Rotary Reader June 5, 2013 pdf - Rotary of Fort Walton Beach Main ...

June 5, 2013 Page 1
The Rotary Reader
Post Office Box 892
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549
Presidential Citation Award Winner — 18 th Consecutive Year
The Rotary Club of Fort Walton Beach
Board of Directors
President:
Jan Pooley
Vice-President:
Roger Peadro
Secretary:
Kathy Pritchard
Treasurer:
Debbie Bodenstine
Past President:
Scott Smith
Committee Chair
Membership:
Julie Orr
Services Projects:
Aaron Webber
Rotary Foundation:
Jody Henderson
Public Relations:
Michele Nicholson
Club Administration:
Chuck Landers
New Generations:
Debbie Bodenstine
Sergeant at Arms:
Ted Litschauer/Jack Yeiser
Bulletin
Aaron Webber
Scholarship, Inc.:
Matt Turpin
Executive Secretary
Lorragenia Jackson
executivesecretary@fortwaltonrotary.org
David Macdonald of Castle Camus
17 th Chieftain
In 1996, The Lord Lyon King of Arms, In
Edinburgh Scotland, officially recognized David as
the 17th Representer (Chieftain) of the House of
Macdonald of Castle Camus, the oldest cadet of
the Macdonalds of Sleat now in existence. The
Lord Lyon also recognized David’s son as James
Macdonald of Castle Camus, younger. What
remains of Castle Camus, now called Knock
Castle, sits on a precipitous headland off the
sound of Sleat on the Isle of Skye. The
translation of the Gaelic Chaistel Camus is
“Castle on the Bay.” David is also the great-greatgreat-great
grandson of Flora Macdonald, the
Scottish heroin who helped The Young Pretender,
Bonnie Prince Charlie, escape after the Battle of
Culloden. She and her husband, Allan Macdonald
of Kingsburgh and Castle Camus, helped raise
the North Carolina Loyalist Militia and settled for
a time prior to the Revolutionary war in Cross
Creek, North Carolina which is now called
Fayetteville. They later returned to Scotland after
finding themselves on the wrong side of the
American War of Independence.
David started his career in retail for Thalhimer’s Department Store in Richmond and Memphis
prior to managing malls throughout the country in Dallas, Denver, Pensacola, Fort Myers and
Pittsburgh. David and his family moved to The Isle of Skye in Scotland, the land of his ancestors,
where he was the Executive Director of the Clan Donald Lands Trust, d.b.a Clan Donald Skye
from 2007 until 2011. He managed a 20,000 acre estate, held in trust by the clan, on the Sleat
Peninsula on the Isle of Skye, Scotland (www.clandonald.com). They were received warmly by the
local folks on the island and welcomed back as a “returner” as so many folks had left the island
seeking a better life in the colonies. He is currently the General Manager of Santa Rosa Mall in
Fort Walton Beach, Florida for Jones Lang LaSalle and is married to the former Debra Wood of
Memphis, TN. They have two children, Maggie 20, who is a junior at Elon University and James
17, a rising senior at Gulf Breeze High School. They reside in Gulf Breeze, Florida. David helps to
lead contemporary worship at The Mission Anglican Church in Pensacola on the guitar and also
plays the bagpipes.
www.fortwaltonrotary.org

June 5, 2013 The Rotary Reader Page 2
The Cost of Fame: Is Empathy a Casualty of Our Self-Centered Age?
By Frank Bures
The Rotarian -- June 2013
Growing up, I spent shocking amounts of time in front of the television. We may have had only 13 channels at our house, but we
stared at them, slack-jawed, for hours on end. My mother assured us that our heads were rotting from the inside out.
These days, I don’t spend nearly as much time in front of the tube. This is partly because I don’t have time, partly because the Internet
is more interesting, and partly because, at the tender age of 41, I am a prematurely cranky old man, and therefore easily infuriated.
Either TV has changed, or I have changed. This dawned on me last year as I was channel-surfing at a hotel, unable to settle on anything
– until I came across a rerun of The Lawrence Welk Show. I set down the remote and sat happily transfixed till the end. My inner
80-year-old had taken over.
Over the years, people have looked at the “vast wasteland” of television and seen the approaching end of western civilization. I try to
take criticism of the medium with a grain of salt, but I recently came across some studies suggesting that it wasn’t only me who had
changed.
Two researchers at the University of California, Yalda Uhls and Patricia Greenfield, devised a way to measure the values expressed in
U.S. television shows. Their idea was not that TV is a corrupting influence or a source of moral instruction, but a mirror that reflects
our society back to us.
Given how much the world has changed over the decades, you might not think that TV shows from the years 1967, 1977, 1987, and
1997 would have much in common. But they did. Taking the two most popular programs for tweens from each of those years, as well
as from 2007, Uhls and Greenfield looked for 16 values demonstrated by the characters, such as benevolence, popularity, community
feeling, financial success, tradition, and fame.
