| Rotary Flash for Meeting on January 19, 2010 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Our meeting began in the usual way with Bill McGrath leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance and God Bless America. Our invocation was given by Sue McDonald. Sergeant at Arms Report John Hanna reported 46 of our 103 members in attendance today. Rotary Foundation Moment Bill Thorne gave our Foundation Moment this week. Every minute of every day someone’s life is being improved by our Rotary Foundation. Rotary clubs on every continent are working to improve the living conditions and health of their fellow citizens. Rotarians like you and me can make a difference by continually supporting our Foundation and the Annual Programs Fund. As Rotarians, we determine where funds are allocated through District Designated Funds, which we can use for local projects or matching grants in another country. When we contribute to our Foundation, we are promoting worldwide Peace and Understanding. Only if Every Rotarian Every Year makes a gift to the Annual Programs Fund will we be able to continue to do the great work of The Rotary Foundation. Announcements Remember that next week our meeting will be at the Courtyard Marriott. There will be a short board meeting after this week – it is a request to help sponsor shelter boxes for Haiti. The shelter box houses a family, provides a stove, water, toilet facilities. Chuck Strobel announced that next week he will be passing out a signup sheet to join the committee for the upcoming Arts and Heritage Festival booth. If you’re interested in helping to prepare for this event, please sign up next week or contact Chuck. Word of the Week Bill’s word of the week is fain. It means content or pleased. Speaker Our speaker was Dr. Anthony Van Norman, who spoke to us about psoriasis. Psoriasis is a chronic, noncontagious, multisystem, inflammatory disorder. Usually it affects the skin at the joints and the scalp, and 30% of the time it affects the joints themselves. It tends to have flares that are usually related to systemic or environmental factors. It appears that it’s influenced by genetics, so it is hereditary, though there are other factors involved. Between 2 and 2.6% of the US population is affected by psoriasis and is less common in the tropics and in dark-skinned persons. Only 10-15% of new cases begin in those younger than 10 and the median age at onset is 28 years, so it usually affects younger individuals. Fortunately, mild psoriasis does not appear to increase the risk of death, but it can significantly influence a person’s quality of life. There are a number of treatment methods, including using ultraviolet light and various drugs. For more information, you can go to www.psoraisis.org. Bill ended the meeting in the usual way with the Four Way Test. |