Future Dates   

 

5/17 Fri. Optimist Singers at Vintage Chevrolet Club of America’s Mid-America Tour banquet

5/19 Sun. Car Show

5/22 Wed.  Optimist Singers Memorial Day

5/22 Wed. Warsaw Community High School Boys Track & Field / Matt Thacker

5/29 Wed. Dr. Craig Hintz / Warsaw Community Schools

5/29 Wed. Warsaw Community High School Girls Track & Field / Scott Erba

6/5 Wed. Warsaw Community Schools Baseball & Softball / Mike Hepler & Jim Speicher

6/12 Wed. Tracie Hodson / Beaman Home

6/13 Thur. Optimist Golf Outing / Stonehenge

6/19 Wed. Ashlynn Fawley / Red Cross

6/21 Fri. Baker Youth Club Golf Outing / Rozella Ford

6/26 Wed. Assemble Triathlon bags

6/29 Sat. Triathlon

7/3 Wed. Optimist Scholarship Recipients

7/4,5,6 Thur.-Sat. Optimist International Conference in Cincinnati

7/10 Wed. no meeting / County Fair

7/17 Wed. Jane Wear / Cardinal Center

7/24 Wed. Ronna Kawsky / Warsaw Area Career Center

7/24 Wed. Warsaw Community Schools Girls Soccer / Peter Lucht

7/31 Wed. Angie Wood / Heartline

7/31 Wed. Warsaw Community Schools Football / Phil Jensen

8/2 Fri. Big Wheel Race

8/7 Wed. Jay Tate / Safe Assured ID demo

8/7 Wed. Warsaw Community Schools Cheerleading / Kari Doty

8/14 Wed. Rich Haddad / K21 Health Foundation

8/14 Wed. Warsaw Community High School Girls Golf / Chris LaLonde

8/21 Wed. Lorinda Kline / WCS Professional Learning Community Coach

8/21 Wed. Warsaw Community High School Volleyball / Michael Howard

8/28 Wed. Shirley Fetrow / Family Safety Day

9/4 Wed. Greenways / Tim Dombrosky & Staci Young

9/11 Wed. Dave Anson / Athletic Director WCHS

9/11 Wed. Warsaw Community High School Boys & Girls Cross Country / Jim Mills & Scott Erba

9/18 Wed. Laurie Schotz / WCHS PAC

9/18 Wed. Boys Golf / Ben Barkey

10/2 Wed. Amanda Lopez / Foster Parenting

10/9 Wed. Boys Soccer / Scott Bauer

10/16 Wed. Danielle Robertson / Wagon Wheel

10/23 Wed. Ben Barkey & Tom Ray / Washington STEM

10/23 Wed. Boys Tennis / Rick Orban

10/30 Wed. Eisenhower Robotics Club

11/20 Wed. Warsaw Community Schools Symphony / Blue Apron dessert

12/4 Wed. Brad Hagg / Warsaw Community High School CTO

12/11 Wed. Girls Basketball / Michelle Harter

1/8/14 Wed. Warsaw Community High School Gymnastics & Wrestling / Andi Calhoun & Justin Smith

1/15/14 Wed. Warsaw Community High School Girls Swim & Dive / Nate Long

1/22/14 Wed. Warsaw Community Schools Symphony

1/29/14 Wed. Warsaw Community High School Boys Swim & Dive / Nate Long

2/5/14 Wed. Warsaw Community High School Boys Basketball / Doug Ogle

3/26/14 Wed. Warsaw Community Schools Chief Accountability Officer David Hoffert

9/10/14 Wed. Warsaw Community High School Athletics / Dave Anson

 

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

>>>>OPENING

103 Optimists & 6 guests attended our meeting.  Andrea Nichols was the guest of Ron Donkers; Renee Craig was the guest of Trina Hoy; Jenna Secrist was the guest of Joel Wihebrink; Deborah Lange was the guest of Art Gakstatter; Heather King was the guest of Dan Metzger; & Matt Voss was the guest of Juergen Voss.

Door Greeters:  Bart Templeton. 

Prayer:  Troy Akers led us in prayer.

Pledge was given to the American flag. 

Promise yourself was said in unison. 

Birthday Honorees:  Amanda Zambrano.  Martin Becker led us in the birthday song with good results.

 

            >>>> INFORMATION

Membership:  Past President Jeff Owens’ assistant Kyle Dukes read Abisha Varatharaj’s, Andrea Nichols’, Renee Craig’s, & Jenna Secrist’s applications.  Past President Mike Hall inducted Kyle Dukes.  Dr. KT Kishan sponsored Abisha, Past Gov. Ron Donkers sponsored Andrea, Trina Hoy sponsored Renee, Past President Joel Wihebrink sponsored Jenna, & VP Angie Tom sponsored Kyle. 

 

Sheriff & Deputy of Attendance Bill Landrigan and Harry Gigous celebrated our attendance of 100 the last 2 weeks. 

 

President Elect Everett Nifong presented $400 to Warsaw Chess Coach Jay Bolduc for a fourth Chess Computer that is used to diagnose the play of our team.  These computers help our students continually improve.  Jay and the Madison Chess team showed us some of the trophies they have won.

 

Board Member Chris Wiggins presented $500 to Matt Voss for the Lake City Skiers.  The Lake City Skiers give us a nice write-up in their program.

 

Past Lt. Gov. Denny Andrews announced our Optimist Singers are hard at work preparing for a meeting of the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America’s Mid-America Tour banquet on Friday, May 17. 

