Rotary Club of Wahiawa-Waialua

Volume 6 Issue 31– April 11th, 2019

6

District Governor
Winton “Win” Schoneman“Making a Difference in our Local and Global Communities”

President
Alexander “Alex” Kanamu

The strength of our Club lies in its members“Their Reality
Is Not Our Reality”
Service Above Self – Making a Difference

April is Maternal and Child Health Monthat Rotary International!
Linked Through Sister Cities, Rotarians
Save Newborns in Brazil
By Vanessa Glavinskas
Photos by Robert Gill

A mother is in labor, and she’s frightened. Her baby
isn’t due for three months. The closest hospital is 30
miles away, and although she makes it there in time,
the baby is born weighing barely 2 pounds.
And there’s another problem.
The hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit has only
seven incubators, and all are in use, so the baby mustbe transferred to another hospital to receive the criticalcare he needs. If he survives the transfer, his parents
will need to find a way to make trips to that hospitalfor months.

A lifesaving incubator is use

Many new mothers were facing similar situations at Dr.
Leopoldo Bevilacqua Regional Hospital, a state-run
facility in Brazil’s Ribeira Valley. Lack of equipment
meant some of the hospital’s most vulnerable newborns

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

Editor – PP Geoff Horvath

had to be transferred, which was a factor in São Paulostate’s high infant mortality rate.
“There are two realities here: people who can pay fora private hospital and those who can’t,” says Lina
Shimizu, who spearheaded the project for the Rotary
Club of Registro-Ouro, Brazil. Those who can’t, shesays, often have to travel long distances to get to astate-run hospital such as Leopoldo Bevilacqua, which
serves 24 towns.

“There are two realities here: people who can pay for a
private hospital and those who can’t,” says Lina Shimizu,
who spearheaded the project for the Rotary Club ofRegistro-Ouro, Brazil.

Rotarians funded incubators, ventilators, heated cribs, vitalsign monitors, and other equipment for a state-run hospitaloutside São PauloThe Rotary Club of Registro-Ouro and the Rotary Clubof Registro partnered on a Rotary Foundation global
grant with two clubs in Nakatsugawa, Japan. Throughthe partnership, Brazilian Rotarians raised $172,500.
They funded equipment including five incubators for

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Wahiawa-Waialua

the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which
nearly doubled the hospital’s capacity to care forfragile newborns. In 2013, 129 babies were admitted
to the NICU; since the completion of the project, thehospital has been able to care for about 220 babies
per year.

This global grant marked a turning point for Rotarians
in Nakatsugawa, who had stopped contributing tointernational projects after experiencing difficulties ona past grant. The difference this time was in therelationship between the cities of Registro and
Nakatsugawa, which established a “sister city”
affiliation in 1980.
Rotarians from both cities meet regularly to foster theirfriendships, alternating between Brazil and Japan, andbecause of their close relationship, the JapaneseRotarians felt confident that their financial contributions
to the project would be managed well. In addition,
Shimizu, who is of Japanese descent and speaks fluent
Japanese, helped build trust and effective
communication.

By adding five incubators to the NICU, thehospital nearly doubled the number of babies
its nurses and doctors can care for.

Other equipment provided through the grant included
five ventilators, a bilirubin meter, three heated cribs,
five vital-sign monitors, and a super LED
microprocessed phototherapy unit to treat babies withjaundice. The grant also funded the cost of publicity to
inform residents about prenatal care workshops
conducted by area health workers. The publicity
campaign aimed to reach mothers in remote areas who
may not know what services are available to them orabout the importance of prenatal care and breastfeeding.

A group of Japanese Rotarians visited the NICU after
the project was completed. “After 37 years,” says
Mitsuo Hara, a member of the Rotary Club of
Nakatsugawa, “there’s a friendship and bond between
Rotary members of both countries.”

