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June 28, 2019 / Volume 28, No. 46
two thousand year old man
inside malkovich's head
was the misery
Rotary International District: 7980
District Governor: Larry Gardner
Club President: Eileen Flug
the last Crier of Eileen's presidentship
thank you eileen
hello karen
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June 28
, 2019
Westport Inn
Opener: Paris Looney
Program: Gene Braunstein - Comedy
Greeters: Augustyn, Freedman, Galan
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REALLY IMPORTANT DATES
CHANGEOVER PARTY
THURSDAY JUNE 27
5:30PM EVAN HARDING PARK LONGSHORE
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Gene Braunstein will speak to Westport Sunrise Rotary at our 7:30AM breakfast Friday June 28, 2019.
Gene Braunstein is a former stand-up comedian and sitcom writer/producer. During his 34 years in Los Angeles, he wrote and/or co-wrote episodes for "Laverne & Shirley," "Mork and Mindy," "Newhart," The Cartoon Network (UK) and other shows. For four years, Gene was a Story Editor, then Writer/Producer on "Who's the Boss?" He has written material for Jay Leno, David Letterman, the late Joan Rivers (before she was "late"), Jimmie "JJ" Walker, Betty White and other celebrities. Now back in CT, Gene writes original content for websites, videos, direct mail...you get the idea. His company, Comedyfacelift.com LLC, helps businesses stand out from their competition by using humor (or not) in their marketing.
Topics I'll Cover: 20 minutes (subject to change according to time)
Storytelling
Comedy vs Humor: Why This Matters
Why Businesses Don't Use Humor
Why Businesses Need Humor in Their Marketing
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LAST WEEK'S GUESTS:
PLEASE WRITE GUEST NAMES AND AFFILIATIONS REALLY CLEARLY. LEGIBILITY COUNTS. THANKS.
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Nick's Notes:
I missed last week's column because I was sailing in Greece. On a 54 ft boat named Scorpio. We departed from Corfu, and days were for sailing and evenings saw us at a new island, where we met six other fellows from the other boat. Thus eleven of us would command a long table every night and eat Greek food. There were four other chaps on the boat and the humor was outrageous. I didn't contribute very much, not being a natural sailor. I suppose that's why my cabin was smaller and more difficult to squeeze in to. I have lied quite a lot over the years when boasting that I came from a long line of seafarers. It took me ages to remember that the sharp end was called the 'bow'. However, I did help with the anchor chain (by not getting in the way). I can't say that I took the helm, or helped navigate. Long gone are the days when you used a sextant to plot a course. All you do now is to plug in your computer. Of course, you have to remember that there is more than o n Sydney.
I did fake a video of me 'before the mast' with the 'wheel's kick and the wind's song (Read John Masefield).
Must say it meself, I look quite good. Go to Facebook and have a look.
There will be two columns about this trip. Next week I'll thrill you all with some names and general observations.
If I list a little to port next time you see me its because of the rolling of the ship.
Nautical Nick.
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Christina Dufour spoke to WSR on June 14, 2019
Mindfulness, Meditation and Personal Growth
Christina Dufour, founder and president of The Carnelian Connection, last Friday stressed the importance of "work-life balance" - establishing our priorities and living them out - and told the group that we attain this balance through "mindfulness," using meditation and yoga to gain inner calmness, shedding our tendencies to be judgmental, focusing attention on the present moment, and limiting our attention to one task at a time.
Ms. Dufour is a mental fitness specialist, corporate wellness guide, mindfulness consultant, and an
evangelist for
a holistic approach to wellbeing.
"To find balance you need to look inside yourself... (become) better able to understand what matters... It's about attention, your attention is your energy, your energy is your life. If you have difficulty managing your attention, you are out of balance."
We begin with some definitions. Creating work-life balance starts with setting priorities. First, we allocate time to do what is essential - our job, our relationships, parenting - then we do what is important but not essential. Lastly, we must create time to
attend
to activities of choice, the ones that strengthen our spirit and give meaning to our lives.
She noted that an Indiana University study found that 70 percent of those sampled are striving to find this balance, though more of us than ever work from home.
