Saturday, June 3, 2023 By: Monica M Smith
In recognition of May being Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, for today’s Rotary history moment I will share a short story about an inspiring Korean American surgeon and inventor, Dr. InBae Yoon (1936-2014), who spent most of his career in Maryland.
Today’s talk is based primarily on articles about Dr. Yoon written by my Smithsonian colleagues Tricia Edwards, Sarah Wheeler, and Joyce Bedi.
Dr. Yoon was born in Korea in July 1936 during the Japanese Occupation and grew up through the Korean War. He attended the Yonsei University School of Medicine in Seoul and graduated with his medical degree in 1961. For three years, Yoon served as medical officer in the South Korean Navy. During that time he married Kyung Joo Yoon and then, in 1964, he participated in a program matching Korean medical doctors with United States hospitals and
medical schools.
As a result, Yoon and his wife immigrated to Maryland where he would conduct his internship and general surgical residency at the Church Home and Hospital in Baltimore. During his residency, Yoon switched from general surgery to obstetrics and gynecology and became fascinated by laparoscopy, a method of surgery performed using a scope placed through the umbilicus, sometimes with other small incisions in the abdomen. Observing some of the complications from these early, risky procedures, he became interested in safer laparoscopic methods with shorter recovery times and less scarring for the patients. He strongly believed that even complicated surgeries could be performed this way.
This conviction sparked in him a lifetime passion and creativity to invent new surgical devices.
After completing his residency in 1969 and a fellowship the year after, he joined a private practice in Hagerstown and Bethesda. Then in 1973, he joined the John Hopkins University School of Medicine as an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, where he explored new laparoscopic techniques and procedures. After endless nights of drawing, redrawing, and tinkering, Dr. Yoon earned his first patent in 1975 for the applicator device of what became known as the Yoon Ring (US Patent 3,870,048). The Yoon Ring system provided a safer method for laparoscopic tubal ligation by applying a silicon band around the fallopian tube to prevent pregnancy. This simple mechanical method of tubal ligation, requiring only a local anesthetic, avoided many of the complications associated with other tubal ligation techniques that utilized electrocautery [using a needle or other instrument that is electrically heated].
Dr. Yoon could see further potential for the use of laparoscopy in many other types of surgeries beyond OB/GYN. From 1975 to 1985, he focused on inventing safety systems for laparoscopic procedures, including safety needles, safety catheters, and trocars (small tubular port inserted into a small abdominal incision that allow endoscopic surgical instruments to enter the body safely). During this time, he was appointed the Chairman of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Wyman Park Hospital in 1981 where he continued his research.
In 1985, Yoon then incorporated his own company, Yoonitech, Inc. to pursue his inventions. Three years later, Yoon established a relationship with Johnson and Johnson’s subsidiary, Ethicon Endo-Surgery (EES), which licensed his shielded trocar patent (US Patent 4,535,773) to bring his product to market. Yoon spent much of the late 1980s to the early 2000s, working on new innovations such as retractable penetrating instruments, suture tie instruments, cavity stents, and expanders, as well as making modifications to previous safety system designs.
In the late 1990s, Dr. Yoon established the I.B. Yoon Multi-Specialty Endoscopic Research and Training Center at his alma mater, Yonsei University School of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea. In his dedication address, he said “To me, it goes without saying that we—the medical professionals—exist because there are and will be patients who need our care. Whatever we do, we must always question ‘Are we doing all we can for our patients?’ and ‘Are there any better ways to improve our patient care?’ When we keep these in the foremost part of our mind, I believe all creativity and necessary energy will naturally stem from them.” 1
By the end of his career, he earned more than 200 patents. Dr. Yoon passed away on December 30, 2014, in Ellicott City, Maryland, but his legacy continues through his family’s Foundation and through ongoing medical advancements inspired by his innovative work, especially in laparoscopic surgery. Today, as he predicted, minimally invasive techniques are used regularly and are considered the safest option for many surgeries across multiple fields of
medicine.