Jackie Barnes

RI President: Barry Rassin
District: Win Schoneman
Asst Dist Govr: Doreen Higa
Club President: Alex Kanamu
PP: Lilette Subedi
President Elect: Keoni Ahlo
Exec Secretary: Alison Dela Pena
Recording Secretary: Rene Mansho
Treasurer: Kate Butts
Sergeant-at-Arms: Dr. Carver Wilcox
Asst Sergeant-at-Arms: Austin Kanamu

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

PP PE Keoni Ahlo

Eia no mauna Ka’ala, ku’u home o Kaiona, ka Wahine
hele laHere is Mount Ka’ala, cherished home of Kaiona, thewoman who ventures throughout the day
Eia no Kūkaniloko, he wahi pana no ke ali’I I ka wa
kahiko, he wahi ola no
Here is Kūkaniloko, sacred place of esteemed royalty
in the days of old, a life-giving place
Nani Ka Po’e ikaika o Wahiawā, na leo nahenahe I
ke ola pono

A Special Oli composed by PP Lilette Subedi for an
upcoming fundraising event. It is an Oli about
Wahiawa, since there is no Oli recognizing
Wahiawa, followed with our traditional Oli – PP
Lilette Subedi
This newly composed Oli tells the story of Wahiawa,
Kaiona and Kūkaniloko.
Kaiona is a goddess of Ka`ala, which was a mountainin the Wai`anae ahupua`a. She is a goddess that gives
protection to those people that needed it. So, if you
got lost, Kaiona would direct your path until you
arrived safely at your destination.
Kūkaniloko is a sacred place of esteemed royalty inthe days of old, a life-giving place. This site is also
known as the Kūkaniloko Birthstones State Monument. It
is one of the most important ancient cultural sites on theisland of Oʻahu, located across the street from the Kam
Hwy/Whitmore Ave intersection. Hawaiian royalty
were born here.

Beautiful are the poised people of Wahiawā, whose
voices regale righteous and virtuous life
E mai e mai e kipa mai e kakou, o makou no, me ke
aloha lani e!
Come, come one and all, we welcome you withwarmth and love!
Aloha e, aloha e, aloha mau no e
Peace to all, peace to all, may there forever bepeace to ale.

Outside D5K
None
Within D5K
President Sonya Mendez – RC West Pearl Harbor

Poki’i Balaz DNP – Guest Speaker – Guest of PP
Geoff Horvath
Ashton Kanamu – Guest of Austin Kanamu

Hālau Wahiawā ©
Aia no ho‘i ka hālau Wahiawā ma waena o Wai’anae
a me Waialua
Behold Wahiawā, seated between Wai’anae and
Waialua
Onaonao ka ‘ala o ka maile lau li’I a me ka nani o ka
pua ‘ahihiEver so fragrant the scent of maile lau li’I aligned withthe beauty of ahihi blossoms

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

No Report

Hawaii Rotary YouthFoundation (HRYF)
From HRYF HQ: Congratulations to all the Clubs andReps for their hard work in getting the applications for

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the HRYF Scholarships. All the applications were
outstanding.
This year, the Maurice J. Sullivan Scholarship isawarded to Caleb Yamasaki, graduating from
Honokaa High School and sponsored by the Rotary
Club of North Hawaii. The Joanna L. Sullivan
Scholarship is awarded to Charliemayne Julian,
graduating from Pahoa High School and sponsoredby the Rotary Club of Pahoa Sunset. These two
students will receive the $10,000 instead of the regular$5,000 award. There is only one award to eachparticipating Hawaii Rotary Club. Should thesestudents become ineligible (for full tuition scholarshipfor example), the award will go to the next selected
winners.

Hale’iwa elementary schools. The students learned fun
facts while learning about their dictionaries.
Kate Butts gave a HI $5 for PP Doc McKenzie, Alison
Kanamu, and Derek Conselva doing such a great job
in the last deliveries of our dictionaries.
PP Lilette Subedi gave a HI $5 for Rene Mansho
providing us information on Teddy’s Bigger Burgers
fundraising opportunity.
President Alex Kanamu gave a HI $5 for having thebest year in estimates the number of dictionaries weneeded. We had only two left!

