Iowa City Noon Rotary

Watch today's meeting here:   https://youtu.be/Gb3NZ5UlILI
 
Our Meeting was called to order by President Ryan Bell
 
America the Beautiful and Smile! were sung by Rtn. Bob Crane with Rtn. Devin van Holsteijn on the keyboard
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
 
President Ryan Bell announced that our Club planted 67 trees on Saturday, here at Big Grove. Special thanks to the City of Iowa City for making it so easy for our Club to complete the task in less than an hour. Ryan also announced that our Club needs 3 new board members. Please consider applying – all Rotarians are welcome to apply before the election in November. He also reminded the Club that Rtn. Tara Minetos was named one of this year’s Forty Under 40 and highlighted that she named Rotary as the top of her list of organizations deserving of support in her article in the CBJ.
 
Rtn. Kelly Drowne, co Chair of RYLA and WAS committee invited Rtn. John Kenyon to share his son’s empowering experience with RYLA over the summer. Please consider sponsoring a student for these incredible programs.
 
Rtn. Devin van Holsteijn invited members to discuss the future of the music in this club
 
Rtn. Heather Croskrey shared her Rotary Moment of Gratitude. When Heather first learned about the Rotary Kerber Heartsafe Initiative, she wanted to be involved. On Tuesday, she did a wellness check on her neighbor. Her training kicked in immediately and she had 911 on speakerphone while she performed chest compressions for 6 minutes under emergency responders arrived and took over. She heard the voices of Rtn. Jim Merchant and Rtn. Dianne Atkins. She is so grateful to the Heartsafe Initiative for allowing her to stay calm and give him the best chance possible.
 
Goat Rider: Lori Merlak
 
PROGRAM:
Rtn. Jim Merchant introduced today’s speaker, Rtn. Linda Kerber. Linda is an Emeritus Professor of History and Lecturer of Law. She is a renowned author and scholar in the areas of gender and government. She was a leader in developing the Kerber Heartsafe Campaign at the University of Iowa in honor of her late husband, Richard Kerber by raising awareness of the importance of community-based CPR, AED, and hymelic maneuver. The Rotary-Kerber Heartsafe Community Campaign was based off the work of Linda and Rtn. Dianne Atkins.
 
Dick Kerber died in 2016 at age 76. Dick served in the Vietnam War despite his moral opposition to the conflict. He was awarded a Bronze Star for courage under fire for volunteering to rescue soldiers via helicopter. He never spoke of his time in the Army. He joined the University of Iowa staff in the late 1970s as a cardiologist. In the 1980s he was appointed as the first chair of the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Councils for research in resuscitation and defibrillation. He was pivotal in getting AEDs in airports and public places.
 
Linda showed a map of sudden cardiac arrests (SCA) in Johnson County from 2019-2021. These are different than heart attacks, which are serious blockages of the heart and also require medical treatment. However, if someone has a SCA, they will be dead within 10 minutes, and every minute counts. Each minute that passes without CPR or AED, the chance of survival goes down by 10%. Survival rates increase substantially from 10% to 30% if bystander CPR is attempted, and by 50% with bystander CPR with the use of the AED. Once you are trained, please download Pulse Point app so you can respond to SCA within 2,000 feet of your location in the community. The Campaign began with a $6,000 grant from the Rotary Foundation, and to date, over $140,000 has been raised in the past 3 years and spent to train and purchase AEDs for houses of worship, businesses, and homeless shelters, as well as weather-proof boxes for AEDs in public spaces.
 
Please visit www.iowaheartsafe.org to learn how to save a life. How you can help in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, do not panic: (1) have someone call 911 for help; (2) notice where AEDs are in the community and run and get an AED if it is needed; (3) ask if your own house of worship if they have an AED and ensure that the batteries are still good.
 
The meeting ended at 1:00 PM with President Ryan Bell leading the Club in the Four Way Test529k
 
MEETING:
Visiting Rotarians: None
 
Guests: Jim Noesen (Jim Merchant); Marty Schultz; Julie ;Assata Caldwell (Usha Balakrishnan)
 
Program: Devin van Holsteijn; Attendance: Nancy Droll
 
Please forward any newsworthy items and/or photos to Janice Baldes to include in the weekly slide decks emailed to members prior to each meeting and shown just before Rotary meetings at the Club. You can send information to: Janice Baldes janicebaldes@gmail.com
 
For questions related to Club administration, please contact us at secretary@iowacitynoonrotary.org.