Please join us next Tuesday at 7 pm to hear from our speaker, Chawky Frenn. Born in Zahlé, Lebanon, Chawky Frenn grew up in a country rich in mysticism, spirituality, and beauty, but also marked by paradox, conflict, and sectarianism. Before emigrating to the United States in 1981, he lived through six years of civil war, an experience that continues to profoundly shape his life and work. Frenn earned a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston (1985) and an MFA from Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia (1988), completing the second year of his graduate studies at Temple Abroad in Rome, Italy. He has taught at Bridgewater State College (MA), Montserrat College of Art (MA), and Edinboro University (PA). He is currently a Professor of Art at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. His artwork is held in prominent public and private collections, including the Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.), MARe – Museum of Recent Art (Bucharest, Romania), Housatonic Museum of Art (CT), and Springfield Museum of Art (OH), among others. Frenn is a recipient of two Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Awards, which supported his academic and creative research in New Delhi (2017) and Varanasi (2024), India. His other honors include the Teaching Excellence Award from George Mason University (2009), Summer Research Grant (2003), Blanche E. Colman Award (1998), Stacey Scholarship Award from the National Academy of Western Art (1993), Sheldon Bergh Award, Basil H. Alkazzi Award (London, 1993), and Gibran Khalil Gibran Foundation Grants (1982, 1983, 1984). He has exhibited his work in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Paraguay, and India, and participated in exhibitions at institutions such as the Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts (PA), Housatonic Museum of Art (CT), Erie Art Museum (PA), Arnot Art Museum (NY), and Sursock Museum (Beirut, Lebanon). Frenn’s work has been reviewed in major publications including The New York Times, NY ARTS, etc. Join us at 7 pm on Tuesday at the @lyledc to learn more #dupontrotary (fb)

Hurricane Melissa has descended on Jamaica, and communities in Haiti, The Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos have been affected. These countries and their residents are all part of our Rotary Zones 33/34 family. Immediate relief and longer-term recovery will require expertise and funding. Rotary groups and partner organizations are ready to help. There are several avenues to support Hurricane Melissa relief efforts: Donate directly to the Rotary Club of New Kingston, Jamaica This account is managed by a local subcommittee to address the most urgent needs. Donate via the Disaster Assistance Network, a Rotary Action Group Funds may be used in Jamaica, Haiti, the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos for vetted relief projects. Donate to Disaster Aid USA, a Rotary partner organization DAUSA’s Executive Director, Larry Agee, is deploying on the ground as soon as conditions permit to conduct rapid assessment of needs on the ground. DAUSA will also activate logistics network and collaborate with local resources to move critical aid supplies and equipment. DAUSA will activate all logistics partners to ship supplies not available locally (e.g., water-filtration, emergency shelter kits, and power/generator support). Donate to ShelterBox, a Rotary partner organization ShelterBox has emergency shelter supplies — including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, water carriers, mosquito nets, and solar lights — pre-positioned in Barbados and Panama, ready to support up to 10,000 people. Their emergency response team is assessing the damage in Jamaica and coordinating with humanitarian partners and Rotary. We stand together as a Rotary community to support our neighbors in the Caribbean during this time. Any support is appreciated as we unite for good.  Yours in Rotary Service, The @rotary7620 Team #dupontrotary #rotary7620 #serviceaboveself #hurricanemelissa #rotaryinternational #disasterrelief (fb)