Recognitions for the week ending April 14th, 2019.

None

None

Spouse’s Birthday

ROTARY MINUTE
Public Relations of Rotary

None

Anniversaries

None

None
HI
Alison Kanamu gave a HI $5 for PP Doc McKenzie’s
great dictionary presentations at Waialua andRotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

Historically Rotarians perpetuated a myth that Rotaryshould not seek publicity, but rather let our good works
speak for themselves. However, an early stated policy
observed that “as a means of extending Rotary’s
influence, proper publicity should be given to aworthwhile project well carried out.” A more modern
public relations philosophy was adopted in the mid1970s that affirms that “good publicity, favorable
public relations and a positive image are desirable
and essential goals for Rotary,” if it is to foster
understanding, appreciation and support for its Object
and programs and to broaden Rotary’s service tohumanity.
The role of the club public relations committee is todevelop and execute a plan to tell the public about
Rotary and promote the club’s service projects andactivities. Having strong public relations ensures that
communities around the world know that Rotary is acredible organization that meets real needs. When aRotary club has a positive public image, current
members are motivated to be active and prospective
members are eager to join.
Public image and membership growth areinterconnected. A high quality, consistent public image
campaign will prompt individuals to seek out local clubs
and be more inclined to accept invitations to join.

The Rotary Corner

Dictionary Project

this was a project for her. Starting with a few schools
in Charleston and Summerville, she realized quickly
that providing dictionaries to all the students inCharleston was going to require serious fundraising.
She and her late husband Arno French formed a
501(c)(3) nonprofit Association in 1995, along with a
Board of Directors. Arno served as president, Mary
became the director of the Association, and The
Dictionary Project was born.
Since this Project began in 1992, more than
18,000,000 dictionaries have been given out.
Rotarians across the country and in Hawaii have been
donating dictionaries to elementary schools since
2002-2003, with a total thus far of 7,404,618
dictionaries. Each year Rotarians as a whole give morethan one million dictionaries. In Hawaii nearly 18,000
are given out each year.
Our Club has participated in this worthwhile project for
10 years.

Certificate Presentation

Alex Kanamu
Waialua Elementary with PP Doc McKenzie, Derek Conselva,and Alison Kanamu

We wrapped up our 2018 Dictionary Project withdeliveries to Waialua and Hale’iwa elementary
schools. The team of PP Doc McKenzie, Derek
Conselva, and Alison Kanamu delivered thedictionaries to all the third-graders with a fantastic talkby Doc McKenzie on the benefits of dictionaries in a
fun way.
The idea for The Dictionary Project began in 1992
when Annie Plummer of Savannah, Georgia, gave 50
dictionaries to children who attended a school close to
her home. Each year she continued to give this gift,raising money to help give more and more books sothat in her lifetime she raised enough money to buy
17,000 dictionaries for children in Savannah. Early on,
her project attracted the attention of Bonnie Beefermanof Hilton Head, S.C., who began a project of raisingmoney by selling crafts to buy dictionaries for theschoolchildren of Hilton Head and the surrounding
communities. By 1995, Bonnie was getting so many
requests from local teachers to be included in the
project that she wrote a letter to the editor of theCharleston Post and Courier explaining the project andasking for someone to help meet requests from theCharleston area. Mary French, who was already anactive school volunteer even though her two children
were still of preschool age, read the letter and decided

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

President Elect
Training Seminar

Deputy District 5000 Elect Sonya Mendez presented
President Alex with his certificate of training forcompleting the President Elect training Seminar (PETS)
West, that was held in San Jose, CA. This is an intense
3-day training course that packs a lot of Rotary
information in a short period of time. Sonya informed
us that DG Win wanted these certificates to bepresented in front of each President’s Clubs

President Alex receiving his Certificate of Completion fromDDGE Sonya Mendez

The Rotary Club of
Wahiawa-Waialua

May 4 – Wahiawa Pineapple Festival

No correspondence

Aug – TBD – Teddy’s Bigger Burgers Wahiawa
fundraiser. Teddy’s is hosting community organizations
to visit their business from 10am – 10pm to tellcustomer what your organization is all about and how
they serve within the community. In recognition of theseorganizations participating in this program, Teddy’s
will donate a percentage of their take for those 12
hours! This contribution could be put toward our Al
Wonder Christmas party. Thanks to Rene Mansho for
passing this information to us.

