Nancy Hanson and Sandy Fink -- Sharing

 

 

Oct. 4: Rotary lunch, Noon at Bark; Fellowship

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Oct. 11: No Meeting; federal holiday.

 

Oct. 18: Rotary lunch, Noon at Bark; Speaker: Holmes Elementary Principal Kale Colyar.

 

Oct. 19: Rotary Potluck at Ron Schurra’s home. (Details in email.)

 

Oct. 25:  Rotary lunch, Noon at Bark; Classification talks from Chuck Rehberg and Bob Romney

 

 

            Back to in-person meetings: Subsequent to our Monday meeting, President Lenore confirmed with Bark that they are open and glad to have us return for our lunch meetings starting October 4th.

            President Lenore Romney said to expedite the service the plan is to have members stop at the dining room counter and order and pay for your meal before heading in to the meeting room.

            Under Governor Inslee’s current rules, masks must be worn indoors at the restaurant.

 

            Pot luck: Several members and couples have signed up for the pot luck dinner Oct. 19 at Ron Schurra’s home.  (See details in Lenore’s e-mail.) 

            Lenore said if Covid issues intervene and hosts or guests “are not happy,” the fellowship events can be canceled.  The Club will keep planning events so long as members are interested in attending.

 

            Holiday plans: The club again plans to provide holiday gifts for 40 needy Holmes Elementary School students.  Lenore Romney said because of rising costs the gifts for each student will be $60, rather than the $40 for 40 in past                    years. Tags will be distributed Nov. 15 and gift return will be on Dec. 13 most likely at our regular club meeting at Bark.

 

Happy Buck$:  No contributions this time. 

 

            Class acts feature Nancy and Sandy

           

            Continuing to add the “class” in its line-up of member classification talks, Nancy Hanson and Sandy Fink shared their memories in a Zoom luncheon on Sept. 27. A full screen of 12 members participated.

 

            Both talked about major changes in their respective classifications. 

 

            Nancy, an audiologist at Columbia Hearing Center, talked about her 37 years in work with hearing-loss issues.

 

            Sandy talked about decades of change in education, especially involving non-education issues.

 

            Nancy Hanson said “the technology (of hearing help) is getting better and better.  And now the Baby Boomers have arrived!”  Boomers, born from 1946 to 1964, now reach an age where hearing-loss is widespread.  

 

            She said for people of all ages who have minor hearing loss issues, a number of over-the- counter devices are reaching the market, supplementing the “Big Five” manufacturers which dominated.

 

            Now warehouse-style stores and others have added options.

 

            “We have priced people out of many hearing programs.  It’s fun to see people who have been out of the market be able to come back,” she said.

 

            One financial challenge is that Medicare has not funded hearing loss programs, just as they have not funded dental care.  With the Baby Boomer ranks filling fast, she hinted that some financial help may be on the way.  At least some in Congress are discussing the issues.

 

            Also, she said, rapid growth of Medicare Advantage plans are expanding hearing loss programs.  That may force other insurance carriers to expand their options.

 

            The technology changes continue with a wide variety of new devices, including artificial chips in “plug and place” systems.

 

            But “it’s been a crazy year” with Covid issues and semi-conductor chip shortages, Nancy said.

 

            One tip to allay some costs, Nancy said is “have a hearing test, don’t ask for a hearing aid.”

 

            Nancy was Club President, 2016-2017.

 

            Sandy Fink has worked in education roles in several countries and in a few other states.

 

            She has taught or served as administrators in places, among, Turkey, Berlin, plus Portland and San Diego.  But the roads always came back to Spokane, especially to North Central, where she retired as principal.  Some overseas jobs were DOD (Department of Defense) schools.

 

            “After 34 years in education I had no energy left so I decided to retire.” Sandy said.

 

            “I moved every two years, so why would anyone hire me?” she joked.

 

            The answer, obviously, was quite a few school leaders.

 

            Working around the district brought her back to NC.

 

            Sandy said working at Ferris “was a cultural shock” when just one student would leave mid-year.  At NC, like at Holmes, the revolving door rotates far often. 

 

            Working at the School District, she saw the differences.  But she maintains that “everyone can excel.”

 

            The major shift for education in her decades, she said, is how many non-education issues teachers and administrators must deal with.  “The job is education, not all the social issues,” she said.  And she said, despite Covid, students need to be in school.

 

            Her administrative educational mantras: “organize and delegate and demonstrate trust in those who work for you”  and all students are capable of excelling – find the ways and believe in their abilities!

 

            For Sandy, the lingering Covid chaos has made her “antsy” to travel again.

 

            Her “bucket list” fills with plans for trips.  She loves to visit New York and has traveled from Budapest to New Zealand, among other places.  She also has visited all of the national parks.

 

            “I want to go somewhere, but (with Covid lingering) not just yet,” she said.

 

            Sandy joined Rotary in 1990, when Brian Hipperson was club president.  She said she still has the Rotary pin Brian handed to her when she joined.  In some years she even played the piano to accompany club songs.

 

            Sandy served as club president in 2000-01.

 

            Sandy’s  lasting advice from her mom: “Don’t leave Rotary.  They care about each other!”