Rotary = Positive Energy
Tuesday mornings provide a shot in the arm of great energy to help move you through your week. Or maybe that was my Shingles vaccine. Nonetheless, we had another great crowd, plenty of laughter, and good vibes to start our day. There were 37 Sunrise Rotarians on hand and our guests included Megan Zaremba, Chris Peresky, and our speakers Sally Crowley and Kristen Erby Weber.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
President Matt rang our meeting to order and called upon John Johnson to lead the pledge and Chuck Drake to lead the 4-Way Test. Bam! We're on our way!
It was Randy Evans who stole the show this morning. He proudly showed off the new membership orientation brochure that he co-produced with Garrett Muir and Sarah George. It will come in handy at today's new member orientation session after the meeting. There will be a second orientation session after the meeting on Tue. Sept. 8th.
Randy also promoted the Club Improvement Opportunities. A list of those opportunities resides at the back of the room awaiting all club members to grab three sticky dots and vote for those suggestions for club improvements that resonate the most. Only about one-third of us have voted so far. And no Dave, you only get one set of dots.
I can't remember who said this, was it Jenny Brower? Whoever it was said the Noon Rotary Club had distributed a grant to a cause that is no longer happening, so they now have $277,000 to give away. They are looking for that next big shovel-ready project in our community. Let them know if you have any ideas.
Carlin announced that the Fourth of July STAFF is meeting this Thursday at 4:15 p.m. in the meeting room adjacent to the Noggin Room in the Hotel Perry. All club members are welcome to attend and learn about the results of this year's celebration (spoiler alert, there is black ink at the bottom of the financials!) and to discuss Sunrise Rotary's future with this event.
Lastly, Rotary District 6290 is hosting a Sunset Cruise on Little Traverse Bay on Monday, September 21. Boarding begins at 5:30. The cost is $45/person and food will be provided.
A cash bar will also be available. Rotarians from throughout the district are invited. Let's have a good showing from our hometown club!
HAPPY BUCKS
Open those wallets folks and share your happiness with Joe's cash bag!
Heidi was first in line. Upon deciding whether to do an above-and-beyond task at work she found herself thinking, "Will it Build Goodwill and Better Friendships?" Oh no! This Rotary thing is really starting to rub off on her!
Andy and Jenn Kolp got another kid married off this past weekend! Their daughter Megan was united in matrimony with her husband on a beach in St. Ignace!
Have you ever been to Spain? Val has! She just got back from a wonderful trip there where she got to witness a total eclipse! In other news, the Petoskey District Library is installing a traveling textile exhibit titled "Women in Water." The opening reception is this Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Kathy Motschall was on the front page of the Harbor Light Newspaper in Harbor Springs, and it was good!
And Chuck Drake enjoyed a multi-generational family gathering recently at their cottage.
PROGRAM--ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION
Our old pal Sally Crowley was back with us this morning. She coordinated and introduced today's speaker, Kristen Erby Weber, Regional Director of the Alzheimer's Association. Sally opened the presentation sharing the story of her journey with her mother who has suffered from Alzheimer's and no longer knows her.
Kristen noted that caring for someone with this disease is especially painful "because you're constantly losing someone, a little more each day." She says it's a different kind of grief. Kristen is also a caretaker for her mother and has already lost her father to Alzheimer's.
Kristen Erby Weber
So what's the difference between dementia and Alzheimer's? Dementia is an umbrella term for loss of memory and other thinking abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life. It is not a normal part of aging. Underneath the umbrella are various types of dementia including Alzheimer's, Vascular, Lewy body, and Frontotemporal among others.
She provided assurances that when we forget why we went into a room, or when we lose our keys, we're just fine. However, when you stop knowing what your keys are for, then you should see a doctor.
Kristen spoke of the advances in research associated with dementia-related diseases and says there is hope. She heard a researcher recently predict that there will be a cure in his child's lifetime and a vaccine within ten years. The medical community has also come up with a list of ten habits to support good brain health. One is simply increasing your movement; keep that blood flowing to your brain. Other lifestyle are the traditional messaging around good diet, controlling blood pressure and diabetes, and no smoking. And yes, it does help your brain to keep learning new things and to do puzzles and other things that challenge your mind.
The Alzheimer's Association raises money to support research and to offer programs, mostly to assist caregivers. Kristen spoke of a vibrant local support group for caregivers offered at the Friendship Center here in Petoskey. There are also virtual, statewide support groups. The association also offers at 24/7 Helpline staffed by clinicians. For those seeking support or information, they can call 800-272-3900.
Both Sally and Kristen promoted the Walk to End Alzheimer's to be held in Petoskey on Saturday, October 3rd at 9 a.m. in Pennsylvania Park. It should wrap up at around noon, conveniently at High Five Spirits downtown. They are seeking teams, individual walkers, and donors. Visit www.alz.org/walk for more information.
Thanks Sally and Kristen for a most interesting program.
Have a great week everyone!
Respectfully submitted,
Carlin Smith
