“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” – Ella Fitzgerald – 1929-1995 – Singer

 

“The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.” – BB King – 1925-2015 – Blues Singer-Songwriter-Musician

 

“Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.” – Charles Dickens – 1812-1870 – Writer

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the distinguished gent from Connecticut, Edward Perry)

 

Our upcoming club volunteer projects:

 

-March 26, 10 to 1pm Read Across America at Lincoln Square. Michelle noted that the time slots were filled, and all were invited to the outdoor event.

-April 3, 8 to 10 am for the Chez Veterans 5K. Joe passed around a sign up sheet for those interested in volunteering to monitor various locations along the route.

-April 9, 8:30 to 11am or 11 to 1pm at Scott Park for the Boneyard Creek clean up. Phyllis passed around a signup sheet.

-April 30 for the Christie Clinic Race. See Mary Kay if you are interested in helping.

-May 9, 6pm to 8pm for volunteering for Books to Prisoners. See Larry for additional information.

 

This Month’s Club Social will take place at 6pm on March 31 at the Chez Veterans Center, 908 W. Nevada, Urbana. Light snacks and soft drinks will be served. We will have the opportunity to meet and greet student veterans and center leaders and tour the state-of-the-art facility with a goal of furthering C-U Sunrise Rotary’s relationship with and support of student veterans on campus. Spouses and potential new members are invited.  Free parking is available after 5 pm in the UI faculty-staff parking lot immediately west of the center. 

 

 

PROGRAM

 

Mary introduced our Assistant Governor Michael Harris. Michael is a retired pharmacist from Monticello, Illinois, and has been involved in many Rotary activities from club level to various district committees. Recently, he served as chair for the district’s literacy program and spearheaded that successful project by receiving essay submissions from over 150 high school students. He has also visited many Rotary Clubs from around the world. Mary noted if something needed to be done Michael could do it. 

 

Today’s program was an informative, enjoyable and humorous presentation on the historical patent medicines that were sold for ‘just about everything that ails you.’

Monticello, Illinois, was a center for patent medicine running from the late 1800s through the early 1900s. Many of the large historic homes in Monticello were built by the wealthy owners of these businesses.  Michael shared examples of various patent medicines sold in those days. Patent medicines are over the counter medicines that may use questionable ingredients. They were heavily advertised as being the cure for many things without regard to its actual effectiveness. Truth in advertising laws were yet to be made. 

 

Using examples from his collection of these early advertisements, Michael reviewed the actual ingredients along with its various remedy claims. Some of these medicines contained a mixture of vegetable compounds with alcohol, morphine, opium and cocaine. While some were effective, one had to be careful with the amount of medication that was taken. The golden age of patent medicines lasted from the mid-nineteenth century into the first two decades of the twentieth century.

Michael also gave examples of how doctor’s prescriptions were written in the 1930s and how pharmacists would mix up and disperse the drug for a specific patient.   

 

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  Mar 24th Mar 31st April 7th April 14th
Introductions Ed Perry Joe Rank Rod Roberts Tod Satterthwaite
Reflection Jerry Payonk Allan Penwell Ed Perry Joe Rank
Greeters Ed Perry Joe Rank Rod Roberts Tod Satterthwaite
Cary Woolard Eddie Bridges Paul Conforti Diana Dummitt
Notetaker Perry Hodson Conforti Perry

 

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

 

March 24th – Professor Fred Christensen, OLLIE presenter and president of the East Central Illinois Archeological Society will speak on “What history tells us about the Ukraine-Russian War” (Mary)

March 31st – Evening social at the Chez Veteran’s Center (see notes in Announcements above)

April 7th – TBD

April 14th – Dr. Pat Vargas, Professor of Advertising, UIUC will discuss studies on advertising in the US and New Zealand and how this effects consumer decisions (Bob)

April 21st – Mayor Diane Marlin, City of Urbana (Cary)

April 28th – Jordan Dziura, the Executive Director at Illini Media Co., will discuss the Daily Illini’s 110th anniversary, upcoming reunion for IMC alums, and the future of college media (Charlie)

May 5th – TBD

May 12th – Scott Schwartz, Curator and Archivist for the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, University of Illinois Library (Joe)

May 19th – Major General (ret) William L. Enyart (Mary)

May 26th – Jacque Kalipeni, representing the Kalipeni Foundation that helps communities in Malawi

June 2nd – TBD

June 9th – TBD

June 16th – TBD