No report this week.

Ongoing – Jack in the Box Fundraiser. Each member
will be given 10 tickets ($100) to sell.

TBD

April 18 – Club HRYF Scholarship Award Luncheon
April 27 – "Rotarians at Work Day". We will meet at
8:00am at Ho'ola Na Pua to work on their serenity
garden followed by lunch at 12 noon. Bring your work
clothes, garden gloves and a positive attitude forcommunity service! Reservations in advance requiredby contacting Mark Merriman at:
mark.merriam@live.com.
April 27 – Disco & Ballroom Fun Dance Fundraiser by
the Rotary Club of Kapolei

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

Dr. Poki’i Balaz

Dealing with Dementia and Alzheimer’s
Poki’i Balaz DNP is a family nurse practitioner who aims
to serve our kupuna, those with Alzheimer’s, otherrelated dementias, caregivers, and underserved
populations such as Native Hawaiians. Dr. Balazreceived her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the
University of Hawai’i at Hilo with her focus on
improving financial resources and advocacy for
caregivers. Her professional passion stems from her
personal experience as a caregiver to her father who
is in the end stages of Alzheimer’s disease. She is activein the community as a support group facilitator,
ambassador, and state champion for the Alzheimer’s
Association Aloha Chapter, induction and governancechair for Sigma Theta Tau, supporter of Special
Olympics, and co-facilitator of the Savvy Caregiverand Dealing with Dementia Programs. She is also
Regional Trainer for the National Task Group,
Dementia Friends, and a Positive Approach to Care
Champion. Dr. Balaz also enjoys traveling, outdoor

activities, and has special interested in Brain Healthand Wellness.
Dr. Balaz opened her presentation by asking PP Doc
McKenzie a question, “Dr. McKenzie, do you
remember me?” Doc McKenzie replied, “No!” Dr. Balazanswered her question, “You delivered me!!” So,
started an interesting presentation in the areas ofdementia and Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Balaz wanted to become a surgeon and wasstudying and working in a hospital in LA, CA, when she
received notification from her mother that her father
had been diagnosed with the early stages of
Alzheimer’s. This brought her plans to a standstill. She
returned to Hawaii, where she started taking care ofher father, as she still does to this day.
With the diagnoses of her father’s Alzheimer’s, Dr.
Balaz became interested in this area of neurology. She
decided to take that path and attended UH Hilo, where
she received her doctorate.
Before moving to her current position, Dr. Balaz worked
at the Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience center.
The Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience (HPN) Institute is theleading and one of the largest providers ofneuroscience care in the state of Hawaii serving morethan 24,000 patient visits in 2014 from Oahu, Maui,
Big Island, Kauai, Molokai, Guam and other PacificIslands. HPN is committed to these patients who comefrom all corners of the Pacific Rim to seek the mostadvance care and research treatments in neuroscience
provided by Hawaii’s top specialists in the field of
Neurology, Neurorehabilitation, Geriatrics, Psychiatry,
Neuropsychology, Psychology and Behavioral Science
working in a fully integrated multidisciplinary patient
centered care model.
While working at HPN, Dr. Balaz saw a further need in
caregiving. While making visits to the patient home orcare facility, she noticed family members, and evensome professional caregivers didn’t know how tohandle the many facets of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The patients were not receiving the best possible care.
So, she and a few others started a home visiting andtraining program that would provide the required
training and support so both family members andprofessional care givers could better understanddementia and Alzheimer’s, and the effects it has on
their family member or client, and could provide therequired care.
One
program
is
the
Savvy
Caregiver(Ostwald/Hepburn) training course.
The Savvy
Caregiver Program is designed to train family andprofessional caregivers in the basic knowledge, skills,
and attitudes needed to handle the challenges ofcaring for a family member or client with Alzheimer’s
disease and to be an effective caregiver. This course isa 12-hour training program that is 6-week long given

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

in 2-hour sessions each week during that 6-weekperiod.

