – RYLA, Prince William Forest Park

Oct. 24 – World Polio Day

Oct. 27, 9:00am – District 7610 Peace Conference, University of Mary Washington-Stafford Campus-South Building, 121 University Blvd., Fredericksburg, VA 22406 (register at www.rotary7610.org)

Nov. 1 – Application deadline for Global Grants Scholarships to District Chair

Nov. 10 – 2018 District 7610 Foundation Recognition Banquet, Riverside Center, 95 Riverside Parkway, Fredericksburg, VA (cash bar begins at 6:00pm; dinner at 7:00pm) – SAVE THE DATE (register at www.rotary7610.org)

Nov. 19 – Rotary Times Taping, 3:15 PM at Fairfax Public Access Studio, Merrifield, VA

Jan. 26 – Pre-PETS Training (details TBA)

Feb. 23 – Rotary Peace Day

Apr. 4-7 – District Conference, Rotary District 7610, Virginia Crossings Hotel, Glen Allen, VA

Jun. 1-5 – Rotary International Convention, Hamburg, Germany

Club Honors for Rotary Year 17/18!

Falls Church Rotary Named "Best Small Club of the Year" at District Banquet

Club Past President and current Secretary Joe Scheibeler represented our Rotary Club of Falls Church VA at the Rotary District 7610 Banquet on Saturday, June 30.

We are honored and proud to once again receive a Club Excellence Award and to be named "Best Small Club of the Year" under the leadership of Club President Erica Brouillette and District Governor Ronnie Chantker.

We also received: Silver Award for New Generations; and Bronze Awards for Club Service, Community Service, and Public Image.

We are in good company with all the other clubs being recognized for making the world a better place!

#SmallClubBigImpact #WeAreRotary #PeopleOfAction #ServiceAboveSelf

Family of Rotary Baseball Game July 21

Join us for the annual "Family of Rotary" Nats game -- Sat., July 21!

Email Falls Church Rotary Past President Joe Scheibeler for tickets at $40 pp -- selling fast! -- at joseph.scheibeler@usps.gov. A portion of ticket price benefits our Rotary Club of Falls Church VA community service projects. Everyone welcome -- don't need to be a #Rotarian to enjoy the game and fellowship!

Download flyer as pdf: click here >>

Click here for event at club facebook page >>

Join us for a Dinner Meeting!

Carol Pierstorff High School Music Competition - Wed., April 11

Join our club as we celebrate our 2017 Club Music Competition, at a special location. For more information about the event or how to enter, contact:
PP Carlota McCormack, Competition Coordinator. If you can attend, please rsvp to fallschurchrotary@gmail.com, so we can plan for refreshments!

August 3 Program: Britepaths

Join us at our Thurs. 8/3 dinner meeting when our program speaker will be #Rotarian Jennifer Rose, President of Rotary Club of Fairfax, Va., Inc., who is development manager at Britepaths (formerly Our Daily Bread). She'll provide an update on programs that lift families out of poverty, with a focus on financial literacy. All welcome for #Rotaryfellowship: delicious family-style Chinese dinner only $15 -- 6.30pm at Harvest Moon Restaurant & Lounge. #WeAreRotary #PeopleOfAction #RotariansRock

The Carol Pierstorff Music Competition 2017 -- Tues., May 16

Current Meeting Schedule as of April 20, 2017

** Visit and "Like" our club on facebook (you don't have to be a facebook user to view our public content): Visit Falls Church Rotary on facebook.

We have a new meeting policy and schedule for Rotary Year 16/17, which began 7/1/16. Our club now meets on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays for a dinner meeting at Harvest Moon, with events (or no meeting) on other Thursdays of the month. The current schedule is below. If you have questions or would like to present a program at a future club meeting, email us at fallschurchrotary@gmail.com Attn: Pres. Erica Brouillette.

Meeting Schedule as of 4/20/17

Apr. 20 = Rotarian Nomie Hamid, a successful young College Park, MD. business man from our neighboring Rotary District. As the youngest member of his Rotary Club, he will speak about efforts to attract young professionals to Rotary membership. (Directors' Board Meeting afterwards)

Apr. 27 = No meeting

May 4 = Meagan Perkins, Northern Virginia Family Service on Baileys Community Shelter and the Multicultural Center

May 11 = No meeting

May 16 = Special meeting on a Tuesday for The Carol Pierstorff Music Competition 2017. Note different location: Bishop O'Connell High School Band Room, 6600 Little falls Rd., Arlington VA.

May 25 = No meeting.

Events:

April 20 = Board Meeting following the regular club meeting

April 23 = Memorial Day Float Preparation

April 25 = Rotary Times Taping

May 18-21 = District Conference, Wintergreen Resort

Mon., May 29 = Club float is in the Falls Church City Memorial Day Parade!

