Program for March 25, 2014 by Cub Reporter David Sills
A New Beat
Jim
Force, our podium president for March, opened the meeting with a slide show of
the New Orlean’s party at Chez Petrie. The attendees in their exotic garb were
seen preening for the camera with tulips clenched in their jaws. More about
this gala later as the attendees pay their Happy/Sad dollars. To see photos from Saturday's fun Mardi Gras night at Jack and Brannan's: I have uploaded several to our chat page or you can visit Jack's Roxio Photo page if you missed them at yesterday's meeting.
Mary
Canty delivered grace.
Lynn
Murray introduced William and Lila Wong who were guests of the Club
attending the meeting to see their son Steven inducted as a Paul Harris Fellow.
There were no visiting Rotarians or other guests.
Paul Harris Celebration
Perry Bamji
provided a brief history on the origins and development of the Paul Harris
Fellowship program which commenced away back in February, 1905.
Lori McLeod introduced Steven Wong as one of this year’s candidates
for the PH fellowship. In her words “Steven Wong is a shining example of youth on the rise with a passion
for
helping others.”
Steven was a member of Oak
Bay High Interact Club in
2009.
He helped launch the
Memory Café at Oak Bay Lodge in 2010 and also helped to launch
the
first District Interact Shelter Box Conference when he was President of the Oak Bay Interact
Club. After graduating
from Oak Bay High with honours, Steven went on to
attend UVic and continued his association
with Rotary by becoming
active in the Rotaract
Club
and also the Circle K Club where he continued to organize initiatives to help others. In 2011 Steven was awarded the prestigious
“Youth Leader of the Year” Award during the
CFAX 1070/Telus Community Awards.
He has
supported the Eldercare Foundation in
the creating and distributing of gift bags to
elderly extended care residents. Last Christmas, he organized Christmas
caroling with his Circle K Club and brought the joy of music
to extended care residents.
Lori cited
many more contributions to his community including service as a Candy Striper at Royal Jubilee Hospital;
visiting residents
at Oak Bay Kiwanis Pavilion; organizing fundraisers
for BC Cancer Foundation and
BC Children’s
Hospital.
He founded the UVic Nutrition Club to educate
students on the importance
of healthy eating and active lifestyles.
He’s served as volunteer camp leader at summer programs serving special needs children through the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children’s
Health. All this service while earning his Honours in Biochemistry at UVic
and conducting research in the Departments of Chemistry and Biology.
Neil Rawnsley,
our Foundation Director, presented the award to Steven, who received a standing
ovation from the club members and from his proud parents.
Jessica Owns The Podium
The S-at-A was told to be “quick
about it” as the guest speaker was hovering in the doorway! Her solution was a group fine – Think of a
project you really like then pay a $2.00 fine. Two birthdays were announced,
namely the two accountants Lamb and Sills. The former had the temerity to
announce his age as only he could afford an age based contribution. Neil
Rawnsley contributed $8.70 to announce the birth of his fifth grandchild.
Jack Petrie launched into a
description of the New Orlean’s Gala held at Chez Petrie last week-end. He
commented on the sorry state of his wife’s tulips after the guests had
departed. Apparently they thought Louisiana dancing included the clenching of
flowers in their teeth! Rod Sim feigned indignation as he suggested that he and
Brenda were merely enjoying a tulip salad. Heather claimed she only chewed the
tulips that she had brought to the party. Our S-at-A was strangely silent
throughout this exchange.
Lifestyle and Cancer Risk
 |
| Dr. Kunz with President-Elect, Jim Force |
Michelle LeSage introduced our
guest speaker Dr. Kenneth Kunz.
Dr. Kunz completed a B.Sc. degree
and won the University Gold Medal in chemistry from the University of Winnipeg
in 1982. He then went on to studies in medicine, and in 1987 finished a medical
degree and rotating internship at the University of Manitoba Health Sciences
Centre. He was then awarded a Medical Research Council Scholarship to complete
Ph.D. studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. His research is in
the field of medicinal chemistry as applied to cancer chemotherapy. This work
involved the design, synthesis and biological testing of new drugs to treat
cancer. Additionally, he completed training in internal medicine and medical
oncology at the Arizona Health Sciences Centre and Arizona Cancer Centre. Dr.
Kunz is currently on sabbatical and living in Victoria with his two children.
His topic today:
Cancer: What is it? How not to get it, and how to survive it if you do.
“Although wonderful advances have been made in the
understanding and treatment of cancer, the best way to deal with cancer is not
to get it.”
What is it? Dr. Kunz describes it as a mutation of normal cells
which no longer perform their specific functions. It is not a modern disease.
It was actually described in an Egyptian stele some 1,200 years ago.
Archeologists discovered it in the bones of a dinosaur some 75,000,000 million
years old. In the latter, it was quite similar to the type that affected Terry
Fox.
What can be done about it? There are 175,000 new cases and 75,500 deaths every year; these statistics
are increasing by 1.5% each year. Smoking, obesity and an inactive lifestyle
are the chief factors although age is now a factor as we all are living longer.
Simply put, we eat too much and don’t work hard enough.
We cannot completely eliminate
cancer but we can reduce it through proper diet, exercise and regular
check-ups. He concluded by observing that world-wide some 3,500 people have
died from cancer since the start of his presentation.
Rod Sim was on his feet to thank
the good doctor with not much more than three words. It was Painful, it was Insightful and we
thank you very much for your sober advice.
 |
| A picture is worth a thousand words |
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