 

 

Downtown Car Show, Sunday May 19:  Co-Chairs John Elliott & Art Gakstatter reminded us to do our assigned duties this weekend:

– We need someone to put our cards in the cars at the Syracuse Car show Saturday.

– We need $5 to $10 door prizes.  Please give them to John or bring them Sunday. 

– Those who are setting up will start at 7 a.m. at Center & Buffalo.

– The Parking & Registration Teams will start at 11:45 a.m.

– The thank you announcement will be in Saturday’s Times-Union.

– At 1:30 p.m. four antique fire trucks will drive in as we sign the National Anthem, followed by a bi-plane flyover.

– John Elliott commended John Teevan and the club for raising money for the youth of our community.  John Teevan took off his “money tie” for another year.

– John Elliott showed us an example of the top trophies we are handing out.  They are beautiful.

– Ed Nordstrom thanked those who helped distribute Car Show flyers to businesses from Atwood to Pierceton and Silver Lake to Milford. 

– John Elliott announced that thanks to Dave Meier, Penguin Point is giving our car owners and us as volunteers a 50% off coupon for an entire meal that is good Sunday.

– John Elliott announced our car owners will also get a coupon for a free milk shake at Shoops.  

 

President Elect Everett Nifong reported on our Golf Outing on Thursday, June 13, 2013 at Stonehenge.  Brochures are by the badge box.  Florida scramble cost is $425 per foursome, including golf, cart, lunch, and driving range.  Tee sponsorship is $100.  A foursome and tee sponsorship is $500.  Gold sponsorships are $1,000.  For more information:  www.warsawoptimist.org or call 574-551-9145.  Mike Cusick is looking for door prizes and goody bag gifts.  Around 120 goody bags will be made.  It would be nice to have a door prize for each golfer.   

 

Triathlon:  Past Gov. Ron Donkers is sending around a sign-up sheet for those who want one of this year’s T-shirts.  So far we have 152 signed up.  The date has beenchanged to the Saturday JUST BEFORE the 4^th of July.  It will be Saturday, June 29, 2013.  This year in addition to a short swim after the traditional participants, there will be kid’s races for kids who are 11 to 12 or 13 to 14.

 

President Tracy Furnivall invited us to Baker Youth Club’s Golf Outing on Friday, June 21 at Rozella Ford.  Florida Scramble cost is $280 per foursome, including golf, cart, lunch, and snacks.  Hole sponsorship is $150.

 

David Benning reminded us that today is Peace Officer Appreciation day.

 

Octagon sponsor Mitch Goon presented our Octagon officers:  Sarah Boyle, Camille Kerlin, Ryan Goon, Chad Goon, & Andrew Scheidt.  Octagon has 50 members. 

 

Coach Rick Orban is proud of our Warsaw High School Girls Tennis team of Abbi Baum, Mattie Doran, Anna Hall, Olivia Wallin, Marley Smith, Lindsay Sciarra, Jacqueline Sasso, Sarah Boyle, Mallory Bartel, & Camille Kerlin.  Rick noted they all take AP classes and are honor students.  He noted their high academic achievement and their teamwork on the court.

Rich Haddad noted that Anna Hall’s KYLA project, Kolors For Jacob’s Kids, powder paint splatter run raised $15,000 for Jacob’s Ladder Pediatric Rehab Center.   

 

Please pray for our Troops and Families:   Chris Metz – Army

 

Sergeants-at-Arms:  John Elliott, Joel Wihebrink, and Everett Nifong entertained us.

Mike Gavin is appreciative of the honesty of the Indiana State Police.

Mayor Dr. Joe Thallemer & Past Lt. Gov. Mary Ellen Jordan are to be commended for the relaxing work environment at our new City Hall.  The work spaces invite you to sit down and get to work.     

Past President Mike Hall was noted for his support of the community.

Several of our missing members were present:  Dave Wolkins (after running into a beautician), Joe Wilkey, Aaron Rovenstine, Mark Caruso, Roger Crouse, Mike Gavin, &Mike Hall.

 

Program:  

Director Tracy Furnivall told us of the recent growth of Baker Youth Club.  In the last 2 years BYC has grown from one location to 6: Claypool, Leesburg, Milford, North Webster, Syracuse, and Warsaw.

At the old Park Street location BYC averaged 50 kids per day.  At the new Market Street location they averaged 65 kids per day.  In 2011 – 2012 BYC averaged 100 kids per day at it’s locations.  This year BYC has averaged 300 kids per day at it’s 6 locations. 

BYC distinctives are: Warsaw Community School busses and the BYC bus provide transportation to BYC.  BYC provides free snacks and meals to the kids.  BYC hascertified teachers, Tecee Banta and Carole Delp who help the kids with their homework. 

BYC has 880 members and provides 299 nightly meals.  Kids at the different BYC locations maintain or improve their scores on standardized tests. 

Chris Wiggins’ KLA project along with the K21 Health Foundation provided playground equipment.  The K21 Health Foundation and United Way fund the 8 week summer program.  Dr. Hollar provides instruction in dental hygiene to the kids.

With the rapid growth of BYC’s outreach, the expenses have also risen.  Total expenses in 2011 were $229k, in 2012 $354k, and 2013 $357k.  Funding comes from Unioted Way, K21 Health Foundation, Kosciusko County Community Foundation, corporate and individual donations, and fundraising participants.

Ways to help BYC are to provide meals, kitchen supplies, homework supplies, volunteer, and money.