Events

We can gather south of the softball fields at 9 a.m. (or different time you prefer). I'll give a short explanation and demo of the task, and then turn your group loose to work. Teams of 2-3 persons seem to work well. I've attached maps of the 4 sections of flags; you might print off some copies for your folks. 

Here are some details:

The job:

Preparing for Bryan Rotary's "Field of Valor" flag display during Veterans Week, November 7-15. See bryan-rotary.org/page/field-of-valor for a view of the completed display. This project was originally planned by our Bunny Pratt, and designed and built by our John Blackburn and other club members.

Every Veterans Week since 2011 the Rotary Club of Bryan has placed over 1000 American flags (3' x 5') on 10' steel poles in the park. Flags are 8' apart, held in place by 12" x 1.25" PVC pipe "sleeves" buried in the ground. The sleeves remain in place year round. They get covered by grass and dirt, and must be located and made visible every year in preparation for Nov. 7 (this year) when crews of volunteers will install the flags. Each sleeve has a metal object buried next to it to locate them with a metal detector. The sleeves can also be located by using an 8' pole (or tape) to measure from one sleeve to another in the "grid." Hopefully the ground will be softened by rains to make the work easier. 

Instructions on site:

I will give a short demo of the task to your volunteers, and then they can separate in to teams to work an area. If we have drills with auger bits we can clean out sleeves after they are located. I will bring extra sleeves to replace any that are missing or damaged.  

Dress:

What you would wear to work in a field, including a hat to block sun, heavy shoes (or boots - - leather or rubber) with socks, and maybe gloves. Prepare to kneel on the ground at times.

Tools:

Hoes (preferably sharpened), hand tools, and even string trimmers with heavy line, are used to scrape grass and dirt to expose PVC sleeves buried in the ground. A screwdriver is used to probe the ground for some sleeves that are buried deep. A metal detector would be welcome, as well as a piece of material (pvc pipe, etc.) 8' long, or measuring tape. A portable drill with an auger bit 1" x 12" or more is useful to clean out sleeves that have filled with debris.

Hydration: 

Best to bring your own drinks of choice, and snacks if you like. 

Restrooms:

Available, but a good walk away from work site.

Special note about fire ants:

Not to overstate the risk, but there ARE fire ants in the ground at Veterans Park. They aren't everywhere, but it only takes one encounter to spoil your outing. I get bit a little every year. I'd like to warn your folks to take precautions. Here's some info I gathered online about fire ants when I asked if insect repellent would help protect your people:

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Only a little. Fire ants aren't flying biters looking for a host the way mosquitoes are. They swarm out to defend a mound you've disturbed, so a repellent does very little once you're standing in one. Some studies suggest DEET on skin or boots can slow ants climbing up, but it won't stop a real swarm. Treat it as a small extra, not your main protection.

What works better:

• Watch where you step and kneel. Look for mounds before you work. Mounds can be low and flat after mowing or rain. Most stings happen when someone kneels, sets a hand down or stands still on a mound without seeing it.
• Cover up. Wear tall rubber or smooth leather boots with your pants tucked in, and gloves. Smooth rubber is harder for the ants to climb than cloth.
• Use talc or baby powder. Dust it on your boots and pant cuffs. It makes surfaces slick, and many Texans swear by it.
• Try permethrin-treated clothing. Permethrin is made for ticks and chiggers, but it kills insects on contact, so treated boots and pants may give fire ants some trouble too. Use it only on clothing, never on skin.
• Treat mounds before you work. If you'll be in the same spot a while, put fire-ant bait or a mound treatment on it a few days ahead. (We won't be able to do that!)
• Get out fast if they get on you. Step away from the mound and brush them off hard with your hand or a glove. They clamp on with their jaws, so shaking or rinsing with water often won't remove them.

For stings, wash the area, use a cold pack, and try hydrocortisone cream or an oral antihistamine for the itching. Don't pop the white pustules that show up the next day, because that invites infection. Get emergency care right away for any sign of an allergic reaction, such as hives spreading beyond the stings, swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing, or dizziness.

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Risa Meyer graduated from Texas A&M in 2005 and George Washington University in 2008. She then returned to College Station to work at Mays Business School for several years before leaving to stay home with young kids. In 2014 she and her husband Jared opened Caring Transitions of Brazos Valley. Caring Transitions is a company that specializes in senior transitions, including relocation management, estate liquidations services and downsizing. In 2021 she got her real estate license where she specializes in downsizing and senior real estate transactions with Miles of Grace Realty.  She and her husband have three children, and she is actively involved in her church, her children’s schools, and various other community activities. She enjoys living, working, and serving in the Bryan/College Station community.

