October Meeting:

On October 17th at 1730 hours (5:30 -12 hour clock time), we met at the Texas Instruments Fitness Center.  We started with was bread, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, peppers, 3 cheeses, strawberries, grapes, chicken on a stick, and a variety of dips in case you needed to coat this healthy stuff with some tangy taste.  This generous layout was provided by JPM enterprises.

Our host and speaker, Christi Crider, was very proud of her facility and spoke convincingly about healthy lifestyles. Her fitness center was provided by TI, but the operation is financed by the members.  It costs TI members about $9, and the company kicks in another $12.  Anybody can join the 300 active members.  The facility has a weight and exercise machine room, several steam baths, a sauna, and a full body massage room.  TI feels that it is good business to have healthy members.  Medical bills and absenteeism go down.  If you are interested in beginning a program, there are several organizations that can provide information.  An organization needs about 1000 people to support a center.

Managing your personal body is similar to managing a facility.  We only have one, and renovations are very costly. Preventive maintenance is the key to both.  Do you know your blood pressure, cholesterol, body weight and the recommended values?  Does your body still move after you stop?  Some people may know more about the place they work than about their own temple.

Stress is the rate of physical and emotional wear and tear as your body responds to pressure, changes, and the demands of life.  Some external sources of pressure are work, community, school, and home.  Some internal sources are behaviors, expectations, beliefs, and attitudes.  These you can change or control to some extent.  If it is out of your control, you should let it go and not worry about it.  Our performance works best with some level of stress.  Ever since Eve met the snake, we have had stress.  How well you respond to stress depends on how well you take care of your body.  It is always important to take some time for yourself.  Let's talk about food again.

There are four basic food groups: Bad for you, but taste good, Good for you, but taste bad, Makes you fat and ugly, and Eat and you will die.  Okay, my mistake, there are more than four.  The recommended daily diet is (a). 6-11 servings of breads, rice, and pasta; (b). 3-5 servings of vegetables; (c). 2-3 servings of meat and eggs; (d). 2-4 servings of fruit; (e). 2-3 servings of milk, yogurt and cheese; and (f). sparingly on the fats, oils, and sweats.  A serving is about a cup of food not to exceed about 2 oz..  Remember cholesterol only comes from animal products.  The bottom line in eating is that if your food intake doesn't match your requirements, then you must exercise.  Someone asked if taco curls or twelve ounce curls was a good mix of exercise and caloric intake.

You should get 30 minutes of activity throughout the day to stay healthy.  There are three significant components of exercise: cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility.  How to stick with it is a major problem.  You need to do something you enjoy and start slowly.  Do it with a buddy, set goals, and feel the benefits.  Park farther away from the entrance and walk in.  Try aerobic dancing.  You are much more resilient when you exercise regularly; so, keep out of the health repair mode.

David opened the business meeting at 1848 hours.  He thanked Christy for the meeting place and the inspirational talk and JPM for the food.  He introduced a new member from Motorola and guests from about seven other firms.  David was just back from World Work Place '96 at Salt Lake City. One of the things discussed was the membership opportunities for our allied members.  Soon, there should be a proposal coming your way.  Please read it, think about it, and vote.

Thanks to those people who filled out the survey.  Jean LeFebvre reviewed it and has developed a tentative schedule for next year. There will be more lunches and more management seminars. She is looking for a good meeting place where we can eat while the speaker talks. Call her if you have a good central location.  There is some risk involved in changing our format. Other chapters have made changes, and attendance went down.  I hope you're not the type that resists change.

After discussing the $5.00 cost for the meeting, a member asked that the idea be surveyed.  Charging for the meeting is the most democratic method of paying that I know of.  Charging those that come for the food, the meeting content, and mixing with all the right people is much more fair than charging everyone the same annual dues.  There was a request for the budget and the membership roster to be published.  Both of these requests will be met shortly.

Several people asked the chapter officers to be more open.  The president, David Mascorro, asked the members to be more active.  Volunteer! The volunteer survey was good, but a member said the best way was the verbal request. Another discussion item was the newsletter.  The hardest part of this document is getting people to provide content, on time.  Someone suggested that each officer or committee chair should have a requirement.  When was the last time you submitted an article?  The meeting was adjourned at 1926 hours.

Habitat for Humanity was October 19th. At 0900, there were about 45 people at 1100 Valdez for the house raising. Unfortunately, we all did work below grade on the foundation and driveway.  Just kidding.  They even had food provided by Norm Erlandson at Fisher Rosemont. We all had a good time working with shovels, tying steel, surveying the driveway, and setting forms.  I just wish I had more time to do this type of volunteer work.  It's highly satisfying to get some exercise, obtain a sense of accomplishment, and help someone all at the same time.  Sign up next time; you'll be a better person for it.

The next day I cut wood for the Aggie bon fire so that should fill my exercise quota for a month.

By J. Robert Howard