October 28, 2020 Bulletin

ROTARY NOTES

A publication of the Rotary Club of Warren

Nearly 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day. Rotarians help promote Rotary Motto economic development & reduce poverty in underserved communities by Service Above expanding vocational training Self opportunities, creating well-paying jobs, supporting small businesses, & 4-Way Test providing access to financial management institutions. Through Of the things we service projects, they work to strengthen local entrepreneurs & community think, say or do: leaders and grow economies locally &

around the word. Is it the truth?

Is it fair to all October 28, 2020 concerned?

Will it build ASSIGNMENTS goodwill and better GREETERS friendship? 11/4/2020 – Lauren Kramer

11/11/2020 – Barry Dunaway Will it be beneficial to all concerned? INVOCATION November, 2020 – Lisa Taddei Avenues of December, 2020 – Diane Sauer Service FELLOWSHIP Club Service November, 2020 – Christine Cope

Vocational December, 2020 – John Campolito Service MAGAZINE REPORT Community November, 2020 – Diane Sauer Service December, 2020 – Christine Cope

International Service SPEAKERS 11/4/2020 – Mike Bollas will speak about American Youth Service Presidents who were Veterans 11/11/2020 – Veterans Day Program

Areas of Focus

Promoting Peace

Fighting Disease

Providing Clean Water Following an invocation asking that a fulfilling life is bestowed on all members, Saving Mothers including good health, companionship and & Children the rewards of helping others, Warren

Supporting Rotarians enjoyed listening to our fellowship “TrueEducation song, “True Rotarian”. Ted Stazak then The FouTest” continued his stint during Fellowship with a Growing Local history lesson on the origins of Halloween Economies and all of its festivities. The following information and more can be found on Club Officers the History Channel and History.com. President Dominic Mararri

President Elect Ch ristine Cope Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, Vice-President mostly in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern Ted Stazak France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the Secretary end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold Judy Masaki winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts

believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between Treasurer Cheryl Oblinger the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the Past President ghosts of the dead returned to earth.ar Teri Surin In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely Board dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an Members important source of comfort during the long, dark winter. To

Bill Beinecke commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the Barry Dunaway people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic Lauren Kramer deities. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically Marilyn Pape consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other’s Kim Straniak Lisa Taddei fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, Julia Wetstein which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire

to help protect them during the coming winter.

By 43 A.D., the Roman Empire had conquered the majority of Celtic

territory. In the course of the 400 years that they ruled the Celtic lands, Rotary Club two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic Foundationgoal celebration of Samhain. The first was Feralia, a day in late October when Board the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second

was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The

President symbol of Pomona is the apple, and the incorporation of this celebration into Cindy Samhain probably explains the tradition of bobbing for apples that is Matheson practiced today on Halloween.

Vice-President On May 13, 609 A.D., Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome

Ted Stazak in honor of all Christian martyrs, and the Catholic feast of All Martyrs Day

was established in the Western church. Pope Gregory III later expanded the Secretary Judy Masaki festival to include all saints as well as all martyrs, and moved the observance

from May 13 to November 1.

Treasurer By the 9th century, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic Cheryl lands, where it gradually blended with and supplanted older Celtic rites. In Oblinger 1000 A.D., the church made November 2 All Souls’ Day, a day to honor the

Andy Bednar dead. It’s widely believed today that the church was attempting to replace Jim Ditch the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, church-sanctioned holiday. Ken LaPolla Dominic All Souls’ Day was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires,

Mararri parades and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels and devils. The All

Saints’ Day celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from

Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day) and the night before Contact us it, the traditional night of Samhain in the Celtic religion, began to be called at: All-Hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Rotary Club of Warren The celebration of Halloween was extremely limited in colonial New continents P.O. Box 68 England because of the rigid Protestant belief systems there. Halloween was Warren, OH much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies. As the beliefs 44482 and customs of different European ethnic groups and the American Indians

meshed, a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The

first celebrations included “play parties,” which were public events held to Our celebrate the harvest. Neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each Website: other’s fortunes, dance and sing. Colonial Halloween festivities also featured Warrenrotary.org the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds. By the middle

