Today’s Greeter: Steve DeStefano welcomed members to Bow Rotary
Attendance:
- 31 Bow Rotarians
- 0 Visiting Rotarian(s)
- 1 Guests: Courtney from BHS Interact Club
- 1 Guest speaker(s): Karolyn McCauley JD, CDP, CHT
Total of: 33
Announcements:
- We are scheduled to have our first hybrid meeting (meeting will take place with some members in person at Old Town Hall and the other members participating on Zoom) on Friday June 4 at the Old Town Hall. More specific information will be sent to members next week about the logistics. There will be no external speakers for the next 2 meetings as we will be getting settled into the new hybrid meeting format (Matt Gatzke)
- First Grade Personalized Book Program - reading at DES 5/21 went well and the children were very excited to receive the books. Seven Rotarians are going to BES this morning to read and present the books (Carol Niegisch)
- Bow HS Interact is finishing up the Run for Humanity fundraiser and the May fund drive for the SPCA. They invited 8th graders to come to their last full meeting this month. Interact will be helping with the Car Show in August. (Courtney, BHS Interact)
- Volunteers may be needed to help prepare mailers for the car show. Look for an email about this next week (Gerry)
- The Town of Bow is allowing group events to be scheduled. The Summer Concert series will be happening with 3 concerts already on the books - 6/27 (Sunday), 7/14 (Wednesday), and 8/5 (Thursday). All concerts will be from 5 -7 pm. Further details will be forthcoming (Joya)
Sergeant at Arms: Joya Dennehy
Birthdays: none
Happy Bucks:
- Chris Parkinson - $1 - appreciated the Yogi Berra quotes that Steve DeStefano read at the start of the meeting
- Judy Goodnow - $5 spent the past week in Boothbay, ME with family and had a wonderful visit. Also contributing $1 for being late to the meeting.
- Bill Ames - $26 total - $4 for 4 baby bluebirds in his bird box and 3 of the 4 have fledged, and $22 to commemorate his 22nd wedding anniversary which was last Friday
- Michelle Olivier - $23 total - $10 - for 2 high five’s for her daughter graduating from high school on 6/18/2021, and $13 for her other daughter’s 13th birthday. Her daughter has been slowly improving from long term complications after having Covid last year
- Karen Wadsworth - $20- flew to Phoenix last Friday to see her father whose health is failing and he is over 100 years old
- Dean Cascadden - $1- currently at an in person Superintendent’s meeting. He would like to honor Donna Morrison for her work with children at the Bow Youth Center
- Ken Moulton - $5 has to leave early today for a real estate closing and happy about a recent real estate referral and deal in MA.
Program: Karolyn McCauley, JD, CDP, CHT
Karolyn is the program director at The Birches in Concord. Her presentation was entitled Alzheimers and Purposeful Programming in Memory Care. The Birches is an assisted living facility that specializes in serving people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of memory impairment. There are approximately 50 residents at the Birches and staff are specially trained to work with them.
Karolyn briefly reviewed Alzheimer’s disease which is the most prevalent form of dementia accounting for 60-80% of cases. She discussed strategies for healthy aging including exercising the body and the mind, remaining socially active, eating a healthy diet, and limiting/avoiding alcohol and tobacco use.
Karolyn discussed the programs utilized at the Birches. She stated that her goal is to fill the residents’ days with programs that are fun, engaging and healthy so they can live their best lives despite being diagnosed with memory impairment. In particular, Purposeful Programing, which is based on medical research findings, and is created to stimulate brain function and open new network pathways through the brain. This includes music programs - the Birches Band, live concerts, weekly dances, musical bingo, trivia, and singalongs. Also multi sensory programs - therapy animals, modeling clay/sculpting, baking, outdoor programs. Also other programs - art/creative activities, physical exercise, social activity options, intellectual programming, emotional, and spiritual programs.
Gerry presented the Thank You book “Harold Loves His Wooly Hat” which will be donated to the Bow Elementary School Library.
Respectfully Submitted,
Carol Niegisch
.jpg)
