The Home for Humor & Laughter Professionals September 2017

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AATH Annual Humor Conference & Humor Academy

April 12­15, 2018 San Diego, California

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This complimentary Humor Connection newsletter is one of the many ways that

AATH fulfills our mission to study, practice and promote healthy humor. You

can join our efforts by joining AATH at www.aath.org

From the AATH President ­ Nila Nielsen, CHP

September ­ Thinking of our Members

I'd like to welcome our new members! We're so glad you found AATH and lookforward to meeting each of you personally.

While the joy of adding new faces make me smile, I do have to reflect on thepast few weeks, as they have been full of concern for many of our AATHmembers.

We worried about our members located near the Gulf who braced forHurricane Harvey, and also for those who feared the uncertainty of the ever­changing path of Irma. We crossed our fingers for our members who lived nearraging fires, hoping they could avoid the devastation of their homes. We weresaddened to hear of members dealing with illness as they fought for recovery.We heard from our international members who also expressed varying issuesof concern. Indeed, it's been quite a month!

We continue to send our heartfelt wishes that all are well and bouncing back.

One can truly appreciate that resilience can be difficult when life is disrupted.Luckily, our members have a support system. When life throws curve balls,they know that having a 'reserve of humor' in place will help them re­group, re­new, and re­think life's priorities.

Many of our members refer to AATH as their 'humor family' ­ as do I. Ourmembers know that humor helps to lighten the load. I am so proud of each ofour members for their on­going support of each other during this ­ and every ­month.

When the theme of 'Resilience ­ Harnessing the Power of Humor' waschosen for our upcoming AATH Conference, I had no idea that it would besuch a timely choice. Do plan to attend! Register here.

WHAT: Annual AATH Conference DATE: April 12 ­ 15, 2018

LOCATION: Holiday Inn, Bayside, San Diego

Come join us ­ Become a member ­ Come to the Conference ­

Be a part of our AATH Family!

Sending resilient thoughts to you and yours, Nila Nielsen, CHP, AATH President

ninielsen@me.com

The Challenge Is On ­

Let's Step Up!Book Review

Cheryl Fell, AATH's very own 'Nurse

FUNshine,' has communicated a

dream of hers to the AATH

leadership team. As a nurse, Cheryl

knows that funding to attend the

conference and then the additional

cost to receive needed Continuing

Education units (CE) can be cost

prohibitive.

Cheryl Fell, Nurse FUNshine

Her dream is now our dream! We

are grateful to Cheryl for taking

action. She has contributed a

substantial gift to initiate the goal of

providing these Continuing

Education Credits at no additional

cost to health care, educators, social

workers, etc. However, this goal will

take additional funding to reimburse

the cost for the credentialing

verification process. Let's get this

done!

Please go to the AATH website

Click on the DONATE button then fill

in the bottom box with the words: CE

Fund Thank you for making this dream

come true!

Surf's Up San Diego: 2018 Conference Update ­

September

With the recent storms, it warmed

our hearts to see the outpouring of

love and healthy humor among our

members on social media. Serious

Letters to Dr. Wiggy

by Dr. Ellen Krumholz Mandel (Reviewed by Florence Ditlow, RN)

Dr.Wiggy is alive and well, saying

she's living proof humor heals the

soul. Dr.Wiggy is a friend of author

Ellen Krumholtz Mandel, the

nickname arising after hair loss due

to cancer treatment. Ellen was more

than distraught over her friend's

health challenge; she sent gifts and

expressed concern but wanted to

make an uplifting difference. She

proceeded to send regular email

letters­ reminiscences to Dr.Wiggy

and here Ellen shows the value of

humor as a distraction from

discomfort.

We learn from her get well letters that

the author is a storehouse of

childhood­related memory, from

penny candy, sneakers for six bucks

or the family "circus car." She later

describes her daughter's ill­ fated

piano recital, punctuated by her

daughter laughing at other kid's

mistakes.

