|
Tomorrow’s meeting:
Join the Zoom Meeting!
Meeting ID: 943 7324 9569 | Password: 962082
One tap mobile: +16468769923,,94373249569#,,1#,962082#
(1) Our exchange student, Koo! We will learn a little about his home in Sapporo along with his host family adventures! He doesn’t anticipate his presentation taking very long.
(2) Martha Gioumousis, to give a 5-minute talk on Ithaca City Beautification and our Rotary Rotary! June 3, 2020
Newsletter Reporter: Loralyn Light | Photos: Mike Brown | Editor: Ted Schiele  The opening bell was struck by Heidi Goldstein, and President Frank Towner kicked off his last month (!!) as our Club President in what has become his Zoom tradition, calling on members to recite the Four-Way Test; one member, one “Is it” test. Frank then held up an American flag for the Pledge of Allegiance.
 Dreaming of the crack of a bat, and the rhythms of KMOX-AM, James Brown was longing for baseball, and his hometown St. Louis Cardinals as he opened his Thought for The Day. He had three (a popular number in baseball):
Maya Angelou: “Find a beautiful piece of art. If you fall in love with Van Gogh or Matisse or John Oliver Killens, or if you fall love with the music of Coltrane, the music of Aretha Franklin, or the music of Chopin—find some beautiful art and admire it, and realize that that was created by human beings just like you, no more human, no less.”
T.S. Eliot: “Where is the Life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?”
Yogi Berra: “You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.” It was the first meeting of the month (in Frank Towner’s final month as Club Pres.) and so there were birthdays and Club anniversaries. Christin Greven had the honors, this time.
District Governor-elect, Matt Adler of Owego was on the Zoom with us—a visiting Rotarian at our meeting. Matt admitted that in all the years leading up to his transition to DG, he did not imagine it would be anything like the way things are now. “I’ve been planning on using the theme, ‘Making Membership Memorable,’ and boy has it been,” he said. The District Pass the Gavel ceremony was held via Zoom on May 28, with over 170 people online to hear the keynote speaker, RI President-elect Holger Knaack.
Another guest, Susie Kalus, was introduced by Mary Berens. Susie had planned to come back to Ithaca a day before Cornell Reunion so she could visit Rotary. But the virus scuttled that plan, so she joined us on Zoom from Atlanta! Susie in turn introduced John LoBosco, Past Governor of District 7780 in Maine (South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Club). John has been heavily involved in Rotary water projects.
No raffle last week.
 We are on course to meet and beat our RI fundraising goals for the 2019-2020 Rotary year! Ivy Stevens-Gupta reported that we have raised over $14,000 for the Rotary Foundation, putting us over that goal. Our numbers for Polio Plus put us $300 shy of our goal, though with Joe Cassaniti pledging $100 on the spot, and Kelly Buck saying she’d also chip in, we are clearly on track to meet the mark triggering a $4,350 gift from an anonymous donor. However, as we know, close is only good in horseshoes, so if you haven’t given yet this year, we still need your contribution!
 This past weekend was our Spring Back Cleanup Days of Action for World Environment Day. Maricelis Acevedo reported that the Cayuga Lake cleanup was lots of fun thanks to Dennis Gray and Steve Sedlock, and the Route 13 Cleanup was well supported with 12 Rotarians and 3 “Honorary Rotarians” (friends of Rotary). A total of 30 bags of trash were collected! Thanks to crew chief, John Barradas and all who joined in.
In an email, Maricelis asked Rotarians to please let her know if you participated in a DIY event, and what type of activity you engaged in, so she can record your hours of services and get a better idea of the impact of our events. Also, send a picture if you have one. Finally, any feedback, suggestions, or recommendations for future events are welcome!
Also also, check out “Ithaca Rotary members support businesses with new program,” in the June 9 Tompkins Weekly.
Shout out to Koo, our exchange student from Japan, who was on the Zoom last week.
Nominating Committee chair (and sole member) Mary Berens presented a slate of three At Large Members for the Club’s board: Juliet Gibbs, Richard Kops, and Gail Lyman. Thank you to Dennis Gray for his years of service to the board. Voting, by a show of hands and count of “nays” (there were none), was unanimous.
 Happy Dollars abounded last week with members celebrating a son and family home for a visit, a 75th birthday celebration with extended family, a birthday celebrated with family at Taughannock Falls State Park, and the Savage Club singing (via videotapes and a virtual choir selection) at the virtual Cornell Reunion. Happy Dollars kept coming; for the opportunity to serve by delivering meals for the Salvation Army, for mail-in ballots for the ICSD election, for being settled into a new home with visiting family, and for our guest speaker, Mary Berge
After Ray and Linda Brisson heard Mary Berge, Ph.D. speak at the Owego Rotary Club, they worked with Owego member (and DG-elect) Matt Adler, and Mary, to bring her to our Club.
Matt introduced Mary’s presentation, “Staying Sane During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic.” She is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 25 years of experience. Mary was introduced to Rotary in 2002 when she was part of a GSE team to Sweden, and now is very involved in Rotary as a member of the Johnstown, Pa. Club.
 Mary opened by pledging to “offer sound psychological advice for when life gets weird,” including during these times of the COVID pandemic, plus the more recent civil unrest. To start, she likes to assess how much information you have about the underlying situation, suggesting that maybe you have too much information! Her rule is, check the news twice a day, and never after 7:00 p.m.
Next, recognize that routine is a predictor of self well-being, so stick to a schedule. Block your days into 2 hour segments, with 10 minute breaks in between. And, those are real breaks; walk, read (not the news), music, no phone. Write goals on a card every single day and have them in your sight; written and visible goals mean that you’re more likely to meet, and even surpass them.
Mary took a quick side trip into mood and neurochemistry, describing 3 chemicals of happiness: Oxytocin, released when holding hands, giving or getting a hug, and during intimacy; Serotonin, best released through exercise; and Dopamine, generated by feelings of gratitude, smiles, and laughter, and giving a greater feeling of euphoria. You can even fake it, Mary said. Just smile! Your brain can’t tell the difference! At the other end, anxiety is the worst for your well-being. Stay away from “what if,” and “could have, should have.”
Deep breathing—30 seconds, seated—to release tension and Biolateral sound therapy are good, simple ways of relieving stress. Look up “Brainspotting: Biolateral Sound Healing to Enhance Your Brain,” by David Grand. Get a CD or download it, or try it out on YouTube.
Mary provided her email address, and welcomed Rotarians to contact her if they had questions. drberge@hotmail.com.
Visiting Rotarians: Matt Adler
Students: Koo, from Japan
Workers:
• Thought for the Day, James Brown
• Introductions, Rotary hosts introduced their guests
Zoom: Catrina VanAtta
Bulletin Reporter: Loralyn Light
Photographer: Mike Brown
Bulletin Editor: Ted Schiele
Club Service Facilitators, Beverly Baker & June Losurdo
Sunshine Chair, Kellyann O’Mara
June 10, 2020
Join the Zoom Meeting!
Meeting ID: 943 7324 9569 | Password: 962082
One tap mobile: +16468769923,,94373249569#,,1#,962082#
(1) Our exchange student, Koo! We will learn a little about his home in Sapporo along with his host family adventures! He doesn’t anticipate his presentation taking very long.
(2) Martha Gioumousis, to give a 5-minute talk on Ithaca City Beautification and our Rotary Rotary!
|
