APR 15, 2014 ROTARY IN REVIEW:
Rotary Notes in Three Acts
Members learned about the National Senior Games. The NSGA exists today as a non-profit organization dedicated to motivating active adults to lead a healthy lifestyle through the senior games movement. The Games, a 19-sport, biennial competition for men and women 50 and over, is the largest multi-sport event in the world for seniors.
ACT ONE – Musical, Thoughtful and Comic Interludes
Former Club President and DG Joe Kvarik presided with his quick wit and alliterative agility while President Captain Jim Kosmo was “on special assignment.” Mr. Kovarik acknowledged that today children may be deductible, but they are also taxing! We may need to change our national anthem to “Deep in the Heart of (say it with me) Taxes!”
David Laird led the club in America the Beautiful with Bill Given on the piano. In the absence of an invocation, club members took a personal moment of silence.
Shelly Rucks introduced guests and visiting Rotarians. Mindee Kastelic had two guests in tow and I bet they’re in her membership pipeline!! Don’t forget Mindee and Mick’s challenge that they will recruit more new members this year than the entire club combined.
The comfortably cordial Kay Baker was greeter and hearty handshakes were also offered by greeter Paul DeGeest.
ACT TWO – Club Conclave
Thursday’s Fellowship Breakfast program will be given by John Bradford from Links Print Resources/Seven Corners Printing.
Next week’s program: Chad Roberts intrigued the club with next week’s program about the original development of 35E – a colorful story in the history of American transportation.
Clyde Nelson gave the FMSC update. Volunteers are needed for shifts the weekend of April 25, especially these woefully short slots: Sat 2:30 (76 volunteers needed!) and Sunday noon needs 71 volunteers. Rotarians, it’s time to step up!
Values Day is coming up on May 13. Table leaders are still needed – thanks to the 18 who’ve already signed up. Table leaders will need to attend a training session after today’s meeting or after the program on April 22.
ACT THREE - Program
Jay Pfaender introduced Susan Adams Loyd, Beth Pinkney and Dave Mona who are leading the Fun, Fellowship and Fitness of the National Senior Games in 2015 in Bloomington, Saint Paul and Minneapolis. This is the largest sporting event for athletes over the age of 50.
Beth began by recognizing Armando Carmancho as this year’s Grand Marshal of the Cinco de Mayo Parade, and then showing a short video of competitors – including those who only started their sport in their 60s before winning gold in their 80s. There’s still hope for all us young couch potatoes and desk jockeys!
Dave Mona reminisced on his experience working with Sid Hartman on the Olympic Games and an “awww-inspiring” joke about Lupinski/Lewinski. If you weren’t in the meeting, you were mercifully spared.
This year’s games build on Minnesota’s “Golden Year” in 1991-1992, when the US Men’s Golf Open, the Stanley Cup and the World Series were all held here. Dave confirmed that while we’ve lost our momentum since then, we’ve built a sporting infrastructure that has improved our position, leading to our selection as the host city for the Senior Games..
The event is held every two years, featuring 19 qualifying and medal events. Susan spoke about her entry into the games as an athlete when she reached the golden age of 50, saying to her trainer “I don’t want to hurt myself permanently, I don’t want to embarrass my children and I want to my best.” She then addressed how the games meet the Rotary 4-way test (there’s no greater test of truth than the 400-meter track run!). If there’s something you like to do, you used to do, or you want to try, there are many events to get you involved. “Getting fit through the senior games is the fountain of youth!” “If you squint, you would have thought the record-breaking 78 and 80 year-old athletes winning medals were no older than forty. [Editor’s note: If you’re over 40, you probably don’t need to squint, just take off your glasses.]
Every 7 seconds, someone turns 50. Someday it will be you and you can get involved. If your 7 seconds was a while ago, you can still compete, volunteer or attend. This year’s games will be the biggest, with more than 13,000 athletes involved participating and attending.
Sports include Archery, Baskeetball, Cycling, Horseshoes, Racketball, Shuffleboard, Swimming, Tennis,Pickleball, Badminton, Bowling, Golf, Race walk, Road race, Softball, Table tennis, Track and field, and Triathlon. Our area’s world-class facilities, from St. Thomas to the Xcel Center, helped us win the games Get involved and “stay golden!”
Michael-jon Pease
Scribe