Presiding – Brooke Hamstra

Greeters – Mitch Reinholt & Corbin Holtsberry

Invocation – Bill Landrigan

Guests – Megan Davis

Birthdays – Shari Benyousky, Trish Nichols, Stacey Leek & Brooke Hamstra

Announcements

• Fundraisers
  • Car Show (05/17/26) = 95 days Tom Tearney & Ken Shamblen
  • Triathlon (06/27/26) = 136 days Jeff Owens & Adam Heckaman
  • Fall Displays (sale starts 08/01/26) = 178 days Kris Williams
  • Golf Outing (09/08/26) = 216 days Chris Hanson & Chris McCray
• Optimist Essay Contest (Winning Essay due by 02/25/26) – Shari Benyouksy
• Oratorical Contest (03/29/26, from 12-3pm) = 53 days – Letricia Nichols
• Directory Planning for 2026 – Committee to help lead the charge if interested
• Community Quiz Bowl (Warsaw Education Foundation) 03/10/26, from 7-9pm – 2 teams of 5 – Kris Williams

50/50 – Everett Nifong was our 50/50 winner today!

Membership – Angie Tom/Paul Finley, Logan Anderson-Jim Smith/Angie Tom (3rd Reading), Mariano Oliveri – Ot Schroeder (1st Reading)

Grant Check Presentation – Marc Andrews – Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams $950
Aquarium for Classroom

Ot Schroeder – Ot brought in his goats and demonstrated feeding them. We also heard about the judging and showing of the goats.

Program – Doug Light, Kosciusko Sheriff’s Department. Doug outlined the role that the Sheriff’s Department has played in the Kosciusko County Schools to improve the safety of our students.

Optimistic Quote & Did You Know –
○ Did you Know: Honeybees must visit about 2 million flowers to make 1 lb of honey?
○ Quote: The best thing to hold onto in life is each other: Audrey Hepburn

Presiding – Brooke Hamstra

Invocation – Ken Anderson

Greeters – Charlie Wagner and Rick Kerlin

Guests – Megan Davis & Allison Taylor

Birthdays – Adam Heckaman, Chris Hanson, Corbin Holtsberry & Tracy Furnival

Announcements –

• Fundraisers – Updates Car Show (05/17/26) = 95 days Chairs – Tom Tearney & Ken Shamblen
• Triathlon (06/27/26) = 136 days, Chairs – Jeff Owens & Adam Heckaman
• Fall Displays (sale starts 08/01/26) = 178 days Chair – Kris Williams
• Golf Outing (09/08/26) = 216 days Chairs – Chris Hanson & Chris McCray
• Optimist Essay Contest (Winning Essay due by 02/25/26) – Chair – Shari Benyousky, 21 days, “How My Acts of Service Help Me Understand What Community Means to Me”, must be under the age of 19 by 10/1/26, 700-800 words, Submit Essay via email to Shari at juxtapaused@gmail.com , Awards
• Oratorical Contest (03/29/26, from 12-3pm) = 53 days – Chair – Letricia Nichols

Membership –

• Logan Anderson (01/06/26)-Jim Smith/Angie Tom (2nd Reading), Mariano Oliveri
• New Members were inducted – Jonathan Hollar, Sponsor, Mitch Reinholt; Peyton Oldham, Sponsor, Abby Smith, Alison Weeks

50/50 – Winner, $41 to Evertt Nifong

Sergeants/Program – In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we have some fun in store for you today coming from our Sergeants for our Love Our Board Program – Jim Smith, Jeff Owens, and Abby Smith.

Board members wrote out historical facts about themselves, those were read and members in the audience were asked to guess which board member was represented by the story. Lots of laughs and fines were had!

Optimistic Quote/Did You Know

• Did you Know – Winter encourages deeper thinking? Shorter days promote reflection.
• Quote – The best thing to hold onto in life is each other: Audry Hepburn

Presiding the meeting today: President Brooke Hamstra

Brooke rang the and called the meeting to order at 7:00

Invocation/Prayer was provided by Barry Andrew

Members recited Pledge of Allegiance, Optimist Creed, and most sang the Optimist Song

The bell was rung….

Greeters John Teevan, and David Byers

Each shared details about themselves.

Guests – Joe Kirkendall, guest of Jeff Owens, Jonathan Hollar guest of Mitch Reinholt,

Logan Anderson guest of Jim Smith and Angie Tom, and Peyton Oldham guest of Abby Smith, Alison Weeks, guest of guest Peyton Oldham and for the last time as guest Steve Foegley

This weeks Birthdays

Roger Crouse-01/26

Carla Carlton & Lois Borkholder 01/31

Announcements

Optimist Day 02/05/26

We were reminded to promote a positive future and honor the service of Optimist Clubs worldwide.

