Reporter:  Gail Lyman

 

Zoë van der Meulen, District 7170 Foundation Chair

“Foundation Trivia”

 

COLTIVARE and on Zoom

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Our “Les Six” President Heidi Goldstein started our fun and hat-filled meeting wearing her well-known Grannie Annie hat with her multiple animal finger puppets on top.  For those who forgot it was Hat Day, Heidi brought other hats to wear—but if you selected one, she asked that you leave a donation for our Community Grants initiative.

 

Heidi led us in reciting the Four-Way Test and asked us to reflect on whether we could feel these goals in our hearts and believe in their importance.

 

Our guests included:

There were no visiting Rotarians.

 

Being the first Rotary meeting of the new year, Kelly Buck shared how she was inspired by the Netflix movie Nyad, a story based on marathon swimmer Diana Nyad’s real-life reattempt to swim the 103 miles of treacherous shark- and jellyfish-infested waters laced with currents between Cuba and Key West.  At age 60, thirty years after her first attempt, Diane rethought her unfulfilled destiny spurred by a quote from Mary Oliver, “What will you do with your one wild and precious life?”  Diane started training and after several more unsuccessful tries finally achieved her dream.

 

 

 

 

For the start of a new year, Kelly inspired us to think about our own lives by posing this question, “What will YOU do with your wild and precious life this year?”

 

Newly returning Rotarian Stephanie Andres announced the January birthdays and anniversaries.  With Siu-ling Chaloemtiarana at the piano, Don Hinman led us in singing “Happy Birthday” to all Rotarians celebrating this month.

 

 

 

 

 

For those present at the meeting, we were challenged to answer the questions:  “What are your personal resolutions for 2024?” and “What are your resolutions as a Rotarian for 2024?”  Responses were varied, as some were general responses for the table while others were specific to the member who wrote it.

 

Personal goals included finding time to cook more healthy meals and reduce sugar intake; spending less screentime with electronic devices and more time outdoors; and increasing activities that offer artistic expression and/or cultural awareness.  Expressing more specific health-related goals, Walt Cottrell plans to swim in Owasco Lake every day this summer; Geoff Dunn will be walking up to two miles a day; Marshall McCormick is going to take piano lessons; and Dale Johnson will be taking a sabbatical from his cell phone one day every week.

 

Other Rotarians focused on their relationships with friends, family, and others:  pledging to spend more time interacting with one another, being more patient and sensitive, and showing more empathy for the needs of others.  Juliet Gibbs made a specific resolution to spend more time visiting her neighbors, Rotarians Ray and Linda Brisson; and Frank Towner wants to become “more aware and willing to absorb Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.”

 

Nathan Lyman’s resolution of wanting to “tear down walls and build new foundations” was a tongue in cheek crossover between personal and Rotary goals, with an upcoming home improvement project on the horizon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Typical of being a Rotarian, many members want to improve the lives of others by sharing kindness through actions such as sending caring notes or cute animal pictures to bring a smile to a sick person, making others laugh (an accomplished skill of Frank Towner), or just expressing to people that they are loved.  Mary Kane wants to focus on acting with kindness rather than merely following the advice to “Be Kind.”  An unidentified Rotarian wrote about the desire to revive a signature pre-pandemic fund-raising event—the Little Apple Fall Follies (LAFF).  Hmm, who could that be?

 

Other members want to raise and donate more to our club’s Community Grants, attend more club meetings, participate in service projects, and strive “to build more cross-cultural understanding with less assumptions.”  Cal Walker wants to invite at least one person interested in joining us to our weekly meeting.  Membership co-chair Frank Towner responded by setting up a challenge to bring in ten new members.  Brian Wilbur resolves to recognize all those in Ithaca City’s DPW responsible for installing our new Rotary signs.  Mary Kane is resolved to raise $18,000 for Funds for Action through our partnership with ReUse by the end of the year.  John Vineyard plans on attending a Rotary meeting at a club he has not yet visited.  Harlin McEwen resolved to seek improvement to the culinary offerings at our lunch meetings by having more cookies (especially chocolate chip) for dessert!

 

Looking ahead in this New Year, George Gull and Nancy Potter resolved to return to Costa Rica for another Rotary International Service Project, and Joanne Lamoureux plans to launch a new local Ithaca Rotary service project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Good Earth Mindfulness”

Laura Peters is a qualified instructor of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) who blends mindfulness with insights from nature and neuroscience.  Laura completed her training with the Center of Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.  On her website, Laura describes her courses on mindfulness as a blend of elements in the MBSR curriculum “with insights from neuroscience, trauma-informed practices, and an evolving understanding of the mind-body connection.”

 

Laura Peters began her presentation with a Dad Joke:  “What’s the best way to watch a fly fishing tournament?  Live stream.”  She demonstrated how humor brings full attention to a present situation in a positive and nonjudgmental way.  Laura considers mindfulness in much the same way.  She supports mindfulness, defined as a “state of intentional, nonjudgmental focus on the present moment,” to bring awareness and clarity to the present without the interruption of past or future events; to add acceptance and nonjudgmental attitudes to your current thoughts and feelings; and to recognize that unpleasant sensations, thoughts, and feelings are temporary and fleeting.  In theory, Laura sees mindfulness as a way to “enjoy the moment” with a sense of gratitude.

 

As a MBSR instructor, Laura uses mindfulness techniques as tools in a tool box for building lifelong habits of self-awareness, reducing stress and anxiety, strengthening immunity, improving focus and performance, tapping into creativity, cultivating gratitude, improving mental health and memory, and providing a pathway for connecting with nature.  She describes mindfulness techniques as “going to the mental gym” to develop our inner resources and guidance system so we may “soak in the experience of gratitude” and appreciate the current moment.

 

President Heidi thanked all Rotary workers with a round of applause.

 

01/10    Zoë van der Meulen, District 7170 Foundation Chair, “Foundation Trivia”

01/17    Gladys Brangman, Business Leaders of Colors, “Honoring Dr. Martin Luther

             King, Jr.”

01/24    Brigid Hubberman, “40 Quilts for 40 Beds”

01/31    Lizzy Martin, CNY Rotary President 2024–25, “Club Assembly”

 

Newsletter Reporter:  Gail Lyman

Photographer:  Mike Brown

Greeter:  John Vineyard

Newsletter Editor:  Loralyn Light

 

Setup/Teardown:  Richard Kops

Cashier/Kettle Watcher:  Gary Reinbolt

Audio/Visual Setup:  Mike Brown

Recording Archive:  Paul Martin; click here

Club Service Facilitator:  June Losurdo