~ Newberg Noon Rotary Club Newsletter ~
Rotary Club of Newberg, Zoom Meeting
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
~ Zoom Meeting Participants ~
Shannon B, Mike, Dan, Gene, Laura, Larry, Denise, Lisa, Paul, Ralph, Auggie, Julie, Walter, Amber, Todd, Brandy, Judy, Geoff, Debby, Christy, Kim, Joe, Paula, Jim, Michelle, Lynn, Doug, Fred.
~ Call to Order ~
President Shannon Buckmaster welcomed Rotarians and Friends of Rotary to the Zoom meeting at 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 3, 2021. The Rotarians did not split out into breakout groups to start this meeting due to a special extended presentation format.
~ Flag Salute ~
Gene lead participants in the Pledge of Allegiance.
~ 4 Way Test ~
Mike lead participants in the recital of the 4 Way Test:
Rotary’s Four Way Test of the things we think, say and do:
#1 – Is it the TRUTH?
#2 – Is it FAIR to all concerned?
#3 – Will it BUILD GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
#4 – Is it BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
~ Announcements ~
The Duck portion of our meeting was skipped for this meeting in order to properly honor and welcome our guests as well as to provide additional ti e to our amazing guest speaker, for whom so many Members and Guests have come to hear speak. Welcome everyone! Editor’s Note: This group today nearly doubles the previous record attendees since we have been doing virtual meetings!
Today the Peace Committee meets after the meeting. The speaker today, Paul Chappell, has agreed to stay on past 1pm and into the Peace Committee meeting to answer any questions after his presentation. What a great opportunity since his presentation is about peace!
~ Guests ~
Paul Chappell, Guest speaker, Executive Director of the Peace Literacy Institute
Jane Vankuren, Guest, member of Rotary Club of Sherwood
Wendy Wells, Guest, member of Rotary Club of Sherwood
Warren Barash, Guest, member of Rotary Club of Boise
Warren Banks, Guest, member of Rotary Club of World Peace
Deniel Banks, Guest, Past District Governor, member of Rotary Club of Portland
Richard Lazere, Guest, member of East Portland Rotary Club
Natalie & Vic, Guest, member of Beaverton Rotary
Tom Hastings, Guest, Professor at PSU
Rob Federwisch, Guest, member of Newberg Early Birds Rotary
Ainsley , Guest, member of Rotary Club of Sherwood
Varity Caruso, Guest, Mike’s daughter, Rotary Club of Sherwood
Tom Caruso, Guest, Mike’s brother
Katherine Futornick, Guest, Past President of Rotary Club of Newberg
Sean Kelso, Guest
Kay Weaver, Guest, REV
Ellie Patterson, Guest, Past District Governor of District 5500 from Tuscan
Jo Ann Deck, Guest, Peace Literacy Institute
Krystal Conniry, Guest of Wendy Wells, Sherwood Club
Leah Sunquist, Guest, member of Rotary Club of Oregon City, chair of OC Peace Committee
Wendy McArthur, Guest
David Newman, Guest, Rotary Club of Winnipeg, Peace Committee Chair
Tammy Haas, Guest, Rotary Club of Tigard
Elizabeth Wilson, Guest, Director for Peace Village
Al Jubitz, Guest, Rotary Club of Portland, Jubitz Family Foundation
Alan Bazzaz, Guest, Past president District 5100
Manal Fakhourly, Guest, Ocala Rotary Club
Katlin Smith, Guest, member of Rotary Club of Vancouver
Anna Hinkle, Guest, Interact President of Newberg High School, Shannon’s daughter
~ Today’s Program: Peace Literacy by Paul K Chappell ~
Paul executive director at the Peace Literacy Institute. He also authored the Road to Peace book series. Paul shared a that he grew up in Alabama and his father served in the Korean and Vietnam wars which cause trauma that resulted in a lot of behavioral issues for Paul which led to a very troubled childhood. Paul’s trauma, rage, alienation, and mistrust pushed him even to the point where he could have become a school shooter. In spite of this traumatic childhood, he graduated from High School and attended and graduated from West Point, going on to serve the country. After serving he spent his professional career serving to learn and educate about Peace.
“Peace must flow through an accurate understanding of the human condition.”
