Exploring New Opportunities, Together-the Virtual Tri-District Conference will be held April 30, May 1&2, 2021. Registration opens March 1. There will be guest speakers, breakout sessions, Four Way Test Speech contest, Rotary Foundation fundraiser, and a chance to virtually interact with fellow Rotarians from three areas. Mark your calendar today.
In combination with the District Conference, Camp Neidig 2021 will take place on Saturday May 1st. Students will spend the morning focusing on leadership training. The afternoon session will have them participate in one of the district service projects (pre-planned) and close out the day summarizing what they learned. Please contact Dale Kochard for more details and if you know a student looking to build his/her leadership skills, this is a great program to help. Our club will pay the registration fee.
Our weekly Zoom meeting link will be "live" at 11am Wednesday before the regular meeting for members interested in joining a RAGAS committee meeting. All members are invited to learn about new opportunities and initiatives and how you can help. Human trafficking has not disappeared because of Covid-19 and we hope to strengthen the fight-please attend if you can.
Last week, our Artisan of the Month award winner BAVTS was Emma Ortiz of the Culinary Arts Program. Emma presented a short talk about her career and why she is building her culinary skills. She also is the BAVTS student reporter for the Bethlehem Press. I have a feeling that with the confidence and belief in herself Emma exhibits, we will be seeing more of her in the future. With her dream of owning a restaurant, who knows--she may be a future Taste & Tunes participant!
Our program featured Licensed Clinical Social Worker Liz Younger of Easton. Her topic was "Counteracting Pandemic Fatigue" and she shared her insights on what she has observed that has affected people during these unusual times. Liz emphasized that asking for help is a sign of bravery instead of hiding or denying you have a problem. Some symptoms can be: exhaustion, physical and mental fatigue, lack of energy, feeling constantly overwhelmed-sad or helpless, inability to complete daily tasks, and/or isolating from people.
Initially the fear of Covid-19 brought a heightened level of loneliness, frustration or fear- but the November election, civil unrest and seasonal anxiety have presented additional factors that have been "wearing" us down. After detailing contributing factors of our fatigue, Liz offered some strategies to combat it:
- Find community/external feedback
- Focus on what you CAN control (schedules, etc.)
- Practice positive affirmation/grounding
- Set boundaries for social media/news
- Paradigm shift/reframe
- Certain video games available can relax you
- Increasing physical activities (I have-lifting many 50LB rock salt bags!)
- Take a time out and relax with music
- Engage in Hobbies
Following some these strategies should help one deal with everything that has been happening for the last year, but Liz advised if the symptoms persist to please seek professional help. I appreciate Liz for taking the time to talk to us and offering her insight and advice while keeping it light-hearted!
This Wednesday Rick Lawrence returns to update our club on the Agua Caliente Guatemala Water project. During his presentation last April he talked about efforts to fund another two villages in Rotary years 2019-2021 utilizing the ninth and tenth Global grants. This week, Rick will provide an update on the status of these Global Grants and share a video, Hope for Water, which follows the process used in these Mayan communities to construct sustainable clean water and sanitation facilities. It also features the installation of the first solar-powered water pump in San Vicente utilizing one of our previous Global grants. I hope all of our Bethlehem Rotarians can attend this great presentation to see the results of an International Project we have participated in.