Mindfulness is "a nonjudgmental state of heightened awareness that focuses our
attention
on experiences occurring in the present moment." It is an eastern concept, realized through Buddhist and Tibetan meditation techniques.
Ms. Dufour is a practitioner and certified instructor of mindfulness, meditation, and yoga.
She applies an holistic approach, one that addresses the whole person, that works from the inside out - body, mind, heart and spirit - moving from physical wellbeing to a psychic calmness that makes us whole.
Its core is meditation, a different form for each stage, all directed toward gaining mindfulness, toward balance. For the purposes of this piece the differences between the meditation
techniques
Ms. Dufour employs are less consequential than their commonalities.
To meditate you take a comfortable, typically sitting, position. C
los
e your eyes. Breathe deeply, through your mouth, your abdomen, then down to the base of your
spine
. Focus entirely on your breathing rhythm. Free yourself from the world around you. Get into the moment. Let go the thoughts that create stress. Get grounded in the moment.
First, you balance your body. "Make sure we get the exercise, nutrition, sleep, rest and hydration we need to feel grounded and safe." Here she employs Grounding Meditation, a technique that seeks calmness and contentedness.
Then "How is my mind? Am I scattered? Am I judgmental? Shamatha meditation, a form of mindfulness meditation,
calms
thoughts and emotions and unifies and concentrates the mind. It focuses one on attending to one task at a time, and being dedicated to it until it's completed.
Third is our heart - How am I feeling? "Am I welcoming and accepting everything in my emotional environment without attachment?" We can't be pulled around by our internal world, and so must avoid conversations that lead with things that stress us - gossip, news, and that create self-doubts, "I'm not good enough."
Here she employs Loving Kindness meditation to calm our mind, obtain peace and enable us to offer emotional support to others.
Lastly - and to this writer, most important - spirit, our inner conversations. We strengthen our spirit when we make time for ourselves, time that gives us the opportunity to be of service to others, time to bring meaning to our lives.
With work-life balance we are masters of our own happiness. We find calmness and focus to enable us to do what we need to do, knowing we have allocated time to do the things that make us happy, that give meaning to our lives. Ms. Dufour commented that Rotary should be an activity that makes us happy and adds value to our lives because here we are helping others as we help ourselves.
(Roy Fuchs)
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Westport Library Ribbon Cutting
Sunday June 23, 2019 was ribbon cutting at the totally transformed Westport Library.
The day started with First Selectman Jim Marpe, Governor Ned Lamont, Board of Trustees President Iain Bruce, and architect Henry Meyerberg all serving as opening acts for Sunrise Rotarian - and Library Executive Director - Bill Harmer.
You've probably read the comments each of the openers made, so, with two detours, I'm going right to the headliner.
The governor summed up what he saw during his tour - "I want a Westport library card."
Mr. Bruce thanked all the groups who made the project happen, noting particularly the state of Connecticut, which invested $1 million, the town which added $5 million, and more than 500 community members who contributed $15 million. And, he noted, the project came in on time and on budget.
Mr. Harmer speaking from the big stage in the Forum, said he was excited to see the crowd - over 1,000 people - there to "celebrate a library built by the community for the community." He added "I got here just four years ago with a bit less gray hair. My family and I were excited, a little nervous, and full of hope, ambition and aspiration about joining the community.
He talked about the meaning and the benefits of this library. "Great libraries build community, great libraries seek to innovate and empower the people they serve... they create the infrastructure that allows us to take advantage of the technological leaps of today in order to excel and grow tomorrow.
"The Westport Library is that library... (it) will create a place and a space for personal growth and reinvention, it will create opportunities for people to connect and to share their common interests.
"The governor mentioned earlier that a public library needs a community to bring it to life." Mr. Harmer added "The library needs your engagement. You are the life force of the Westport library.
"I offer you an opportunity and a challenge, to help contribute to shaping this library... I encourage you to help us build new content, develop meaningful programs and activities that we can do right in this space, and share your ideas, no matter how big or how small, so we can help you realize your ambitions and your dreams."
He offered "sincere thanks to everyone in this room.