Ellen's mishaps while driving! Traffic

stop while eating brownies, diet

through littering and

application of mascara as lipstick­

any of these would qualify as "I Love

Lucy" segments. Ellen reveals how

she inadvertently primed her tears for

a funeral by joining unsuspecting

strangers from a group of nearby

mourners. All the while tolerating a

lifetime of uncontrollable hair?

That complaining from the author is a

coping device used to hurdle her

frustrations. She objects to medical

pros that overbook and overcharge,

carps at athletic women who don't

stress is no joking matter, but atAATH we know the value of timely,appropriate humor among trustedfriends and colleagues to help uscope with whatever life brings ourway. We also lift each other upduring the difficulties of grief andloss, with love across the miles forour AATH family. To all of you whoare in the midst of your own stormsright now, we send you our love andbest wishes!

In San Diego, we are busy preparingthe very best conference experiencepossible for our AATH family andfriends next April 12 ­ 15, and theFOMO this year will be off the chartsso please don't miss it. We are usinga new mobile and web app that wehope will give you even moreopportunities to engage in theexperience leading up to andthroughout the event. You can seethe agenda, speaker bios, sponsorsand more here.

Once you register for the conferenceyou will be able to create anattendee profile and start tocustomize your experience. I want tostrongly encourage you to pre­register this year for severalreasons: 1) free t­shirt, 2) free copyof the bestselling book from ourkeynoter Dr. Srini Pillay, Tinker,Doodle, Dabble, Try: Unleash thePower of the Unfocused Mind, and3) we will sell out and space islimited this year. So, if you thinkyou're going to attend pleaseregister and book your spot at thesite hotel at the very reduced AATHrate (thanks again to Ed Dunkelblau)right away!

Speaking of Srini, I had a great chatwith him about his presentation andwanted to share it with you here.

In case you missed it, you can alsosee my 15­minute interview withYakov Smirnoff. (Click his picturebelow.) Next month, Yakov will befeatured on our AATH PodcastLaughBox with Chip Lutz, so staytuned for more info!

sweat and whines her way throughthe rigors of vacation. I noted most ofher praise shone on hergrandchildren, especially when theyshow compassion for the curse offrizzy hair.

In closing her book, the author isembarking on her own medicalchallenge. Ellen's diagnosis ofleukemia was met with resilience in2014; she likens the selection of heroncologist to shopping for a formaldress. We trust that she relied onhumor along with a diet and lifestyleshift, though Ellen kept the focus ofher book on Dr. Wiggy.

The thing humor does is often quiet,as a partner to determination, humorgoes unsung...although years bearout the role humor plays in thetransformation of diseases such ascancer. I believe Ellen proves emailto be valuable in her intent forkeeping loved ones connected.Recommended for oncology supportgroups.

I'm Florence Ditlow RN, your book

reviewer. I'm a long time AATH

member, a midwife of humor in

hospitals, author of two books and

student of two dogs who are

revealing to me that the secret of

nonverbal humor is inner joy.

Members who would like their book to

be considered for an upcoming

Humor Connection book review,

should contact info@aath.org. Please

use Book Review Submission in the

subject line.

Member News

Send us YOUR news for our next

issue by using this online form:

Member News Form

On August 24th, Brenda Elsagher,CHP was the keynote speaker at anevent held by the United OstomyAssociation of America in Irvine,California.

Patrick Harris was a volunteer withthe Red Cross for the Houston, Texashurricane victims.

Finally, we are looking for sponsorswho want to be part of our specialComedy for Caregivers Event Fridaynight, April 13th. This program willbe included in your conferenceregistration, and we are inviting 250special guests from the communityto join us as our treat. We're lookingfor companies and organizationswho are interested in tablesponsorships to help cover ourcosts. If you know anyone who mightbe willing to help us out, pleaseemail Kathy@aath.org for a copy ofthe Comedy for Caregivers promoflier and sponsor commitment form.

