Brooklyn Bridge Rotary Club President Vivian Hardison reports:

Our club was privileged to host the entire Group Study Exchange team for RI District 3480, Taipei, Taiwan.  This is the same district I traveled to as a GSE Team Leader in 2010. Our very own Shelia Cockburn is currently in Taiwan as a team member of the outbound GSE Team. She will have many stories to share with us upon her return to New York later this month.

On Saturday, May 4, we took them on tour of “everything Brooklyn!” They visited the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Museum, Barclays Center [studied the exterior structure] and dinned at the famous Juniors. Rtns. Clover, Astrudge and Sandra joined us for dinner along with honoree Dr. Lechtenberg, and Amy. We were equally delighted to have Sandra’s brother with us for dinner — he is so funny! What a sense of humor!

The food was great! The cheesecake was deliciously fattening!  We ate it all! For those of you who missed it, you missed a great time!

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Participate in the Brooklyn Bridge Rotary Club’s First Annual Awards Banquet — Thursday, May 23, 2013, 6:30 to 10 pm, Dyker Beach Golf Course, 1020 86th Street, Brooklyn. RSVPs are requested by May 7.

Our honorees:
•Edward W. Schloeman, CMS (ret) — Lifetime Achievement Award
•Richard Lechtenberg, MD — Paul Harris Award
•Donald Roland, MD — Humanitarian Award
•Louisa Avanzino — Leadership Award

Our guest speaker:
Brooklyn Borough President Mary Markowitz
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Online: The fastest way to pay is right here on the club’s website — by credit card or with your PayPal account.

By check, payable to Brooklyn Bridge Rotary Club. Mail to: Brooklyn Bridge Rotary Club, c/o Vivian Hardison, 124 Atlantic Ave Ste P3D, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

By phone: call Club President Vivian Hardison, 917-804-0797, or Dinner Chair Astrudge Mclean at 347-570-7602.

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Edward Schloeman, co-chair of Operation Warrior Wellness and President and CEO of Fidelis Services Group, is being honored with the Brooklyn Bridge Rotary Club’s Lifetime Achievement Award, for his outstanding service to our returning soldiers.

Operation Warrior Wellness is a David Lynch Foundation initiative which teaches Transcendental Meditation to veterans, active military personnel and first responders — as well as their families —who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Fidelis is a Certified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business which offers General Construction and Life Safety services.

At a February Operation Warrior Wellness luncheon that was covered by BloombergBusinessweek, Schloeman recounted his personal battle with PTSD. He was joined at the event, titled “Overcoming PTSD and Preventing Suicide: An Evidence-based Approach through Meditation in the Military,” by P-51 fighter pilot Jerry Yellin and Afghanistan war veteran Luke Jensen, Jensen having had close brushes with suicide.

It started based on a friendship between Yellin and Schloeman, two veterans who met in March 2010 on the Island of Iwo Jima to commemorate the battle that was fought there during WWII. Jerry had been a P-51 fighter pilot in WWII and Ed Schloeman had been a Marine in the Vietnam War. It was friendship at first handshake and when the two met again in Florida, Ed discovered that Jerry practiced TM.

Transcendental Meditation had been a part of Jerry’s life since the 1970s; he found that TM radically reduced the effects of traumatic stress that were governing his life. Ed was intrigued and started to practice TM himself. Sure enough he too was amazed by the massive improvement TM made on his life. Thus the inspiration to share this technique with other military personnel, veterans and their families was born.

Ed Schloeman, national co-chair of Operation Warrior Wellness, speaks at a suicide prevention luncheon on Feb 4, 2013.

Ed is a retired Chief Master Sergeant (E-9) fromthe NY Air National Guard (1973-1995) and a Marine Vietnam Disabled Veteran (Sgt) serving from 1960 to 1966.

 Ed’s career was with companies such as NYNEX (Verizon), Telco Systems and other telecommunication companies before starting his own business in 2008. He received many business awards for his sales leadership skills and accomplishments.

CMS (ret) Schloeman holds Life Memberships in: Enlisted Association of the New York National Guard, Enlisted Association  of the United States, Marine Corps League, Rotary Club of North Hills, the Iwo Jima Association, and the former Northeast Regional Director of The ELITE SDVOB of America.

Some of his military decorations include: Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Medal, Air Reserve Meritorious Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, Naval Unit Commendation and Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Ribbon and  NY State Military Commendation Medal.

Ed is married for 50 years to Judith Ann whose children are Catherine Syslo (CPA and homemaker), LTCol Edward Schloeman Jr, USAF ( F-15/C-5/C-17 Pilot) and NYPD Lt. Robert Schloeman.

Dr. Richard Lechtenberg, a 35 year medical veteran who treats a wide range of patients confronting all types of neurological challenges, is being honored with the Paul Harris Award for his work on advances in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

The award will be presented at the first annual Awards Gala of the Brooklyn Bridge Rotary Club.

Dr. Lechtenberg, who practices in both Brooklyn and Long Island, was the lead-off speaker in the club’s successful 2012-13 “Dinner with the Doctor” series. He also introduced speakers at the club’s subsequent medical forums, presenting both medical and humorous insights.