| Meeting Flash Rotary Flash of 01-24-2006 Greensburg Rotary Club FLASH – 1/24/06 The balance of nature is reached when heating the house costs as much as going south for the winter. --James H. McGavran Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. --Victor Hugo The January 24 meeting of the Greensburg Rotary was called to order by President CATHY BAUMANN with the Pledge of Allegiance, a fine rendition of “God Bless America” (lead in good voice by JIM THOMAS) and the Invocation by CHUCK ANDERSON. DENNIS CREMONESE gave the Sgt.-at-Arms report of an attendance of 65, including one visiting Rotarian, Hempfield Rotary Treasurer MARTHA HENNINGER and her daughter Lisa, BEN POLICASTRO (Bill McGrath), CAMILLE NEMANIC (Ed Nemanic), GEORGE ROSS (John Kline), DOUG MARTZ (Mark Barnhart), DIANE SPROUL (John Sproul) and Exchange Students Julie Mala and Jorge Garcia. ANNOUNCEMENTS · Reminder – the meeting next week, January 31, will be held at the Greensburg Garden & Civic Center. · Hempfield Rotary’s MARTHA HENNINGER issued an invitation to purchase tickets ($30 each) for the Hempfield Rotary Club’s fundraiser Mystery Dinner on Saturday, February 11, 6:30PM in Wagner Hall at Univ. of Pitt/Gbg. “Death of a Gangster” will be performed by Stage Right. The deadline for reservations is Monday, January 30. Club President CATHY presented a check for $100 from the Greensburg Club for that fundraiser. · TONY MARTINO called a meeting of the Arts & Heritage Committee immediately following the weekly meeting. · PETE CECCONI is having shoulder surgery and a get-well card was circulated for member signatures. · CARL ROSSMAN reported on a successful Youth Exchange Ski Weekend and thanx to JEFF BRANTHOOVER for his organizing efforts and for the Branthoover family’s overnight hosting of the students. · CARL ROSSMAN announced the February 1 meeting of the Program Planning Committee in the Hempfield Room, Univ. of Pitt/Gbg. · CESARE MUCCARI announced that DICK McNEEL’s wife, Janet, is having knee surgery, asking prayers for her AND for Dick during Janet’s recovery. · CHRIS RIZK announced the Stage Right production of ”A Chorus Line” at Univ. of Pitt/Gbg. this coming weekend. PROGRAM Program Chairman BILL McGRATH introduced Dr. Sam Hammerman, Excela Health Systems, to present a lecture on “LUNG CANCER.” Smoking accounts for 87% of emphysema, lung cancer and heart disease. With 173,770 annual cases, lung cancer presents a greater risk than all combined totals of ovarian or breast cancer and is increasing among more women than men with some smoking background at a rate of 15 times greater. The reasons seem to be genetic, with women more susceptible to tobacco smoke than men. There is NO well-proven screening tool for discovery of lung cancer, although a common x-ray may be the earliest indicator, often as a result of a work-up for some other condition or treatment. Some primary symptoms include cough, recurring infection, chest pain with secondary symptoms being related organ function, weight loss, fatigue. Primary diagnostic tools for lung cancer include CAT scan, x-ray, biopsy, surgery, bone scan and PET scan. Dr. Hammerman advised anyone having pneumonia to have a follow-up x-ray 6-8 weeks later, suggesting that if any indications of pneumonia remain there should be additional tests to determine possible lung cancer. Prognosis depends on the stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis and the general overall health of the patient. Patients with Stage I non-small cell lung cancer have a better survival rate with surgery and radiation treatment (60-80% after 5 years). Small cell cancer is the most aggressive, rarely responds well to surgery, and although there is an initial good response to chemotherapy, it returns as aggressively with a low survival rate beyond 2 years. Lung cancer patients are treated with loving care and pain management and research continues to pursue new, more effective screening tools, clinical trials for treatments with better outcomes. The bottom line remains on the issue of smoking: Never start if you don’t, stop if you do! Following a lively Q & A, the meeting was adjourned with the recitation of The Four-Way Test.