But, the most popular course is a 4-hour course, Dealing
With Dementia: A Caregiver’s Guide. Not so much forthe training, but for the workbook, which is full of greattips and strategies for caregivers on best practices forcaring for their loved ones, their patients, andthemselves.
The Guide workbook covers:
•
•
•
•
•

Understanding Dementia
General Caregiving Tips
Dealing With Behavioral Issues
Taking Better of Yourself
Resources

Dr. Balaz give us some insight in dealing with a loved
one with Alzheimer’s.
As Alzheimer’s advances, patients’ attitudes andactivities change. Her father loved working in thegarden, so when first diagnosed, Dr. Balaz would takeher father out to garden in the yard to work in thegarden. As his Alzeimer’s progressed, he was not able
to garden, to the point where Dr. Balaz took her father
outside just to sit in a chair.
She also told us that people hear that some patientscan get violent. She explained that you have to put
yourself in the loved ones, or patient’s place.
Sometimes a simple task such as bathing a patient canbe very challenging. If the patient is in a care home,they are in an unfamiliar place, they have a bunch of
strangers around them, trying to take their close off,

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and they are getting water splashed on them.
Sometimes this is too much and they get scared, andreact accordingly. Dr. Balaz commented, “Their reality
is not our reality”

Sometimes the patient will continue to ask the samequestion. When this happens, you should try to distract
them, or guide them in another direction.
Another tip is to keep the patient occupied. Give themsomething to do. One lady loved changing light bulbs.
She would do this for 2 hours! At first the family was
frustrated with this, until the caregiver told them, “Lether do it, if that’s what she wants to do.” So, they gave
her different types of bulbs she could replace. Whenthe patient was done changing out all the light bulbs,
they would keep doing this until this task was no longer
desired.
A lot of the behavior comes from fear. So, you haveto make the patient as comfortable as possible. If thepatient is not in familiar surroundings, take some things
they are familiar with to the care facility. Make theplace where they are living look as much like home as
possible. Bring a potted plant or chair.
Another tip Dr. Balaz gave us is to recognize the signs.
If you see your loved one acting unusual, forgetting
things, etc., try to get a diagnosis. You can’t cure
Alzheimer’s or dementia, all you can do is slow the
progress down with medication.
Don’t get frustrated if they don’t remember who you
are. Don’t lie or call them names if they can’t
remember, or if they can’t do something.
Some other tips that Dr. Balaz touched on (taken fromFamily Caregiver Alliance National Center on
Caregiving are:

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

•

Set a positive mood for interaction. Your
attitude and body language communicate
your feelings and thoughts more strongly thanyour words do. Set a positive mood byspeaking to your loved one in a pleasant andrespectful manner. Use facial expressions,tone of voice, and physical touch to help
convey your message and show your feelingsof affection.

•

Get the person’s attention. Limit distractions
and noise—turn off the radio or TV, close thecurtains or shut the door, or move to quieter
surroundings. Before speaking, make sure you
have her attention; address her by name,identify yourself by name and relation, anduse nonverbal cues and touch to help keep her
focused. If she is seated, get down to her leveland maintain eye contact.

•

State your message clearly. Use simple
words and sentences. Speak slowly, distinctly,
and in a reassuring tone. Refrain from raising
your voice higher or louder; instead, pitch
your voice lower. If she doesn’t understand thefirst time, use the same wording to repeat
your message or question. If she still doesn’t
understand, wait a few minutes and rephrase
the question. Use the names of people andplaces instead of pronouns (he, she, they) or
abbreviations.

