Posted by Gayle Demko on Mar 24, 2019
Club Meeting March 19, 2019
 
Opening and Welcome:  President Dick Kisiel opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and the recitation of the Rotary Four-Way Test.  Scott Seabury provided the invocation and led the club singing of “God Bless America”.
 
Members Present: Dale Baker, Gayle Demko, Jed Dery, Frank DiGennaro, Natalie Donais, Gail Handley, Richard Kisiel, Jon Kozloski, Luis Lee, Jay Presser, Scott Seabury, Gordon Stagg and Paul Muska will be added to our member list.  (12/31….39%).
 
Guests: Renae Ransdell (prospective member) and Esther Corcoren, our speaker.
 
Announcements: 
Dick welcomed both Renee and Ester to the meeting.
 
Events:
The Board and the Wine Tasting Fundraiser will provide tickets for members to sell at next week’s meeting. 
 
Dale Baker described his visit to the Rotary Club in Montserrat last month as a very stiff and serious event.  It is interesting to compare the experiences and tenor of other clubs; we are so fortunate to have a congenial and seriously dedicated group that knows how to get the work done!
 
Scott Seabury will present a discussion of the making of the movie “A Promise to Astrid” on March 27 at the Suffield Senior Center and June 2 at 6 pm at Bethany Assembly of God in Agawam.  We are all looking forward to seeing his production on the silver screen!!!
 
Opioid Project Update:  Our District President, Kate Sims, has encouraged all 59 clubs in the district to support a method of disposal of unused drugs.  There is a pouch that contains an environmentally-friendly product that will dissolve the unused drugs which she has endorsed for district distribution.  Dick will ask CVS if they will distribute the pouches; and if not we will look for another method of providing these pouches to homes in Suffield, perhaps by sponsoring a distribution day or partnering up with other groups in town to handle distribution with us.  Funding for the project is also under review.
 
Program:
Esther Corcoran of the Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association presented a talk entitled “Alzheimer’s and Related Dementia”.  The talk described how Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain.  The ten signs of Alzheimer’s are:
  1.  Memory loss that disrupts daily life.
  2. Challenges in planning or solving problems.
  3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure.
  4. Confusion with time or place.
  5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.
  6. New problems with words in speaking or writing.
  7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.
  8. Decreased or poor judgment.
  9. Withdrawal from work or social activities.
  10. Changes in mood and personality.
 
While we all may experience some of these symptoms, Alzheimer’s suffers have severe and acute difficulties with coping.  Esther encourages us to take note and get our loved ones checked if these symptoms begin to interrupt everyday life.  Early detection matters!
 
Blue Ticket Winners: Blue ticket winner was Gordon with side winners, Paul Muska and Gail Handley.
Queen of Hearts:  Gayle had the winning ticket and did not pull the Queen of Hearts.  Total winning pot now stands at $313.
 
Birthdays and Anniversaries: No birthdays were celebrated this evening.
Adjournment: Scott closed the meeting with a group singing of “My Country Tis of Thee”.
 
Next week’s meeting–Mar 26
Margaret Hale of CT Senior Rides - ITN Northern Central Ct rides for senior and disabled citizens