Weekly Bulletin - November 6, 2014 Meeting

Posted by Barbara Myles 
on Nov 11, 2014
 

Cassie Ela, Police Officer, Town of Stow, spoke about the RAD program.

 

 

Cassie began by splitting us up into groups of 2, and asking one person to hold out an arm and to think, “I can’t hold up my arm.” The other person then pressed down on it, and the arms collapsed. She then said to think, “I can hold up my arm,” and when the other person pressed down, it was much more difficult to move. This illustrates the power of thinking. The purpose of RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) is to train women to recognize that they have options, even in dangerous situations. Founded in 1989, RAD has become the largest self-defense network of its kind. Some statistics:

  • 1 in 3 women will be sexually abused in their lifetime.
  • 1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted before age 18.
  • On average, a sexual assault occurs every 2 minutes in the US.

A RAD course consists of lectures, discussions, and self-defense techniques for women of all ages and abilities, in 3-4 sessions of 3 hours each. A free, lifetime return policy is also offered for “refreshers” at any RAD site nationwide. Sessions focus on:

  • Risk reduction strategies;
  • Safety on public transportation and in personal vehicles;
  • Online dating and social media dangers;
  • Basic physical defense techniques.

A victimization depends on three factors: a victim, an assailant, and an opportunity. Take away the opportunity, and there’s no victimization.

In the last class, both men and women attended. It was held in the Stow Council on Aging facilities, which were a little cramped, so they’re looking for larger quarters. At this point, Gino demonstrated a few self-defense techniques. The important thing to remember is that there are always options.

Additional RAD programs are: Advanced self-defense for women; aerosol defense; keychain defense; RAD for men; RAD for seniors; RAD for kids; extreme applications; and weapons defense.

 

Next meeting: November 13, 5:45 at Nancy’s Airfield Café. Speaker: Kerry Flathers of the Perkins School in Lancaster.

 

Club announcements

  • Karin Gaffney has been nominated for District Governor, 2017-2018! There are still two hoops to jump through. One is that other clubs need to be notified and given 14 days to object. The other is that one must have been a member for seven years. We anticipate that there will be no objections; and Karin will only have been a member for five years by 2017, so a waiver will need to be sought; again, we anticipate no difficulties. Congratulations to Karin!
  • The Veterans Day breakfast is coming up on the 11th. Jim Stone is still seeking volunteers.
  • The Health Care Fair is on the 18th, at the Bolton Public Library. We’ve arranged for the state senator and representative to be there. Jim Stone can provide further information.
  • Dues statements will be sent out soon, and because of changes in the Rotary rules must be paid within 30 days.
  • The Agents of Change program is scheduled for January 22 (29 in case of snow) at the Fenn School in Concord.
  • Maryann, Rich, Bob Johnson, and Richard met with Diane O’Neil, advisor to the Community Service Club at the high school, to discuss forming an Interact Club. Diane is interested, but there are many obstacles. We’re thinking now of a program for faculty/club advisors first. Maryann is contacting the Interact advisors in Burlington and Framingham to see what challenges they faced in establishing their clubs.
  • Friday morning, 11/7, we’re packing a shipping container with the dental equipment for “We are One.”

 

Happy/sad Fines

  • Jackie Foster: sad that she missed the last meeting, happy that she’s making preparations for Thanksgiving.
  • Ron Bott: happy that his daughter has joined the Concord/Carlisle Interact Club, which Ron started.
  • Laura Spear: happy to have attended UN Day on the same day as her anniversary and Chris’ birthday.
  • Alina Perez: happy that her daughter got married; sad that she’s in Bali.
  • Maryann Fitzgerald: Just plain happy!
  • Bill Bosworth: happy that apple season is finally over, and things can settle back to normal again.
  • Karin Gaffney: happy to be appointed District Governor!
  • Fatima Serra: happy to be part of the club, and happy that she will be married soon.
  • Richard Simon: happy to be part of such a dynamic club, and happy that he can get his garage back now that “We are One” dental equipment will be shipped.
  • Carol Toomey: happy that Action Unlimited is in its 44th  year.
  • Gino Fratillone: happy that this is his third meeting of the week.

 

Non-club announcements

  • The Healing Garden had a successful day. Nanci Bishop sent out the word, and over 70 volunteers assisted.​
  • UBECI is holding a jazz concert on November 15 in the South Acton Congregational Church to benefit children’s entry into school in Quito, Ecuador.