This week at Rotary we heard from two of our very own, Mike McLaughlin and Gerrit Bradley. Both Salem Rotarians spoke about their recent trips to Japan. Mike traveled to Ota, Japan as a representative of the city of Salem. Ota is a sister city of Salem. He went into detail about the city itself, which more or less served as the home base of the visiting representatives from Salem. Mike was able to visit many locations, from government buildings to schools. They also had the opportunity to participate in traditional Japanese events, such as a game similar to bocci and cooking lessons where Mike made vegetarian sushi rolls and miso soup. Other cultural adventures included visiting residential homes and watching traditional clothing being made. They traveled to historic sites as well. The most impactful to Mike was a visit near the sites of the bombings at the end of World War II. According to Mike, people walked, rode bikes, and drove on the left hand side. There were also deer everywhere and got to the point of being a nuisance while trying to drive around. Mike claims that the food eaten in Japan is "possibly" more healthy than the food here in the United States. Former plumber Mike was interested in the bidets found in nearly every bathroom in Japan. Rotary meetings in Ota starts with a song that is most definitely not a national anthem.
Gerrit and Jess Bradley traveled to Japan for two weeks, traveling from Kyoto to Tokyo. The various old roads became the network that helped to unify the nation. They passed by many old paths with Shinto shrines located at sites of old battles and other historical events. Gerrit went into detail about the types of food, how it is prepared, and how it is commonly served. An example of what he noticed is that rice is usually served at the end of the meal. Much of the trip was designed to be a hike for the Bradley clan, often walking from one city to the next, then catching a train to another area. Gerrit spent some time explaining how the train system worked and backing up the assumption that the trains run on time all the time, except for one time when apparently a car got stuck on one of the tracks. There were some stories at the hot baths that cannot be repeated in a publication with the reputation of the Spoke, so you will need to actually come to Rotary or ask Gerrit for the details. Many of the sites that they visited were from the Edo Period, dating back to the early 1600s. Gerrit somehow gave himself plantar faciitis
AS THE ROTARY WORLD TURNS...
A THANK YOU From The Rotary Foundation
Thank you for giving to The Rotary Foundation!
Last Rotary year, because of your support and your dedication to Doing Good in the World, together, we funded more than 1,100 global grants, 470 district grants, and 310 disaster response grants. To make this work possible, we rely on donors like you. Your generosity helped us raise more than US$427 million, which will continue to help communities thrive through sustainable, life-changing projects.
Gifts from donors like you are making a big impact in communities around the world. Thanks to your generosity, Rotary members can continue improving people’s health, supporting high-quality education, protecting the environment, and aiding communities affected by disasters. Together, we continue to accomplish all of this great work while remaining committed to solving some of the world’s most complex problems, including eradicating polio to make sure children are free from its devastating effects. With your support, we can continue to unite and take action to create lasting change.
Your donations make Doing Good in the World possible. Thank you, Ryan, for strengthening both your own community and communities everywhere.
Sincerely,
The Rotary Foundation
World Mental Health Day Webinar
Join us for a World Mental Health Day Live Webinar hosted by Zones 28 & 32,
October 10, 2023, from 7:00 - 8:30 pm on Zoom.
Panelists include RI President Gordon McInally, Zone 28 & 32 Director Drew Kessler as well as other mental health experts.
Discussions & Insights:
State of mental health in US and Canada;
How Rotarians can become engaged in addressing mental health;
Practical strategies for Districts and Clubs to reduce stigma;
Opportunities to raise awareness of mental illness and substance abuse disorder;
The importance of self-care and self-awareness, even as a busy Rotary leader.
Thomas McDonald, Jess Bradley, and Martha Mauser were guests today.
Calendar winner!
Kelly Grable sold by Jason Consalvo
50:50 Raffle
$200ish
Joanne Scott and Jake Segal played this week. No winners!
ROTARIAN NEWS
Martha Mauser recently went on a trip to see her former exchange students. They took a boat and actually had Rotary meetings onboard.
Lesley Levesque invited all Rotarians to the EarlyAct inauguration at the Phoenix School 11:15 am next Tuesday prior to next week's meeting on October 10.
Bruce Whear spoke about his recent improv show where they sold extra tickets, which is one of those good problems to have.
Liz Bradt attended the Fiesta en la Calle in the Point, had a great time, and invited many folks to our meetings.
18 Washington Square
Salem, MA 01970 United States of America
NOTE: The fourth Tuesday of the month is an evening meeting, beginning at 5:15.
If you are interested in learning more about Salem Rotary, please email president@salemrotary.com.
MIKE MCLAUGHLIN
50:50 Raffle
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