1 Quote from: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/baltimoresun/name/inbae-yoon-obituary?id=19112748
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Saturday, May 20, 2023 By: W Todd Miller
On May 17, 2023, the Rotary Club of Washington, DC, held its regular weekly meeting in person at the University Club of Washington, D.C. and via Zoom, and welcomed guest speakers, Joan and Michael Kim, pharmacists and entrepreneurs.
President Marilyn Nevy Cruz called the meeting to order at 12:30 PM and led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Secretary Todd Miller introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians, which included a large contingent from Richard Wright Public Charter School and Columbia Heights Educational Campus (CHEC), Rotaractors, and prospective member Sydney Warren.
Sterling Hoffman recognized birthdays and anniversaries for the week and awarded a Paul Harris pin (+7) to President Elect Lisa Cohen.
Taron Lawson, a graduating senior at Richard Wright Public Charter School, presented his 4-Way Speech test. He focused on the fact that everyone needs a break and to practice mindful learning to focus on mental wellness.
Kyando Baylor, a student at CHEC, provided his 4-Way Speech test. His discussion centered on labels (e.g., liberal v. conservative) and the benefits of diversity in the melting pot of humanity.
President Marilyn inducted Amber Cornwell as a new member. Amber noted her excitement to be a part of the Club and will provide more details about herself at a later date during her Member Moment.
Youth Exchange Program participant Tabitha Vasquez gave an update on her upcoming placement in the Republic of Korea. In addition to general packing tasks, she has been learning Korean.
President Nominee Bob Schott urged everyone to purchase cases of pink gin. All proceeds benefit the Club’s Foundation which in turn funds virtually all of the Club’s programs.
Alexander Tu introduced the speakers Michael and Joan Kim, pharmacists and entrepreneurs. They currently have ownership in multiple pharmacies in the District of Columbia and have owned eight different pharmacies since 2005.
Dr. Michael Kim graduated from Howard University College of Pharmacy in 1998 and was part of the first ever entry-level PharmD class to graduate from the College of Pharmacy. Dr. Joan Kim graduated from St. John’s College of Pharmacy in New York in 1995 and worked in both hospital and retail settings before moving to Maryland to start a new life with Michael.
Dr. Joan Kim has helped countless patients' lives over the years with her vast knowledge of alternative medicine and nutrition. She has been featured in local newspapers and has been a featured speaker representing women in pharmacy. She has been able to juggle being a business owner, pharmacist, wife, and a fantastic mother to six children.
Dr. Michael Kim has been the recipient of several awards since graduation, including the Bowl of Hygeia award, the Howard University College of Pharmacy Alumnus of the Year award and the Washington DC Pharmacy Association Pharmacist of the Year award. He has been featured in multiple pharmacy publications and has been interviewed by many news media outlets. Dr. Michael Kim is the current Chairman of the Care Pharmacies Board of Directors, was a Vice President of the National Community Pharmacist Association (NCPA) for six years and is a board member of the Howard University College of Pharmacy Board of Visitors.
Dr. Joan Kim enjoys cooking, traveling, gardening, walking, ballroom dancing, hanging out with her children, and hosting dinners at her house. Dr. Michael Kim enjoys anything that Dr. Joan Kim enjoys because he has become wiser in his later years. He also enjoys playing ping-pong and billiards, riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, bungee jumping, and jumping out of airplanes for fun.
Dr. Michael Kim provided a brief history of his career culminating with his purchase of Grubb’s Pharmacy (326 E. Capitol St., NE). He discussed the importance of community pharmacies, which are more closely tied and committed to their local communities than the large chain pharmacies. Dr. Joan Kim discussed how pharmacists play an important, but very under-utilized, role in the prevention of ailments. She also discussed homeopathic medicine and the importance of nutrition. She provided a great deal of practical guidance on vitamins and other dietary requirements.
After an extremely active question-and-answer session about health, diet, and pharmacy services, President Marilyn presented the Drs. Kim with a certificate for the planting of a tree under the Club’s Trees for the Capital program.
