The Westerner for May 28, 2012
Posted by David J. Turner
on May 28, 2012
Meeting: chair, Sherry; music, Jerome; grace, Michael McLaughlin
Condolences: Jim Johnston's mother passed away May 27; our best wishes to Jim and the family. Rudy Mangold has some serious health issues and is spending time between home and Glenrose Rehab - he would appreciate visitors at either site.
Finemaster: Bill Buckham fined Robert Kimmerly for photo in Edmonton Journal re radio controlled minature aircraft; Jerome for perceived slight of Jim Spalding; anyone who did not wear their Rotary pin or had golfed 5 times or more this spring or wore a tie or bought a car recently; Dan Graham for announcing Jim Rowand as father in law to Gayle Mabey rather than brother in law; Jim Spalding for calling Rotarians "seniors";
Grandview Extended Care: Jerome announced 3 concerts now that infection @ Grandview has been controlled - June 19, McDade Family Music; July 17, Accessible Jazz by Lazy River Quintet; September 6, Maria Dunne who has an international reputation as a folk singer - all start at 6:30 p m
Cosmopolitan Music Society: Jim Spalding has tickets for June 3, 7:30 p m; their spring concert at the Winspear Centre
Condolences: Jim Johnston's mother passed away May 27; our best wishes to Jim and the family. Rudy Mangold has some serious health issues and is spending time between home and Glenrose Rehab - he would appreciate visitors at either site.
Finemaster: Bill Buckham fined Robert Kimmerly for photo in Edmonton Journal re radio controlled minature aircraft; Jerome for perceived slight of Jim Spalding; anyone who did not wear their Rotary pin or had golfed 5 times or more this spring or wore a tie or bought a car recently; Dan Graham for announcing Jim Rowand as father in law to Gayle Mabey rather than brother in law; Jim Spalding for calling Rotarians "seniors";
Grandview Extended Care: Jerome announced 3 concerts now that infection @ Grandview has been controlled - June 19, McDade Family Music; July 17, Accessible Jazz by Lazy River Quintet; September 6, Maria Dunne who has an international reputation as a folk singer - all start at 6:30 p m
Cosmopolitan Music Society: Jim Spalding has tickets for June 3, 7:30 p m; their spring concert at the Winspear Centre
Strategic Planning for Rotary Club of Edmonton West: incoming and outgoing board of director members meet June 2 in the morning to plan the club's next year; all Rotarians are welcome to attend
50/50: Dan Graham and Duane did not match cards, $45 carried over
Gift Cards - Please support our club by purchasing the gift cards that we have already purchased from Safeway, Saveon and Sobeys/IGA. Because we made a bulk purchase we were able to buy the cards at an 8% discount, so when we sell them to you, we realize that 8% profit. Those dollars not only help to fund our projects, they may also help to keep our fees from having to be increased. Send Brian an e-mail saying you want $_____ worth of whatever cards and he will come to the next meeting with those cards in an envelope. You give him a cheque and he gives you the cards. How difficult is that? Thanks to those few members who have bought into this program and use the cards for all their grocery purchases. To the many who are not participating, we pose this question: "What is stopping you from helping us raise funds in this manner?"
395 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron has recently received the Director's Seal of Excellence in support of the Cadet Population Growth Initiative. 395 Squadron is one of 8 Air Cadet Squadrons receiving this award because they successfully maintained or increased their strength by offering a dynamic and stimulating local training program, engaging local news media, and utilized creative and effective means of recruitment.
Rotary E-Club of Canada - If you miss a meeting and need a makeup, you can visit the first eClub in Canada, and you will be pleased to know that it is right here in District 5370, and Past District Governor Elly Contreras has been leading the development of the Club. Currently the club has 12 prospective members of whom 10 are former or current Rotarians. They are located in White Rock and Lilloet, BC; Northwest Territories, Alberta and London, England. Just Google to find their website.
Guest Speaker: Jim Johnston introduced Don Chernow, Executive Director of Kidney Foundation of Canada. Don gave some statistics: 2.6 million Canadians have kidney disease ranging from stage 1 to stage 3 severity; above this is either stage 4 or stage 5 which is classed as kidney failure. The Kidney Foundation raises funds to support research into controlling the disease or transplantation procedures; they campaign to ask people to consider organ donation; they raise other funds to use to support patients or donors for cost reimbursement for out of pocket expenses while undergoing various procedures such as live donor transplantation.
Don will leave a list of projects for our club to consider funding. The projects range from about $70,000 to fund sending 50 children from the Stollery Children's Hospital to a special camp down to an unspecified small amount to purchase pedlar machines to allow patients to exercise while undergoing dialysis. There is a beer tasting event to raise funds on October 6.
