Current Newsletter

The Richmond Hill Exchange Club held our 20th Annual Fishing Derby on Saturday, June 5, 2010 from 8:30 AM to Noon, at the Richmond Hill Fish Hatchery on GA Highway 144 in Richmond Hill. Registration began at 7:30 AM, and fishing began at 8:30AM. The derby was open to children ages 15 and under, accompanied by their parents or adult guardian, with awards being presented to children 12 and under. Over the past twenty years, thousands of children and their families have participated. We had a record turnout this year, with an estimated 425 to 450 children participating, plus an equal number of parents, grandparents, and other adults attending as well. This represented our largest attendance ever by far. This years fishing derby took place at four Fish Hatchery ponds that had been stocked with catfish and bream. Most participants brought their own fishing poles and bait, although a large supply free bait and fishing poles were available too at no charge. Thanks to the Savannah Coca Cola Bottling Company for the use of their Coke Wagon, as well as a generous supply of Coke products. The DNR staff cooked and served over 300 hotdogs for the participants and their families, although we did run short on hotdogs. We will plan to cook more next year, so that there will plenty for everyone. There is never any charge for anyone participating in this event. Trophies for the largest single fish, and most total pounds of fish were awarded immediately following the derby, for two age groups--ages six and under, and ages seven to twelve. US Savings Bonds will be mailed to the children in the two age groups who caught the most total pounds of fish. Special thanks to Bryan Bank & Trust for providing the Saving Bonds every year for the past 20 years. Several door prizes were provided by The Richmond Hill Exchange Club also. Special thanks to the many Exchange Club members who were present to help make this event a success, and also to the dozen or more staff members from the local DNR Offices and Fish Hatchery. Members of the Bryan Lodge of Georgia Masons were also on hand to prepare identity kits for the parents of children participating in the tournament. This program is known as GACHIP, and additional information can be found at: http://www.gachip.org/

Our meetings are held at the new City Center in J F Gregory Park on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, from Noon to 1:00 PM, beginning Wednesday, July 14, 2010. The new facility will provide more space for our meetings, and also has modern audio visual equipment for our programs.

Sept. 8, 2010: Our program this week will be presented by Carter Infinger, an independent candidate for the seat as Bryan County Commissioner for the 4th District.

Oct. 13, 2010: We will discuss the upcoming Seafood Festival scheduled for this weekend, and finalize plans for our food booth.

Oct. 27, 2010: We will recognize our Students of the Month for September and October from Richmond Hill High School.

Nov. 10, 2010: We will have our annual One Nation Under God program. The presenter will be announced soon.

Programs for the next several meetings are being planned, and will be announced soon.

Dec. 8, 2010: We will have a program on Fort McAllister. More information to follow.

Also, please contact Jan Bass each week at either 220-1627 or jbass@coastalnow.net to RSVP. We want to make sure that the good folks at the Richmond Hill City Center are prepared for the number of people attending.

If you have any suggestions for future programs, please contact Jan Bass at 220-1627 or jbass@coastalnow.net. She appreciates your input on ideas for interesting programs.

Our new location for our regular twice-monthly meetings will the new Richmond Hill City Center, which is located in the rear of J F Gregory Park. For those us who not yet had an opportunity to visit this new facility, you are in for a wonderful experience. As always, our meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month from Noon to 1:00 PM.

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The Seafood Festival enjoyed a record attendance in 2009, and our club had our best year ever in terms of sales and profits from the operation of our food booth. The Jambalaya and Crab Stew were huge favorites with the crowds, and as a result we made over $4,000 at last years food booth. As you know, our Seafood Festival Food Booth is our primary source of funding for our various community projects, and as a result of last years success, we have been able to continue serving our community and have even expanded some of our programs. Thanks to our members and their families and friends, we had plenty of help with our food booth this year. We look forward to the 2010 Great Ogeechee Seafood Festival, which will be held October 15-17, 2010. Please mark your calendars, and make plans to come out to help make it a success.

We offer special thanks to Jeff Whitten of the Bryan County News, and Jamie Parker, Editor of Bryan County NOW for their reporting of the activities of our Exchange Club. As you know, The Exchange Club contributes a lot to the quality of life in our community, but our efforts have often gone unreported in the past. Thanks for the support, and the reporting of "Good News" about Bryan County. Members of our local media are always welcome to attend our meetings as our guests.

Statements for the July 1 to Sept. 30, 2010 quarter have been sent out. While most members have paid their dues, if you haven't, please send in your membership dues payment as soon as possible. Statements for our current quarterly dues are mailed at the beginning of each quarter, but you can pay your dues without a statement. Quarterly dues are $75. Dues cover the operating expenses of the club, and assure that all other funds of the club are used to support our community service activities. If you have any questions about your dues, contact Treasurer Shirley Heagerty at either 727-5401 or sandjbookkeeping@msn.com.

Please mail payments to: Richmond Hill Exchange Club, P O Box 967, Richmond Hill, GA 31324.