Our regular meeting was called to order via Zoom by President Allan at 12 Noon. He led the membership in the Pledge of Allegiance and the 4-way test. A moment of silence and reflection followed.
Visiting Rotarians: Frank Rivera, our AG
January is– “Rotary Awareness Month”
Announcements/Sad-Happy-Brag Bucks:
So, on 13 January at 1:30 PM, Pat will be married to John!
Following our weekly roll call,
Our Trivia Quiz for the day from Sgt-at-Arms Cheryl:
1. People have been pledging to change their ways in the new year for an estimated 4,000 years. The tradition of resolutions is thought to have first begun in what civilization? (Egyptian, Babylonian or Sumerian) Answer: Babylonian. The tradition is thought to have first caught on among the ancient Babylonians, who made promises in order to earn the favor of the gods and start the year off on the right foot!
2. Ancient civilizations typically pinned the first day of the year to an agricultural or astronomical event. In Egypt, for instance, the year began with_(Rising of the star Sirius, The flooding of the Nile, or the first full moon after solstice). Answer: Flooding of the Nile
3. From which Roman God is the name January derived? Answer: Janus, God of Portals and Transitions.
4. What event triggers the Chinese New Year? Answer: Second new moon after the winter solstice!
5. When do the practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism celebrate New Year’s? Answer: February
6. What event prompted the first New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square in 1907? (A publicity stunt, A drunken accident, A fireworks ban, or A newspaper rivalry) Answer: The world-famous celebration held virtually this year with a few hundred inoculated medical and first responders in attendance, dates back to 1904, when the New York Times newspaper relocated to what was then known as Longacre Square and convinced the city to rename the neighborhood in its honor. At the end of the year, the publication’s owner threw a raucous party with an elaborate fireworks display.
When the city banned fireworks in 1907, an electrician devised a wood-and-iron ball that weighed 700 pounds, was illuminated with 100 light bulbs and was dropped from a flagpole at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
7. On January 1, 1788 who emancipated their slaves? Answer: Pennsylvanian Quakers.
8. On January 1, 1971 what kind of commercials were banned from American television?
Answer: Tobacco
9. What was the first group researchers believe to have had burial practices? Answer: Neanderthals. Evidence suggests that the Neanderthals were the first human species to practice burial behavior and intentionally bury their dead, doing so in shallow graves along with stone tools and animal bones.
10. Which of the burial practices listed below are not in current usage? Burial in the Air, Mummification, High up in a Tree, Mausoleum, Coral Reef, Tree Pod, Space Shot, Burial at Sea, one good set of Fireworks. Answer : All of the above are current burial practices somewhere in the world (and space!)
11. What four factors caused the increase in the practice of embalming in the 19th century?
Answer: 1. People sometimes wished to be buried at far-off locations which became possible with the advent of the railways, 2. Mourners wanted the chance to pay their last respects beside the displayed body, 3.Belief in prevention of disease and 4. The wish to prepare funerals and burials, which were becoming more elaborate, without undue haste.
Club, District & R.I. News and Business:
Don’t forget our $100 voluntary per member donation to our Club, which becomes due during January, 2021. This donation takes the place of a fundraising event.
Some January (Capricorns & Aquarians) birthdays: Emily, Libby, Mollie, Joan of Arc, Elvis Presley & Alexander Hamilton.
It is with great regret that our Club’s board of directors has accepted the resignation from Rotary, of member Dr. Dave Fontaine. He stated that the involvement he has had, has been very positive - up until the virus precluded in person meetings and interactions. He has taken on a major commitment with a church committee and it will involve considerable time. Dave has expressed his thanks to all who have been so supportive of his membership. It’s possible that he’ll rejoin Rotary in 2022.
Club members provide program speakers for our meetings. To supply programs for one of the remaining months, please contact Judy.
Today’s Program: La Puerta Green Burials.
Emily gave us some information about La Puerta Natural Burial Ground, a 40 acre private conservation burial site. Located an hour south of Albuquerque near the base of the Manzano Mountains, it lies adjacent to 14,000 acres of open space, preserved for future generations.
La Puerta’smission is to provide a respectful, simple, affordable & environmentally sound burial choice.
Natural burial is an environmentally sound burial option where the body is simply returned to the earth without embalming chemicals; wrapped in a bio-degradable burial shroud or placed in a bamboo casket, willow carrier, or pine coffin. Families care for each other in life and they encourage families to take that final step and care for loved ones in death by participating in lowering the body into the grave, adding flowers or other natural mementos.
Families may plan and direct a graveside service or arrange a graveside service through a funeral home. Funeral and memorial services may also be held as is customary in one’s church, synagogue, mosque, or temple. Families may use any funeral home that agrees to the guidelines of the La Puerta Natural Burial Ground.
Commemoration:
· Site is recorded with GPS coordinates by La Puerta staff, the surface is restored, and a native plant and/or stone may commemorate the site.
· Natural, indigenous plants or trees, and numerous varieties of yucca or sage may be placed on grave as a marker. Plants of the Southwest has a broad selection available- see their website www.plantsofthesouthwest.com
· Graves may also be marked with a stone that lies mostly flat on the ground. Engraving or non-toxic paint allowed on flagstone or other flat stone
La Puerta staff offers at no charge:
· Education to hospitals, hospices, care facilities, clinics, churches, and community service groups regarding guidelines and information on natural burial rights and choices
Environmentally Sustainable Products Offered -
By selecting the burial shroud, bamboo coffin, or willow carrier by Passages International (an Albuquerque based company), you commit to a product that is sustainably produced and fully biodegradable, made from natural, unbleached cotton or fast-growing willow or bamboo. These materials help absorb harmful CO2 from the atmosphere, and grow well on low quality land where crops could not survive. No metals, plastics, or harmful dyes are used in the construction of these products.
The weavers who make Passages coffins and caskets are artisans in rural Bangladesh and create some of the most beautiful and high-quality woven products available. Passages shrouds, caskets, and coffins are certified Fair Trade, ensuring respect for the environment and a fair price for materials and labor.
For more information: Donal W. Key 505-716-2543 Linda Canyon 505-360-4480 www.naturalburialnewmexico.com
Mailing address: Natural Burial New Mexico 601 Griegos Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107
After our presentation, each of us related our holiday happenings for Christmas & New Year’s Day/Eve.
There being no additional Rotary business, our meeting was concluded at 1:10 PM.
Programs, Happenings and Stuff & Such:
12 Jan Board Meeting at 11 AM.
12 Jan Regular Zoom meeting – Darly Barkley -Utopia Dental Care, LLC- dental hygiene.
18 Jan MLK Jr. Day
19 Jan Regular Zoom meeting – Charisse and Maribel Ventura -financial literacy.
26 Jan Regular Zoom meeting – speaker pending.
2 Feb Groundhog Day
12 Feb Chinese New Year – Year of the OX.
12 Feb Board Meeting at 11 AM.
12 Feb Regular Zoom meeting –
14 Feb Valentines Day (Ya ain’t goin out fer dinner!)
15 Feb Presidents’ Day
18 Feb MLK Jr. Day
19 Feb Regular Zoom meeting –
26 Feb Regular Zoom meeting –
14 Mar Daylight Savings Time Begins at 2AM
17 Mar St. Patrick’s Day
25-26 Mar President-Elect Training via zoom.
9-10 April District 5520 Annual Conference – It’ll be only via ZOOM! (What a bummer!)
24 April Governors’ Charity Ball (Maybe) – Albuquerque Convention Center- 5PM to 11PM
12-16 June Rotary International Convention in Taipei (We Hope!).