Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Future Dates   

3/28 & 29 Wed. & Thur. delivery of Spring Break Skate passes

4/1 – 5 Spring Break Skate

4/3 Wed. Olon Dotson / Ball State

4/10 Wed. Suzie Light / Kosciusko County Community Foundation

4/12 Fri.  Grace College Community Wind Ensemble Spring Concert

4/17 Wed. Warsaw High School Band

4/24 Wed. Ann Zydek / Warsaw Community Public Library

5/1 Wed. Randy Polston / Grace Applied Learning

5/8 Wed. Nate Bosch / Kosciusko Lakes and Streams

5/15 Wed. Tracy Furnivall / Baker Youth Clubs

5/19 Sun. Car Show

5/22 Wed.  Optimist Singers Memorial Day

5/29 Wed. Dr. Craig Hintz

6/5 Wed. Jay Tate / Safe Assured ID demo

6/12 Wed. Beaman Home

6/13 Thur. Optimist Golf Outing

6/19 Wed. Ashlynn Fawley / Red Cross

6/26 Wed. Assemble Triathlon bags

6/29 Sat. Triathlon

7/3 Wed. Optimist Scholarship Recipients

7/10 Wed. no meeting / County Fair

7/17 Wed. Jane Wear / Cardinal Center

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

7/31 Wed. Angie Wood / Heartline

8/2 Fri. Big Wheel Race

8/14 Wed. Rich Haddad / K21 Health Foundation

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

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

9/11 Wed. Dave Anson / Athletic Director WCHS

 

Wednesday, March 27, 2013 

>>>>OPENING

84 Optimists & 8 guests attended our meeting.  Laurie Schotz & Amanda Zambrano were the guests of Trina Hoy; Michele Bickel was the guest of Everett Nifong; David Benning was the guest of Fred Nieter; Abisha Varatharaj was the guest of KT Kishan; & Blair Findlay, Will Petro, & Tracey Akers were the guests of Lyle Enyeart.

Door Greeters:  Ken Zortman. 

Prayer:  Alan Grossnickle led us in prayer.

Pledge was given to the American flag. 

Promise yourself was said in unison. 

Martin Becker led us as we sang “Hail to Optimism.”

Birthday Honorees:  Lisa Cassel, Pat Donkers, and Angie Tom for Kyle Tom.  Martin Becker led us in the birthday song with our usual results.


            >>>> INFORMATION

Prayer Requests:  Marv Miller’s continued recovery.  He is doing better at home.

Mike Cox’s brother’s recovery from a car accident.

Gene Groninger’s family at the passing of his wife, Maxine.   Burial will be at a later date in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw. Wilson MILLER Funeral Home, Midland, Mich., is in charge of arrangements.  Condolences may be sent viawww.wilson-miller.com 

 

Membership:  President Tracy Furnivall read Michele Bickel’s, Mike Cox’s,Amanda Zambrano’s, Laurie Schotz’s & David Benning’s applications.  President Elect Everett Nifong is sponsoring MicheleRick Kerlin is sponsoring MikeTrina Hoy is sponsoring Amanda and Laurie, & Fred Nieteris sponsoring David

 

Sheriff & Deputy of Attendance Bill Landrigan &Harry Gigous are looking for Tom Kline & Kevin Marose.  They were glad to see Craig AllebachNick Deeter, & Henry Church.  Special Deputy, Past President, Sergeant-at ArmsJohn Elliott asked us to call his missing Sergeant Mike Hall at 574-527-7775.  John  noted that Rich Haddad missed our meeting June 6, 2012 for another meeting in Fort Wayne.

 

Trace Hansen is looking for volunteers to help distribute Spring Break Skatepasses tomorrow and Friday.  Contact Trace at tracesk8s@yahoo.com .  Spring Break Skate is next week.   

 

Board Member Lyle Enyeart presented Blair FindlayWill Petro, & Tracey Akers a $300 check for Boomerang Backpacks to supply food for the weekend for at risk kids.

 

Vice President Angie Tom is passing around a directory.  Please check your information for accuracy.  Make any changes or mark it as OK so we know we have all the needed changes.

