Turning good works into a good time

Jessica Lee
Oct 13
4 min read

Setting the scene

The Stag Club felt like Raleigh’s living room for a night. Jackets were draped on chair backs, the hum of conversations rolled across the room, and the ice buckets clinked in rhythm with happy toasts. We gathered to celebrate a successful Golf Tournament and everything that the Rotary club of the capital city stands for, from student scholarships to hands-on projects that meet real needs in our city. Then we did what Rotarians do best, we turned good work into good fellowship.

The feast that fueled the laughter

Attorney and charter member Frank R. Gray parked a steaming treasure chest out back and invited the club to the age-old Carolina art of oyster opening. Trays arrived hot and briny. Gloves on, knives up. Members demonstrated elite multitasking, opening steamed oysters, holding a beverage, and telling a story at the same time. Scorekeepers were unofficial, yet everyone swore they were winning. If you heard whoops near the shucking table, that was just another round of friendly bragging rights.

Rotary pedigree: Charter member since 1984, past president, Paul Harris Fellow and sustaining supporter.
Day job: Senior attorney at Jordan Price, a counselor to businesses and community groups alike.
Signature move: The new annual steamed oyster spread that brings out everyone’s best jokes and fastest shuck.
Why it matters: Frank gives with his wallet and with his weekends. He turns traditions into glue that holds a club together.

A birthday worth cheering

We paused the shucking to sing for Tim Chalmers, our past president and steady hand in service. Tim brings a small-business owner’s grit to Rotary, the kind that shows up early, checks the details, and makes new folks feel like old friends. He has helped steer our club through growth years and keeps showing up with the same easy smile. We celebrated his birthday with cheers and a few stories that will not be printed here, mostly to protect the innocent.

Rotary pedigree: Past president and long-time leader, recognized for consistent service and coaching newer members.
Day job: Local small-business operator with a talent for customer care and team building.
Signature move: The welcome that makes a visitor feel like a regular on day one.
Why it matters: Culture beats plans. Tim protects the culture, which lets the plans succeed.

Thank you for the keys to the clubhouse

A quiet nod and a big thanks to Cowan Douglas for opening the door to this special venue. Cowan is a member of both the Stag Club and our Rotary family, and he made the connection that turned a nice idea into a perfect evening. That kind of bridge building is Rotary in action, relationships that help us serve and celebrate together.

Rotary pedigree: Past president super active member and reliable connector.
Day job: Financial professional who helps families and businesses plan for milestones.
Signature move: The quiet phone call that lands the perfect venue or sponsor.
Why it matters: Service often happens behind the scenes. Cowan makes sure the scene exists.

Stag Club

Why nights like this matter

Service is our mission. Friendship is our engine. On a night like this, you could feel both. Newer members found mentors without trying. Long-time members passed along traditions that will outlast us all. The Stag Club gave us a room full of warmth. The oysters gave us a reason to laugh. The Golf Tournament gave us a reason to toast. The people gave us a reason to believe the work continues.

Moments you might have missed

The table that tried a “world’s fastest shuck” challenge. Official timekeeping was creative, spirits were high.
The spontaneous toast to first-time attendees, complete with a chorus of “you picked a good night.”
The quiet check-ins in the corner, one member asking another how a family situation
was going, then lining up help for the week ahead.

What is Rotary?

Rotary is people of action who turn friendship into fuel for service. On a night like this it looks like a golf tournament that becomes scholarships, a birthday toast that becomes mentorship, a quiet venue connection that becomes community, and a pot of steamed oysters that becomes fellowship.

How the mission showed up for dinner

Service above self: The tournament results do not stop at the scoreboard. They become real help for local students and partners, planned by members who show up early and stay late.

Fellowship as a superpower: Frank Gray’s oyster roast gave us more than a meal. It gave us time to listen, laugh, and strengthen the trust that makes hard projects possible.

Integrity and leadership: Tim Chalmers has worn the president pin, but more important, he models the habit of welcoming new faces and lifting others to lead. That is Rotary culture in action.

Quiet connections that open doors: Cowan R. Douglas lined up the Stag Club and let the evening bloom. Rotary often looks like this, a member using relationships to make good things happen.

Local hands, global heart: We serve Raleigh today and support global initiatives through the Rotary Foundation tomorrow. The same people who can shuck an oyster can also tackle water, education, and health projects.

Why it matters

Rotary is where purpose meets people. You bring your skills, your humor, and your curiosity. You leave with friends who know your story and a team that is ready to build something useful. If that sounds like your kind of night, pull up a chair and see what service with friends can do.

Want to Join us?

If you like the idea of doing real good with people who will learn your story, remember your kids’ names, and text you when you miss a meeting, come visit. Bring your curiosity, your sleeves rolled up, and your best oyster joke. Rotary is serious about service and relaxed about everything else.

Join us: be part of scholarships that change lives, projects that get hands messy, and friendships that stick. Reach out, drop in for a breakfast meeting, and see if this feels like your crowd.

2 Comments