On July 1, 2015, Randolph-Macon Academy Social Studies Department Chair, U.S. Government Teacher, Summer School Director, Mentoring Committee member, and Senior Class Advisor Brian Barbour will take on another responsibility when he becomes president of the Rotary Club of Warren County—which is currently known as the Rotary Club of Linden. The club will also take its new name on July 1st.
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Linden Rotary Club Founding President and Former District Governor of Rotary District 7570 Ronald "Ron" Mabry administers the Oath of the Club to incoming Rotary Club of Warren County President Brian Barbour. |
A lifelong resident of Warren County, Barbour began working at Randolph-Macon Academy in 2006. Barbour’s ties to the area run deep and his family is well-known among local educators. In fact, one of the local elementary schools is named after his aunt: Hilda J. Barbour Elementary School. He has a passion for teaching and a knack for connecting with students, and he quickly became an important figure in the R-MA community. However, he also had a desire to become involved in the Front Royal community.
“I have always been one of those people who never liked to be still,” he said. “I hate down time. After three days of vacation, I’m ready to get back to work. R-MA keeps me busy, but I wasn’t making connections to the community outside of R-MA.”
In 2009, Barbour visited the Rotary Club of Linden at the urging of R-MA Student Life Director Michael Williams. Once he experienced the camaraderie of the group and the way in which they constantly strove to make a positive difference in the community, he was hooked.
“Rotary gets me involved in the outside community. One thing that made me stay with Rotary was when our club took part in Stop Hunger Now,” he explained, “because in that one event we were able to package thousands upon thousands of meals for those in need. It really hit me that to be in Rotary on that one Saturday morning enabled me to have a small part of bringing to someone a meal, which is something I take for granted every day.”
Since joining the club in 2009, Barbour has served as program chair of the Rotary Club of Linden, as well as assistant treasurer, treasurer, and vice president. Thanks to his time serving in those capacities, “President Brian”–as the Rotarians will call him for the next year–had in mind some of the activities and organizations the newly-dubbed Warren County Rotary Club would support, even before he was sworn in on June 24, 2015.
“We’re already committed to a several-thousand-dollar grant for a women’s empowerment training program in Rio de Janeiro,” he said. “They train women with a lower economic status to use their skills such as sewing and arts and crafts to be self-sufficient and support themselves. Also in Rio de Janeiro, my club will support a school called Project Uere, which is in the slums of that city. Each year we donate $2,000 and we will continue to do so. Through the Rotary Youth Exchange, we are hosting a girl from Belgium, and she will attend Skyline High School.” Barbour added that the Rotary Club would be providing work with C-CAP, a local charity, to provide school supplies to students attending Warren County public schools. The group also plans to provide funds for Olive’s Fund at the Warren County Humane Society, a program which provides operations for animals that would otherwise be put down.
Between his duties at R-MA and his dedication to the community through Rotary, there is a lot on his plate, but as Barbour said, he doesn’t like to be still. So just to ensure that he doesn’t have too much spare time on his hands over the next year, Barbour accepted a request from Sherriff Danny McEathron to be his campaign treasurer as he runs for re-election, and he is the treasurer for Donna McEathron, who is running for the local school board. Barbour will also begin serving on the board at the local Samuels Public Library, a service which also begins July 1st.
Randolph-Macon Academy (R-MA), founded in 1892, is a college-preparatory, coeducational day and boarding school for students in grades 6 through 12. Students in grades 9-12 participate in R-MA’s 91st Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) and have the option to participate in a flight program. R-MA is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is located in Front Royal, VA.
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