“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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  Nov 8th Nov 15th Nov 22nd Nov 29th
Introductions Candy Loyd Ben Mast No  John McDaniel
Reflection Darrell Hoemann Larry Johnson meeting Bob La Charite
Greeters Candy Loyd Ben Mast on John McDaniel
Jen Shelby Charlie Smith Turkey Mary Kay Smithy
Song Leader Rod Roberts Angie Schoonover Day Jen Shelby
Notetaker Perry Penwell   Hodson

 
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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)