Cheri Blankenship is the owner of Caring Transitions of Brazos Valley & The Woodlands, Houston Metro & Sugar Land, and also serves Richmond, Rosenberg & Fulshear. A Bryan native and Texas A&M graduate with a degree in Accounting, Cheri brings a diverse background in senior services, business operations, sales, marketing, and customer service. After personal experiences caring for her mother and managing estate liquidations for her mother and brother, Cheri opened Caring Transitions of Sugar Land in 2022 and grew the office into a top-10-producing franchise among more than 450 locations nationwide. She and her husband, Dean, are excited to bring their hands-on approach to serving seniors and their families as the new owners of Caring Transitions of Brazos Valley, a community Cheri knows and loves. Cheri is also actively involved in the Aggie and Fort Bend communities through the Sugar Land Lions Club, Fort Bend Aggie Mom’s Club, and Houston Aggie Women.

The Greater Brazos Partnership (GBP) is a dynamic public-private initiative dedicated to driving economic growth and fostering investment in the Greater Brazos Region, a five-county region which encompasses Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Robertson, and Washington Counties.

Through a strategic partnership with the City of Bryan, City of College Station, Brazos County, the Texas A&M University System, and Invest Greater Brazos, the GBP works to create a thriving business ecosystem, attract global investment, and shape the region’s future as a hub for innovation and opportunity.

HOWDY!
JEREMY OSBORNE ‘04
Jeremy Osborne is a serial entrepreneur and attorney with experience in the energy
and real estate sectors including as a co-founder of Pegasus Optimization Managers.
He currently serves as a regional board director for First Financial Bank Texas. Earlier
in his career, he worked at Alpha Reclaim Technology, CDM Resource Management,
Dewey LeBoeuf LLP, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C.
In 2019, Jeremy was recognized as a Gulf Coast regional finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year® Award. The
same year, Pegasus appeared on the Inc. 5000 List, Entrepreneur 360 List, and Inc. Magazine’s “Best Workplaces
in America.” He has been interviewed or featured in The New York Times, the San Antonio Express-News,
the American Oil and Gas Reporter, and on CNBC’s “Closing Bell.”
Deeply engaged in the Brazos Valley, Jeremy is immediate past chair of the Greater Brazos Partnership, a five-county
regional economic development corporation that includes Bryan, College Station, and Texas A&M University. He is a
past president of the Arts Center of the Brazos Valley and received its DA “Andy” Anderson Award in 2023. He also
previously served on the College Station Planning & Zoning Commission, the 2020 Comprehensive Plan Evaluation
Committee, and as chair of the City’s Design Review Board. Jeremy is a 2018 graduate of Leadership Brazos. He was
elected to the Texas Lyceum in 2024.
The Association of Former Students named Jeremy one of “20 Young Aggies on the Rise” in 2014, and he was honored
as a Fish Camp Namesake in 2024. In 2023, he served as the Muster speaker for the Los Alamos A&M Club in New
Mexico—sharing the story of Dr. Peter Lax (a young Manhattan Project scientist and Texas A&M student).
Jeremy is a Legacy Society and Endowed Century Club member, a former member of The Association’s Young Alumni
Advisory Council and College of Liberal Arts Alumni Council, and he is a member of the Chancellor’s Century Council
and the Texas Aggie Bar Association. In 2025, he endowed a scholarship at the Texas A&M University School of Law
in Fort Worth to support students who are the first in their families to pursue law degrees.
Jeremy holds a BS from Texas A&M University and a JD, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center,
where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and served on the Georgetown Journal of Law & Public Policy. He
completed clinical programs at both Georgetown and Stanford Law School, and is admitted to practice law in Texas,
Colorado, and the District of Columbia. He lives in College Station.

Tim Kolczak is a U.S. Army veteran, documentary storyteller, photographer, and founder of The Veterans Project, a long-form documentary initiative dedicated to preserving the experiences of American veterans.

Kolczak served with D Company, 3rd Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment of the Texas Army National Guard and deployed to Iraq in 2009–2010. His own military experience became part of the foundation for The Veterans Project. Through the project, he has traveled more than 800,000 miles documenting and sharing the stories of more than 80 veterans across generations and conflicts through photography and long-form interviews.

His work has been exhibited at the University of Texas at Dallas, and his work on Remind the Nation was presented at the Sundance Film Festival. His professional background spans documentary filmmaking, photography, multimedia production, nonprofit storytelling, and communications.

Kolczak holds a bachelor’s degree in Digital Media Communications from Southwestern Assemblies of God University and a master’s degree in Emerging Media and Communication from the University of Texas at Dallas. 

He continues his documentary work through The Veterans Project and Kozak Creative and is currently directing a legacy documentary centered on military service, faith, family, and the experiences that shape a life.

The annual Bryan Rotary Field of Valor enlists Rotarians, Student Organizations, and Community volunteers to execute the Flag Field setup and break-down.

Below is a list of the volunteer dates. Both members and the public can 'book' a volunteer slot by entering your name**, phone number and email. Please register for every time slot where you will participate. Thank you for your Service!