He gave an AMAZING presentation about how we are traditionally taught about Human needs on a physical level, but do not focus on the expanded non-physical needs. Here is the primary slide that breaks this down and shows how traumatic events can create what he called “Tangles of Trauma”. Note that I tried to keep up and have included some notes below, but this likely does not do his concepts justice. You will want to watch his New Peace Paradigm video on Youtube and ready his books and visit his website which are listed at the bottom of this writeup.
Purpose and meaning – People need purpose and meaning in life
Nurturing relationships – People cave being around people they can trust (all people of all cultures, backgrounds, nationalities, etc. ) If people feel unsafe, people are pushed to need for additional trust, which he pointed out is how Hitler took advantage of people: he told them he was the only leader/politician that they could trust. Trust is the primary way humans feel safe.
Explanations – People need explanations, and they will accept whatever explanation fits this need. This provides opportunity for manipulation in that when there is a lack of explanation, manipulators can fill the gap with whatever they want. Our need to solve problems also provides a need to explain: Rotary has been able to eradicate polio thanks to science being able to explain the causes and cures. How can you solve any problem without an accurate explanation of the problem?
Expressions – Physical, verbal, dress, tattoos, social media, protesting, voting, rioting, violence, cooking are all forms of expression. Consider when baby cries in first seconds of life: the need for food and expression activate simultaneously when born. Need for expression spikes when physical needs are unmet: we express to others when we need something. This is critical need as it allows the other needs to be met through communication.
Inspiration – Role models – without good ones, people will turn towards bad ones. When people’s physical need for safety is unmet, effective leaders will often give an inspirational speech (MLK inspired during a time where people were feeling unsafe, coaches in sports when they need to inspire to come from behind in a game, and even Hitler, who created the feeling of unsafety himself, then began working to inspire people who were scared to join his cause). You can inspire through words and actions.
Belonging – Being part of a group or community – this also serves to help people get their physical needs met. Paul pointed out that alienation and lack of belonging is a top thing shared by mass shooters and serial killers.
Self-worth – Much human behavior is based on this. Many will even see this in suicidal behavior – valuing self worth over physical survival. Many cultures see humiliation as akin to murder. Dishonor can cause people of some cultures to take their own lives. Also consider youth gang violence: many will risk death or jail when they are insulted or challenged as their worth is that valuable. Today when peoples self worth is wounded, they may even kill themselves slowly through stress, drugs, alcohol, depression, etc. This is the value of feeling good about yourself.
Challenge – The need to continue improving and persevering.
Transcendence
Paul pointed out that Rotary provides great ways to meet many of these needs in very healthy ways. Just the same, extremest groups meet these needs in unhealthy ways.
Also consider how social media fits into these nine needs and at the same time, social media can be used to trigger the tangles of trauma. The most dangerous thing is weaponizing the tangles of trauma to recruit people who are vulnerable due to their individual traumatic experiences. The government military cannot protect us from these types of weapons. Educating people on Peace literacy is one way to protect us. Paul points out that currently, this education typically happens once every year or more during a brief assembly in public school. This is not enough to properly teach complex concepts. How can you play basketball without being taught? or play instrument? This is why we need to teach about the human condition and how to find healthy ways to meet our needs through peace literacy. We need to view it as a complex competency like math, english, etc. Teach it in depth. Peace Literacy provides skills to deal with serious critical needs.
Consider the importance to our psyche of a “world view”. If you lose your world view, you can lose your mind. If someone threatens one’s world view, people often react to that as if their threatened physically. It is their mind protecting itself. World view can function like a force field where new information can bounce right off. The adult human brain cannot function without a world view. This is why a 4 year old brain has so many questions: their brain craves a world view and so they desperately seek to put one together.
What is more important: lack of food, or lack of truth? Ruler will manipulate and distort the truth before doing anything.
For more information, go to www.peaceliteracy.org. Also, you can find more material if you go to Youtube.com and look up “Paul K Chappell A New Peace Paradigm”.
~ Next Week’s Program: 2021 Rotary Mural: Meet the GFU Art Muralist Team ~
Check your e-mails for Mike Caruso’s Zoom meeting access information.
~ Joke of the Day ~
A friend of mine once told me that I’m the cheapest person she’s ever met…
But I’m not buying it.
~ Happy Quotes! ~
“Peace must flow through an accurate understanding of the human condition.”
– Paul K Chappell (during this meeting)
~ Published 2/7/2021: Dan Keuler, Newsletter Editor ~
