Rotary Club of the Capital City - Raleigh, NC

08/20/2026

Tuesday morning we welcomed Julia Ainsley, NBC News' Senior Homeland Security Correspondent and author of the new book "Undue Process."

Julia covers the Department of Homeland Security — immigration enforcement, counterterrorism, the Secret Service, and drug trafficking at the border. She walked us through how U.S. immigration policy has shifted across administrations, and how Border Patrol operations have moved from the border into American cities. Charlotte's operation last November made that a North Carolina story as much as a national one.

What stayed with us wasn't a position. It was the process. Much of what Julia reports comes from people inside federal agencies describing decisions as they're being made — which means every piece of it has to be verified before it reaches air.

Rotary's Four-Way Test starts with the same question a reporter answers before filing: Is it the TRUTH?

Our thanks to Julia for joining us, and to Rick Rountree for sponsoring the program.

Read the full recap: https://www.rotaryclubcapitalcity.org/post/the-weight-of-getting-it-right-covering-immigration-in-america

We meet every Tuesday at 7:30 AM at Carolina Country Club, 2500 Glenwood Avenue — and on Zoom. Come as our guest.

08/16/2026

Tuesday morning, our club got to put faces to the Styres Scholarship. 🎓

Ruth George, Aleah Mikaelian, and Daniel Soutter — this year's recipients — stood up, said their names, and told us where they're headed next.

Since 2000, the fund has awarded over $270,000 to 29 students from Wake County public high schools. It's aimed at students who have overcome adversity and shown up anyway.

Then we kicked off the Capital City Golf Classic, the tournament that pays for it all. Sponsorships are open now — Bronze, Silver, and Gold, plus raffle and team prizes.

Read the full recap: https://www.rotaryclubcapitalcity.org/post/where-the-scholarship-becomes-a-person-meeting-our-styres-scholars

Visitors are always welcome — Tuesdays at 7:30 AM, Carolina Country Club.

08/06/2026

On Tuesday we welcomed Brittany Constance from TLC — founded as the Tammy Lynn Center — to Carolina Country Club.

She told us about June. As a child, June's family was told she would never make it past her tenth birthday. June is 53 now, and the longest-thriving resident on TLC's Raleigh campus.

That kind of care doesn't happen by accident. TLC serves more than 2,000 individuals and 4,500 family members every year — and still faces about a $1 million annual funding gap after Medicaid. Statewide, more than 21,000 people sit on the Innovations Waiver waitlist. Some families wait ten years. Some wait closer to twenty.

Brittany's ask of us was simple: volunteer. Take a first-Friday morning tour. Come to the TLC Golf Classic on September 14. Help more of Wake County know TLC exists.

That's Service Above Self in practice — the mulch pile, the tour, the neighbor you tell.

Read the full recap: https://www.rotaryclubcapitalcity.org/post/tlc-raleigh-tammy-lynn-center-brittany-constance

We meet Tuesdays at 7:30 AM at Carolina Country Club (+ Zoom). Come sit with us.

07/31/2026

Thirty-nine seconds.

That's how long it was between the 7.2 earthquake that struck Venezuela's coast on June 24 and the 7.5 mainshock that followed it. 1,275 aftershocks have been recorded since.

On July 28, we gave our entire meeting to what happened next — and what can still be done about it. Our PR Chair, Alejandro Morales, opened with the situation report. Dr. Mark S. Vasconcellos, President of the Rotary Club of All Nations, followed with Together for Venezuela.

17,907 people lost their homes. 107 transitional camps are open across Caracas, Miranda, La Guaira, and Aragua. Most of the people living there are children.

Here's the part we keep coming back to: Rotarians were already there.
Members of Rotaract District 1960 have been running supplies into the affected areas since week one — handing boxes off the back of trucks, setting up handwashing stations tent by tent, putting out toy tables because recreation counts as relief too.

The Four-Way Test asks whether what we do will be beneficial to all
concerned. It does not ask whether the people concerned live within
driving distance.

