Charlotte-Shelburne Rotary Club
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Trinity Episcopal Church Community Room
 
Former President Kris Engstrom led the pledge and gave the devotional.
 
Kris introduced the visitors:
Susie McNamara, Dragonheart Vermont and Survivorship Now
Anne-Marie Plank, Dragonheart Vermont Breast Cancer Survivor Boat Team
Megan Plank, Citizen’s Bank, guest of Linda Barker
Katherine Jaffrey, Oakville, Ontario, guest of Roz Graham
Dorothy Micklas, Terraces Manager, guest of Tod Whitaker
George Hauenstein, Williston-Richmond Rotary Club
 
Upcoming events:
March 4, 2015
Rick Carlson
Author, Film Maker, Non Profit Health Organization
March 11, 2015
Club Assembly
March 12, 2015
Board Meeting
March 18, 2015
David Carlson
Coordinator of Student Veteran Services, UVM
March 25, 2015
Mike Smiles
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
April 1, 2015
Dawn Anderson
Public Educator for State 911 System
 
Announcements:
Michael Clapp: Two important spring events are being planned. Dates have not yet been set. A Food Shelf Drive will be held in Shelburne, Charlotte and Hinesburg with teams of Rotarians working 2 hours shifts at each site. This service event is important because food shelves often have trouble with food and money donations after the holidays. This event will also provide an opportunity for membership recruitment. A Sugar-on-Snow Mixer is being planned possibly at Palmer’s Sugarhouse. Tod Whitaker talked about his experience with a similar event held in the evening at Palmer’s – lots of fun, food and opportunity to invite potential members.
George Hauenstein, from Williston-Richmond Rotary Club enthusiastically challenged Charlotte-Shelburne to participate in their annual Ski Challenge at Bolton Valley on March 13th. This is their biggest fund-raiser. All Rotarians and families are invited even if no team is entered. Ric Flood remarked that Charlotte-Shelburne has walked away with several trophies and may well do that again. George was happy to accept the challenge. Funds raised go to support home heating needs.
Judy Christensen reported that she and Charlotte-Shelburne’s First Round Speech Contest winner, Noah Kiernan, attended Vergennes Rotary the day before for the second round. Although Noah had a strong speech, the winner was from the Vergennes Club with a speech on teen suicide. Judy was extremely impressed with Noah’s efforts to congratulate the other 2 contestants and his sociability with the Rotarians.
 
Sergeant at Arms: Evan Webster was absent. Due to this fact and time issues, no happy fines were collected. However, not to be deterred, Roz Graham rose to congratulate Tod Whitaker in his retirement as Terraces Manager. To which Tod responded by saying “Bon voyage” to the group as he prepares for 6 weeks in New Zealand.
 
Lara Keenan took also advantage of the departure from the usual happy fines to promote and upcoming Library program entitled “The Power of Curiosity”, the first 3 Wednesdays of March at 4:00 pm.
March 4 at All Souls: David Ellis, President/Former Director of Boston Museum of Science and   Michael Jager, Principal/Chief Creative Officer of Solidarity of Unbridled Design,          formerly JDK Design, specializing in brand design.
March 11 at All Souls: Linda Wellings, Shelburne Farms and Rob Merman, Circus Smurkus
March 18 at Shelburne Museum: Walter Wick, writer/photographer and Nissa Kauppila, Vermont fine artist
 
Lucky Draw: $143. In the pot. Susie McNamara picked Chris Davis’s number. 2 of clubs/rollover.
 
Guest Speaker:
Lara Keenan introduced Susie McNamara representing Dragonheart Vermont, Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and the newest organization Survivorship Now which Susie directs. (NOTE: Some of the following information is based on brochures and website information.)
 
Dragon boating started in China over 2,500 years and the annual Festival is the oldest holiday celebrated in China. Originally, the celebration took place on the summer solstice as a way to ensure bountiful crops and prosperity. In 1995, Dr. Don C. McKenzie, a sports medicine physician and an exercise physiologist, was conducting a research project at the Allan McGaving Sports Medicine Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. The study looked at the cardio-respiratory fitness levels of two groups of women - one group had been treated for breast cancer, the other group had no history of breast cancer. The breast cancer group had many anecdotal stories about the "don'ts" they had been told after treatment. Most of this advice restricted activities involving the upper body. Though well intentioned, there was no published research that supported this information. A desire to return these individuals to an unrestricted, active lifestyle, as well as the lack of scientific proof to the contrary, was the impetus behind Dr. McKenzie's idea to form the first, all breast cancer survivor's dragon boat team. The idea spread far and wide, making its way to Vermont when Linda Dyer moved to Vermont from the Philadelphia area, where she had been involved in dragon boating supporting breast cancer survivors. In the summer of 2004, starting with a loaned dragon boat from Boston and five team members, many people could not help but notice the 41 foot racing canoe being pushed into Lake Champlain. By summer’s end, the Dragonheart boasted over 55 members – breast cancer survivors, families, friends, and paddling enthusiasts. Now the organization has 203 paddling members and owns 6 boats.
 
The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival begun in 2006 is celebrating its 10 year anniversary on August 2 at Burlington Waterfront Park. The Festival was begun as the fund-raising arm of Dragonheart Vermont. In 2014, 64 teams participated. The money generated from this event is split between Dragonheart Vermont and Survivorship Now. Dragonheart Vermont has its own teams, Sister at Heart, but not all teams are survivor teams. Many are formed by businesses, clubs, service organizations, etc. Susie invited Charlotte-Shelburne Club to form a team. There’s a practice session on July 18 and 19 when coaches show the teams how to paddle and equipment is fitted. Cost is $1,785 per team and includes the practice session, 2 races and 21 tee shirts, hats and medals for the crew. Denny Bowen asked about whether prostate survivors could form a team to which Susie responded, “Definitely!” There was discussion about why male cancer survivors seem to be less involved in group activities. Susie said she’d like to encourage men in prostate survivors groups or any other cancer groups to become involved in Survivors Now.
 
Susie took this discussion opportunity to talk about Survivors Now, the newest organization, established as a wellness center offering direct services and classes to cancer survivors. Located in the old Rossignol building on Industrial Avenue, Williston, Survivor Now offers strength training, yoga, dance, healthy cooking, nutrition/weight control, and many more to anyone – male and female – recovering from any type of cancer. Here, again, most people using the Survivor Now Center are female, but some males have become involved. In addition to the information and brochures, Susie showed a very inspirational video.
 
 
 
Denny Bowen followed up this excellent program by announcing a UVM sponsored half day seminar/conference on June 26 focused on men’s cancer and wellness. More to come on this event!