If you have of the 19th century, annual autumn festivities were common, but Halloween

any was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country. In the second half of questions or the 19th century, America was flooded with new immigrants. These new suggestions immigrants, especially the millions of Irish fleeing the Irish Potato Famine,

about our helped to popularize the celebration of Halloween nationally.

newsletter, Borrowing from European traditions, Americans began to dress up in

or if you costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that would like eventually became today’s “trick-or-treat” tradition. Young women believed to become a that on Halloween they could divine the name or appearance of their future sponsor, husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings or mirrors. please contact: In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers than about Judy Masaki ghosts, pranks and witchcraft. At the turn of the century, Halloween parties

for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of the season and festive costumes. W Parents were encouraged by newspapers and community leaders to take anything “frightening” or “grotesque” out of Halloween celebrations. Because of these efforts, Halloween lost most of its superstitious and religious A overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century. By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular but community- centered holiday, with parades and town-wide Halloween parties as the R featured entertainment. Despite the best efforts of many schools and communities, vandalism began to plague some celebrations in many communities during this time. By the 1950s, town leaders had successfully limited R vandalism and Halloween had evolved into a holiday directed mainly at the young. Due to the high numbers of young children during the fifties baby boom, parties moved from town civic centers into the classroom or home, E where they could be more easily accommodated. Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could N also prevent tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats. Thus, a new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6 billion annually on Hallowee n, making it the country’s second largest commercial R holiday after Christmas. Speaking of commercial success, scary Halloween movies have a long history of being box office hits. Classic Halloween movies include the “Halloween” O franchise, based on the 1978 original film directed by John Carpenter and starring Donald Pleasance, Nick Castle, Jamie Lee Curtis and Tony Moran. In “Halloween,” a young boy named Michael Myers murders his 17-year-old sister and is committed to jail, only to escape as a teen on Halloween night and seek T out his old home, and a new target. Considered a classic horror film down to its spooky soundtrack, it inspired 11 other films in the franchise and other “slasher films” like “Scream,” “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Friday the 13.” A A direct sequel to the original "Halloween" was released in 2018, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle. More family-friendly Halloween movies include “Hocus Pocus,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Beetlejuice” and R “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” Halloween has always been a holiday filled with mystery, magic and superstition. It began as a Celtic end-of-summer festival during which people Y felt especially close to deceased relatives and friends. For these friendly spirits, they set places at the dinner table, left treats on doorsteps and along the side of the road and lit candles to help loved ones find their way back to the spirit world. Today’s Halloween ghosts are often depicted as more fearsome and malevolent, and our customs and superstitions are scarier too. We avoid crossing paths with black cats, afraid that they might bring us bad luck. This idea has its roots in the Middle Ages, when many people believed that witches avoided detection by turning themselves into black cats.

that witches avoided detection by turning themselves into black cats. We

try not to walk under ladders for the same reason. This superstition may

have come from the ancient Egyptians, who believed that triangles were

W sacred (it also may have something to do with the fact that walking under a

leaning ladder tends to be fairly unsafe). And around Halloween, especially,

we try to avoid breaking mirrors, stepping on cracks in the road or spilling

A salt.

But what about the Halloween traditions and beliefs that today’s trick-

or-treaters have forgotten all about? Many of these obsolete rituals

R focused on the future instead of the past and the living instead of the

dead. In particular, many had to do with helping young women identify

their future husbands and reassuring them that they would someday—with

luck, by next Halloween—be married. In 18th-century Ireland, a R matchmaking cook might bury a ring in her mashed potatoes on Halloween

night, hoping to bring true love to the diner who found it. In Scotland,

fortune-tellers recommended that an eligible young woman name a hazelnut E for each of her suitors and then toss the nuts into the fireplace. The nut P that burned to ashes rather than popping or exploding, the story went,