"I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am so proud to be the director of this great institution. I can't wait to see what the future has in store."
During a podcast hosted by Lori Cochran and Bill Taibe and recorded later on the stage he talked a bit about life before Westport - yes, he had one - and a bit about his vision. One takeaway was that the legacy library seems largely a repository of existing content, while the library of the future engages users to participate in the creation of new content.
Not to be missed is the much expanded and children's library - parents and grandparents alike made it a must see spot on Sunday, and many younger children were already enjoying its games and toys.
If you've not been to what tomorrow's library looks like, go, walk around, take in what can be done at a rather minimal cost with lots of vision.
(Roy Fuchs)
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Club Assembly Meeting - June 21, 2019
Vesna opened
A sparse crowd approved next year's slate of officers and directors last Friday, heard committee chairs summarize their accomplishments, and voted on two new types of memberships.
The slate is shown elsewhere.
Eileen introduced the committee chairs. Rick Jaffe talked about the International Committee, mentioning Ken Bernhardt's Syria Fund, to whom we awarded $1,000 to assist them in helping people escape the expanding war, and said we continue to support the Tree of Life orphanage - also a Ken Bernhardt start up - in Haiti build to meet its growing needs as its residents progress from one grade to the next.
June Getraer offered "short and sweet" news. We added eight new members, all of whom, she added, are active.
Helen Garten said we donated a record $63,485 to 28 charities, half of whom received the full amount they requested. They focused on projects that change lives, that are sustainable, and that impact people in Westport and nearby communities.
Rob Hauck spoke for himself and Co-Chair Bruce Paul. He highlighted our two food drives, at Stop & Shop the day before the Super Bowl, that meets the Gillespie Center's needs for about six months, and the drive for Norwalk's Person to Person in September. He also noted the Exit 17 clean up, and Read Aloud Day in Bridgeport. He called these - and the other programs the committee supports "heart warming." New for the upcoming year will be a program similar to Habitat For Humanity he and Joe Watson are developing. Volunteers will help people whose homes are in need of repairs, but who do not have the resources to complete them by themselves.
Joe Renzulli talked about the Foundation, focusing on Every Rotarian Every Year. We are asked to donate $100 each to support the work of the Foundation, and we annually meet our goal. We also draw Foundation dollars to fund some of our international projects.
Mark Soboslai summed up the Four Way Test Speech Competition - "I was totally amazed at the brilliance of the speakers... (and) at the best and the brightest of Staples." The Staples winner, Elana Atlas, a sophomore, was awarded second place in the district competition. Ms. Atlas had the misfortune to follow the ultimate winner, a very polished performer who gave a near stand up routine, while Ms. Atlas offered a serious talk about
micro-aggressions
and anti-Semitism.
Eileen mentioned Justin Phillip's leadership in the Youth Services programs - RYLA, particularly, and Ralph Krueger for his "fabulous job" as Speaker Chair.
Two new membership categories were presented and approved. One, a Corporate Membership. A business may designate one employee to become a member. That person will pay regular dues. What's new is that when the member cannot attend, the business is free to designate a second member, who will "borrow" his co-worker's membership, and not be assessed for breakfast. In the event more than one company employee attends, all but the first will be required to pay for breakfast.
The second is a Young Professional membership. Here a person under 40 years old will be accepted on the same basis as Rule of 85 members - paying Rotary dues at the beginning of each semester, and $10 for breakfast on the days they choose to eat.
After discussion about each, both were unanimously approved.
(Roy Fuchs)
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June Birthdays
June Getraer - June 5
Eileen Flug - June 7
Justin Phillips - June 10
Rick Jaffe - June 11
Ken Bernhard - June 14
Ron Holtz - June 23
Vik Muktavaram - June 30
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JOIN ROTARY AND CHANGE THE WORLD
(VIDEO)
(sourced by Dennis Wong)
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IDENTIFYING PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS FOR OUR CLUB
Think of your contacts, acquaintances, friends and family members who might qualify for membership in the Club. It's not necessary to know whether they are ready to join Rotary.
Professional Contacts:
Consider your supervisor, current and former colleagues, acquaintances from professional associations and people you have done business with recently.
