Dear People of Action, 
 
Remember, the timing of our meetings this year has changed to NOON on the first and third Mondays & 5:30 PM on the second and fourth Mondays.
  
On Monday January 23, as I am flying to Bumpeh Chiefdom, Sierra Leone,  Akiba will lead our 5:30 PM meeting at Aubees, 2120 Whittaker Road, in the VIP Room.  Thanks, Akiba!  Our guest speaker will be Joe Keene, the Paramedic from St. Joe's who is leading the effort to "Stop the Bleed" by training civilians to apply life-saving first aid principles to gunshot and stab wounds until the ambulance arrives.  Joe says he is equipped with enough fake body parts to train up to 20 people!  Les has invited Kiwanis Club members to join us that day.  Plan to invite a friend or neighbor!  Those who are trained can in turn help train others when this program is rolled out in area high schools.  Let's be sure to fill all 20 spots!
 
Our MLK Day luncheon at EMU did NOT go as planned!  I was the ONLY Rotarian at table 54, and John Barr the only Rotarian at table 52!  If there were any other Rotarians in the Ballroom, I guess you were pretty well mixed into the crowd as I didn't see you!  The speaker held my attention and the food was tasty, but as a Rotary meeting substitute it was disappointing. 
 
Continuing to look ahead, Monday January 30th is the fifth Monday on the calendar, and as such it is a 5:30 PM social hour.  Scott Bland has graciously agreed to lead this event  in my absence, choose a restaurant, remind everyone about it and referee the ordering of the first round of hors d'oeuvres!   Thanks, Scott!  Stay tuned for details!
 
Our speaker for Monday February 6th at NOON will be our friend and neighbor Lisa Wozniak, Executive Director of the League of Conservation Voters.  Maria will lead this meeting, thanks Maria!   Lisa will discuss  how to better understand and ramp up the political will to tackle state and global environmental issues timely and effectively, as well as give us her take on any other issues of the environment she feels inclined to share with us!
 
I will be back in time to lead our 5:30 PM meeting on February 13th!  However, I will certainly be jet-lagged!  So my presentation of photos of the accomplishments our Rotary dollars have helped Paramount Chief Charles Caulker achieve will have to wait until a future meeting!  Instead, I have asked Monica Prince to talk to us about the new inter-generational thrust to programming at what we have historically called and thought of as the Senior Center! 
 
In Rotary Service, 
 
Cheryl Farmer
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