CARDIAC ATHLETIC SOCIETY EDMONTON

Heart Murmurs
November 2010

 

CHRISTMAS PARTY TICKETS NOW ON SALE

Tickets for the annual Christmas Party, are now on sale from Jim Hammond at $27 per ticket. The party is set for Sunday December 5 at 4:30 PM. Come and join old friends and celebrate the season as well as the changes we are all experiencing with CASE.

NOVEMBER EDUCATION PROGRAM

The next education session will held Monday, November 29, 2010 at 7 p.m. at Alberta School for the Deaf at 6240 - 113 Street, Edmonton. Our guest speaker will be U of A PhD student Antigone Oreopoulos.

She recently led research of a study of heart failure patients which casts doubt on a common obesity test, suggesting instead that muscle mass may be a better indicator of such patients' potential lifespan. (An article about this study was in September/10 Heart Murmurs). The study also included measuring body composition multiple ways - e.g. body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist to height ratio, bioelectrical impedance analysis (body fat scale) and a portable machine called infrared interactance.

She will discuss these methods of measurement, where they can be done, the pro/cons of each approach and explain how the methods can be used in conjunction with or to replace the BMI. She has offered to measure anyone's body fat and muscle mass.

ON MOVING ON.

After the October 26 a special general meeting, the CASE executive met and decided to proceed with the move to the Kinsmen Sport Centre. The following motions were adopted:

·      The CASE executive supports the report of the Relocation Committee, and the vote of members at the Tuesday October 26, 2010 meeting, and indicates to Kevin Arnott, Edmonton Community Services, that we wish to proceed as soon as possible to have the CASE exercise program become a drop-in program of Edmonton Community Services, located at the Kinsmen Sport Centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

·      The CASE executive asks that Edmonton Community Services grant Corporate Status to CASE members for the purchase of passes to attend drop-in classes at multiple facilities.

·      The CASE executive will provide an annual membership card to all members of CASE to demonstrate their eligibility for corporate discounts for annual, monthly or multi per visit passes purchased from Edmonton Community Services.

·      The CASE executive indicates to Edmonton Community Services, that it is the wish of the CASE membership that Lynn Bohuch remain as the instructor for the CASE exercise program and that it is our expectation that she will be paid at a rate equivalent to her earnings as the instructor for CASE.

·      That CASE executive indicates to Edmonton Community Services that Lynn Bohuch may speak for CASE in the finalization of space and times for the CASE drop-in programs on Tuesday and Thursdays at the Kinsmen Sport Centre.

On November 1, we e-mailed these resolutions to Kevin Arnott and indicated that we wanted to proceed with the recognition of CASE as a Corporate organization and moving our exercise program to the KSC. As of November 17 we have not had a response back from Kevin but we have proceeded to address a number of other issues associated with the move.

When will we be moving? We have decided that the move should occur in January 2011. While it might be possible to get into the KSC before that date, a critical factor is that Lynn will be on holidays for 2 weeks in December. It is to our advantage to have her with us as we begin our programs in a different facility.

What are the days and times of the exercise program in the KSC? We understood from Kevin that the same days (Tuesday and Thursday) and generally the same times would be available at the KSC. However, we are still awaiting confirmation of this

What is the Corporate Wellness Program and how would we benefit from it? This program was established by the City of Edmonton to promote fitness among employees of businesses in Edmonton. The program requires that CASE be recognized by the City as a participating organization. Once that is done the members of CASE become eligible for a 20 percent discount on annual passes, continuous monthly passes, or multi admission passes. To obtain this discount, members will have to provide proof of membership in CASE to the City staff who are selling the passes. At this point in time we have not yet received formal recognition of CASE by the City and thus we are not yet able to purchase passes at the discounted price. The website to access information on this program is http://www.edmonton.ca/attractions_recreation/sport_recreation/corporate-wellness-program.aspx

How will we prove our membership in CASE? As noted above we will have to prove membership to obtain the corporate discount. New membership cards for CASE have been prepared and will be issued to all members who have a paid up 2010 Base Membership, Exercise Membership, or Honorary Membership. These cards will have to be shown to the cashier at the Kinsmen Recreation Centre, or other City Recreation Facility, when seeking a CASE corporate discount on the purchase of a Pass. We are holding the distribution of these cards until we have received confirmation from the City that we will receive the corporate discount and that our programs have been scheduled in the KSC.

What other discounts can we receive? Most of us also are eligible for the 'Senior Discount' Proof of age may be required to apply for the Senior's discount for the purchase of this pass.

The City also has programs available which can provide the passes free of charge to individuals that can prove need. Information on this program is available from the City and at the website http://www.edmonton.ca/for_residents/programs/leisure-access-program.aspx

When should we buy our pass? You can buy a City of Edmonton fitness pass at any time. However, until CASE has been given recognition by the City under the Corporate program, we will not be eligible for that discount. That having been said, there is an advantage in purchasing an annual multi-facility full access pass before the end of 2010. City Council annually reviews rates charged for recreation passes as part of the year end budget setting process and it is quite possible there would be an increase in the rates charged effective January 1, 2011. We hope that the corporate recognition will be received shortly and we can issue the membership cards at that time.