Don then introduced Jason Sheet who was diagnosed with kidney failure 8 years ago and lives the nightmare. He has been on a dialysis machine for the past 7 years. He used to be a good rugby player but started to feel lousy. Visits to 3 doctors did not bring a diagnosis as the symtons are common to many health issues and conditions. Finally a doctor performed the blood creatinine test which determines if the protein is at a high level in the blood and indicates kidney problems. Jason had to walk away from his successful business and sports. He went into a severe depression and his wife left him. Family and friends stepped up to help. An American kidney patient who participates in the Ironman Competitons even though he has no kidneys made an effort to get Jason back on track. The motivation worked, Jason made an effort to get back on track; applied to university and is now in second year law at U of A. He takes dialysis every second day because of low supply of donor organs in Canada. He is newly married and has a step son.
A home dialysis program is operating in northern Alberta whereby 50 patients spend 9 hours per day, 5 times per week on their own system - saves travel time to Edmonton and other out of pocket expenses - thanks to donors for making this possible. People may believe in donating their organs and sign their donor car. However, unless they convince their family to follow their wishes, the donation may not take place. Families can decide not to donate and that takes precedence. Make sure you sign your card but make sure your family knows your wishes. Donors in their 60's are now able to donate. Donation and handling of the organs is cheaper ($32,000 plus antirejection drug costs) to the medical system than costs of constant dialysis procedures ($75,000 per year plus drug costs). There is also a living donor program in existence. There is a high genetic factor concerning who gets kidney failure.
Both speakers were thanked by Dan Graham.
50/50: Dan Graham and Duane did not match cards, $45 carried over
Gift Cards - Please support our club by purchasing the gift cards that we have already purchased from Safeway, Saveon and Sobeys/IGA. Because we made a bulk purchase we were able to buy the cards at an 8% discount, so when we sell them to you, we realize that 8% profit. Those dollars not only help to fund our projects, they may also help to keep our fees from having to be increased. Send Brian an e-mail saying you want $_____ worth of whatever cards and he will come to the next meeting with those cards in an envelope. You give him a cheque and he gives you the cards. How difficult is that? Thanks to those few members who have bought into this program and use the cards for all their grocery purchases. To the many who are not participating, we pose this question: "What is stopping you from helping us raise funds in this manner?"
395 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron has recently received the Director's Seal of Excellence in support of the Cadet Population Growth Initiative. 395 Squadron is one of 8 Air Cadet Squadrons receiving this award because they successfully maintained or increased their strength by offering a dynamic and stimulating local training program, engaging local news media, and utilized creative and effective means of recruitment.
Rotary E-Club of Canada - If you miss a meeting and need a makeup, you can visit the first eClub in Canada, and you will be pleased to know that it is right here in District 5370, and Past District Governor Elly Contreras has been leading the development of the Club. Currently the club has 12 prospective members of whom 10 are former or current Rotarians. They are located in White Rock and Lilloet, BC; Northwest Territories, Alberta and London, England. Just Google to find their website.
Guest Speaker: Jim Johnston introduced Don Chernow, Executive Director of Kidney Foundation of Canada. Don gave some statistics: 2.6 million Canadians have kidney disease ranging from stage 1 to stage 3 severity; above this is either stage 4 or stage 5 which is classed as kidney failure. The Kidney Foundation raises funds to support research into controlling the disease or transplantation procedures; they campaign to ask people to consider organ donation; they raise other funds to use to support patients or donors for cost reimbursement for out of pocket expenses while undergoing various procedures such as live donor transplantation.
Don will leave a list of projects for our club to consider funding. The projects range from about $70,000 to fund sending 50 children from the Stollery Children's Hospital to a special camp down to an unspecified small amount to purchase pedlar machines to allow patients to exercise while undergoing dialysis. There is a beer tasting event to raise funds on October 6.
Don then introduced Jason Sheet who was diagnosed with kidney failure 8 years ago and lives the nightmare. He has been on a dialysis machine for the past 7 years. He used to be a good rugby player but started to feel lousy. Visits to 3 doctors did not bring a diagnosis as the symtons are common to many health issues and conditions. Finally a doctor performed the blood creatinine test which determines if the protein is at a high level in the blood and indicates kidney problems. Jason had to walk away from his successful business and sports. He went into a severe depression and his wife left him. Family and friends stepped up to help. An American kidney patient who participates in the Ironman Competitons even though he has no kidneys made an effort to get Jason back on track. The motivation worked, Jason made an effort to get back on track; applied to university and is now in second year law at U of A. He takes dialysis every second day because of low supply of donor organs in Canada. He is newly married and has a step son.
A home dialysis program is operating in northern Alberta whereby 50 patients spend 9 hours per day, 5 times per week on their own system - saves travel time to Edmonton and other out of pocket expenses - thanks to donors for making this possible. People may believe in donating their organs and sign their donor car. However, unless they convince their family to follow their wishes, the donation may not take place. Families can decide not to donate and that takes precedence. Make sure you sign your card but make sure your family knows your wishes. Donors in their 60's are now able to donate. Donation and handling of the organs is cheaper ($32,000 plus antirejection drug costs) to the medical system than costs of constant dialysis procedures ($75,000 per year plus drug costs). There is also a living donor program in existence. There is a high genetic factor concerning who gets kidney failure.
Both speakers were thanked by Dan Graham.