Club notes for Wednesday, October 24, 2018

The meeting today was in two parts as our way to celebrate Rotary World Polio Day. We began with a gathering of community dignitaries and Rotarians from our two clubs. We met in front of City Hall and held a Polio Day flag-raising. Trudy and Nancy were busy ensuring that all of us had a purple finger nail, small finger, left hand, a symbol of the purple dye that was used to indicate that a child had received his or her vaccine.

We enjoyed meeting briefly once again with representatives of the city, police and fire departments and first responders agencies. Our members were joined by members of the Railway City club. After the ceremony the Rotarians and guests went to the Roadhouse Restaurant where we gathered in the side room where the Railway City club meets. Helen Campbell was our speaker.

Helen Campbell spoke with great emotion about her experiences of growing up in a home with her mother, an adult victim of polio. Her mother was several months into pregnancy when the disease struck and when the time arrived for her baby (Helen) to be born the hospital staff considered it a miracle that a woman paralyzed from the waist down was able to have a successful delivery. However, both mother and baby survived and that's how we managed to have that baby as our speaker today. 

The years often were hard for her family. Her mother made a decision that her condition would not deter her and her family from living as normal a life as possible. She learned how to manage herself and her wheelchair until she could do most of the things that a farm wife and mother was expected to do.

Helen remembers all the love in their home, her father especially, who operated a dairy farm and still became a primary caregiver. Helen and her two older sisters grew and prospered and were endowed with great strength of character, an effect of the lifestyle in which they were raised. We have many times seem the strength and talents of this Rotary lady in the work she does for Rotary.

In conclusion Helen made note of how important the Rotary Polio eradication commitment is to the world. Her first-hand experience was the reason that she immediately embraced the campaign when she became a Rotarian. At every opportunity she encourages all our members and members of all the other clubs she visits to keep on with the work. We must not stop until this dreadful disease is finally gone.

President Trish thanked Helen for her presentation.

There were a few small items of business.

Members are reminded to continue to gather donated items for the Tour of Homes Auction and Tree Ball sales. They are to delivered to the Wayside where the  new owners have been warned to expect them.

Gerry Janssen made a video of the flag-raising and posted it on facebook.

Scott Carie, formerly our club treasurer and currently a member of the Railway City club has offered to do matching donations of members' polio gifts, the offer having been extended to include both clubs. We will try to learn a bit more about how he wishes to proceed with his offer.

R.I. Has asked clubs to become an officially designated Polio Club, by having all members make a $50.00 (US) to the campaign. More details to follow.

Next week's meeting will be for fellowship. No speaker is scheduled. Let's try for a big turnout so that we can fulfill one of the basics of Rotary – GOODWILL and FRIENDSHIP among our members.