As advertised, a good bit of time was spent last week by Lasse Syversen on a description of the club’s new membership roster. During his presentation, it turned out that only a few club members present used our web site, all of which prompted Lasse to express his opinion as to whether or not we should be offering this membership benefit. It is your bulletin editor’s opinion that more members will use the web site now that it contains our membership roster.

President Gary Lett expressed his concern about the club’s recent decline in attendance at club meetings. For the most part, this has been due to the fact that a number of members (including club directors and officers) are not attending our Friday meetings or making up at other clubs due to work conflicts. Assistant District Governor Greg Wimms  was on hand and spoke about membership, noting that we would be getting help from- George Nash.

Captain Nick Strocchia is a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, assigned to the 4th Combat Camera Squadron which is scheduled to deploy to Camp Lemmonnier in Djibouti, a small country in northeast Africa, where he will be the Officer in Charge of a team of twelve combat camera operators who will supply directed imagery support to the command. The mission is to support operations in Combined Joint Operating Area to enhance partner national capacity, promote regional stability, dissuade conflict and protect U.S. and Coalition interests.

Nick explained that the mission in Africa has both a humanitarian aspect, as well as a national defense perspective. He noted that wars cannot be fought with strictly kinetic weapons. He stressed that engaging the local populace and educating them through a “hearts and minds” campaign is necessary to ensure regional stability. Combat Camera is a key enabler to this aspect of warfare, which bears far fewer casualties than an occupation strategy.

Robert A. Ray, owner of “Caring Transitions” has a background as a Baptist minister, that led him to a new career that focuses with the emotional transition of moving and downsizing. He gave and informative talk on recognizing the signs of an individual who is hoarding, and understanding how to provide help.. Rev. Ray explained that there are three components to a hoarding personality: First, the person acquires possessions compulsively, such as free items or buying things at garage and estate sales, second, refuses to discard items insisting that they may have value in the future or that they have a sentimental attachment to it, and third, the items are not organized and are scattered around the home haphazardly.

Rev. Ray stressed the need to be sensitive as you handle this person. If there is a diagnosis of obsessive compulsive behavior, perhaps medication would help. Support groups are also helpful, and it can be helpful to get an independent source to make a reasonable assessment as to which items maven have value. In closing, club member Ellen Gillis suggested that since Rev. Ray could intervene on our behalf he could make it possible for us “to take it with us.”