President John Racine welcomed Rotarians & Guests:
God Bless America & Pledge of Allegiance;
Invocation by Leah McCallum;
Song – “ Traverse City Black Gold" to the tune of the Beverly Hillbillies, Vern Gauthier's original concept of the discovery of Rotary oil & Charities Foundation.
Introducing visiting Rotarians & Guests – Gil Bogley
Announcements:
Dale Chilcote - Rotary 101 Lesson; Membership Protocol: Application - Online- Click Here, In person, ask Kathy; Membership Committee Approval; Face to Face - Applicant & sponsor; dues, obligations, committees, good works, Board Approval; and Induction Ceremony.
Phil Murphy – Rotary Show 1st Meeting: Saturday, Jan 13, 2018, @ Chamber Bldg. @ 9:00 am.
Dale Chilcote & Steve Wade – Christmas Basket charity: Families referred = 83 (326 people), adopted 52 (240 people) Shoppers: 47 Rotarians & 5 non-club, Resources = Cash $6,180, Toys = $3,500, business donations = $5,743.00 Grand Total = $15,423.00
Lorraine Beers, World Community Service Committee: School of Hope – Haiti – Port of Prince Area. The organized charity dedicated to providing at least One-meal /day and essential health care. Now a 501c charity with Rotary assistance and now children assured at least two meals/day & health care. Another example of “Rotary Good Works”.
A special note was read to thank all Rotarians for all of the assistance and donations to various needs for children’s educational programs. Diane Buston, Traverse City Central High school.
Main Program: Al Pilong Introduces member Ed Ness to Introduce Speaker: Christi Nowak , Munson Healthcare.
The entire Grand Traverse Community is engaged in a major effort to improve the general health of everyone.
In the past health care was understood to be curing the sick. Now the additional focus is also to improve the general health of everyone, Adults, children and especially people who are experiencing difficulty in achieving a lifestyle that could reduce the potential of causing illness, diseases, malnutrition, obesity, activity and certainly livelihood.
Christi Nowak offered several scary statistics based on the current status of the entire Grand Traverse Community:
65% of our population is overweight and/or obese;
79.5% consume inadequate fruit & vegetables;
Chronic disease is evident and repeatable among the malnourished ;
Munson Health Care (MHC) is promoting a total health care initiative that everyone should follow. The primary issue is food, the good & bad. MHC has identified an Obesity Reduction Plan that focuses on increasing fruit & vegetables in your daily diet. Basically, it encourages a complete healthful lifestyle “Choose Well”. This is essentially an Rx Prescription Program that applies to everyone.
The MHC Wellness Program includes several lifestyle changes that affect our Community, Providers of Health Care, and Employers.
The Theme is “Choose Well” to improve your health outcome.
You are encouraged to GO TO www.munsonhealthcare.org and “Choose Well”! The Grand Traverse Community will be supporting this initiative thru 9-10 News, YMCA, Fit-Kids, and special TV programs.
For Your Info: Next 3 Rotary meetings are at the Great Wolf Lodge.
The Rotary Club of Traverse donated $2,500 and partnered with other area Clubs including Benzie Sunrise on a Rotary District Local Grant to provide financial resources for the NW Food Coalition to establish the Coalition's new Farm To Neighbor Fund.
Following up on a question John Scott asked last Tuesday about whether anyone was doing anything about the Internal Displaced Persons situation caused by Boko Haram in North Eastern Nigeria, it turns out I was mistaken in my answer. Joanie found this in her files. We thought everyone would like to see that someone IS doing something. Doctors Without Borders work in the worst situations all over the world, and they are in North Eastern Nigeria addressing the displaced person crisis. Click Here to learn more.