Service Contacts:
Consider neighbors, community leaders and acquaintances who have volunteered with you on Rotary or non-Rotary events or service projects.
Community Contacts:
For example:
Medical Professionals, Real Estate Agents, Financial Managers/Planners, Religious Leaders, Lawyers, Business Consultants, Accountants, Veterinarians, Non-Profit Professionals, School Administrators, Social Workers
Have a name?
Send it in with some contact info.
jbcohen27@gmail.com
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On the
first Saturday of each month, two Rotarian's are assigned to deliver and serve meals to the homeless at the Gillespie Center. Please contact
Bruce Paul
bruce.a.paul@gmail.com
July 6 - Fuchs and Hauck
August 3 - Masumian and Ayers
September 7 - Mathias and Watson
October 5 - Augustyn and Renzulli
November 2 - Burger and ....
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The Crier includes the
"Club Calendar", where the upcoming Club events are listed. Please submit event information to: jbcohen27@gmail.com
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Sunrise Rotary Club members serve as greeters and deliver the openers at the Club meetings on a rotating basis. If a member is unavailable on the assigned date, it is essential that he or she find a replacement and submit the name to:
jbcohen27@gmail.com
Greeters
2019
June Freedman; Galan; Augustyn
July Hauck; Wolgast; Lavielle
Aug Fuchs; Nair; Violette
Sept Cohen; Block; Garten
Oct Zielinski; Jaffe; Flug
Meeting Openers
June 28 Looney
July 12 Ayres
19 Hibbard
26 Getraer
Aug. 2 Augustyn
9 Renzulli
16 McCarthy
23 Galan
30 Masumian
Programs:
June 21st - Club Assembly
June 28th - Gene Braunstein - Comedy
Westport Sunrise Rotary Club Board Meetings
Usually the first Tuesday of the month 5:30-7PM in
Town Hall Room 201. All are welcome.
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Rotary's commitment to Service Above Self has been channeled through the Avenues of Service, which form the foundation of club activity. Club Service (Fun, Fellowship and Fundraising)
Club Service focuses on strengthening fellowship and ensuring the smooth functioning of Rotary clubs.
Vocational Service (Four-WayTest)
Vocational Service involves club members serving others through their professions and aspiring to high ethical standards. Rotarians, as business leaders, share skills and expertise through their vocations, and they inspire others in the process.
Community Service (Charitable Giving and Hands-On)
Community Service is the opportunity Rotary clubs have to implement club projects and activities that improve life in the local community.
International Service (International Projects and PolioEradication)
International Service encompasses efforts to expand Rotary's humanitarian reach around the world and to promote world understanding and peace. It includes everything from contributing to Polio Plus to helping Rotary Youth Exchange students adjust to their host countries.
New Generations Service ( Rising Young Voices)
New Generations Service recognizes the positive change implemented by youth and young adults through leadership development activities such as RYLA Rotaract and Interact club service projects, and creating international understanding with Rotary Youth Exchange.
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President:
Eileen Lavigne Flug
Past President: Ron Holtz
President Elect: Karen Kleine
Secretary: Yvonne Senturia
Treasurer and Sunrise Rotary Foundation President: Jeff Cohen
Membership Chair: June Getraer
Program Chair: Ralph Krueger
Hands On Co-Chair: Bruce Paul
Hands On Co-Chair: Rob Hauck
Charitable Giving Chair:
Helen Garten
Youth Services: Justin Phillips
Youth Services
: Pat Riemersma
International Chair
: Rick Jaffe
Rotary International Foundation Chair: Joe Renzulli
Member at Large: Mark Soboslai
Member at Large: Liz Wong
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| Editor/ Photographer |
Jeff Cohen |
| Reporter/Photographer |
Roy Fuchs |
| Columnist |
Nick Clarke |
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The Westport Sunrise Rotary Club meets 7:30 AM every Friday Morning at
The Westport Inn
1595 Post Road East.
Meetings are open to all Rotarians and their guests.
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Place article copy here. Be sure to make the articles short and concise as people tend not to read much more than a couple of paragraphs. Place article copy here.
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