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Rotary's Theme for 2016-17
The GREETERS:
07.28/16 Tom Broadwell and Rick Terhune
08/04/16 Rand Oliver and Carrie Lifer
08/11/16 Bridget Herzog and John Callander
08/18/16 Frank Perez and Rebecca Quinones
If you cannot greet on the day assigned, contact Kitty and she will schedule a replacement.
The guests at the meeting included: Tracie Hoker, of Plumtree Realty Ohio Commercial Real Estate, a prospective new member and a guest of member Ann Blackwell.
Greeters at the next meeting will be Tom Broadwell and Rick Terhune
The Centerville Rotary Club met at noon at the Clubhouse at Yankee Trace Golf Course. President Ron Hollenbeck led the Pledge of Allegiance, Ray Merz gave the prayer, and Ann Blackburn led the singing of God Bless America.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Club president Ron Hollenbeck announced that next week is the club assembly, where the goals and objectives for the year will be discussed.
He said Aug. 4 will be the first meeting of the Pancake Committee ..at 11 a.m. before the regular meeting.
At the recent Board meeting they accomplished a lot, Ron said. The club will be supporting the Little Lending Library again, with the lending box being in the shape of a train engine, he said.
Because of the club's other activities, it was determined not to participate in the Superbowl raffle this year.
Boyd Preston talked about the Service Day, July 23, stating one more person was needed to help at The House of Bread. And also another person was needed to work at Hannah’s Treasure Chest. Members were reminded to wear their Rotary shirts Saturday. Team leaders were reminded to take pictures of their group and to send them to Carol Kennard for posting on our Web site.
Rebecca Quinones said she had a ticket available for the Dragon’s family night game at 8 p.m.
HAPPY BUCKS:
Our Sgt-at-Arms Erich Eggers collected Happy Bucks for Operation Warm (Coats). The coats cost $20 each and will be given to needy children through Hannah's Treasure Chest.
Before collecting the Happy Bucks, Erich acknowledged those sitting at the Birthday table,
seen below:
Eight club members had birthdays in July, but only a few sat at the birthday table and a few who didn't have birthdays in July sat with them. The club sang Happy Birthday to the birthday group, which included Don Overly, Deborah Dulaney, Sally Beals, Kim Senft-Paras, David Trout, Mike Wier, Erich Eggers, and Ron Hollenbeck.
The collection of Happy Bucks for Operation Warm has brought in enough money for 69 coats thus far, not counting today's donations.
Many gave for a whole coat or part of a coat…a zipper, etc., with a dollar or two. Kim Senft-Paras paid for five coats…to the group’s applause.
Brad Thorp gave a $5 I.O.U. for going to Montana fly fishing...just north of Yellowstone…
Ron Hollenbeck gave for a coat and the very hard working board of directors.
Ann Blackburn said she owes for missing a number of meetings and should be fined for other minor infractions, such as not being at the meetings where her guests often appear, and not having money with her at the meetings, etc., etc., though her thorough clapping for the Happy Bucks man may partially make up for her absences, as everyone knows when she is here...
Erich said the $712 collected last week for Operation Warm (Coats) was the record amount ever raised at one meeting. The club provided 330 coats last year and plans to set a goal of 350 to 360 coats this year.
Reminder: The District 6670 Rotary Trilogy will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 7 from 5:45 to 9 p.m. at Normandy United Methodist Church. It will be about New Generations and there is no charge. This is the annual fall training event for all club officers and committee chairs, and all are encouraged to attend. Each member needs to register separately as space is limited. Dinner will be served.
Speaker: Chuck Humerickhous. speaking on Living with Polio.
Our speaker, Chuck Humerickhous, is seen here with his grandson Gabriel Humerickhous (to his right)
speaking to Centerville Rotarian Jim Briggs (at left) after the meeting. Gabriel, 13, an eighth grader
at Dover Middle School, accompanied his grandfather as back-up support.
Boyd Preston introduced our speaker, noting that he has seven grandchildren, and a degree in mechanical engineering.
Chuck said he has 37 years of work experience with GE at Evansdale.
He said he contracted polio at age 12 in 1952. He made a full recovery, but 35 years later he had a relapse, known in the medical field as Post Polio Syndrome. He now uses a wheelchair, for fear of falling, though he can walk. He also sometimes needs breathing assistance.
He is with a polio support group out of Cincinnati through Children’s Hospital, The group originally had 70 participants, but now it is down to 20, he said.
Chuck gave a power point presentation on the history of polio, noting that it is an ancient disease dating back to the early Egyptians in 1500 B.C. Bones and muscles were tested to establish this, he said.
In the U.S., the disease presented itself in epidemics in the 1880's, 1910/20, and 1940/50 when there were 35,000 cases per year.
When he got polio, he was one of four young people he knew who got it within a two month period, he said. They weren’t socializing together, but it’s thought they may have got it at swimming pools. Each case was different and some got it more severely. One young girl died of it within two weeks of being diagnosed and treated.
Doctors Salk and Sabin developed vaccines in the late '50s that have helped cut the number of cases to 125 worldwide today, most in third world countries, he said. Still, the disease is only an airplane flight away, he said, noting that Rotary has been a major help in the world-wide immunization program and follow-up immunizations.
Many polio patients make an original recovery in nine to twelve months. But then, 30 to 40 years later it reappears in some people, Chuck said. There are no known cures, he said. Many with re-occurrences have to use assisting devices such as wheel chairs, crutches, braces, breathing assistance (oxygen), and medical attendance.
Polio takes its toll on muscles and the nervous system, he said.
He said he got pneumonia in January and the doctors thought he was near death, as his body was not taking deep enough breaths, "but the nurse yelled at me and I woke up," he said.
He said he has a very weak diaphragm and breathes with his chest, as the abdominal muscles are weak.
The original effect of polio is that it kills nerves in the brain or spinal cord, he said. In the beginning the nervous system cells may recover, but later, with overuse of the nerves, and fewer nerves controlling more muscles, the system becomes overworked. The only help may be to avoid overuse of the muscles and to get sufficient rest. The girl he knew who died when a child was in an iron lung, he said.
Chuck said he was born in Stone Creek, Ohio, a little town near Dover. Note: Stone Creek is a village in Tuscarawas County. The population was 177 at the 2010 census. Wikipedia
The disease “sneaks up on you,” he said. "Yesterday you were fine. It’s a real downer, as doctors don’t know what to do for you other than tell you to take it easy.” He said he knows that mentally and spiritually “I’ve got to slow down, and I don’t want to. I’m more worried about falling than doing what I’m doing.”
Doctors have told him he may need a pacemaker, “but that is a long way down the road,” he said. Maybe in 10 years. He uses an oxygen concentration at night to counter a sinus infection, he said.
Added note: According to the World Health Organization:
Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease, which mainly affects young children. The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g. contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis.
Initial symptoms of polio include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. In a small proportion of cases, the disease causes paralysis, which is often permanent. There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented by immunization.
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