“Take one step in the direction of your dreams and watch the Universe perform miracles to help you.” – Alexandra Domelle – Founder of Mindful Moment

 

“You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety.” – Abraham Maslow – 1908-1970 – American Psychologist

 

“The best teachers are those who show you where to look but don’t tell you what to see.” – Unknown

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the erudite Mary Hodson)

CU Sunrise was #1 in football guessing for the last week and #3 for the year.

Mary Kay gave a year end wrap up:  We received a District Grant of $2,000 for “Reach Out And Read”, donated $1,000 to Polio Plus and $1,00 to Books for Congo, gained two new members, performed 120 hours of service just since August, and received a District Award for the Karaoke Night. 

We grossed $1,000 more in citrus sales this year, but our cost for the fruit also went up. 

There will be no meeting on Christmas Eve, but we will have a Zoom party at 7 PM on New Year’s Eve.   

Our Ambassadorial and Peace Scholar Shannon O’Rourke Kasali and her husband Baraka moved to be closer to her family in MI before the arrival of their little girl Nia Maeve. 
Ondine announced the Peace Committee’s plan for our January 7 meeting.   She is calling it “Dream Day”.   In the meantime, imagine a COVID free world and think about two questions:  1). If you had unlimited resources, what would you do?  and 2)  If CU Sunrise had unlimited resources, what would you do? 

PROGRAM

Several members spoke about their childhood holiday traditions.

Ondine’s immigrant grandparents wanted to celebrate Christmas.   Hanukkah was not as important as Rosh Hashanah and Passover.  It wasn’t until she married that she and her husband began to celebrate Hanukkah.   She showed a cute YouTube video, “Elf Yourself”.

Oktay grew up in Cyprus, which was divided between the Greek Orthodox and Muslim Turks.  But Oktay remembered holidays from his childhood when they lived in peace together.  He used to help his grandfather make candy to sell to both Muslim and Orthodox children.  The Turks don’t celebrate the holiday, so his mother made wreaths and candles to sell to the Greeks. 

At the age of 15, Oktay had the opportunity to come to the US as an exchange student.  By this time, there was violence between the two cultures and fear was constant.  He asked to come to a small, peaceful town and ended up in Farmer City.  His host mother took him caroling at the homes of the elderly. 

Charlie moved from Panama to NYC when he was 5.  He wasn’t used to the cold.

Lou told how as a 4 year old, he took the ornaments off the tree and hid them in cubbies in the roll top desk.

Finally, Santa played a visit and asked for help in identifying childhood pictures of our members. 

 

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  Dec 31st Jan 7th Jan 14th Jan 21st
         
Reflection Evening social Mary Hodson Darrell Hoemann Larry Johnson
Notetaker Instead of regular meeting Conforti Perry Hodson

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

*All meetings via Zoom unless otherwise noted*

 

December 24th – No meeting

December 31st – Regular meeting canceled; social at 7pm (location TBD)

January 7th – TBD (Ondine)

January 14th – TBD (Tom)

January 21st – TBD (Bob)

January 28th – TBD (Cary)

February 4th – Tom Hodson, Shelter Box (Charlie)

February 11th – TBD (Mary)

February 18th – TBD (Ondine)

February 25th – TBD (Tom)

March 4th – TBD (Bob)

March 11th – TBD (Cary)

March 18th – TBD (Charlie)

March 25th – TBD (Mary)