Meeting called to order by President Helen at 7:30 a.m. on the dot, followed by reciting Why We Are Rotarians.  Thought for the day, a Tibetan proverb, was given by Susan Prout:

 

The secret to living well and longer is to eat half, walk double, laugh triple, and love without measure,

 

Catherine Peterson and one other were streaming the meeting.

 

Sue Bova, Willy Steiner and Vashti Araia were inducted to the club and given their red badges as new members.  Welcome!!

 

Visiting Rotarians frm Ukraine were here to talk a bit about their club and why they are in Evanston.  They are working to upgrade equipment for Ukranian firefighters and looking for a quick test kit to detect diabetes, which is a big problem in their country.

 

Neil Gambow – Youth Exchange. Potter needs a ride to the Rotary Youth Program on Saturday.  Bruce Baumberger volunteered.  Thanks, Bruce!!

 

Linda Gerber – International Service Committee will meet in the RI cafeteria on Monday, Nov. 25, from 7:15-8:30 AM.  Six grants will be reviewed and planning for a retreat will be on the agenda.

 

Chris Joyce – Club Service. The Club Holiday Party is on Sunday, Dec. 15, at Kathy Tate-Bradish’s home.  It starts at 5:50 p.m. Planning for the 35^th anniversary of our Club’s founding is underway. Please remember to give the weekly scribe notes on any announcements made at the meeting.

 

Susan Prout – Community Service. The toy store, Becky & Me, is doing a give-back campaign from Nov. 18 to Nov.  23, where 10 percent of your sale is coming back to the Club.  Shop for your kids, grandkids, relatives, and other local programs for which you buy toys!!

 

Bill Vernon – The scout troop we support has a new Eagle Scout and has done a cleanup of the pond at ETHS in the environmental lab as a project. 

 

Zbig Skiba – Incoming President. Next week he will conduct a followup workshop on “Why We Are Rotarians.”  The tables in the room will have identifying tent cards for “Leadership,” Learning,” and “Motivation.”  Please sit at the table that will discuss the topic you are interested in. Brainstorming topics will be: What can the Club do to develop members into leadership roles? What, if anything, could the Club do to provide learning opportunities? How can we engage with prospective members for whom Altruism is not a key motivator?

 

Zbig also is putting together the next slate of officers and specifically asked for a volunteer for Club secretary.  If anyone is interested in serving on the new Board, let Zbig know. 

 

Steve Steiber. Signup for working all of the shifts for flower and food item delivery is in your e-mail.  Please fill out any time slot you wish to staff.  Bill Vernon needs one person to help pick up hams on Monday, Nov. 25.  Please contact him if you can help.

 

John Searles (for Ann Searles) – Collecting small and medium height vases for the Random Acts of Flowers program.

 

Kristin Brown - The Tucson “End Polio” ride is set and has been communicated by email.  Donations can be made through our club website.

 

Marissa Naulokas. It’s Holiday Sales time!  The new order website, Shopify, is up and running very well.  Orders can be entered and paid for on the site.  Some 24 hams have been ordered for delivery to Streetwise.

 

Bryant Wallace (in absentia). The Chessman Club is donating hams to Family Focus.  Sign up on the form on each table.  Do not order the hams for this under your account!

 

Charlotta Kopanyi. Lifting Up Early Childhood is a coalition of more than 60 partners in Evanston (including our club)and Skokie working together to build local support for early childhood care and education so that our communities ensure that all our children get the best start and build a strong foundation. The lasting impact of high-quality early childhood care and education on children’s health and educational success is increasingly clear.  

 

The three-program series is sponsored by Evanston Community Foundation and Cradle 2 Career. 

 

Marv Edelstein – He and Steve Steiber are inviting anyone interested to join the technology committee.

 

 

 

 

Kathy began her work in Africa in 2004 as a result of a Woman's Club experience.  This exposure led her to create her nonprofit organization, ABC’s of Sex Education, in 2008.  Since then, most of the work of her organization has been focused on rural western Kenya, where there is a very high concentration of HIV positive people. 

 

Her team consists of trained experts and volunteers that train people in sex education in groups of 25 wherever they can, on street corners, in bars, and so on. 

 

She went on to explain the difference between HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), two very different situations.  HIV is a virus that inhabits the body and weakens the immune system.  You cannot get it by touch, coughing on someone, and so on.  It is transmitted by sexual encounters.  It can remain dormant for a long while, but is the root cause of AIDS.

 

The reasons behind the very high HEV-infected people in western Kenya are mainly due to its location on the shores of Lake Victoria.  The presence of long-haul truck drivers, fishermen, and other border-related trade elements trading for sexual favors is rampant.   

 

There are medications for both HIV and AIDS.  The one for HIV can be used as a preventative, but is not a cure.  Once AIDS symptoms, the medication must be changed to another that controls the symptoms.  People that are HIV positive or have AIDS can live a long life, which is very different from 30 years ago. 

 

Her organization is now focusing on behavior change and working to monitor and evaluate their work. 

 

Finally, Nov. 19 is World Toilet Day.  For those of us who take a toilet for granted, shine it up to show your gratitude, as there are many in this world who do not have this convenience!!!

 

 

 

 

Valentene Siuiy – Rotary Ukraine

Sergey Jushkariani – Rotary Ukraine

Dee Konlicle – Northwestern Rotoract

Margo Hewco - RI

 

 

Sue Bova – new Rotarian

Vashi Araia – new Rotarian