Last Meeting January 15, 2019
President Brian Street chaired the meeting and gave the invocation.
Tom Crean, led the singing of O Canada.
Joe Lopushinsky, Sergeant-at-Arms, introduced visitors and guests.
President's Announcements:
- We are making a few changes to collecting member dues and charges in an effort for improved efficiency. Pay-as-you-go members and guests will be charged at the door starting February. Payment by credit or debit cards will be accepted. As a reminder, lunch fees are $48 per person.
- Thanks to those who have already registered for the joint meeting on Jan. 28th at UBC with our two Rotaractor Clubs. A reminder to those who haven't yet registered, please do so. The invitation you've received via email lets you choose whether, yes you will attend, no you will not, or maybe.
- The District 5040 Foundation Dinner date has been set for Saturday March 9th in Richmond. See note above for more information.
- February is Black History Month. In honour of this we are going to have Ada Lee, a singer from Springfield, Ohio, who has performed jazz, blues, gospel and soul music on stage and record in the United States and Canada since the late 1950s. If you know friends/colleagues who may be interested in seeing her, send them this link to register (payment at the door), https://feb12_adalee.eventbrite.ca
- Steve King, Iowa Republican, said last week that "white supremacist" and "white nationalist" were inoffensive if not honourable terms. There is no doubt that recognizing and elevating minorities is necessary, until it's no longer necessary.
- With that in mind, the movie now showing, Green Book, is highly recommended for all to see. It's set in the deep south in the 1960s, follows a tour of an African-American classical and jazz pianist with his Italian-American driver and bodyguard.
Joan Posivy, provided the Secretary's announcements:
- reminders of upcoming events/meetings (see above)
- birthdays: Mass Abedi Jan 18th, Sean Chan Jan 18th
- member anniversaries: none this week
- wedding anniversaries: Mark & Andrea Busse 14 years Jan 19th, Kim & Ed Lepp 42 years Jan 15th
Special announcement and member's moments:
- John Bathurst was presented with a Paul Harris +6!
- John Hayto encouraged anyone who is interested in the ski weekend, February 15-17, to contact him asap as the spots available fill up really quickly.
- Katherine Copeland invited anyone who is interested in helping with the Youth Gala Fundraiser to contact her. The organizing committee is getting off the ground now and all help is appreciated, even if really limited.
Program:
Peter Clarke introduced our own Pierre Adoury and his talk, The Road to a Healthier Life.
Pierre was born in Montreal of a French Canadian mother and Egyptian father. He graduated from Bishop's University with a BBA majoring in finance, moved to Vancouver 28 years ago and immediately became self-employed in the laser printer industry. He currently owns Tonerworks and Digitech Laser.
Pierre's current passion in health and wellness. An Ironman enthusiast, (4km swim, 180km bike, 42km run), completing 6 of them. 8,000 men worldwide compete in Pierre's age group, namely 55-59 years old. He is entering the 2019 season ranked in the top 3%.
When Pierre was in his 30's he weighed over 200 lbs and was pre-diabetic. It was roughly 10 years ago he came to the realization that his familiar past would be his predictable future. He definitely did not like this prospect so looked for ways to change. He had a friend who did triathlons and he was encouraged to give it a try. He signed up for a short one. First step. Next was training. Not easy. When he started swimming once across the pool was enough, he couldn't do more; running one city block was all he could do. He concentrated on adding seconds, literally seconds, to each training. Run one block walk two, etc. At no point did he envision himself as a multi-ironman competitor.
Looking back Pierre is very, very grateful to have had and taken the opportunity for change.
In Pierre's opinion, all diseases have one thing in common: cell malfunctioning. What causes this malfunction? (1) A deficiency of (2) toxicity. Eating well is key. Lots of whole foods, veggies, leafy greens and grains. Eliminate the processed foods. The biggest killers today are trans fats and sugar (processed). Slowly cut down on these things to cure your body of its dependence upon them, in particular sugar.
Pierre's journey to his current state of health was not easy. He initially thought there was no way he could do it. But taking it slow worked, no miracle cures, no quick fixes. He now feels better than ever, clear minded, high energy.
Wrapping up, here are a few things to take note of:
- choose your foods carefully, grass fed meat doesn't have toxins, natural sugars such as that in fruit come with healthy fibre
- intermittent fasting, e.g., not eating for 14-16 hours, allows your body to completely digest what it's been fed and then rest rather than it being in a constant digesting mode
- check out Dr. Yoshinori Ohsumi's research into “autophagy,” or the process by which cells recycle and disassemble themselves for which he received a Nobel Prize in 2016
- don't worry about starting change and then falling off the wagon; the key is to get back on, that's success!
Ask yourself, How do I feel right now? Be honest with yourself and, if you don't think you are feeling the best that you could, then believe in yourself and commit to making changes. You will not regret it!
Meeting adjourned with a toast to healthier living.
Anne McMullin is currently the President & CEO of the Urban Development Institute (UDI). Anne has held many leadership and communications roles, including President and General Manager of the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, Director of Communications at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, President of the BC Salmon Farmers' Association, and a Lower Mainland journalist. Anne volunteers at many organizations, including Better Transit and Transportation Coalition, supporting its goal of providing accessible, affordable transit and transportation fro Metro Vancouver, combined with UDI's call for a smart, regional housing plan to better leverage these taxpayer transit investments..jpeg)
