Hello. My name is Joe Vaughan, and I am a member of the Maryland Senior Citizen Hall of Fame. I am also on the Board of Directors. With me today is Mr. Walt Stawinski, who is also on the Board of Directors. I want to welcome you to our first luncheon as the Carroll County Chapter of the Maryland Senior Citizen Hall of Fame.
(Go through the list and talk about each person.. some are not in MSCHF.)
Ever since the Hall of Fame was started, many inductees have had the same question: "What is next? Now that we have this honor, we would like to continue our involvement with the Hall of Fame. That is why we are establishing this chapter and also why we are establishing other chapters around the state of Maryland. Mr. Stawinski has already arranged for the birth of a chapter in Baltimore County.
Carroll Lutheran Village has graciously offered to sponsor this chapter and Oak Crest has offered to sponsor the Baltimore County Chapter. These sponsors will provide meeting space for our meetings and luncheons and allow us to advertise these events.
You might ask: "What should be the reason why one might want to be involved with a Hall of Fame Chapter?"
Several years ago, the umbrella organization invited newly inducted members to a welcoming session, where a comedian entertained the group. These members thoroughly enjoyed themselves and have suggested more meetings where humor is stressed. Therefore, the Board felt that one of the concerns of a chapter should be the use of humor, as a healing method, as a teaching method, as an aid to healthy aging, and of course, as entertainment.
The Board also felt that a Chapter would be a good place for members to discuss their volunteer activity and share their experience with younger persons, in order to motivate the younger persons to get involved in volunteer activity.
So, today, we will cover both legs of the chapter activity: Humor and Volunteerism.
Later, a noted person will tell us about the volunteer activity he has been involved in most of his life. But first, a less than noted person will talk about humor.
Opening:
1. Grabber (shingles joke?); Laughing dog picture on screen; Why MSCHF?;
2. Motto: Laughter is the best medicine.
3. What I am going to talk about.
First, I want to talk about what humor is.
Next, I want to talk about humor as it affects health.
Finally, I want to mention some resources for humor.
Body:
1. What is humor?
Check out the Wikipedia entry.
Humor is the tendencey of certain activity to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from Greek medicine. The Greeks thought that fluids in the human body (humors) controlled health and emotion.
Almost everybody responds to humor and if we laugh or smile at a funny picture or situation, we are said to have a sense of humor. Those that don't respond are said to be grouchy, or maybe just preoccupied.. and usually depressed.
Some people also take themselves very seriously and are thought to not have a sense of humor. I ran into a couple of them when we tried to set up this luncheon.
Some religions around the world believe that humor is a "gift from god." Most people feel that laughter is definitely good for you.
2. Health outcome
(Relate to Mary Kemp's handout.)
Laughter improves your health.
Laughter increases the secretion of endorphins.
Laughter increases oxygen in the blood.
Laughter raises skin temperature.
Laughter increases circulation.
Laughter improves respiration.
Laughter sharpens brain functions.
Laughter reduces blood pressure.
Laughter helps people fight infection.
Laughter helps with chronic breathing problems.
Laughter enhances alertness and memory.
Laughter boosts the immune system.
Laughter eases breathing.
Laughter makes pain more bearable.
Laughter relieves tensions and anxiety.
Laughter improves your self-esteem.
Laughter enhances social interaction.
Laughter makes life more enjoyable.
Children laugh over 400 times a day!
Adults laugh at most 17 times a day!
Humorists live to ripe old age.. Bob Hope and George Burns, famous funnymen, lived to be 100 years old.
In 1964, Norman Cousins was diagnosed with a rare rheumatoid disease. His chance of recovery was predicted to be 1 in 500.
Norman investigated the disease and learned that there was a strong correlation between stress, particularly negative perceptions and emotions and his disease. He thought, if negative emotions are related to disease, is it possible that positive emotions can restore one's health?
He decided to treat himself with positive emotions. He checked out of the hospital and into a nearby hotel. He acquired copies of humorous movies and TV shows. He especially liked Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers. He watched these funny movies and shows and he read funny stories. He discovered that ten minutes of laughter allowed him two hours of pain-free restorative sleep. His disease went into remission.
His experience created a new field of study: psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), which demonstrated how positive emotions play an important role in maintaining the health of the human body.
So.. to stay healthy, try to put more laughter in your life:
3. Resources
There are many sources of humorous material.
First, of course, is the free public library. Westminster has a vast collection of humorous books and videos.
Carroll Lutheran Village has a very fine library, with lots of humorous books and movies.
If you have internet access.. the web is filled with humorous websites.
Amazon.com has probably every humorous book ever written. All available, and most at a very low price. Mark Twain is probably the best known humorous writer.
Netflix is a movie service, where you can order funny movies. My favorites are:
Cat Ballou, The Rose Tattoo, anything with Laurel and Hardy or Harold Lloyd.
We are lucky in this area to be able to receive NPR on DC's WAMU.FM. Every Sunday night you can hear The Big Broadcast.. a show that replays radio from many years ago. They often play the original shows of Bob Hope, Fibber Magee and Molly, Jack Benny and others. I've been listening to the Big Broadcast for over 30 years and I really feel bad if I miss it.
Another NPR Radio Show that I hate to miss is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me! This show broadcasts also on WAMU, but on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am. Don't miss it!
You can also see old TV shows by ordering them on Netflix or finding them online. Funny shows like Mary Tyler Moore, Cheers and the like.
Join groups that love to laugh, like the Carroll County AARP Chapter. Louise Miller keeps us in stitches each meeting.
So, there are lots of places to get humorous material. There therefore is no excuse to not find something to laugh about.
Put more laughter in your life! .. and in the lives of those you interact with!
Conclusion:
1. What I told you.
1. What is humor.
2. Humor as it affects health.
3. Humor resources.
2. Motto:
Laughter is the best Medicine!
3. Goodbye grabber
Joke: or poem