President Marilyn announced the next “Red Line Happy Hour” to held on May 31st from 6-8 PM at King St. Oyster Bar (22 M St., NE). Sign up details will be provided by email.
Amber Cornwell conducted the Raffle, which was won by Balraj Gupta, but the Ace of Spades was not drawn.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:30 PM. Salvador Farfán was the producer on Zoom, and Sarah Ross the producer in the room. Dylan White was the greeter and Balraj Gupta provided hospitality.
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Sunday, May 14, 2023 By: W Todd Miller
On May 10, 2023, the Rotary Club of Washington, DC, held its regular weekly meeting in person at the University Club of Washington, D.C. and via Zoom, and welcomed guest speaker, Kymone Freeman, award-winning playwright, activist, and commentator. Past President Howard Davis called the meeting to order at 12:30 PM and led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Secretary Todd Miller introduced the guests and visiting Rotarians. Igor Balaka from the Rotary Club in Kharkiv City, Ukraine, and his translator Dmitriy Selector, were greeted, as were Rotaractor Maria Schweitzer and Kamal Ali, a guest of Kenny Barnes.
Sergeant-at-Arms Lola Perez recognized birthdays and anniversaries for the week.
Kenny Barnes led everyone in a moment of silence to commemorate victims of gun violence and Ukraine. He then questioned what can we do about gun violence and explained that the DC Peace Initiative was attempting to consider such matters. He encouraged everyone to participate, noting that it was not a political committee but simply a group trying to stop gun violence.
Ombudsman David Klaus reminded everyone of the screening of a film about the renovation of Chartres on May 16th, 2023, at 7:00pm at the French Embassy. A reception will follow the screening of the film. Registration is required, and an email will be sent with further details.
President Nominee Bob Schott encouraged everyone to give to the Club’s Foundation. He suggested that the Rotary Year is like a toilet paper roll – as it nears the end, it seems to quickly run out. Hence, he urged everyone to give very soon.
Dr. Sam Hancock further introduced Igor Balaka and Dmitriy Selektor and asked them to provide a quick update on events in Ukraine. Mr. Balaka shared some of the many projects in which his club was engaged. These included the provision of hospital supplies, the distribution of food, demining, and the care of orphans.
Kenny Barnes introduced the speaker Kymone Freeman, an award-winning playwright, activist, and commentator. He is the subject of one chapter of the book Beat of a Different Drum: The Untold Stories of African Americans Forging Their Own Paths in Work and Life (Hyperion). He is a 2010 Green for All Fellow & co-founder of We Act Radio DC’s Best Social Justice Radio Station 2017 by Washington City Paper and 1st Place 2017 Public Media Journalists Association Award winner for his Lion and the Map Commentary from the Anacostia Unmapped radio series on WAMU/ NPR’s most successful local production in 2016. He founded the Black L.U.V. Festival in 1997 & was honored at the Kennedy Center as a Mayor's Art Award Finalist for Excellence in Service to the Arts 2005.
The 25th Anniversary of the Black Luvfest was the largest event of the 50th Anniversary of the Ft. Dupont Amphitheatre Summer Series sponsored by the National Park Service in 2022. Mr. Freeman was featured as a contributing writer in the most controversial Ebony Magazine in recent history as the last publication in print and PBS Online Film Festival for his short film Fresh Prince of Anacostia. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Washington Informer and NY Times: Can Anacostia Build a Bridge w/o Displacing Its People? He has appeared nationally and internationally on BBC, French 24 TV, German ZDF, RT, CGTN America, Cuban National TV and TV One.
Mr. Freeman serves on the board of the Douglass Community Landtrust and has published a novel, Nineveh: a Conflict over Water with Strong Arm Press. He was honored by the Catalogue of Philanthropy at the Word Museum with the 2022 Change Maker Award.
Mr. Freeman stressed the current world is not sustainable. He focused on water and stated that water is in crisis but should be a human right, not a property right. He read selections from his book Nineveh: a Conflict over Water, and explained how what may seem like charitable matters, such as the provision of clothes to third world countries, may actually disrupt local economies.