With love and laughter,

Heidi Hanna, PhD, CHP ­Conference Chair, Monkey Mind

Karyn Buxman, RN, CSP, CPAE,CHP ­ Conference Co­Co

Karyn Buxman and Heidi Hanna

AATH Humor Academy CHP

(Certified Humor

Professional) Feature

You May Pick Your Nose ­

Monnie Kinlaw, CHP

On September 12th, Viva Editionspublished Allen Klein's latest booktitled "Secrets Kids Know...ThatAdults Oughta Learn: Enrich Your Lifeby Seeing It Through the Eyes of aChild." The book is available inpaperback, e­book or Audio CD atAmazon Barnes & Noble,IndieBound, iTunes, GooglePlay,Kobo and Allen's website.

Allen Klein and Steve Sultanoff,CHP were both quoted prominently inan article on "5 Tips to Reduce StressUsing Humor." You can read thearticle at the Medical Daily website.

Frank Chindamo recently conducteda couple of studies on stressreduction for healthcare providers. Inone study, doctors, nurses and otherhealthcare professionals watched aone­hour live stand up comedy show.In the other, therapists watched ashort video on the LaughMD app. Inboth studies, stress levels wereshown to reduce significantly! Formore information, check out the pressrelease from Chapman University.

Traveling with AATH

AATH Members Don and Mary KayMorrison are traveling aroundnorthern Europe and meeting up withother AATH members where theycan. So far, they have met JessicaBytautas in Finland (pictured herewith Don) and Harald Ellingsen inNorway. You just never know wherethey will show up!

Your mother never gave youpermission to pick your nose. But Ihave! AATH members know thepower of the Red Nose. We usethem frequently either by wearing orgiving them away. We see thesmiles, giggles and laughter theyproduce.

My project utilized the power of theRed Nose in the workplace with awell adult working population. I setout a large bowl of Red Noses at alarge professional conferenceregistration desk with the caption"You May Pick Your Nose." Irecorded reactions, comments,interviewed participants and madeobservations throughout the three­day conference on those who choseto "pick their nose." I then providedthe same bowl at the claims office ofa major hotel chain using the sameprocedure.

The purpose of the project was todetermine if the use of a Red Nosecould impact positive emotion andimprove customer service in a welladult workforce.

~ Monnie Kinlaw, CHP, is aRegistered Nurse with a long careerthat includes occupational andagricultural health, casemanagement and utilization review.Her work is for a major hotel chain inOccupational Health/Claims. Twentyyears ago, she developed acompany, KK Educational Servicesand recently co­founded another,Entertainment CE. Both companiesprovide professional educationalopportunities emphasizing fun andentertainment. She became involvedin AATH and the Humor Academy in2014 to infuse the use of humor inher educational experiences. Giventhe unique exposure opportunitiesthat were provided, she states thatshe has grown both professionallyand personally. Checking off a topitem on her Bucket List, a speakingengagement at a large nationalconference was due to her HAexperience.

Doily Llama

Leadership Award:

Jill Knox, CHP

Time to Apply for ConferenceScholarships!

Don't forget about ScholarshipOpportunities for the AATH AnnualConference! Through our generousscholarship donors, the AATH is ableto offer seventeen scholarships forconference or Humor Academyregistration. To apply for ascholarship, click here.

Welcome New AATH

Members

AATH welcomed the following NEWMEMBERS in August andSeptember:

Mark Clarke, Chico, CA

Richard Oberbruner, Naperville, IL Joel Vorensky, San DIego, CA

Sheva Carr, Boulder Creek, CA Valerie Gibbons, Rockford, IL

Larry Westfall, Downington, PA James (Jim­Bob) Williams,

St Albans, WV Adrienne Edmondson,

Palm Desert, CA

Midwest Regional ChapterMeeting Notice

Brenda Elsagher, CHP, will be ourkeynote speaker at the November 4th

Jill is the recent Past President ofAATH was the 2013 San Diegoconference chair. She has been aHumor Academy Advisor and is aCHP Graduate. During her years asan educator, she was recognized forher use of humor in the classroom inorder to facilitate apositive educational experience. (forstudent and teacher) This led to herestablishing TheFunnyside, facilitating workshopsand providing keynotepresentations to educators in schooldistricts, colleges, and in the field ofhealth. She is a Certified LaughterLeader with the World Laughter Tourand a Certified Laughter YogaLeader. Jill also attended theNational Peace AcademyPeacebuilding Peace Certificateprogram with the National PeaceAcademy.

