Gracious God, as we unite in prayer, we give thanks for the spiritual dimension of human existence in which we find help and hope amid the secular realities which make insistent claims upon our time and effort. Having retreated from those pressures for this time of renewed fellowship with friends, we pray that you will grace our gathering with your presence.
Accept now our thanks for all earthly provisions for our needs, and for spiritual resources to pursue opportunities to serve others. Amen
Club Announcements:
Upcoming Events:
1. Saturday, February 8, 9 am - 12 noon, Mississipi Food Network, 440 W. Beaty St., Jackson. Sign up at the following link https://www.msfoodnetvolunteers.org/need/Lori Greer is the organizer.
2. Rise Against Hunger food packing at Madison United Methodist Church - February 27, 2020, 9 am - 12 noon.
3. Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Twin Lakes Camp, Feb 27- 29. For children and grandchildren of Rotarians. A limited number of scholarships are available.
54 President-Elect Training Seminar (PETS) March 5-7, Natchez, MS
5. Women in Rotary Luncheon, Country Club of Jackson, March 17
6. Multi-District Conference, New Orleans, April 17-19.
Rotary International - Toastmasters International Collaboration.
At the January 14, 2020 meeting of the Rotary Club of North Jackson, Rotarian and Club Secretary, Suman Das, discussed the collaboration between RI and TMI. The two organizations have similar histories and similar organizational structures. Please look for more information on the collaboration in the coming weeks.
Michelle’ Bingham, Special Events Coordinator and Communications Director at Stewpot Community Services, spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at its January 28, 2020 meeting. Bingham discussed the different programs of Stewpot including the Billy Brumfield House (BBH).
The BBH is a shelter for up to 60 men a night, provides three services. It serves as an emergency shelter for homeless men, offering safe shelter, clean showers, nutritious food, and a supportive community. It also offers a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, supported by AA meetings, group and individual counseling, employment requirements, and a savings program. Finally, for men with medical disabilities, it provides support and a stable place to live as they navigate state and federal requirements to receive benefits and permanent housing. The Billy Brumfield House was named for a homeless man who died of hypothermia while sleeping in his car. Our club provides super to the men on the First Tuesday of each month. If you are interested in helping with this project, please see Matt Monsour or Suzie Tubb. Shown from left are Matt Monsour, club director; Bingham and Larry Anderson, club director.
Enrique Garcia spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson during its January 21, 2020 meeting. Garcia, from Guadalajara, Mexico, is the coordinator and host for the 2019 and 2020 District 6820 service trips to Guadalajara, Mexico. Garcia is past president of the Rotary Club of Tlaquepaque Industrial and Rotary District 4140 Coordinator for the 100th anniversary of Rotary in Mexico. Garcia informed club members and guests about the service work members of our Rotary District 6820 and Rotarians from other districts are doing in the Guadalajara area. Garcia and his wife Merylu are multiple Paul Harris Fellows and both members of the Paul Harris Society. Shown from left Club President Greg Campbell, Merylu and Enrique.
The Rotary Club of North Jackson welcomed David Barrett as a new member during its January 21, 2020 meeting. Barrett is employed by EffecTV, a Comcast company. He is married to Annie Laurie Barrett. They have two children and live in Northeast Jackson. Shown from left, Don Roberts, Barrett’s sponsor, and club executive secretary-treasurer; Barrett and Barrett’s proposer club member Dr. Tommy James.
Steve Jent, Executive Director of the Sanderson Farms Championship, spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club’s January 14, 2020, meeting. He gave a history of the tournament which began in 1968 in Hattiesburg and has undergone several name changes. It is the only “big league” event held in Mississippi. Some 156 professional golfers participate annually in the event which adds an estimated $30 million to the Jackson Metro Area economy each year. The event also contributes over $1 million annually to the Mississippi Children’s Hospital which is better known as the Batson Children’s Hospital. The 2019 tournament contributed a record $1.3 million to the Friends of Batson Children’s Hospital via its affiliate Century Club Charities. A total of over $16 million has been raised for the Children’s Hospital and other charities by the tournament.
Mr. Jent encouraged Rotarians to volunteer to help with the tournament. Over 1000 volunteers are used each year and more could be used. For the past two years, the Sanderson Farms Championship has been recognized by the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) as the tournament with the best integration with its charity. The 2020 tournament will be held Sept. 28-Oct. 4, again at the Country Club of Jackson. This year, it will be a “stand-alone” event which means that there are no other PGA events at the same time as the Sanderson Farms Championship. This means that the tournament should be able to attract a larger number of “big-name” golfers.
We thank Mr. Jent for speaking to our club about this prestigious event, its impact on Mississippi, and for donations to caring for the children of Mississippi. We also thank Sanderson Farms for being the name sponsor for the event. He (center) is shown below with Rotarians Matt Monsour and Rob Whitley following his talk.