represented the girl’s future husband. (In some versions of this legend, the N opposite was true: The nut that burned away symbolized a love that would

not last.) Another tale had it that if a young woman ate a sugary

concoction made out of walnuts, hazelnuts and nutmeg before bed on

Halloween night she would dream about her future husband. Young women

R tossed apple-peels over their shoulders, hoping that the peels would fall on

the floor in the shape of their future husbands’ initials; tried to learn

about their futures by peering at egg yolks floating in a bowl of water and

stood in front of mirrors in darkened rooms, holding candles and looking O over their shoulders for their husbands’ faces.

Other rituals were more competitive. At some Halloween parties, the

first guest to find a burr on a chestnut-hunt would be the first to marry. T At others, the first successful apple-bobber would be the first down the

aisle.

Of course, whether we’re asking for romantic advice or trying to avoid A seven years of bad luck, each one of these Halloween superstitions relies on

the goodwill of the very same “spirits” whose presence the early Celts felt

so keenly.

So, whether your Halloween celebrations are based on religious practices,

ancient superstitions, or just plain fun,

Y have a warm, safe and enjoyable weekend!

ROTARY of the job

This week’s Rotary Tidbit is related to R the End Polio Now campaign. Julia Wetstein Their part announced that she has 30 Rotary face masks available for sale at the price of $10 per R mask. Proceeds will benefit the Rotary Foundation. And remember – funds are matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates E Foundation. If you would like to purchase some masks for yourself or as gifts, email your order to N Judy Masaki this weekend at: [email protected].

A A MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE:

R “The Rotary Foundation is not to build monuments of brick & stock. If we work upon marble, it will perish; if we work on brass, time will efface it; if we rear temples, they will crumble Y into dust; but if we work upon immortal minds . . .we are engraving on those tablets something that will brighten all eternity.” - Arch C. Klumph, December 1928

R THE AUCTION TO BENEFIT THE END POLIO NOW CAMPAIGN which was previously scheduled for October 28th has been postponed. Instead, President Dominic Mararri is encouraging members to make donations of R at least $5. Dominic has pledged a donation of $50 and will match members’ donations up to $100. Donation forms will be sent to everyone via ClubRunner. Please send donations directly to the RI Foundation but let E Dominic know via email the amount of your contribution so we can tally our efforts as a whole. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: On Wednesday, November 25th from 8 a.m. N until 11:30 a.m., at least six Rotarians are needed to assist in packing and loading food for Mobile Meals. We will be working alongside Trumbull County United Way, and the Warren Kiwanis will also be encouraged to help out. Masks and temperature checks will be required. Cold packers should arrive by 8 a.m., and hot packers by 9:30 a.m. Both groups should be R finished by 11 a.m. Those wishing to stay until 11:30 a.m. will help haul food to the volunteers’ vehicles and TMM vans. If you are willing and able to take part in this service project, please contact Dominic Mararri or O Christine Cope and let them know whether you would like to pack hot or cold food. TMM needs a head count of volunteers no later than November 18th. Thanks for your consideration and willingness to help the TMM staff have T some time off! They have worked very hard to ensure that no one in the community goes hungry during the COVID-19 Pandemic. DISTRICT GOVERNOR LINDA HENDERSON will visit with our Club at our A November 25th meeting. As is tradition, the Kiwanis will also be invited to join us via Zoom. If you plan to assist with the Mobile Meals service project earlier that day, have no fear - you will still have plenty of time to R participate in the meeting. OPERATION WARM – Yep, the cool weather season is quickly approaching! Coats, mostly for pre-teens, scarves, gloves and hats are in the process of Y being ordered by Rob Berk. Stay tuned regarding dates and times of preparation for distribution. HOLIDAY SCHEDULE: In order to allow our members to enjoy time with their family during the holiday season, there will be no Club meetings on Wednesday, December 23rd or Wednesday, December 30th. Meetings for

the new year will resume on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. CLUB MEETINGS – The Rotary Club of Warren’s in-person meetings at Café 422 have been cancelled until further notice due to continued W increases in cases of COVID-19. Stay tuned for week-by-week announcements.

