Meeting Minutes
Torch Club of the Fox Valley
8 November 2018
Atlas Coffee Mill & Café
Notes taken by: Mary Flanagan
Attendees: Karen Bachhuber, Jim Baumbach, Sue Bennett, Nancy Bodway, Dave Debbink, Marcia Debbink, Mary Flanagan, Paul Freiberg, Jean Jepson, Barbara Kelly, Bill Kelly, Jude Kuenn, Mary Poulson, Richard Schoenbohm, Kris Stahl, Bob Swain, Helen Thiel, Peter Thiel, Scott Valitchka, Donna Weis
Guests: Erik Hanson, Terri Daugherty, Dada Sabra Sathilla
BUSINESS MEETING
Paul called the meeting called to order at 6:30 pm.

• Guest introductions: Peter reintroduced Erik Hanson. Paul reintroduced Terri Dougherty. Terri introduced a visitor from Indonesia, Dada Sabra Sathilla. Dada is an accomplished young journalist and world traveler with a blog at https://theislandgirladventures.wordpress.com/.
• Meeting minutes from 10/9/18 were accepted, motioned, seconded, and approved.
• Treasurer’s report: The 11/3/2018 balance was $3,393.74. This will be increasing with receipt of dues from many members.
• Barb asks that all dues be paid in full in December as they are due to IATC in January. Dues are $70 for the first member of a household and $45 for a second member. Our club keeps $20 of each membership fee and the rest goes to IATC.
• The report was accepted, motioned, seconded, and approved.
• Unfinished business:
• IATC elections: Paul had a phone conversation with the current IATC president, George Conklin. There was some controversy raised by other clubs over the last election not following the bylaws. Paul said George seemed to be concerned and competent. Paul told him that we expect him to uphold the bylaws and hold open elections and George agreed that would be done. Members should have received a recent email election notice. The current Torch Vice President, Dorothy Driskell, will succeed George in 2020 so the Vice President office is up for election this year. Our district’s director position is currently vacant and will also be up for election this year.
• Donna has attended two phone meetings as a Torch Club Foundation board member. She told us that the foundation is now awarding grants of up to $900 for projects by districts. She will have more information about the first grant awarded next month.
• Barb shared that the Torch magazine comes out three times a year and is available online. A link to the national Torch club site is available through our local site: http://torchfoxvalley.org/.
• New Business:
• We will hold a book exchange at our December meeting and at a second meeting in 2019. Paul will remind us to bring books in the next meeting notice.
• Sue will serve heavy hors d’oeuvres and wine at the December meeting for $15 per person. With tax and gratuity that will be $18.75. Tom Jensen will tell us about the wine we will be tasting.
• Cam will give an interactive presentation at the meeting.
• Announcements:
• Barb announced several Bergstrom Mahler Museum events for Jan: The exhibit Sharper Edges: Women Working on the Edge of Glass featuring the work of female artists exploring social issues  will open on Thursday, November 15. Art After Dark – Evening of Giving will be held from 5 to 7 pm that evening. Guests are asked to bring a personal-care item to donate to Harbor House or Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services. On Friday, November 16 some of the artists will hold a discussion at 5pm at the Neenah Public Library. More on all of these events is available at: https://bmmglass.com/.
• Mary Paulson announced that Lawrence University art professor and sculptor Rob Neilson will be giving a Noon Hour Philosophers presentation on Wednesday, November 14 at the First English Lutheran Church in Appleton. Father Toomey will present at the next noon meeting on November 21.
• Mary also highly recommended a book by her friend and former Wisconsin governor, Martin Schreiber, about his wife’s Alzheimer disease called My Two Elaines.

Business segment adjourned for dinner at 6:56 pm.
Presentation by Marcia Debbink began at 7:50

Strokes

• Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every 4 minutes, someone dies of stroke.
• Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes.
• About 185,000 strokes—nearly 1 of 4—are in people who have had a previous stroke.
• About 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes, in which blood flow to the brain is blocked.
• The older you are, the more likely you are to have a stroke. The chance of having a stroke about doubles every 10 years after age 55.
• Although stroke is common among older adults, many people younger than 65 years also have strokes. In 2009, 34% of people hospitalized for stroke were less than 65 years old.
• Stroke is more common in women than men, and women of all ages are more likely than men to die from stroke.
• The risk of having a first stroke is nearly twice as high for blacks as for whites. Blacks are also more likely to die from stroke than whites are.

Causes

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and diabetes are leading causes of stroke. Up to 80% of strokes could be prevented through healthy lifestyle changes.
Some risk factors cannot be controlled, such as age and family history or genetic factors for health conditions that can lead to a stroke. The chances for stroke can increase even more when heredity combines with unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as smoking cigarettes and eating an unhealthy diet.

Signs of a stroke

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arms or legs.
• Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding others.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

Strokes occur suddenly and should be treated as medical emergencies.  If you think you or someone else may be having a stroke, act F.A.S.T.:

F—Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A—Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S—Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange?
T—Time: If you see any of these signs, call 9-1-1 right away.

Getting fast treatment is important to preventing death and disability from a stroke.

Personal story

Marcia experienced what she now believes was a warning transient ischemic attack (TIA) while delivering a presentation to over 100 new employees at Kimberly-Clark. She has no memory of the presentation but knew she had blown it. She went back to work, went home, ate dinner, spoke to her husband on the phone since he was out of town, and got ready for bed. She woke up the next day on the floor unable to get up. Her window was open, so she yelled hoping a neighbor would hear her. No one did until a good friend stopped by because she was worried when Marcia didn’t show up for work.
If it hadn’t been for that friend, Marcia might not be here today. If you are worried about someone, check on them, and call 911 if you see any sign of a stroke. It is better to feel silly about raising an unnecessary alarm than to lose a friend or loved one.
Adjourned at 8:36.