Four ways to help — and the full briefing deck — are in the recap:
https://www.rotaryclubcapitalcity.org/post/thirty-nine-seconds-apart-together-for-venezuela

07/27/2026

Did you know 90.8% of every dollar given to The Rotary Foundation goes directly to service projects — a track record that's earned it a 4-star Charity Navigator rating for 14 straight years?

This past Tuesday, District 7710's Rotary Foundation Chair, PDG Donna Peffley, broke down exactly how a Rotarian's gift — from an annual contribution to a legacy commitment — turns into scholarships, clean water, and a 99.9% reduction in global polio cases.

We wrote up the full breakdown: what a Paul Harris Fellow is, how District and Global Grants work, and why no goal is too big for Rotarians. Read it here: https://www.rotaryclubcapitalcity.org/post/what-is-the-rotary-foundation-inside-a-rotary-club-of-the-capital-city-presentation

07/23/2026

Some Rotarians are made. Peffley was raised in it — her father was a Rotarian for 58 years, and by the time she joined Rotary herself, "Service Above Self" wasn't a slogan, it was just how she'd been taught to live.

This past Tuesday, PDG Donna Peffley — District 7710's Rotary Foundation Chair — joined the Rotary Club of the Capital City to share a Rotary career most of us only read about: Club President, District Governor, and in January 2019, a trip to Karachi, Pakistan to help administer polio vaccines in one of the last places on Earth the disease still exists.

Her story is a reminder of what four decades of consistent service actually looks like. Full recap: https://www.rotaryclubcapitalcity.org/post/growing-up-rotary-a-visit-from-pdg-donna-peffley

07/16/2026

Leadership Transition: Rotary Club of the Capital City Welcomes New President

Today, the Rotary Club of the Capital City (Raleigh, NC) marked its annual leadership transition, as Trevor Chambers concluded two years of service as club president and passed the role to incoming president Joshua Davis.

During his term, Trevor helped strengthen two of the club's flagship initiatives: the Styres Scholarship program and the Annual Golf Classic — steady leadership in the spirit of Service Above Self.

Joshua Davis brings hands-on experience to the role, having previously served as the club's Golf Tournament Chair. We look forward to his leadership as the club continues its work in education, youth development, and community impact across the Triangle.

Congratulations, Joshua — and thank you, Trevor.

Read the full story: https://www.rotaryclubcapitalcity.org/post/the-gavel-passes-a-new-chapter-for-our-club

07/02/2026

On 16th of June, we were truly honored to hear the powerful story behind the Grow With Sienna Foundation, founded by Dawn and Doug Berry in memory of their daughter, Sienna.

Their presentation reminded us that mental health struggles are not always visible, especially in young people who may appear strong, successful, and happy on the outside. Through awareness, research, scholarships, and support for families, Grow with Sienna is helping bring hope, understanding, and action to the youth mental health crisis.

As Rotarians, we believe in serving our community with compassion and purpose. Thank you to the Berry family for sharing Sienna’s story and for turning heartbreak into a mission that can help others.
📲To learn more about Dawn Berry's presentation, click the link below:
https://www.rotaryclubcapitalcity.org/post/turning-heartbreak-into-hope-grow-with-sienna-foundation

07/01/2026

06/24/2026

Early this month, we had the honored to welcome Valerie Bauerlein Jackson, the author of "The Devil at His Elbow" and National Reporter at The Wall Street Journal, for an engaging presentation on her journalism career and her extensive reporting on South Carolina’s legal and political dynasties.

Valerie shared insights into the rise and fall of the Murdaugh dynasty, the power of long-standing influence, and the importance of accountability when public trust is at stake. She also introduced her investigative podcast, Camp Swamp Road, which examines questions of justice, transparency, and fairness in the legal system.

Her presentation reminded us why Rotary values truth, integrity, ethical leadership, and service to the greater good. As Rotarians, we believe strong communities are built when people ask thoughtful questions, seek understanding, and work together in the spirit of responsibility and service.

Thank you, Valerie, for sharing your experience and perspective with us.