Rotary Informer

Petoskey Rotary Noon Club NEWSLETTER

March 31, 2021

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Petoskey via Zoom on the world wide web. Ashley Whitney, President officiated the meeting. If you did not get the chance to attend, you can watch it from this:  Recording

Pledge/Anthem:  Howard Richards Played “God Bless America”

4-Way Test:  Lisa Hammond

Invocation:  Stu Fenton

Judaism & Christianity

More alike than different

2 of the oldest, greatest, and major religions of the world

One derived directly from the other

And this week, both great religions celebrate some of their most important holidays

For Jews, this week is Passover, where God led Moses to rescue the Jews from bitter slavery in Egypt. 

For Christians, this weekend is Good Friday and Easter, where Jesus Christ was tortured and killed, but then rose again and was resurrected. 

2 religions, 1 common theme. 

Moses and Jesus – 2 towering figures in religious history.

Both with a direct connection to God.

Both holidays are celebrated in spring – symbolizing renewal and new beginnings

Both celebrate the overcoming of extreme cruelty & adversity – slavery & crucifixion

Both stories honor the triumph of the human spirit over terrible tragedy

Ultimately, they provide us important messages of hope, optimism, positivity,

So whatever your faith, whatever your belief, may you have a peaceful, thoughtful, reflective, and ultimately joyful holiday season

Calendar Winners:  Read off by Bob Metzger

Calendar Winners March 31, 2021

Visiting Rotarians:  None

Guests:  Jim Harrington, Speaker

Life Events:

Rotary Care List:

Birthdays:  None

Anniversaries:  None

Singing/Song:  Howard Richards led us in singing Smile.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

100 Acts of Service:  This year our club aspires to complete 100 Acts of Service for our 100 years. If you did something to serve others in the last week, please be sure to record it in our online survey -- click here. Thank you!

Beach Cleanup:  Save the date! On Saturday, April 24 at 10:00 AM our club will participate with other service clubs in a beach cleanup at Petoskey State Park.  Stay tuned for more info. Please contact Jeff Wynder if you have any questions.

Spaghetti Dinner:  Save the Date! On April 22 we will hold our annual spaghetti dinner at the Grand Unity Events Center (1106 Charlevoix Ave., Petoskey). We will be offering carryout service only, from 3:00 - 7:00 PM. Christian Smith emailled all members last week, with information on how to volunteer as well as how to promote the dinner to your friends & family. Thanks to those who have signed up for a volunteer shift so far! We still have a few slots available.

Petoskey Rotary Club Charities Inc.:  PRCCI, the charitable arm of our club, reviewed 17 grant applications from local nonprofits. Stay tuned for more info on their funding decisions.

PROGRAM

Today we were joined by Jim Harrington, an educator with Michigan State University Extension. Jim talked with us about opioid use prevention and recovery.

Unfortunately, Michigan is among the top 10 states with the highest opioid overdoses. Opioid use disorder is a brain disease. It's not a lack of willpower or the person's character. People are more likely to seek help for their opioid misuse with reduced stigma -- for example, instead of calling someone an "addict" or a "junkie," understand this person has a substance use disorder.

When recovering from opioid misuse, multiple recovery attempts are normal. Positive support is essential.

There are many alternatives to opioids -- acupuncture, meditation, chiropractic care, yoga, mindfulness, massage therapy, tai chi, etc. MSU Extension offers various remote learning programs, on topics such as chronic pain management, mental health first aid, mindfulness training and more. Learn more at:  https://www.canr.msu.edu/misuper/

Next Week’s Program:  Frank Shepherd – Newspaper industry/media – Stuart Fenton

Parting Shots:  Howard Richards closed with songs from a 1922 Rotary Songbook

Bohunkus,

Michigan,

Our Silk Pajamas,

The Optimist