•

Ask simple, answerable questions. Ask onequestion at a time; those with yes or noanswers work best. Refrain from asking openended questions or giving too many choices.
For example, ask, “Would you like to wear
your white shirt or your blue shirt?” Better still,show her the choices—visual prompts andcues also help clarify your question and canguide her response.

•

Listen with your ears, eyes, and heart. Be
patient in waiting for your loved one’s reply.
If she is struggling for an answer, it’s okay tosuggest words. Watch for nonverbal cues andbody language, and respond appropriately.
Always strive to listen for the meaning andfeelings that underlie the words.

•

Break down activities into a series of steps.
This makes many tasks much moremanageable. You can encourage your loved
one to do what he can, gently remind him ofsteps he tends to forget, and assist with steps
he’s no longer able to accomplish on his own.
Using visual cues, such as showing him withyour hand where to place the dinner plate,can be very helpful.

•

When the going gets tough, distract andredirect. If your loved one becomes upset oragitated, try changing the subject or theenvironment. For example, ask him for help orsuggest going for a walk. It is important toconnect with the person on a feeling level,
before you redirect. You might say, “I see
you’re feeling sad—I’m sorry you’re upset.
Let’s go get something to eat.”•••

Respond with affection and reassurance.
People with dementia often feel confused,anxious, and unsure of themselves. Further,
they often get reality confused and may
recall things that never really occurred. Avoid
trying to convince them they are wrong. Stay
focused on the feelings they aredemonstrating (which are real) and respondwith verbal and physical expressions of
comfort, support, and reassurance. Sometimes
holding hands, touching, hugging, and praise
will get the person to respond when all else
fails.
Remember the good old days. Remembering
the past is often a soothing and affirming
activity. Many people with dementia may notremember what happened 45 minutes ago,
but they can clearly recall their lives 45 years
earlier. Therefore, avoid asking questions that
rely on short-term memory, such as asking theperson what they had for lunch. Instead, try
asking general questions about the person’s
distant past—this information is more likely tobe retained.

Aloha, PP Lilette Subedi!

Kate Butts getting ready to dig into a great Marian’s Catering
luncheon

Maintain your sense of humor. Use humor
whenever possible, though not at the person's
expense. People with dementia tend to retain
their social skills and are usually delighted tolaugh along with you.

Ace of Hearts
Alison Kanamu loves Marian’s Catering food!

No Ace of Hearts today!

(Go to our Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/groups/96286297
3749303/ to view all pictures.)
PE Keoni, our Walter Lappert lookalike winner!

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

The Rotary Club of
Wahiawa-Waialua

Dots Server Sephie

Guests Ashtin Kanamu

Visiting Rotarian President Sonya Mendez

Jackie Barnes getting lunch

No more needs to be said!

Lynn Goya

Pineapple by

Dr. Poki’i Balaz arriving

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

PP Lilette Subedi going over her newly composed Oli
honoring Wahiawa

President Sonya Mendez with the PETSD Certificate of Completion
PP Doc McKenzie’s HI $5

Dr. Balaz watching the certificate presentation
Kate Butts’ HI $5

President Alex receiving the PETS Certificate of Completion
Okay, let’s get this meeting going!

President Sonya Mendez presenting a certificate ofcompletion

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

President Sonya contributed $200 for missing our golf
tournament after signing up to play. She had anothercommitment so couldn’t make it. She was taught, by her
parents, that you had to honor your commitment one way or
another!

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Wahiawa-Waialua

PE Keoni Ahlo introducing our guest speaker

Dr. Balaz providing us with her background“You are the one that delivered me!”Dr. Balaz going over some tips

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

PP Doc McKenzie making comments

Dr. Balaz giving us more valuable tips regarding Alzheimer’s

PP Geoff Horvath with Dr. Balaz

PP Doc McKenzie & Dr. Balaz