The meeting was called to order by President Roger at 7:07 am. 33 Rotarians were present with 3 guests (Ted Nash introduced his friend Ted Hannigan who was attending again as an observer; Christine introduced Friend of Rotary Liam Smith; Lyn introduced Cathy Cavanagh who is interested in transferring her membership from the Cobourg Rotary Club).
Peter provided a rotary moment that influenced his decision to join the Wellington Rotary Club. He had been a member of two other service clubs and describes the experience as ‘lukewarm’ due to infighting and poor communication. However when he witnessed the cooperation and commitment displayed by the Wellington Rotary Club members he knew that this organization would yield a more positive experience.
Roger thanked Ken for filling in for him last week.
‘O’ Canada’ was sung. David Hawkins recited an invocation. Breakfast was served.
Roger enquired about the health of members;
- John Heeringa thanked everyone for their words of support following the recent death of his father. He also reported that he will be undergoing surgery in mid-September.
- Lyn reported that she recently met with her surgeon who indicated that her hip surgery continues to look good. She also noted that Liz Lacey has had some health problems which has limited her ability to run Lacey Estates Vineyards – she wondered if Rotarians who are ‘smart serve’ licensed might lend a hand at the vineyard?
- Tim Cox indicated that his wife continues to heal following her foot fracture injury.
Robynne introduced her daughter Holly Dykstra who is a professor at Centennial College and will be speaking on dementia prevention.
Holly noted that her maternal grandmother Nancy has advanced Alzheimer’s disease and is essentially her inspiration for conducting this research. She provided information on the prevalence of Alzheimer’s indicating the forecast for an increased incidence in the coming years. It is a relatively common cause of death in Canada, the US and UK. Holly reviewed some previous faulty assumptions about this condition: specifically the belief that dementia is a normal aging process; that there is no way to reduce the severity of the disease; that there are no prevention strategies; and that the underlying cause of dementia is amyloid plaque and tao buildup within the brain.
Holly then provided an update on the current understanding of Alzheimer’s disease. It is now recognized that there is no singular cause for this condition. Amyloid buildup in the brain is now felt to be a by-product of the condition rather than the cause. Genetic risk factors only account for approximately 1-3% of cases. Epigenetics (that is, how your environment and lifestyle choices express your genetic makeup) is an important factor in the development of dementia.
Holly outlined several modifiable risk factors in the development of dementia, such as education or brain training, hearing impairment, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, depression, diabetes, excess alcohol consumption and social isolation. In fact, she noted that the biggest predictor of dementia is metabolic dysfunction syndrome. She also noted the impact of added sugar to our diets over the past century. Ironically she reported that the consumption of ultra-processed food leaves us malnourished. Holly outlined lifestyle modifications that will help prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease: eat ‘real’ food; exercise regularly; get an adequate amount of sleep; switch to non-toxic household and personal care products; and prioritize meaningful relationships.
Roger thanked Holly for her presentation. Holly circulated a booklet on a resistance training program which she has developed. She also indicated that she will circulate her power-point presentation to all rotary members. Several members had questions for Holly.
Business
Ken asked for golfers to support the upcoming Legion golf tournament on September 7th. Tickets are $100 per person and there is a $25,000 hole-in-one prize.
Howard announced that the memorial garden event is this Sunday – he clarified the roles of all participants.
Roger noted that the Canadian flag at the Wellington beach is in bad shape. He wondered if replacing it is our Rotary club’s responsibility – he will look into this.
Chris asked for assistance driving two children to and from PEFAC summer day camp this week.
Ken’s ticket was drawn for the 50/50 draw – despite a strong attempt he failed to pull the ace of spades.
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