Jill is currently involved as avolunteer at the Muramid Museumand it's Twelve Mile Mural Project inOceanside, California. where she ishelping to promote a culture ofpeace both locally andglobally through the arts.She passionately believes thattherapeutic humor, laughter, andplay have an important role inhealing, forging bonds, and unitingcommunities, which will lead uson the path to a more peacefulworld.

This award is in honor of Ruth Wiltz,mother of Mary Kay Morrison, CHP.Ruth continued to crochet even afterher Alzheimer's disease. Hercreations were named Doily Lamasby the AATH family and sold as afundraiser at the AATH Conferencein 2015.

Humor Academy

Advisor Update

AATH Midwest Regional Chaptermeeting. You will not want to missBrenda's hilarious presentation abouther personal experience with coloncancer. The program will begin at 10a.m. at the Rockford, Illinois YMCA,in collaboration with the YMCALIVESTRONG program. AATH PastPresident, Chip Lutz, will facilitate themeeting. Complimentaryaccommodations available to thosefrom out of town. Contact KellyEpperson or Mary Kay Morrison,CHP, for more information!

LaughBox with facilitator Chip Lutz

Episode 10: Interview with

Frank Chindamo

What do you get when you cross atech savvy entrepreneur with aperson that wants to make adifference for others? FRANKCHINDAMO! In this episode ofLaughbox, Frank shares about hishumor roots and how LaughMD gotstarted and where they want to go.Take a listen in as Frank makes melaugh a LOT!

Episode 11: Interview with

Heidi Hanna, CHP

Knock knock! Who's there? HeidiHanna! And that's no joke! What agreat experience it was to get toshare some of Heidi Hanna's brainthis week on Laughbox. I say somebecause she's so smart I don't think Icould handle the full Hanna. Heidishares what's going on in your brainwhen you're stressed and what youcan do to calm the monkey on thisweek's Laughbox episode. She alsoshares about her upcoming GlobalStress Summit and how you can be a

The Humor Academy Level I Eastgroup has named themselves the"chuckle chicks". We are excitedabout developing some funcostumes for San Diego. We aregetting to know each other a littlethrough the Zoom calls. Although acouple of our members have had tostep away, the rest of the group isplugging along with the readings andpostings. We are a diverse group ofwomen, which offers greatopportunities to learn from eachother. Our members are from SouthCarolina, Florida, North Carolina,New York and Finland.

­ Angie Robinson, Humor AcademyAdvisor Level I East

part of this incredible event. Take alisten in, you won't be disappointed.

DONATIONS TO AATH ARE TAXDEDUCTIBLE: Thank you for yourcontinued support of AATH!

You can write a check to AATH andsend to the office or you can:

1. AATH 2018 CONFERENCESPONSORSHIP: There are manyways that you can be a sponsor forour AATH conference for as little as$50.

2. SCHOLARSHIP DONATION: Youcan designate your gift to the WilliamFry, Patty Wooten or Ed Dunkelblauscholarship fund.

To make a tax­deductible gift toAATH, you may send checkdonations to the AATH office at:

220 East State St., Floor G

Rockford, IL 61104

MEMBER ASSISTANCE: If you needhelp with renewing your membership,or if you have questions, reach out toMichele St. Clair and her team at815­708­6587.

REMINDER: AATH is officially recognized as a 501c3 and has been vetted by UNITED WAY. If you or anyone you know

makes donations through United Way, please consider designating a portion of your generous gift to AATH and please

let others know of this opportunity.