May 30 = Rotary Times Taping

June 11-14 = Rotary International Annual Convention, Atlanta, GA

Aug. 26 = Family of Rotary Ballgame, 4 PM NATS vs. NY Mets $40

-end-

Congratulations, Middle School Essay Contest Winners - April 2017

Congratulations to the winners in our club's 2017 "Four Way Test" Middle School Essay Contest! Pictured here at our April 6 dinner meeting with their families and Club Pres. Erica Brouillette (far left). Well done, students!

Current Meeting Schedule, as of 2/1/17

** Visit and "Like" our club on facebook (you don't have to be a facebook user to view our content): Visit Falls Church Rotary on facebook.

Meeting Schedule as of 2/1/17

Feb. 2 = Interact Advisor Mary Lou Wentzel & Bishop O’Connell Interact & RYLA students’ Report

Feb. 9 = No meeting

Feb. 16 = Anthony Brock, Retired NAVY Seal will talk about Intelligence Drives Operations: Managing Info. for Effective Decision-Making

Feb. 23 = No Meeting

March 2 = Student Speech Contest

March 9 = No meeting

March 16 = Dana Marlowe, Support the Girls

March 23 = No Meeting

April 6 = Student Essay Awards Dinner

Events:

Feb. 16 = 8 PM Board Meeting following regular 6:30 club meeting

Feb. 28 = Rotary Times Taping

March 23 = End Polio Night at Washington Capitals Hockey Game

March 28 = Rotary Times Taping

May 18-21 = District Conference, Wintergreen Resort

June 11-14 = Rotary International Annual Convention, Atlanta, GA

-end-

New Member Induction Sept. 1, 2016

Welcome to our newest club member, inducted at our Sept. 1 meeting! Pictured at center, Rotarian Rhonda "RJ" Bent, holding her young daughter Aina Elizabeth. With (l to r) Falls Church Rotary Club President Erica Brouillette, Assistant District Governor Suzanne McDougall, and Club Membership Chair Stephanie Arnold. RJ recently moved to Falls Church and contacted the RI website with a membership query because "in my world travels with my work, friends have always been telling me I would enjoy Rotary. And the dinner meeting time is perfect." We are so glad to have her join our club!

Current Meeting Schedule Sept. - Oct. 2016

** Visit and "Like" our club on facebook (you don't have to be a facebook user to view our content): Visit Falls Church Rotary on facebook.

Meeting Schedule for September and October (as of 9/14/16):

Sept. 15 = Naqeeb Naqibullah’s Life in Afghanistan
Sept. 22 = No meeting
Oct. 6 = Business Networking Mixer

Events: (for District events, visit the District calendar at: http://www.rotary7610.org/calendars.html)

Sept. 17 = District Foundation, Membership and Public Image Seminar, Fredericksburg ($50 fee before Sept. 14, $60 thereafter)
Sept. 18 = Polio Fundraiser – Mystics Basketball Game ($20-$40)
Sept. 27 = Rotary Times TV Broadcast Taping
Oct. 1 = Falls Church Community Cleanup - Adopted Street
Oct. 6 = Business Networking Mixer at Harvest Moon
Oct. 20 = Club Board Meeting following regular meeting
Oct. 25 = Rotary Times TV Broadcast Taping
Nov. 10 = Serve Thanksgiving Dinner with Veterans Pantry at Willston Center
Nov. 12 = Rotary UN Day, Bus to NYC
Nov. 12 = District Foundation Banquet

Proud to Support Homestretch

Our club is proud to be #RotariansServingHumanity, supporting important local causes lifting families out of poverty -- including a $1,000 gift in August 2016 to Homestretch, based in Falls Church City.

Pictured outside their office are staff members Fatima Paniagua Emestica, Fabiola Alba, Alejandra Carrera, Norma Guerrero, Buthaina AbuBader, and Nan Monday with Executive Director Christopher Fay; Diane Hill, Past President of Falls Church Rotary Club, and Homestretch Development Director Ken Bradford.

Best Small Club in District 7610!

Wow! Our Rotary Club of Falls Church VA received lots of honors for #ServiceAboveSelf during Rotary Year 15/16 -- including "Best Small Club" of #RotaryDistrict7610! (that's 2 years running).

From left: Club Secretary PP Joe Scheibeler, Club President RY 15/16 Greg Viola, Club President RY 16/17 Erica Brouillette, PP Joe Akarra, and Club Service Chair Dr. John Karickhoff.

Current Meeting Schedule (as of 7/26/16)

** Visit and "Like" our club on facebook (you don't have to be a facebook user to view our content): Visit Falls Church Rotary on facebook.

July 28 = No meeting

Aug. 4 = Dinner at Harvest Moon. Program: Jeanne Comeau, Pres. & CEO, National Alliance on Mental Illness-Northern VA

Aug. 11 = No meeting

Aug. 18 = Dinner at Harvest Moon. Program: Namita Dongre, Interact Scholarship Recipient (Thomas Jefferson High School)

Sat., Aug. 20 - Community Brunch at Willston Multi-cultural Center, partnering with The Veterans Pantry.