After an animated question-and-answer session, Past President Howard presented Mr. Freeman with a certificate for the planting of a tree under the Club’s Trees for the Capital program.
Sterling Hoffman conducted the Raffle, which was won by Kenny Barnes, but the Ace of Spades was not drawn.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:28 PM. Salvador Farfán was the producer on Zoom, and Steve Liston the producer in the room. Dylan White was the greeter and Balraj Gupta provided hospitality.
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Friday, May 5, 2023 By: Elise Egan
We are very pleased to announce that the Club’s and Foundation’s Boards at their April meetings have adopted the recommendations of the Community Service Grants Committee and awarded grants to the following organizations for projects in the DC area:
· An Open Book Foundation
· Anacostia Watershed Society
· Christ House
· City Blossoms
· DC Youth Orchestra Program (DCYOP)
· District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH)
· The Family Place, Inc.
· Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop
· Hope and a Home
· Light The Way Foundation
· Prevention of Blindness Society of Metro Washington
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· Resources to Inspire Students and Educators
· Right Beginnings, Inc.
· Salvation Army National Capital Area Command
· Street Sense Media
· Suited for Change
· Teens Run DC
· WANADA ADEI
· We Are Family Senior Outreach Network
· Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) of Metropolitan Washington
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The Foundation will be distributing a total of $95,000 (in addition to the $100,000 Centennial Grant awarded last December) across these organizations. While the total amount awarded this Rotary Year is an increase as compared to the past few years, it was extremely difficult to narrow the selection because of the number of high-quality applications received from organizations doing important work in our community. The Committee was extremely pleased to have so many excellent applications (many of them from first-time applicants) and to have so many Club members participate in developing the recommendations. Thanks to all who assisted either in encouraging applications or in the review and recommendation process.
Here is a detailed description of the grant recipients for your review. We hope that everyone will follow these organizations. The funding letters are going out to all applicants, whether or not awarded a grant, relatively soon.
If you have any questions about these organizations or about the process, please email grants@dcrotaryclub.org.
Yours in Rotary Service,
Elise Egan & Todd Miller, Co-Chairs
Community Service Grants Committee
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Friday, May 5, 2023 By: Marilyn Nevy Cruz
Greetings President Marilyn and members of Washington DC Rotary,
Congratulations on achieving ShelterBox HERO GOLD level recognition for Rotary Year 2022-2023.
2022 was our biggest year yet and your support helped us to reach over 400,000 people across 22 projects in 12 countries. This year is shaping up to be just as busy and your continued support is truly appreciated.
Attached is your digital award to use on your club website and please share this recognition on your club and district social media outlets. At the end of the Rotary Year your club will be listed on our HERO page www.shelterboxusa.org/hero.
Gifts from clubs, individuals identifying as club members, or anyone recognizing your club all count toward ShelterBox HERO club recognition. A Bronze HERO recognition level is achieved at $1,000, Silver at $3,000 and Gold at $5,000 in total giving within the Rotary year. A club can ‘level up’ throughout the Rotary year. If this award is the result of an individual’s gift, you can thank them by matching with a club donation and doubling their impact.
Follow this link for The latest news about ShelterBox disaster relief deployments (shelterboxusa.org) If we do not have a volunteer Ambassador in your area I would be happy to present to your club via Zoom to give an overview of ShelterBox and update on our current projects.
We need help in your district! Is there a Rotarian in your club looking to serve? Please have them consider becoming a ShelterBox Club Champion or Ambassador. Volunteer with ShelterBox USA
Join us for the 2023 ShelterBox USA conference in Las Vegas June 9-11. Details here: http://ow.ly/Hu2j50O1gJF
One way your club can help build awareness of ShelterBox is by making ShelterBox your Speaker Honorarium. To thank your speakers, make a donation to ShelterBox in their name. Here is a certificate you can fill and present. ShelterBox Speaker Certificate (writable PDF)
Looking for the adventure of a lifetime? Our 4 day Yosemite Trek, Aug 13-16, is filling up fast. Follow this link for more information https://www.shelterboxusa.org/adventurers-trek-yosemite/.
