Greeting duties were handled by both AMY NEAL and RICH LEWIS. JULIUS GLOVER led us in song. RUSS ACKELY introduced guests: RON ANDERSON brought his wife (and former member) Mary Jane, KIRSTEN STOFFER brought a prospective member DONNA KELLY of the Yakima School District and perennial guest Lynn Buchanon brought himself.

Kirsten was to hold a meeting of the Mystery Committee immediately following lunch. Donna was going to advise the committee on one of the three projects they were reviewing: Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, and an Elementary School Partnership.

DON DAVIDSON passed around a sign up sheet for Bell Ringing to be held December 3. It is believed this project started with our Kiwanis Club over 30 years ago and is now done throughout the Kiwanis World.

Amy brought us dessert in a shameless attempt to get us hooked on Camp Fire candy in preparation for the annual candy sale, which starts this weekend.

BRIAN BLOUNT was our Sergeant and ROD ALLEN called a game of Bingo, won by Kirsten (she was the centerpiece of the meeting).

MAC PORTER introduced speaker Martin John from the Hearing and Speech Center. The Center has been well supported by our members since the Center’s founding back in 1971. The Center is one of two not-for-profit centers in the state. Prior to its founding, patients had to make multiple trips to either Seattle or Portland to receive treatment. This was a tremendous hardship on parents, so they tended to neglect treatment which is a shame because with early treatment (the youngest the Center has fit a child with hearing aids is 3 months old) a child has a much greater chance of speaking normally and understanding the world around them.
Seven to ten percent of all Americans have a permanent hearing impairment serious enough to affect speaking and understanding. That figure includes about 2% children and 25% adults 65 and older. Martin showed a video showcasing Nancy Frame’s program that targets these young children and their families. Nancy has been with the center since its beginning and her program has helped many youngsters gain better hearing.
The Hearing and Speech Center has been at the forefront of technological advancements over the past 30 years. Martin, who has been a licensed Audiologist for 18 years, took us through some of the innovation the Hearing and Speech Center helped pioneer, such as: the formation of a hearing aid bank in the mid-80’s, the implementation of otocustic emissions technology (I think that is the name, I know it allows evaluation of a child who can’t respond) in the early 90’s, canal hearing aids in the early-90’s and the move to fully digital aids in 1996.
Martin explained that severe noise exposure is the number one cause of hearing loss and aging has little effect until well into a person’s 70’s. He did stress that the better you take care of your overall health, the better your hearing will remain.

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