Sale of the Exercise Equipment. One of the major impacts of our move is the need to remove our equipment from the Alberta School for the Deaf. We have decided to sell our exercise machines to members. We received an appraisal of market values from Lucki's which represents only about 10 percent of our original purchase price. With this in mind, we will sell the equipment to our members at Lucki's appraised value with no additional discounting applied. Selling most of the equipment does not appear to be a great problem.

Lists to sign up for the purchase of specific pieces have been circulated. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a "master signup sheet" yet. We will post a sheet at the front of each exercise class beginning Thursday November 18 which will be headed as the Master Sign Up sheet. Names can be put on that list either by signing up there or by e-mailing Barry Clark at kbclark1@telus.net. Names that were already on the list that was e-mailed to members by Brian Jones on November 13 will remain on the Master List. The list will be closed on Thursday November 25, 2010 at the end of the exercise class.

Where more than one member has asked for the same piece of equipment, a draw will be held by November 30 to select the member who will purchase the equipment. Where there are multiple pieces of the same equipment, a name entered on one of the pieces will automatically be entered into the draws for the other pieces of the same equipment and removed from the other draws if successful in an earlier draw.

All sales are on an "as is" "where is" basis. The removal of equipment from the ASD should happen between December 1 and December 17 which is when the school closes for the year. (Our last class is December 16) For small equipment like dumbbells, Lynn likely will want to use them in classes so they probably need to be left until December 14 or 16. We have not discussed with the ASD access to the school except during the regular exercise classes. It probably should be assumed that moving will have to occur during the exercise classes.

The purchasers will be individually responsible for the removal of the equipment, transport to their homes, and the location of the equipment in their homes.

It should be noted that some of the equipment is very heavy and really should not be moved by people with heart conditions. You may need a team of strong people and even moving equipment such as dollies and a truck. The purchase will require the buyer to sign a waiver personally assuming all liability for injury or damage associated with the removal, transport, and placement of the equipment.

We are investigating an option around hiring people to move the heavy equipment. However, in no case will CASE accept liability for injuries or damages caused by the removal of the machines and equipment.

THE TALK ON THE PROVINICAL ARCHIVES

Our speaker for the October Education evening was Marlena Wyman from the Provincial Archives. Marlena noted that the provincial archives are focused on protecting written and visual records of life in Alberta. These records come to the archives from the activities of governments, organizations, families and individuals.

Clearly, there has to be some sense of priority in what is recorded, saved and stored - otherwise the volume of material would rapidly swamp the program. The purpose is to record how people lived and how we change over time. Records such as minutes, reports, photos from groups like ours contribute to a picture of life in Alberta over the last quarter century.

Documents demonstrating the lives of 'ordinary' Albertans are critical too. The key is that the materials show a context of how we lived, worked, and played as individuals, families, organizations and how our governments served their communities. Materials such as letters, scrapbooks, and organizational records all contribute to the picture that is built of how we lived. It is more than a history. It becomes a picture of sociological evolution more than a historical record.

The question of what do archives look for in submitted materials was addressed. They need help to put the materials into a context.

Information about 'who',' what', 'where', 'when' and 'why' attached to photos and documents help to provide context which can be critical to understanding what was happening.

Marlena went on to note that the move to digital storage of archival information can be both a blessing and a threat. Digital storage is now much less expensive than paper but unless it is backed up and maintained can be less permanent than paper records that are properly stored in an acid free environment.

She noted that the public is welcome to visit the archives and that it is a key site for Albertan's wanting to research their genealogy. For Albertan's who are researching their family history in Alberta the archives can be a key source of information and could be the way to build a permanence for your family's history.

HEARTS AND FLOWERS

If you are aware of any member who has taken ill, has been confined to their home, or has been hospitalized, please e-mail this information info@edmontoncase.org or call at Donna Haugh at 780-463-0644.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

 

Event	Date	Time	Place
Education Self Help Session	Mon Nov 29	7:00 PM	ASD
Social Breakfast	Wed. Nov24	9:00 AM	SEESA
A Night at the Mazankowski Lecture Series High Tech Heart Treatments (phone 780 407 4273 to book)	Wed. Nov24	7:00 PM	Mazankowski Heart Institute
Christmas Party 2010	Sun Dec 5	4:30 PM	Malmo

 

Notes: SEESA:            The South East Edmonton Seniors Assoc.   address is 9350 82nd Street, Edmonton

            ASD:              The Alberta School for the Deaf                 address is 6240-113 Street, Edmonton

            Malmo:            Malmo Community League                       address is 11525 48th Avenue Edmonton

            Mazankowski Heart Institute                                             address is 8840112 Street, Edmonton