Rotary Flash of 01-17-2006
Announcements · Reminder - Our club’s next road trip meeting will be January 31 at the Greensburg Garden & Civic Center. Program-of-the-Day GRANT GERLICH, director of West Overton Museums, brought us the history and on-going progress of the 19th century West Overton Village in Scottdale, which includes the Overholt homestead, the distillery museum and the birthplace of Henry Clay Frick. The only “living history” museum in PA that includes both the pre- and post-Civil War, the village atmosphere made up of 19 original buildings on the site provides a sense of time and place true to its place in history. The village grew around the whiskey distillery industry begun by Abraham and Mariah Overholt, atypical Mennonites who chose this endeavor as being what they needed to do to survive and thrive. The 6-story building that is the original site of the distillery and grist mill is the largest brick barn still standing in PA. While the label Old Farm Rye ceased production in 1919, Old Overholt Straight Rye Whskey has been the most popular in the world for making whiskey sours and manhattans. Henry Clay Frick was born to the Overholt’s daughter, Elizabeth and husband John Frick in 1849, just 5 months following their marriage, to which her parents had strong objections until the obvious. Henry Clay Frick learned his business sense and sensibility from his grandfather, avoiding the middleman in the coke industry and becoming a millionaire by age 32, owning the land, the mines, the ovens, etc. to the final product. The West Overton Museums host a variety of events and activities throughout the year, including reenactments, interactive & practical living weekends and parlor talks. The next parlor talk will be a drama presentation at 2:00PM, January 29, written & directed by award winning Robert Gorczyca entitled Dear Wife and based on the letters from Gen. Alexander Hays to his wife Annie during the Civil War. President CATHY adjourned the meeting in the usual manner with the recitation of The Four-Way Test.
Rotary FLASH of 01-03-2006
Always remember to forget the troubles that passed away; The first Greensburg Rotary Meeting of 2006 was called to order by President CATHY BAUMANN in the usual manner with the Pledge of Allegiance, “God Bless America” and the invocation led by Bill McGrath. Among the 50 Rotarians in attendance, Sergeant-at-Arms DENNIS CREMONESE recognized the following guests: Doug Marks (Mark Barnhart), Joyce Rossman (Carl Rossman) and Ecuadorian Exchange student, Jorge Garcia. Announcements: · The January Board of Directors meeting will be Thursday, January 5, 6:00 PM at Univ. of Pitt/Gbg. MICHAEL A. MONSOUR, CEO/Chairman of Monsour Medical Center, sponsored by CHUCK ANDERSON, was invested as the Greensburg Rotary Club’s newest member by JOE PELUSO and given a hearty welcome by the attending membership. Program of the Day: Program Chair, Dr. BILL McGRATH brought his expertise to the Club on the appropriately post-prandial subject of GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease, more recognizable as “heartburn”, which is the 2nd Most common doctor’s office complaint (the 1st most common being colon problems). A condition prevalent in 40% of adults, or 140 million, heartburn conditions are chronic in most people and represent a $15.8 billion / year industry for pharmaceuticals. 2% of those patients are at risk of esophageal cancer, which has a less than 5% cure rate. Primarily, GERD is stomach acid coming up into the esophagus where acid causes burn, which causes inflammation. Dr. McGrath stressed that anyone over 40 with frequent heartburn should consult a physician for treatment via 1. Life-style modification of eating habits, low-fat, low-caffeine and avoiding alcohol. (That’s the bad news. The good news for everyone else – the AMA recommends 2 alcoholic drinks per day for everyone else!) 2. Maintenance therapy via medication. Following a lively Q & A at the end of the program, President Cathy led the club in adjournment with the recitation of The Four-Way Test. This FLASH is humbly compiled by interim editor, Katy Doran, and in eager anticipation of the return of BOB WILSON from a 3-month hiatus of surf & sun! Future Weekly Programs: Jan. 10: “Financial Safety on Line” Larry Graft Jr. Jan. 17: “Oldest Local Civil War Museum” Grant Gerlich; Jan. 24: “Lung Cancer” Dr. Hammerman; Jan. 31: Birthdays- Chris Rizk; Club Assembly
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