Dr. James L. Warnock, a Cardiologist at Mississippi Baptist Health Systems in Jackson, spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club’s January 7, 2020, meeting. Dr. Warnock received his undergraduate education at Mississippi State University, his medical degree at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), completed his internship at the Naval Medical Center/Bethesda, Bethesda, MD, and his residency and fellowship at UMMC. In his talk, Dr. Warnock discussed the causes and prevention of heart disease. He cited 7 steps to prevent heart disease; namely,
Control your blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease. It is important to get your blood pressure checked regularly - at least once a year for most adults, and more often if you have high blood pressure. Take steps, including lifestyle changes, to prevent or control high blood pressure.
Keep your cholesterol and triglyceride levels under control. High levels of cholesterol can clog your arteries and raise your risk of coronary artery disease and heart attack. Lifestyle changes and medicines (if needed) can lower your cholesterol. Triglycerides are another type of fat in the blood. High levels of triglycerides may also raise the risk of coronary artery disease, especially in women.
Stay at a healthy weight. Being overweight or having obesity can increase your risk of heart disease. This is mostly because they are linked to other heart disease risk factors, including high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Controlling your weight can lower these risks.
Eat a healthy diet. Try to limit saturated fats, foods high in sodium, and added sugars. Eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. The DASH diet (dietary approach to stop hypertension) an example of an eating plan that can help you to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, two things that can lower your risk of heart disease. He also cited the Mediterranean diet which has similar properties as the DASH diet.
Get regular exercise. Exercise has many benefits, including strengthening your heart and improving your circulation. It can also help you maintain a healthy weight and lower cholesterol and blood pressure. All of these can lower your risk of heart disease.
Limit alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure. It also adds extra calories, which may cause weight gain. Both of those raise your risk of heart disease. Men should have no more than two alcoholic drinks per day, and women should not have more than one.
Don't smoke. Cigarette smoking raises your blood pressure and puts you at higher risk for heart attack and stroke. If you do not smoke, do not start. If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk of heart disease. You can talk with your health care provider for help in finding the best way for you to quit.
We thank Dr. Warnock for his presentation and his work helping Mississippians maintain their health. He (center) is shown in the following photo with club Vice President Lee Carney and Club member Larry Anderson (right) who introduced him.
By Martin “Marty” Postic Jr., past governor of District 5750 and a member of the Rotary Club of OKC Sunrise, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
In our contentious society, I see friends who are members of Rotary use The Four-Way Test to support opposing political and social arguments and to criticize the thoughts, statements, and actions of others. I see members with completely opposing viewpoints use the same Four-Way Test to both support their argument and demean others. Rotarians and others are using all forms of social media to share their opinions about perceived violations of The Four-Way Test, causing others to pile on additional comments and insults, all with little thought to how this affects our public image.
Which leads me to this basic premise:
The Four-Way Test is a mirror, not a window
Rotary members should not use The Four-Way Test to look at others but rather to look at themselves in considering the ramifications of a thought, statement, or action. It should not be a window through which we look to judge others. It is a mirror at which we look to judge ourselves.
The argument I’ve heard Rotarians make is that if they determine some thought, statement, or action violates any part of the test, it is their duty to declare that thought, statement, or action wrong. I have heard The Four-Way Test used to support any number of topics, some of which readers would find hard to support. Yet through the Internet, one can cobble together any sort of argument to back any thought or concept with a plethora of “facts.”
I do not believe that is what The Four-Way Test is about. I believe the test is more about how we treat each other than how we measure ideas.
Of course, it is a challenging standard. It’s difficult to keep from thinking something. But what is more important is how you act on that thought. If you think to yourself, “I don’t like this person,” it becomes a matter of what you do with that thought. You can try to dispel it as well as any urge to take some negative action to satisfy your dislike of the person. You can also decide whether you say something to that person or tell others what you think.
This is where social media distort things, because society now seems to embrace negative, vitriolic, or fake comments – as long as the comments agree with our own views. Posting such comments even in the name of The Four-Way Test is certainly not FAIR to all concerned and definitely does not build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS.
This brings me to the realization that using The Four-Way Test to argue political and social issues is in itself contrary to the test. We must never use the test to support a position while opposing or berating someone else’s position. We should not use The Four-Way Test to support or oppose contentious “hot button” issues, to comment on political discord, or to respond to another’s comment.
We need to teach The Four-Way Test to all of our friends. We don’t need to preach it. Rotary takes pride that it is a non-political, non-religious organization. That has allowed us to make inroads in parts of the world where governments and religious organizations can’t. Let’s not sully Rotary’s reputation by using these 24 words of ethical and moral thought to tear each other down.
