In the beginning...
President Marty opened the meeting.
He also led us in the Pledge of Allegiance after discovering Deidre Daly was not in the room.
Our invocation by Kevin Davis was “Five Ways Giving is Good for You.”
1. Giving makes us feel happy. A 2008 study by Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton and colleagues found that giving money to someone else lifted participants’ happiness more that spending it on themselves.
2. Giving is good for our health. A wide range of research has linked different forms of generosity to better health, even among the sick and elderly. In his book Why Good Things Happen to Good People, Stephen Post, a professor of preventative medicine at Stony Brook University, reports that giving to others has been shown to increase health benefits in people with chronic illness, including HIV and multiple sclerosis.
3. Giving promotes cooperation and social connection. When you give, you’re more likely to get back: Several studies, including work by sociologists Brent Simpson and Robb Willer, have suggested that when you give to others, your generosity is likely to be rewarded by others down the line—sometimes by the person you gave to, sometimes by someone else.
4. Giving evokes gratitude. Whether you’re on the giving or receiving end of a gift, that gift can elicit feelings of gratitude—it can be a way of expressing gratitude or instilling gratitude in the recipient. And research has found that gratitude is integral to happiness, health, and social bonds.
5. Giving is contagious. When we give, we don’t only help the immediate recipient of our gift. We also spur a ripple effect of generosity through our community.
Thanks to...
Marty thanked our many meeting helpers including:
Greeter Suzanne Scar, Cashier Dave Brubaker, Room set up by Bill Prather, Reminder Editor Wendy Barker, Fine master Betsy Watson, and Sean McDermott on the roving mic.
Joining us on Zoom were Frank Finck and Larry Beckett.
Visiting Rotarians and Guests
Visiting Rotarians were Kern Lewis from Castro Valley who is moving to Ojai, and Susan Weaver of Rotary E-Club of One World.
There were quite a few guests including Bob Isler, Susan Banfield, Brian Schlack of Ojai Valley School, Christine Fenn, Joyce West, Rod Owens, Kara Lakes, and our speaker Michael Katz.
Announcements
On November 4th we will be inducing new members in our club. Please try to attend.
Click on this link below for a short video on Help of Ojai:
Next week, 4th Friday, we will meet at Help of Ojai on Baldwin Road. Park in the administrative lot. Fern Barishman is our leader in charge of the day. She’ll have Rotary apron for us to wear. Marty encourages us to take good pictures of Rotarians doing things and then share the images with Carl, who will also have his camera. So smile when you see Carl. There will not be lunch provided next week. Instead, it will be something different and meaningful.
President Marty thanked all our tech experts who helped everyone at last week’s meeting.
There will be a Membership meeting on November 4 after our regular meeting.
The Art Poster Committee meets today, after our meeting.
Don’t forget another Contra Dance is this Sunday, October 23. There were over 60 people at the Ojai Art Center for the first dance and a great time was had by all. This is a joint event with the Ojai Lions Club and Disabled American Veterans.
Remember our Rotary Club is sponsoring the Let’s Walk event on October 29. Registration begins at 8am at the Ojai Community Hospital. Rotary will have a booth, so check in and say hello.
The Community Service Committee is helping with the Nordhoff Cemetery Clean-up on November 5 from 9am to 1pm. Lunch will be provided by American Legion afterwards.
We’re looking for nominations for the Dr. Bob Skanky Humanitarian Award. See Sue Gilbreth for details. Who do you know who does good things in our community? Nominate them! The award includes a cash award.
President Kay made a colorful impression with her Polio Plus garb as she talked about the project. Bob Davis, our Polio Plus chairman, also talked about International Polio Day.
Our two Ojai Rotary Clubs have contributed over $200,000. Polioeradication.org has great information from Rotary and the World Health Organization. The Gates Foundation has pledged $1.2 billion to fight polio this year. For the first time we have a new vaccine. We watched a short video by RI President Jennifer Jones
Fining and Confessions...
Betsy Watson was our finer, and Catherine Lee was on the net. Catherine made the first confession, that she went to Grand Rapids, which “rocks.”
Susanne Scar’s stepdaughter, Michael Scar’s daughter, got engaged this week.
Tony Thacher will be sending an email to everyone about advertising in our 75th anniversary publication. Watch for it, and then respond to Tony.
Bob Davis turned 83 brought us up to date on Polio Plus and the importance the role Rotarians play in eliminating this scourge.
Our lovely Cheree Edwards shared that she will be undergoing medical treatments, and while she won’t be around much the next couple months, she appreciates our support.
Then it was on to questions. Bryant Huber missed a question about Betsy, and Dierdre Daly missed one about Rotary.
The Program-Michael Katz-Ojai Storytellers Festival
Bret Bradigan first introduced Tara Lakes, the Ojai Storytellers Festival’s Executive Director. First, will be Shakespeare in the Libbey Bowl, a first, on Thursday night, October 27.
Also new this year is ASL interpreters. Information and tickets are available on their website, OjaiStoryFest.org, including tickets for streaming only. They are still looking for volunteers.
Tara introduced our primary speaker Michael Katz, who has
performed here at the festival a number of times.
Michael said we have one of the best storytelling festivals in the country. Storytellers come up with stories from their lives, steal them from other storytellers, and also make up new stories. He let us know there will be a Laughing Night at the Festival this year.
Click here for a short video of "The Pickpocket"
He shared three stories. First was “The Pickpocket,” followed by a folktale from Poland called “Clever Rachel.” Michael ended with a Chinese folktale, “Be Polite.”
Thanks Michael and Tara for sharing your talents and time. We are looking forward to your event.
Life Hacks
President Marty ended the meeting by reminding us of that next week we are meeting at Help of Ojai at the Baldwin Road campus.
And then he shared a life hack:
"Efficiency is highly overrated. Goofing off is highly underrated. Regularly scheduled sabbaths, sabbaticals, vacations, breaks, aimless walks and time off are essential for top performance of any kind. The best work ethic requires a good rest ethic."
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