“The really wonderful thing that happened to me when I was in space was this feeling of belonging to the entire universe.” – Mae Jemison
 
“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.” ― Voltaire
 
“When you haven’t forgiven those who’ve hurt you, you turn your back against your future. When you do forgive, you start walking forward.” ― Tyler Perry 
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTES
There was no meeting last week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.  Stay tuned for more details on our December 13^th C-U Sunrise Holiday Party Extravaganza.
 
 
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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)
November 29th – Sue Grey, President / CEO United Way of Champaign County (David)
December 6th – Glenn Harbin, District 6490 Membership Chair, is going to tell us about a micro loan organization, Kiva (Mary)
December 13th – CUSR Holiday Party EXTRAVAGANZA!
December 20th – TBD (Tom)
December 27th – TBD (Bob)
January 3rd – TBD (Charlie)
January 10th – TBD (David)
January 17th – PDG Larry Howell will discuss the Heart to Heart Zone trip to Mexico (Mary)
January 24th – TBD (Phyllis)
January 31st – TBD (Tom)

 
“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.” ― George Bernard Shaw 
 
“If what you have done yesterday still looks big to you, you haven’t done much today.” ― Mikhail Gorbachev
 
“Societies that treat women badly are dangerous societies. The empowerment of women is not only morally right it is also practical in the positive impact it has on so many social ills.” ― Condoleezza Rice
 
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(Notes provided by Allan Penwell)
We will soon have our last meeting at Hawthorn Suites and change to Lodgic Everyday Community. Details will follow. Lodgic is located at 1807 South Neil Street which is only a stone’s throw from our existing location. We will have the beautiful restaurant and bar room for our breakfast meeting, and the menu will change periodically. Cost will be $10 which is at the pricing level for meetings at other local clubs.
 
Salvation Army bell ringing is December 15^th. Sign-up this year is on-line with details to follow. The website does not yet appear ready for us so details later.
 
Fruit delivery is the second week in December.
 
Our Christmas party is the morning meeting on December 13^th at Hawthorn Suites.
 
Bob noted there will be a Habitat for Humanity work party on December 15^th. It will be inside work and more details later.
 
Emails are out about holiday gift wrapping for Habitat for Humanity.
 
PROGRAM
Charlie introduced Bryan Medlin who is director of operations for University of Illinois Wrestling. He also serves as Illinois Regional Training Center (RTC) head coach. Bryan was formerly a math teacher and wrestling coach at Washington (Illinois) High School and has numerous coaching and wrestling honors. His experience includes wrestling in the Marine Corps as well as wrestling experiences in Russia and Japan.
USA wrestling struggled on the world stage (mat) as the only national training center was the Olympic facility in Colorado Springs. This was a limited training path for wrestlers who had to travel to get there. To solve this problem, several RTCs were formed around the country with one being in Illinois. With the Illinois RTC established, high school wrestlers no longer have to travel to Colorado Springs.
The Illinois RTC is set up as a 501(c)(3) organization, and donations are accepted to cover operating costs. The formation of the Illinois RTC was what really interested Bryan to come to the U of I.
Bryan believes there are four steps for a wrestler to become world class. (1) physical strength, (2) mental toughness, (3) time management, and (4) enough income (stipends) to cover living expenses while training.
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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)
November 22nd – No Meeting – Thanksgiving
November 29th – Sue Grey, President / CEO United Way of Champaign County (David)
December 6th – Glenn Harbin, District 6490 Membership Chair, is going to tell us about a micro loan organization, Kiva (Mary)
December 13th – CUSR Holiday Party EXTRAVAGANZA!
December 20th – TBD (Tom)
December 27th – TBD (Bob)
January 3rd – TBD (Charlie)
January 10th – TBD (David)
January 17th – TBD (Mary)
January 24th – TBD (Phyllis)
January 31st – TBD (Tom)

 
“Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.” ― Pope John Paul II 
 
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(notes provided by the distinguished gentleman from Connecticut, Eduardo Perri)
 
The club gave a warm welcome to past member Coletta Ackermann who was back in the area. 
 
Cary thanked Phyillis for her work in getting the District’s Grant money. The check has been received and will go to help the Times Shelter. 
 
Michelle thanks all those who helped this past Saturday with the Champaign Central Interact Club’s 5k fundraiser. CU Sunrise and Savoy’s Rotary club teamed up to help with this event. 
 
Cary noted that we will again be called upon this holiday season with bell ringing duties for the Salvation Army. Like past year’s we will be at the Walmart on north Prospect in Champaign. A sign-up sheet will be passed around at a future club meeting.
 
Robb noted that the Fruit Sale is going strong and would like all orders in as soon as possible. The Grapefruit and Oranges should be available for distribution the week of December 10th. The club’s wish is to have each member sell a minimum of 15 cases or donate $200 or a combination there of to reach our Club goal of $7,000.
 
PROGRAM
 
Bob introduced Dr. Angela Williams, associate director at the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. Dr. Williams topic this morning was “Hip Hop and Woman’s Voices in the Middle East and Africa. She presented information on the several current female rappers in that area and the message they are presenting. Music is one way to help change take place.
 
