Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 9, 2013

President Ann-Shirley Goodell was a no-show today, due to some dental surgery, so we dragged a disheveled drunk off the street to stand at the Rotary podium and look befuddled. Jose Rigas opened the meeting with the 4-Way Test en francais and we welcomed 12 members and 4 guests:  Carlos Aveloso (a Rotarian for only one month in Quito, Equador), Shail Mahanti from the Arbutus club, Svend Rowert (Milie Taing's guest) and Steve McGrandle.

Club news

Today is the last day to sign up for Guess Who's Coming For Dinner on October 19. If you're registered, you'll receive an email this week to let you know where you go and what to bring. Last-minute reservations can be made today by email to Ann-Shirley.

Nominations are open for the position of District Governor until November 1. The only requirements are that candidates must have served as club president and must be nominated by their clubs. If you'd like to suggest anyone (including yourself), Ann-Shirley has the contact information.

Susan Neale and Milie went to Opera Pro Cantanti on Sunday, as recommended by last week's speaker, and enjoyed the performance. Milie is organizing a group to see "Rigoletto" on Sunday, November 24.

Abigail Turner circulated an email just received from Georgina Hargreaves, our outbound student in Falkenberg, Sweden. She's enjoying her host family, rapidly learning to speak Swedish, and bringing some Canadian influence to her school basketball team and the co-ed Scout program in Sweden. Meanwhile, Luisa Godoy, our inbound student, was seen shopping in Bellingham last weekend with Cleo Perez.

The Hoop-a-Thon committee met with the Quadra club in hopes they will join us again in next June's fund-raising event.

Today's program

This morning's speaker was Dr. Michael Kobor, a UBC professor and researcher at BC Children's Hospital, whose topic was "Getting Under the Skin." Dr. Kobor specializes in epigenetics, the study of how human genes are influenced by factors other than DNA. He characterized the 25,000 human genes as acting like light bulbs which can be on or off or brighter or dimmer, all controlled by a kind of dimmer switch. Epigenomes act as the dimmer switches which control changes to the genes.

Studies have shown that the nutrition and lifestyle of the mother during pregnancy can have major influences on the child. He cited smoking during pregnancy as an environmental factor that can affect the child. In addition, new research indicates that early-life social-economic status and parents' stress levels can affect childhood temperament and behaviour. For example, those who experience low social-economic status in early life have been shown to have twice the likelihood of heart disease later in life, compared to those who enjoy more affluent lifestyles in early life. Similarly, higher stress levels in the home in early life can lead to problems later in life.

The good news is that all this can be somewhat offset by maternal warmth and love in the first years of a child's life. Infants, says one study, are most negatively affected by the mother's stress (or lack of it), while pre-school children, especially girls, are affected by the father.

Dr. Kobor emphasized that this is a new field of research and much more is being learned as studies progress.

That's it for now. Have a good Thanksgiving weekend and we'll see you next Wednesday.

Rob