For the first four decades, the shows were fairly consistent: Community feeling was the top value for all of them except 1987, when it
ranked second. Benevolence and tradition were consistently at the top. Meanwhile, fame ranked 15th in 1967, 1987, and 1997. (In
1977, it was 13th.) Achievement and financial success hovered around the bottom half of the list; they were never dominant forces
in the characters’ lives.
By 2007, however, community feeling had dropped to the 11th spot. Benevolence had fallen to 12th, and tradition to 15th. Financial
success had jumped from 12th to 5th since 1997, achievement to 2nd, and fame to 1st.
In the age of American Idol, you might have expected as much – and the researchers did, in fact, anticipate that individualist values
would have moved upward. But they were surprised by the magnitude of the change. “If you believe that television reflects the culture,
as I do,” Uhls says, “then American culture has changed drastically.”
There are a slew of related trends. Narcissism has been rising for several decades. In the early 1950s, only 12 percent of teens ages
14-16 agreed with the statement “I am an important person.” By the late 1980s, 80 percent did. In a study that ran from 1979 to
2006, scores on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory rose by 30 percent among college students. By 2006, the average college student
scored nearly the same level of narcissism as the average celebrity. Researcher Jean Twenge says we are seeing an epidemic,
which she details in her 2009 book, The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement.
We are also seeing decreases in empathy. One study found that from 1979 to 2009, college students’ “empathetic concern” (the
capacity to feel what others are feeling) dropped 48 percent, and their “perspective taking” (the ability to see from another’s point of
view) declined by 34 percent. Psychologist Sara Konrath summed this up as an “empathy paradox,” in which we are finding
“increasing disconnection in the age of connection.”
Researchers have suggested several possible causes. Smaller family size is one, as is the decline of social organizations, which Robert
Putnam wrote about in his 2001 book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. The Internet and social
media play a role; many of the changes accelerated after 2000. But Konrath points out that these trends started several decades
ago. After all, Tom Wolfe called the 1970s the “Me Decade,” arguing that a great religious awakening had occurred, centered on the
worship of the self.
Continued Next page...
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June 5, 2013 The Rotary Reader Page 3
June 12
June 19
June 26
UPCOMING SPEAKERS AND EVENTS
Kelly Humphries - Catholic Charities
Robert Starr - Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship
Dr. Debra Petry - Conflict Resolution
The Cost of Fame: Is Empathy a Casualty of Our Self-Centered Age?
...Continued
Another cause may be the “self-esteem” movement of the 1980s – which, research shows, did little good. Much of what still passes
for self-esteem building, Twenge argues, fosters self-importance and narcissism. Self-esteem is the result of accomplishment, not
the cause of it. High self-esteem doesn’t lead to academic achievement, or good behavior, or less violence or drug use.
What it has led to is grade inflation – 30 percent more students getting As, even as SAT scores are declining. “After all these years,”
psychologist Roy Baumeister wrote in 2005, “my recommendation is this: Forget about self-esteem and concentrate more on selfcontrol
and self-discipline.”
What do these changes mean, and what are the implications for our society? Will our egos keep growing? Will they swing back to
some historical norm? Will people eventually rebel against the narcissistic tide?
We are still mapping out the extent of the transformation. But one of the costs may be our very sense of well-being. We are social
animals; we need to take part in others’ lives, and have them take part in ours.
Many researchers suggest that our rising levels of stress, anxiety, and depression stem from rising levels of self-regard. The negative
health effects of loneliness are well-documented, as are the health benefits of being socially engaged. Konrath and her colleagues
found that people who did volunteer work had a lower mortality risk four years later. The more regularly and frequently they volunteered,
the lower the risk. But this was only true if the person volunteered for other-oriented reasons. Among those who volunteered
for selfish reasons, the mortality rate was the same as that of non-volunteers.
What’s best for society may also be what’s best for ourselves.
This Day in History
On this day in 1933, the United States went off the gold standard, a monetary system in which currency is backed by gold,
when Congress enacted a joint resolution nullifying the right of creditors to demand payment in gold.
On this day in 1968, Senator Robert Kennedy is shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the California
presidential primary.
On this day in 2004, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, dies, after a long struggle with Alzheimer's
disease.
On this day in 1944, more than 1,000 British bombers drop 5,000 tons of bombs on German gun batteries placed at the
Normandy assault area, while 3,000 Allied ships cross the English Channel in preparation for the invasion of Normandy—
D-Day.
THE ROTARY FOUR WAY TEST
1) Is it the truth?
2) Is it fair to all concerned?
3) Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4) Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
www.fortwaltonrotary.org

Rotary Roster
Anderson, Robert SM
Hayes, Tom PHF SM
Page, Brian SM
Trigg, Brian SM
CPA
Arthur, Jack PHF SM
Financial Services
Henderson, Jody PHF SM *
Tax Attorney
Page, Susan SM
Program Analyst
Trum, Alex PHF SM
Insurance
Bass, James SM
Accounting/Auditing
Henley, Mitzi (4) SM
Professional Counseling
Palmer, Charlie SM
Orthodontist Retired
Turpin, Matt SM
Funeral Director
Beedie, Michael SM
Retail Shopping Center
Hooton, Jeff (5) SM
Real Estate Development
Peadro, Roger PHF SM
CPA
Vaughan, John PHF SM
Government Administration
Bennett, Nitsi (19) PHF X *
Commercial Lending
Howard, William PHF
Pastor
Plummer, Mary PHF SM
Past Service
Watson, Yonge (1) PHF SM *
Non-Profit Administration
Bodenstine, Debbie PHF SM X
Real Estate-General
Johnson, Chris PHF *
Real Estate Sales
Poff, Lyndon (3) PHF X SM
Real Estate
Webber, Aaron (2) SM
Economic Development
Brewster, Joseph PHF SM
CPA Retired
Johnson,Johnny (40) PHF SM X*
Paint & Body Shop
Pooley, Jan (6) PHF SM X
Condo Management
West, Charles PHF SM
Cable Television
Brutt, Frank PHF SM
Banking
Kedroski, Cristie SM
Department Store
Potts, Charlie PHF SM *
Investment Broker
Williamson, Ken PHF SM *
County Planning
Butcher, Tom
Foundation Development
Kunkel, Richard PHF SM
Jeweler
Pritchard, Kathy PHF SM
Retired
Woo, Jean PHF SM
Honorary Member
Cagle, Kevin SM
Education
Landers, Chuck PHF SM
Commercial Banking
Pryor, Fred PHF SM *
Dentist
WrightReynolds, Mike (1) PHF SM
Office Machines
Chalker, Gerry (5) PHF SM *
CPA
LeBlanc, Ross SM
Utility Service-Gas
Rahe, Ted (36) PHF SM *
Photography
Yeiser, Jack PHF SM
Pension Administration
Clark, Jason (2) SM
CPA
Leonard, Tony PHF SM **
Property Management
Ricketts, Dusty SM
Mortgage Broker
Youngblood, Russ PHF SM **
Insurance
Corbin, Andy PHF SM X *
Retail/Musical Instruments
Linn, John PHF SM
News Media
Rollins, Joe SM
Psychologist
Electronics Mfg.
Davis, James (33) PHF SM *
Kitchens-Retail
Litschauer, Ted SM
Compliance Services
Sharon, Katie SM
Public Utilities
Dorris, George PHF SM
Public Safety
Lowrey, Tom PHF *
Commercial Banking
Shaw, Susan PHF SM
Dentistry
Edwards, JT SM
Stockbroker
Mattern, Jamey PHF SM
Fund Raising
Shelley, Eulice PHF SM *
Retail Owner
Ekedahl, Brian SM
Architect
Macdonald, David SM PHF **
Moving & Storage
Simpson, Natalie SM
Social Services
Empson, Dan
Shopping Center Mgr
McDonald, J.R. SM
Legislative
Smith, Pete PHF SM *
Honorary
Fallin, Ralph (31) PHF SM X *
Dairy Products
Foster, William PHF SM X *
Attorney
Fowner, Bob (2) PHF SM
Association Manager
Gilligan, Tony (17) PHF SM
Aerospace Marketing
McNabb, Julie (1) SM
Developmental Disabilities
Meyer, Joe SM
Retail/Computers
Miller, David O. (10) PHF SM
Developmental Disabilities
Morgan, John PHF SM *
Appraiser
Smith, Scott PHF SM *
Chiropractor
Smith, Whitney SM
Attorney
Stearns, Allan (21) PHF SM *
Travel Agent
Stevens, Rick (4) PHF SM X *
PHF: Paul Harris Fellows
SM: PH Sustaining Members
* FWB Club Past Presidents
** Past President Other Clubs
X FWB Rotarian of the Year
Members in purple are
recognized as achieving
perfect attendance as of
the end of the previous
year (June 30th)
Members in blue font are on a leave of absence.
Government Contractor
Grissom, Ron SM
Computer Engineer
Morgan, Matthew SM
Surge Suppression Systems
Stokes, Randy PHF SM *
Utilities
Grubbs, Haydon PHF SM
Electrical Engineer
Nelson, Dan PHF SM
Architecture
Tinsley, Kent SM
Education
Hamilton, Chad PHF SM
Restaurant/Fast Food
Nicholson, Michele SM
Commercial Banking
Tinsley, Herb PHF SM X *
CPA
Hardy, Sallie PHF SM
Communications
Orr, Julie (1) SM
Savings & Loan Mgmt.
Townsend, Forrest PHF SM X *
Commercial Properties
Personnel Staffing
Veterinarian