ShelterBox has provided aid to over 2.5 million people since 2000, we could not have reached them without clubs like yours.
Thank you for being a ShelterBox HERO!
Bill Tobin
Cc: DG Sean, DGE Delores, DGN Chris
ShelterBox USA
Bill Tobin
Rotary Relations Manager
d: 1 (805) 203-8668
m: (916) 616-6973
w: www.shelterboxusa.org
Member, Rotary Club of El Dorado Hills Ca. D5180
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Friday, May 5, 2023 By: Robert Jeffrey Schott
My Dear Friends and Fellow Rotarians:
Please think about these things:
Community Service Grants, International Service Grants
Trees for the Capital, Rotaract Clubs, Interact Clubs
Career Fair, Walter Reed Bingo
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)
Disaster Relief, Grate Patrol
Rotary Youth Exchange Program
These are some of the projects that our ROTARY FOUNDATION of WASHINGTON, DC funds each year. These are all projects that we can be proud of and, no doubt, wish to continue to support. To continue our support, we vitally need your contributions to the Foundation.
As you read this reminder, please take the opportunity to donate to the Foundation.
You may do so:
By check: Mail your check, payable to:
The Rotary Foundation of Washington, D.C.
P.O. Box 65484
Washington DC 20036
Or hand your check to Kathy at a weekly Rotary meeting.
OR
Online: Go to our club’s website, www.DCRotaryClub.org. Click on “Foundation” at the top of the home page. In the window that opens, scroll down and click on the gold button that says “Donate Now.” In the window that opens, enter the amount that you want to give and choose your method of payment (PayPal or credit card or debit card).
Our goal every year is to encourage every member of our club to make a donation, no matter how large or how small. We do hope that your contribution will be at least $100, but every contribution is welcome. The Rotary Foundation of Washington, D.C., a 5.01(c)(3) charitable agency. All donors will receive a letter acknowledging their contribution, giving the amount and confirming your contribution.
Thank you, in advance, for your generosity.
Sincerely,
Bob Schott
Annual Fund Drive Chair
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Friday, May 5, 2023 By: Monica M Smith
In honor of Earth Day, which is celebrated annually on April 22 in the US and in many other countries, today I would like to share a Rotary history moment about the origins of the event. I will quote primarily from a blog post written by my National Museum of American History colleague Joan Boudreau.
“What would you have done if you saw your river burning? The Cuyahoga River that runs through the northeastern corner of Ohio was so polluted in the 1950s and 1960s that fish populations were decimated because of the river’s oily, industry-produced pollution. In 1969, with a spark from a train traveling nearby, the river began to burn.
Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson (1916-2005) was inspired by the burning Cuyahoga River and other environmental disasters of his day [including an enormous old spill off the coast of Southern California in 1969]. He served as a governor (1959-1963) and U.S. senator (1963-1981) of Wisconsin, and founded Earth Day in 1970. Nelson had cared about the environment since childhood and, as senator, reported that he was inspired to break from the ‘frontier philosophy that the continent was put here for our plunder,’ according to Bill Christofferson's 2004 book, The Man from Clear Lake: Earth Day Founder Gaylord Nelson.
Nelson's heritage and upbringing had allowed him opportunities to regularly interact with nature in his native Wisconsin. The realization that his earth was being destroyed by pollution, deforestation, DDT use, and other devastating occurrences inspired his political involvement in environmental activities.
In the early 1960s, Nelson was intent on creating the momentum for a grassroots movement to promote resource conservation. He was inspired by and partnered with contemporary public advocates for social change. The thriving American economy of the 1950s and 1960s, along with increased leisure time, had put pressure on parks and recreation areas to the detriment of natural resources. Nelson's philosophy, responding to these circumstances, included an interest in the concepts of not just survival but ‘decency . . . and mutual respect for all . . . creatures,’ including humans, according to Christofferson's book.
