Thursday, February 12, 2015 was cold night but inside the Northeast Conference Center is was warm with a crowd of people who were about to be pinned and become members of two of East Mississippi’s newest community service organizations.

    The Rotary Club of East Mississippi and the Rotary Club of Clarke County gathered to see their clubs officially chartered and to have the charter members of each club receive their membership pin.

    After a mixer from 5:30 to 6:45 the group gathered to be called to order by District Governor Paul Bucurel, followed by an invocation by Charter Member Gary Houston. Following the pledge led by  Mike Evans the group was welcomed by Rotary International Assistant Zone Coordinator Roscoe Greene. Larry Lunsford, the Rotary International Director for 2013-2015 gave a keynote address.

    There was a special presentation naming Cary and Faith Vaughn, owner’s of the local Popeye’s, as Paul Harris Fellows in recognition of their significant contribution to the Rotary.

    Before the dinner began, they spoke with some of the new charter members and their officers.

    Tony Malone, a member of the East Mississippi club for about six months and a sales representative for Elkins Wholesale, said “Several things I enjoy about Rotary. One is that we meet later on in the afternoon, in the evening on Thursdays typically around 5:30 p.m which fits better with my schedule. More importantly, we go out into the community and do community projects. We’re a very hands on club. We’ve already had several projects in the community. For example, we handed out blankets at Christmas and we’re currently doing a food drive.”

    Jennifer Bucurel, president of the new Meridian chapter, explained the event.

    “It’s a charter celebration,” Bucrel said. “We’re chartering two clubs: the Rotary Club of East Mississippi and the Rotary Club of Clarke County and Katherine Moore is president of that club. We have our International Director, Larry Lunsford, in from Kansas City as our keynote speaker. The Charter Celebration is where all the charter member will be pinned as new Rotarians.”

    When asked about membership Bucurel said, “we have 26 members in the Meridian club and 22 members in the Rotary Club of Clarke County.”

    Sherry Graupman is the treasurer of the new Meridian Club and also the hostess for the meetings.

    “It’s a great chance for community service, a great chance to meet people that you never would have otherwise met,” Graupman said of Rotary. “We do great things and have a lot of fun and toss around ideas for projects that can help the community.”

    Katherine Moore, the president of the Clarke County of echoed the sentiments of other members when asked what she like best about being a Rotarian. “Helping the community.”

    “We just completed a Valentine’s Raffle where the money raised went to the ‘We Care Food Pantry’ in Quitman,” Moore said.

    The following people were inducted at the ceremony: Tobey and Lynnita Bartee; Kendra Blakely; Amanda and Jason Evans, and son, Jason; Mike Evans; Michael and Emily Grace; Patsy and David Griffin; Gary and Kim Houston; Verdell Hawkins; Emily Isbell; Dustin Markham; Christi Ming; Mary and Tony Malone; Kenyatta Pearson; Derron Radcliff; Lasaundra Roberts; Sherry Graupman; Matt and Andy Thomas-Ellsworth; Cary and Faith Vaughn; Jody Walters and Anne Walters; Tommy Williams; and Jack Hall.