Bainbridge Rotarians enjoyed renewing friendships with Tuesday’s speaker, Gene McNease, a former resident of Bainbridge and fellow Rotarian who now resides in Thomasville.

McNease said he had always enjoyed the fellowship of friends at Rotary, but in 2007 he came to realize that most of his life was behind him, and he began to wonder what to do with the rest of it.

As he searched the Rotary International website he learned of the many programs available and opportunities to serve the community while being an active Rotarian.

One of the opportunities he seized upon was the Rotary International Tennis team. His first tennis trip was to Salerno, Italy, and it tied him to a group of men and women who play in international tennis tournaments all over South America and Europe. He pointed out the added benefit of learning about new cultures, making new friends and sharing information on different professions across diverse populations. He has continued to make yearly trips to play tennis.

This year approximately 45 Rotary international tennis friends from nine different countries will be coming to Thomasville in August to play as the Thomasville Rotary club hosts the 11th  annual Rotary International Tennis World Championship tournament.

The event will be held at the Glen Arvin Country Club, which houses a ten court complex. The group will also take advantage of touring some of the area points of interest, including Wakulla Springs, Florida.

At the close of the meeting a bit of mayhem broke out when McNease and Gerard Kwilecki, seated at the head table, began to toss into the crowd the new tennis balls brought by McNease to promote the upcoming event.