Nelson became convinced that the purchase of land for future parks and recreation purposes was the best first step toward his larger environmental goals. He introduced a bill to save the Appalachian Trail, which, by the early 1960s, had become segmented and in some places inaccessible because of privately held lands and parkway construction. Nelson was also involved in the Outdoor Recreation Act (later Action) Program whose main objective was also the purchase of land for parks and recreational purposes. Nelson believed that congressional support for these and other environmentally directed activities was imperative.”
Then-Senator Gaylord Nelson gave a speech in Denver, Colorado, on the first Earth Day held April 22, 1970, from which I quote excerpts here:
“Earth Day is dramatic evidence of a broad new national concern that cuts across generations and ideologies. It may be symbolic of new communication between young and old about our values and priorities…Earth Day can—and it must—lend a new urgency and a new support to solving the problems that still threated to tear the fabric of this society…the problems of race, or war, of poverty, of modern-day institutions.
Ecology is a big science, a big concept… It is concerned with the total eco-system—not just with how we dispose of our tin cans, bottles, and sewage….Winning the environmental war is a whole lot tougher challenge than winning any other war in the history of Man….
Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality, and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures. Our goal is a new American ethic that sets new standards for progress, emphasizing human dignity and well being rather than an endless parade of technology that produces more gadgets, mores waste, more pollution.
Are we able to meet the challenge? Yes. We have the technology and the resources. Are we willing? That is the unanswered question….”
“Earth Day spawned many environmentally directed activities, especially those having to do with waste recycling and trash cleanup. Other activities were reported in the following months, such as a movement to rescue the prairie grasslands, which assisted the later establishment of the Tallgrass Prairie Historical Preserve. For the first anniversary of Earth Day, in 1971, E. W. Kenworthy of the New York Times reported that bicyclists rallied to oppose auto emissions; the citizens of Ann Arbor, Michigan, planted an organic garden; ‘and what was more to the point, there was increasing evidence that the ecological issues had, in the last year, taken on new importance where it counts: in Congress.’”
Nelson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995 for his contributions to the environment. But of course he did not act alone; he and many others during and since his time have successfully laid the groundwork for the continued grassroots advocacy for environmental protection through individual promotion and activity. For 53 years and counting, in honor of Earth Day, millions of individuals and organizations across the globe participate in and sponsor events to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to appreciate, support, nurture, and defend the environment.
As members of the Rotary Club of Washington DC—through our Trees for the Capital Campaign as well as other local, national, and international service events we support and participate in as part of Rotary International’s commitment to Protecting the Environment—let’s celebrate Earth Day with a promise to live up to our motto of “Service Above Self” and do something not just today but every day to help make our planet a little better. Thank you!
For further reading:
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Friday, May 5, 2023 By: Dylan J. White
I am excited to have the opportunity to speak at the Rotary Club of Washington, DC, and share some information about myself and my reasons for joining Rotary. Being a Washington, DC native, I am lucky to have much of my family in the city and surrounding suburbs. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland, College Park- Go Terps!
As a real estate advisor with nearly a decade of experience, I have had the privilege of working with clients in The District, Maryland, and Virginia. Regardless of their price point, I take great pride in providing exceptional service to all my clients.
Community involvement is of utmost importance to me, and I currently serve as a board member for the Friends of Tenth Street Park. This organization oversees a small community park in my neighborhood, and I enjoy planning and hosting events that bring my community together. Recently, I was appointed as the Public Safety Chair for my community ANC, which is another opportunity to give back and help my neighbors. Additionally, I am proud to donate a meaningful portion of each commission I earn to a non-profit my clients choose.
During the pandemic, I was looking for ways to make a more meaningful contribution to my community, and a family member suggested that I check out Rotary Club. After learning about Rotary's mission and ongoing projects, I knew it was a perfect fit. I am excited to be a new member of the Rotary Club of Washington, DC, and I look forward to learning and growing with this wonderful organization.
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