Hip Hop artists such as Soultana from Morocco, Malikah from Lebanon, Shada Mansour from Palestine, Mayan Mahmound from Eqypt and Salome MC from Iran were highlighted. These artists are raising their voices on current issues in the area. Such issues include women’s rights and historical social practices, the restrictions placed on women, women empowerment, clothing, respect and sexual harassment.These same issues continue in many countries today.
 
Dr. Williams presented video examples of several musical pieces. One video clip was from a TV show “Arabs Got Talent”, a popular show in the Middle East. Through social media, such as YouTube, Facebook and Soundcloud, also allows the performers to present their work to the people. Public performances/concerts, especially by women, can be restricted in many of these countries. 
 
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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)
November 15th – Bryan Medlin, Illinois Wrestling’s Regional Training Center (Charlie)
November 22nd – No Meeting – Thanksgiving
November 29th – Sue Grey, President / CEO United Way of Champaign County (David)
December 6th – Glenn Harbin, District 6490 Membership Chair, is going to tell us about a micro loan organization, Kiva (Mary)
December 13th – TBD (Phyllis)
December 20th – TBD (Tom)
December 27th – TBD (Bob)
January 3rd – TBD (Charlie)
January 10th – TBD (David)
January 17th – TBD (Mary)
January 24th – TBD (Phyllis)
January 31st – TBD (Tom)

 
“Being in control of your life and having realistic expectations about your day-to-day challenges are the keys to stress management, which is perhaps the most important ingredient to living a happy, healthy and rewarding life.” ― Marilu Henner 
 
“There is nothing wrong in change, if it is in the right direction. To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often.” ― Winston Churchill 
 
“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” ― Buddha 
 
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(notes provided by the unconventional and unorthodox Paul Conforti)
 
Tom Hodson, visiting from Champaign West, is taking orders for his club’s annual poinsettia sale. $10 each, deadline is Wednesday 11/28 and poinsettia pick up is 12/7 & 8. Send your order to cwrpoinsettia@gmail.com. Make checks payable to CWRC or call Susan Jepson at 217-202-1466. There are 3 choices: White Pink and Red.
 
CU Sunrise Fruit Fundraiser – Fruit Orders are due 11/19
 
District 7730 Raffle Fundraiser at www.rotary7730.org/
Grand Prize: 2019 Chevy Corvette (or $50,000 cash)
Drawing is December 15th (That Vette sure would look sweet on a snowy Thursday morning at 6:30am wherever our January meetings are going to be!)
 
Ata announced this year’s Rotary tribute to veterans, Veteran’s Day One on One, to be held Sunday November 11, at the Round Barn Center from 3pm to 6pm. This years keynote speaker is Royal P. Mortenson, Director Illinois Fire Service Institute, Colonel, USMC (Retired). Make sure you invite a veteran and sign up in advance. The admission cost with lunch is $20.00 per person.
 
PROGRAM
 
Our speaker this week was Kim Bryan, Director and founder of Rattle the Stars.
On April 7, 2016, Kim’s son Sam died of suicide. He was 19. Sam’s death shocked everyone who knew him. He was the last person anyone would think was depressed or suicidal. He was always smiling and goofy, doing anything to get a laugh out of those around him. He was involved in activities, running cross-country and track, playing percussion in the band, and playing ultimate Frisbee with several leagues. He was a lifeguard and was studying to be a firefighter because he was so passionate about saving others. He was surrounded by friends and family who loved him deeply. None of that was enough to overcome the power of the depression that took his thoughts and emotions hostage. Sam was diagnosed with depression less than 6 months before his death, but he had struggled with the illness since his early teens.
Kim started Rattle the Stars because she found there was a significant lack of information about suicide, for those who could benefit from knowing about an illness they felt powerless to overcome, but also for those (parents, students, friends and relatives) who had experienced suicide from someone in their lives. What do you do, what can you say? These are areas Kim’s organization is attempting to bridge.
In Champaign County there are approximately two times as many suicides than homicides annually.
Their mission is to beat the stigma of mental illness and prevent suicide in adolescents and young adults. To normalize the topics of mental illness and suicide so that no one ever feels alone or suffers in silence. Mental illness and suicide are not individual level issues and cannot be treated by individual level responses. People with mental illness and suicidal thoughts cannot be expected to be solely responsible for securing their own care. One cannot and should not wait for those suffering to to ask for help. We must identify them and intervene. We empower people to have constructive conversations about mental illness and suicide so that they can better help those who need them.
Donations and support are welcome and needed. Learn more at: rattlethestars.org
 
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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)
November 8th – Dr. Angela Williams, Associate Director, Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, UIUC (Bob)
November 15th – Bryan Medlin, Illinois Wrestling’s Regional Training Center (Charlie)
November 22nd – No Meeting – Thanksgiving
November 29th – Sue Grey, President / CEO United Way of Champaign County (David)
December 6th – Glenn Harbin, District 6490 Membership Chair, is going to tell us about a micro loan organization, Kiva (Mary)
December 13th – TBD (Phyllis)
December 20th – TBD (Tom)
December 27th – TBD (Bob)
January 3rd – TBD (Charlie)
January 10th – TBD (David)
January 17th – TBD (Mary)
January 24th – TBD (Phyllis)
January 31st – TBD (Tom)