R PROGRAM:

PAM DAVIES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR R WESTERN RESERVE INDEPENDENT

LIVING CENTER

E Pam Davies is a retired special education teacher and the mother of a grown son with blindness. Two months after retiring, a friend N was leaving her position at Western Reserve Independent Living Center and asked Pam to take over temporarily. 16 years later, Pam is the Executive Director of the organization. R Western Reserve Independent Living Center (WRILC) is one of 12 federally mandated centers of its kind in the state. The first Centers of Independent Living were O established in the early 1970s. Western Reserve ILC is 501 (c) (3) non-profit agency servicing persons with disabilities who reside in Ashtabula, Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull T Counties. They are a consumer-based, non-residential agency whose primary mission is to assist people with disabilities to be as independent as they wish by providing peer support, information/referral services, assistance A in transitioning from nursing homes back into the community, and advocacy. They also speak to juniors and seniors in high school in order to teach employment skills, self-advocacy and disability awareness and assist them in R transitioning from high school into the real world. All of these core services, which help to break down barriers to independence in the community and in individuals’ own minds, are free. In addition, the agency Y teaches Braille, emergency preparedness, and other fun classes like crocheting, artistic expression and computer skills.

So, what is involved in transitioning an individual with a disability into the community? First, an application for Home Choice Funding is completed. W A transitioning company, such as Medicare) decides if the individual is eligible for transitioning, and if so, issues a list of providers, such as WRILC. A transition coordinator will then make face-to-face contact with A the individual to assist in identifying their needs. $2,000 is given to the consumer to assist in paying for rent, ramping for their home, linens, a bed, etc. Finally, a discharge meeting is held and WRILC sets up the individual’s R apartment/home. Follow-up is also provided after the move. As is the case in many businesses, COVID-19 has had an impact on both WRILC’s consumers and services. Staff members are making calls to check R in with consumers once a week. They are offering isolation care packages, including hand cream, masks, hand sanitizer, puzzle books, etc. Special care packages filled with audio books, water bottles and hand cream are E being given to the blind. WRILC is funded by the state budget through opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, federal and state grants, and other local resources. 50% N of their staff and 51% of their board must be individuals with disabilities. They serve approximately 200 consumers per year.

HAPPY BUCKS O

*** Scott Lewis offered a Happy Buck for Dominic Mararri and the tough Y but good decisions that he must make as President. He also wished everyone a Happy Halloween. *** Christine Cope offered a Happy Buck in honor of our speaker. She also reminded everyone to vote. *** Dominic Mararri is happy to officially become a Zoomer and was happy to make Scott’s day. Dominic is going to be Tony the Tiger for Halloween!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

A “It’s nice to see you all here for our Zoom Rotary R meeting today. I’m a little disappointed that we couldn’t meet in person today, but it’s best to use

safety measures during these times to protect

ourselves and the community. We would potentially R be doing more harm than good by meeting in

person. With that being said, this is only a temporary E setback; if you want to call it a setback at all. When safety is at stake, it is never a setback. It's better to be safe than sorry. We are each still capable to perform N our committee role tasks even if we aren’t meeting in person. As Rotarians, we are able to see the silver

lining and hope of any arduous situation; and we

are being tested in this fact now. We have been R overcoming tribulations since the Rotary year has started and will continue to do so through ANY means necessary! Even if those “means” are meeting on Zoom instead of in person; or meeting in smaller O groups of individuals instead of an organization as

a whole. We are all doing our best to adapt to these

new ways of life. Masks are now even a part of our T daily wardrobe. (I’m thinking about getting one in each color so I can stay safe in style!!). These masks A may be covering our smiles while carrying out the good deeds as we bring hope to those around us, but we are still smiling; we are still caring; we are still R Rotarians.” -Dominic Mararri, President The Rotary Club of Warren Y