Rotary 6910 Receives First Arch Klumph Society Gift

Named after the sixth president of Rotary, the Arch Klumph Society (AKS) was established to acknowledge and recognize The Rotary Foundation's highest tier of donors - those who have contributed $250,000 or more during their lifetime. Arch Klumph was the 1916-17 Rotary president and addressed the 1917 convention in Atlanta with the idea of an endowment for "doing good in the world." This vision was the beginning of The Rotary Foundation, and it became a distinct entity within Rotary International. Since the first donation of $26.50 in 1917, the Foundation has received gifts totaling more than $1 billion.

During a dinner with President John Germ and wife Judy at Little Bacch in Atlanta on World Polio Day, several Rotarians informally spoke about the importance of ending polio and the importance of continued emphasis on PolioPlus, the polio eradication campaign that is a fund of the Rotary Foundation. Earlier in the day, top global health experts and Rotary's polio ambassadors gathered at the headquarters of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to hail progress made by Rotary and its partners, verifying polio is on the brink of eradication. 

After the informal remarks on polio, Tommy Bagwell ended the dinner with a surprise AKS gift to The Rotary Foundation. In celebration of the Foundation's 100 year anniversary, Tommy Bagwell, the charter president of The Rotary Club of Forsyth County, and his wife Chantal, presented a gift to Rotary International President John Germ, welcoming President John and Judy to Atlanta, where Rotarians from all over the world will gather in June for Rotary's International Convention to celebrate the Foundation's Centennial. Prior to this gift, Rotary District 6910 never had an Arch Klumph Society member or gift of this magnanimity. 

Tommy addressed the small group, talking of his earlier years in Rotary, serving as Charter President of the first Rotary club in Forsyth County in 1975. He said that although he hadn't been as involved as others in Rotary leadership, he always supported the mission and was appreciative of those individuals and their service. Having been recognized in the past as a Major Donor of The Rotary Foundation, he humbly quoted Kahlil Gibran On Giving,  "You give but little when you give of your possessions.  It is when you give of yourself that you truly give." When I, on behalf of the Rotary Foundation's trustees and Rotary District 6910, thanked Tommy and wife Chantal, for the generous gift, his selfless reply was, "Thank you for your service." Tommy and Chantal Bagwell are the epitome of altruism - they care about the welfare of other people and act to help them.

Rotary International President John Germ with Tommy and Chantal Bagwell, Rotary Club of Forsyth County, and District 6910's first Arch Klump Society (AKS) members.

RI President John Germ pins Tommy Bagwell, Rotary Club of Forsyth County, with AKS pin.

RI President John Germ with Tommy Bagwell after presentation of AKS gift and pinning.

- Submitted by Kim Waters, Rotary District 6910 Governor