PRE-DISPLAY PREPARATIONS

Monday, 10/12/2026 (Columbus Day Service with First Financial Bank), Flag Field Preparation, Dirt Digging to Find & Mark Sleeves at Veterans Park (Click to Volunteer) 

(Helpful items to bring: work gloves, garden trowel or rake, tape measure, or tools to help uncover buried PVC pipe sleeves)

FLAG DISPLAY

Saturday, 11/7/2026, Flag Field Setup at Veterans Park, 8:30 am-10:00 am (Click to Volunteer)

Sunday, 11/15/2026, Flag Field Break-Down at Veterans Park, 1:30 pm-3:00 pm (Click to Volunteer)

You will receive an email confirmation for each shift you register for. We will also send an email reminder the day before each shift. If you cannot make your shift, please try and find a substitute, and notify the Event Chair, Bunny Pratt, 979.571.9826 (text) or bunnypratt95@gmail.com.   

Flag Team 1 - Rotarians - please register individually

Flag Team 2 - Aggie Rotaract - please register individually

Flag Team 3 - Community Members - please register individually - choose this option if you want volunteer hours verified 

Flag Team 4 - Military-Affiliated/Veteran Groups/Student Orgs - please register individually - input your Group Name in the **Last Name field (i.e. PatriotPaws, JRROTC,  RoadRunner Hockey, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts)

Flag Team 5 - BISD Ambassadors- please have 1 Sponsor register (Per School Campus) and then email me with head count - input your School Name in the **Last Name field (i.e. Bryan HS, Rudder HS, Bryan Collegiate)

Flag Display Volunteers will assemble to uncap ground sleeves, unfurl, post, and tag 1000 American flags. The flags are 3ft by 5ft and attached to 10 foot metal poles. Volunteer groups are encouraged to wear matching organizational t-shirts. 

RAIN OR SHINE - dress appropriate for the weather forecast

https://patriotpaws.org/

Taylor Cole '27

President

Patriot Paws of Aggieland | Texas A&M University

Patriot PAWS Service Dogs 

Patriot PAWS of Aggieland brings together over 100 Texas A&M student volunteers each semester to raise and train service dogs for Veterans. Through this hands-on experience, students gain valuable skills while making a lasting impact on the lives of those who served. The program offers a unique opportunity to be part of something bigger, contributing to the independence and well-being of a Veteran.

Veteran Testimonials: https://patriotpaws.org/blog/

The Women of Bryan Rotary Club are invited to help shower Christina Moores with practical and fanciful gifts she and Silas will need as first-time parents to a bouncing baby boy!

Save the Date and RSVP if you are able to attend. Here is the Mini Moores Baby Registry link. 

Brig. Gen. Jason E. Bartolomei is the Commander, Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and the Technology Executive Officer supporting both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. He leads an over $5 billion science, technology and innovation enterprise in accelerating the discovery and development of solutions for Airmen and Guardians. He is responsible for formulating a comprehensive technology portfolio that anticipates future warfighter needs while promoting risk-taking and problem-solving across a 6,000-member government workforce. He accelerates the delivery of multi-disciplinary solutions through partnerships with industry, academia and international allies, and executes an additional $1.4 billion in externally funded research and development. Through the laboratory’s technology and functional directorates, AFWERX, and the 711th Human Performance Wing, his team produces a deep technical and medical bench, pushes the boundaries of modern technology and improves the science for tomorrow.

​Brig. Gen. Bartolomei was commissioned in 1997 from Marquette University’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program. During his career, he has held a variety of senior acquisition positions. He served as Director of the Sentinel Systems Directorate, where he was responsible for the development, deployment and sustainment of the next-generation Intercontinental Ballistic Missile system. Additionally, he served in the Global Reach Programs Directorate as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition), where he supported the Air Force's tankers, airlift, special operations and trainer fleets. Furthermore, he served as an engineer in the F-22 System Program Office and as an assistant professor of engineering mechanics at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He was also a Service Chiefs Fellow at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a Military Legislative Fellow for Senator Orrin G. Hatch, and a Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow, while assigned to the Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory. He holds a PhD in Engineering Systems from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

​Prior to his current assignment, Brig. Gen. Bartolomei served as the Program Executive Officer for Weapons and Director of the Armament Directorate, where he was responsible for the planning and execution of all life cycle activities for air-delivered munitions.

EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis.
2001 Master of Science, Air Force Institute of Technology, Systems Engineering, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2003 Squadron Officer School, Distinguished Graduate, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Doctor of Philosophy, Engineering Systems (Technology, Management and Policy), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
2009 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2011 Master’s Certificate in Legislative Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
2012 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Master of Science, Distinguished Graduate, Marine War College, Quantico, Va. (Paul Van Riper Writing Award)