Fundraisers – Updates

Car Show (05/17/26) = 102 days

Triathlon (06/27/26) = 143 days

Fall Displays (sale starts 08/01/26) = 178 days

Golf Outing (09/08/26) = 216 days Chris Hanson sharing event info about the Outing and help needed raising awareness and sponsor

Upcoming projects:

Optimist Essay Contest (Winning Essay due by 02/25/26) – Shari Benyouski 21 days,

“How My Acts of Service Help Me Understand What Community Means to Me”,

The essays must be under the age of 19 by 10/1/26, 700-800 words,

https://warsawoptimist.org/projects/essay

Oratorical Contest (03/29/26, from 12-3pm) = 53 days – Letricia Nichols

2025-2026 Topic: “The Moment I Realized I Belonged – My Definition of Community”

https://warsawoptimist.org/projects/oratorical

Pass the Hat Update:

We gave $437.00 to show our appreciation to Saucy’s, Dana, Dara Munson – Thank you for your great work!

Membership – Angie Tom/Paul Finley

The following applications were read to the membership

Jonathan Hollar (12/17/25) Sponsored by: Mitch Reinholt,

Mariano Oliveri (12/10/25) Sponsored by: Ot Schroeder

Logan Anderson (01/06/26) Sponsored by: Jim Smith/Angie Tom,

Peyton Oldham (01/07/26) Sponsored by: Abby Smith

Our newest member, Steven Foegley, was inducted by Everett Nifong. Steve was sponsored by Angie Tom or Paul Finley, details are murky at best, but here we are…

50/50 Drawing was up and running again, the fix was in, AGAIN, as Kristin Farwell selected Kris Williams over all of the other worthy recipients. Members who showed up to the cancelled meeting were also recognized

Sergeants – Jim Smith, Jeff Owens, and Abby Smith

The sergeants turned in yet another outstanding and entertaining performance. New member applicant Alison Weeks whose favorite color is green, stepped up to help collect some “Green”. Fines were levied for Patriot and Seahawks fans. KLA Graduates were recognized, and non graduates fined.

Program

Chris Hanson introduced Kosciusko Leadership Academy (KLA) – Allyn Decker

Allyn Decker re-indroduced KLA to the group.

The Mission of KLA is to develop informed and innovative leaders who will serve our community by skillfully leading it into the future.

Since 1982, the Kosciusko Leadership Academy (KLA) has invested in the emerging leaders of our community; people who possess a passion to serve and the courage to lead others.

KLA conducts sessions each year that give students access to the frontline leaders in our community. Critical community issues such as county and state governments, healthcare, education, agriculture, business, and entrepreneurship are thoroughly discussed and examined.

Excerpt from the KLA website:

When Jean Northenor posed this question to the late Matt Dalton nearly 30 years ago, little did they realize it would serve as the catalyst for the creation of the Kosciusko Leadership Academy.

As a successful Executive Vice-President at Lake City Bank, Jean was often asked to serve on boards of local organizations. She was pleased to be of service to her community, but something began to bother her. No matter what organization she was serving or what board meeting she attended, the same group of local leaders was in attendance.

Alarmed by the apparent lack of fresh leadership, she voiced her concern to fellow board member, Matt Dalton, owner of Dalton Foundries. The rest, as they say, is history. Jean and Matt moved quickly in establishing the Leadership Academy. They envisioned a program that would develop, in Jean’s words, “young, innovative, enthusiastic leaders with some new ideas.”

Learn more and read the white paper archive. https://www.kosciuskoleadership.org/

Optimistic Quote

Quote: The secret of getting ahead is getting started: Mark Twain

Next week’s program Valentine’s Day special

Meeting was cancelled…..

Presiding – Brooke Hamstra

Greeters – Lester Pierce & Steve Block

Invocation – John Kirkpatrick

Birthdays – Kyrie’ Maierle, David Byers, Ken Anderson & John Teevan

• Announcements –
  • Fundraisers – Update
    • Car Show (05/17/26) = 116 days
    • Triathlon (06/27/26) = 157 days
    • Fall Displays (sale starts 08/01/26) = 192 days – Kris Williams sharing event info, Chris needs help with organizing the Fall Displays next Fall
    • Golf Outing (09/08/26) = 230 days

• Optimist Essay Contest (Winning Essay due by 02/25/26) – Shari Benyouski
• 35 Days, “How My Acts of Service Help Me Understand What Community Means to Me”, must be under the age of 19 by 10/1/26, 700-800 words, Submit Essay via email to Shari at juxtapaused@gmail.com
• Oratorical Contest (03/29/26, from 12-3pm) = 67 days – Letricia Nichols, Sponsor

Warsaw Breakfast Optimist recently was hosted by Grace College at a Men’s and Women’s Home Basketball game.

Membership – The above pictured future members were introduced and had their “reading”.

Program – Live Well Kosciusko County was our program today. Vanessa Nigg and Emily Demopoulous were our presenters. Live Well Kosciusko is a local nonprofit on a mission to transform lives and grow a thriving and healthy community. This organization also envisions a future where every individual has the education and resources to experience a life of health and well-being.

The five areas on which Live Well Kosciusko focuses are Physical Well-Being; Financial Well-Being; Social Well Being; Career & Purpose Well-Being and Community Well-Being.

Optimistic Quote/Did You Know

• Did you Know: Some frogs freeze solid in winter and survive? Their bodies produce natural antifreeze
• Quote: The secret of getting ahead is getting started: Mark Twain

Next week’s program – Animal Welfare League – Tonya Blanchard