After the rituals were completed, fifteen Rotarians helped themselves to salad, soup, grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and chocolate cake. John was first to garner President Liane’s attention and proposed a fine on Tony for causing me to make an error in Granite Chips because of the chaos he causes at meetings. During his defense Tony called John “Steinman” which prompted an amendment of disrespect for calling a Rotarian by his last name. Both the amendment and the main motion passed. Caroline reported that she, Eddie, Bruce and Tony attended District 7850 LEADS (Leadership, Engagement and Development Seminar) at Northern Vermont University (Lyndon) over the weekend. Bruce and Tony attended a session on grant certification and Eddie attended a pre-PETS session. Caroline also announced that we were recognized as the third (out of forty-one clubs) highest per capita in its contributions to the Rotary Foundation in District 7850. Liane gave a Sad Dollar noting that three offices that she works with in California can see the smoke from the devastating fires. She also threw in another dollar for mentioning the company that she works for. Tom proposed a fine of one-and-nine on Tony for “giving back.” Tony retorted that he was the “gift that keeps on giving” and President Liane added that “maybe we shouldn’t have unwrapped that one.” Fine passed. Eddie gave a Happy Dollar in celebration that he will be in Barbados for Thanksgiving. President Liane gave a Sad Dollar because she won’t be. John offered a Happy Dollar in recognition of his son’s nineteen birthday occurring on Thanksgiving Day. Noting that she did not have a large family, President Liane gave a Happy Dollar for being grateful for her Rotarian family.

 

 

Bruce announced that Sarah White will celebrate her birthday on November 15^th and that Sam Markewich ‘s first anniversary as member of Barre Rotary will occur on November 22nd and Caroline’s fourth year anniversary will occur on November 26^th.

 

 

 

 

President Liane introduced Karen Nelson, today’s speaker. Karen is public health nurse and a chronic disease prevention specialist and school liaison with the Vermont Department of Health. Her
presentation was titled “Communicating the Impact of Chronic Disease.” It is the goal of this program is “to ensure that our state continues to be one of the healthiest and best places in the U.S. for all of us live, work and play.” 3>4>50 is a simple but powerful way to understand and communicate the overwhelming impact of chronic disease in Vermont. 3>4>50 is about making a difference at a level that can influence the health of many. Businesses, schools, cities and towns and health care providers all play an important role in shaping the health of Vermonters.    3>4>50 signifies that three behaviors (lack of physical activity, poor diet and tobacco use) lead to four chronic diseases (cancer, heart disease and stroke, Type 2 diabetes and lung disease) resulting in more than fifty percent of all deaths in Vermont. Karen presented the statistics regarding the determinants of health: health care-10%; environmental exposure-5%; behavioral patterns-40%; social circumstances-15%; and genetics-30%. She pointed out the highest percentage are behavioral patterns. She went on to discuss healthy tips for individuals: be active, walk 30 minutes each day; eat whole foods and aim to eat at least two fruits and three vegetables a day; don’t use tobacco; and enlist the support and encouragement of family, friends and medical providers. As for businesses, she provided the following healthy tips: remove or reduce sugary drinks in vending machines; (Loren did point out that sugar needs to be available for those with Type 1 diabetes.) go tobacco free; provide refrigerators, microwaves and break areas; encourage and support employees to get 30 minutes of physical activity a day; bring fresh, local food into the workplace: and establish breastfeeding policies. In answering the question, “What can you do?” she listed the following: individuals can join the 3>4>50 movement by getting better sleep, having more energy or preventing illness; worksites can complete a self-assessment and sign on at a Bronze, Silver or Gold Level; (Barre City was the first municipality in Vermont to sign on at the Gold Level.) Rising Stars are organizations working their way to a commitment level; some larger, multi-level organizations have formalized their dedication to reducing chronic disease by signing the 3>4>50 Commitment Letter. Karen was confident that we could reduce the number of deaths from these diseases by getting “everyone rowing in the same direction.”  Rotarians demonstrated their interest by asking several questions and showed their appreciation for her presentation with a warm round of applause. For further information: www.healthvermont.gov (click on Health Promotion & Chronic Disease) or to contact our speaker: karen.nelson@vermont.gov.