April 2, 2026

By Lee Brumitt

President Jared Campbell welcomed all to the meeting at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and noted this is the last meeting for Club 13’s esteemed Executive Director, Mandy Sheldon, our chief organizer, administrator, and glue for over 13 years. After saying the Pledge of Allegiance, Eric Burger delivered the invocation for those suffering from trauma and those serving trauma victims. One guest was introduced and welcomed. The following Club anniversaries were recognized: Perry Atha (25 years), Charlie Huffman (24 years), George Gordon (20 years), Steve Sopinski (18 years), and Lainie Wilbur (11 years).

President Jared reminded us to register for the District Conference at the Rotary Youth Camp on April 24-25. As extra incentive, two anonymous donors will pay the registration fees for two members who have been in the Club for 2 years or less. Nick Pryor then announced the annual Native Plant Sale at the Camp on Friday, April 17, from 4-6 p.m. We need 12 volunteers to help with that event. Contact Jan Armstrong or Nick, if you can volunteer. Sally Bibb took the podium to recognize Christy Chester as the newest member of the Legacy Society for her recent legacy bequest benefiting the Kansas City Rotary Club Foundation and the Youth Camp. In doing so, Sally noted Christy’s decades of enthusiastic service above self to the Club and the Camp. She was properly thanked for her generosity through a standing ovation. The Happy Bucks session this week appropriately recognized Mandy Sheldon through heartfelt tributes by those who had worked most closely with her over the years, including David McCaughey and numerous Club Presidents. Mandy walked from the front of the room carrying a bouquet of beautiful flowers recognizing her years of exceptional service to our Club.

President Jared then introduced our speaker, Sara Brammer, Vice President of Domestic Violence Services for Synergy Services. Sara has her masters and doctoral degrees in Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology from Mizzou and has worked at Synergy for 23 years overseeing its programs, training, researching, and serving on various local and national committees related to domestic violence. Synergy’s goal is to end family violence through intervention, shelter, counseling, and education. It serves youth and victims of domestic violence in 5 distinct areas: (1) advocacy and hotline; (2) housing and shelter; (3) counseling and support; (4) school-based programs; and (5) an offender intervention program. Dr. Brammer noted that offenders typically have manipulative personalities by which they weave together intimacy with abuse to strategically control their victims. Offenders tend to have suffered 6 or more instances of abuse as children. Individual and couples-based counseling are generally unsuccessful methods to end domestic violence. Group counseling is thought to be the best method to change an offender’s behavior, because it confronts the secrecy that offenders prefer and allows for social learning and peer correction of continued abusive behavior. The cycle of violence has continued in our society because there is a substantial lack of resources to treat offenders and there is a lack of adequate shelters. A shelter, as opposed to a family member’s or friend’s residence, is the safest place for a victim to go, because an offender cannot find the victim. Dr. Brammer noted that throughout her years of academic education, she had no classes addressing domestic violence and there continues to be a lack of education and resources in our society to adequately address the problem.

President Jared announced upcoming meetings and then revealed this week’s Act of Kindness – stash a heartfelt note for a partner or friend to find after you have left. We then said the Four Way Test, and the meeting was adjourned.