Aug. 25 = No meeting

Sept. 1 = Dinner at Harvest Moon. Program: Rotary 7610 Asst. District Gov. Suzanne McDougall

Sept. 8 = HAPPY HOUR (location TBA)

Sept. 15 = TBD

Sept. 22 = No meeting

Oct. 6 = Dinner at Harvest Moon. Program: All welcome for a Business Networking Mixer (tentative).

Upcoming Events:

Aug. 6 = Falls Church Family of Rotary Ballgame Nats vs. SF Giants (Tickets $40, club fundraiser -- for details and flyer, click here.)

Aug. 6 = District End Polio DC United Soccer Game vs. Philadelphia ($26). See www.rotary7610.org District calendar.

Aug. 18 = Monthly Club Board Meeting following regular dinner meeting

Aug. 20 = Community Brunch at Willston Center

Aug. 30 = Rotary Times TV Broadcast Taping, at Fairfax Public Access station. For info, email Producer Ahmed Selim via the club email address.

Sept. 15 = Club Board Meeting following regular meeting

Sept. 17 = District Foundation, Membership and Public Image Seminar

Sept. 27 = Rotary Times TV Broadcast Taping

Oct. 1 = Falls Church Community Cleanup of our Adopted Street in downtown Falls Church.

Oct. 6 = Business Networking Mixer (tentative)

Oct. 20 = Club Board Meeting following regular meeting

Oct. 25 = Rotary Times TV Broadcast Taping

Nov. 10 = Serve special family Dinner with Veterans Pantry at Willston Center

Nov. 12 = Rotary UN Day, Bus to NYC. Info at District calendar.

Nov. 12 = District Foundation Banquet

Providing School Supplies with Britepaths (formerly Our Daily Bread)

Our Rotary Club of Falls Church VA is proud to support Britepaths (formerly Our Daily Bread) so that kids in the J. E. B. Stuart High School pyramid from low-income families will have the school supplies they need to succeed in school and in life! We presented our sponsorship check at the agency's new name launch event on 7/21 at The Tower Club. That's Britepaths Executive Director Lisa Whetzel (left) with ‪‎Rotarian‬ Diane C. Hill and Board member Catherine S. Read (also member of Rotary Club of Centreville & Chantilly). Thank you to Connection Newspapers reporter Time Peterson for covering the event. (Diane served as Development Manager at ODB, before her current role at UCM of Alexandria.)

Read the story online: click here >>

Supporting PRS' Hope Fund - July 2016

PRS was presented with a gift from the Rotary Club of Falls Church VA on July 27, 2016, to support its Hope Fund! "We are so grateful for this funding which will provide PRS Services to community individuals who would benefit from our services but do not qualify for public assistance such as Medicaid," says Executive Director Wendy Gradison. "We extend a special thank you to club President, Erica Brouillette, for her long-term partnership with PRS." Wendy is pictured at left with President Erica.

Pete's Playground - Cleanup 5/28/16

Club in-service day Sat. May 28, 2016 -- cleaning up and putting down new mulch at Pete's Playground, which was dedicated in 2009 to the memory of #Rotary7610 PDG and club member PP Peter G. Petro.

Club members in group photo from l to r:

Past Pres. Doug Dreyer, Pres. Elect Erica Brouillette, Pres. Greg Viola (above), Past Pres. Diane Hill, Erica's husband Kevin, Past Pres. and now Secretary Joe Scheibeler, and Past Pres. Joe Akarra. Not pictured (as he was taking the photo): Rtn. Dr. John Karickhoff.

2016 Memorial Day Parade and Club Beverage Sale Fundraiser

Photos from the 2016 Memorial Day Parade in Falls Church City: Our club float with the big #Rotary gear logo in the city Memorial Day parade! That's Pres.-Elect Erica Brouillette waving. Also photos of our annual Beverage Sale fundraiser along the parade route -- including cold sodas and cold draft beer!

UN Foundation Shot@Life Campaign

Our meeting program on June 2, 2016 was Rotarian Anne Marie Giangiulio, a Global Health Officer at the United Nations Foundation, working with the Shot@Life campaign on global immunization advocacy. She is pictured at right, with Club Pres. Elect Erica Brouillette. Anne Marie earned her Master of Public Health and a Graduate Certificate in Vaccine Science and Policy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Prior to joining the UN Foundation, Anne Marie worked as a Regional Grants Officer at Rotary International, overseeing a portfolio of Rotary Grant projects taking place in Francophone Africa and the Horn of Africa.Anne Marie is an active member of the Rotary Club of Federal City - Washington, DC www.unfoundation.org

NV Rides - May 12, 2016 Meeting Program

We appreciated learning about NVRides from Gina Cocomello at our Rotary Club of Falls Church VA dinner meeting on 5/12, pictured here with Club President Greg Viola. The organization works with area programs, such as local Shepherd Centers, to provide rides for elderly persons, so they can remain independent in their homes while staying active in the community. Learn more at: www.nvrides.org