 

 

Past President John Elliott announced he will not be as mobile as usual at our 4th Annual Breakfast Optimist Club City of Lakes Cruise In to Downtown Warsaw on Sunday, May 19, 2013.  We are used to John carrying a lot of the load.  We need to be responsive to the need for volunteers.  Sign up on the sheets at your table.

Co-chair Art Gakstatter reported we are behind on our fundraising compared to last year at this time.  We need to invite corporate sponsors using our blue form.  John has lists of past sponsors we can call.  See John to get some names.  We need to raise money to support the good we do for the kids in our community. 

Kelsi GriffithAngie Tom, & Jay Tate have worked up a list of past car show participants and are mailing our post cards to them.

ML Motorsports is displaying their car.  The Studebaker Museum and the Michiana Studebaker Car Club are bringing a car or two.  The Oscar Meyer “Hot-Dog” Mobile is invited.  Purdue President Mitch Daniels has been personally invited to ride his motorcycle and be the Grand Marshall of our escorted Cruise to The Village of Winona Lake.

Our goal is to host 250 cars, trucks, and motorcycles; have some fun; and make $15,000 to support the youth activities of our Club.

As Club members, we are being asked to commit to three things to help make this event successful:

1)    Clear the date so that we can help with the event

2)    Be a $25 Trophy Sponsor

3)    Secure one additional sponsor of the event at the $500, $200, or $100 level.

Please turn in your Trophy Sponsor Form to John Teevan along with your check.  The $25 Trophy Sponsorships are for members of our Club.  We are asking others to support at the $100, $200, or $500 levels.

For more information on how you can help, contact Co-Chairmen Art Gakstatter or John Elliott.

 

 

President Elect Everett Nifong announced our Golf Outing will be June 13, 2013. 

 

Past Gov. Ron Donkers announced people are signing up for our Triathlon.  The date has been changed to the Saturday JUST BEFORE the 4th of July.  It will be Saturday, June 29, 2013.  Also this year in addition to a short swim after the traditional participants, there will be kid’s races for kid’s who are 11 to 12 or 13 to 14.

 

Lt. Gov. John Sullivan conducted our election.  We elected our new President  Elect Rick Kerlin; Vice Presidents:  Past President George Brennan, andTracy Horrell; and for our Board:  Chad ZauchaLuke BecknellKellie MalcolmDon ReinholtGina VoelzBruce Hansen.

 

Director Martin Becker invited us to the Grace College Community Wind Ensemble Kaleidoscope of Sound Spring Concert April 12th at 7:30 p.m. at Rodeheaver.


Video Editor Jim Hayes showed us 2 videos:  One was of some eggs getting a makeover to become Easter eggs.  The other one was of a disguised Jeff Gordon taking a test drive in a Camaro.     

 

 

Please pray for our Troops and Families:   Lt Justin Hayes – Navy – Chaplain

 

Sergeants-at-Arms:  John ElliottJoel Wihebrink, and Everett Nifongentertained us.


We gave Dr. Bill Katip a standing ovation on his being named President of Grace College.


We congratulated Trina Hoy & our Chamber of Commerce for winning 4 awards for communications excellence from the Indiana Chamber Executives Association.  Trina is our Chamber’s VP of Communications and Events.


Millie Andrews was recognized for her loud keyboard playing.  She plays loud enough to be heard over all our talking.


John Elliott perked up hearing that David Benning is in the car business.


Watch out, the dirty table patrol is watching.  We need to clean up our tables before we leave.


Yours truly appreciates the great job the Warsaw Street Department does cleaning up after snow storms.


Dr. KT Kishan was noticed in KCH’s PR campaign.


Tracy Furnivall noted that 5 ladies were instrumental in making the Baker Youth Club Madness fundraiser a success.


Al Grossnickle was noted as going from CEO to the classroom.  We are fortunate to have him at Grace.


A letter to the editor was read from a former drunken sailor taking exception to politicians being compared to drunken sailors since when he was a drunken sailor he stopped spending when he ran out of money.  

 

 

 

Program:    

Chief Academic Officer David Hoffert showed us some amazing things that are happening at Warsaw Community Schools as they Inspire Dreams and Equip Minds.  WCS mission is to equip all students to continuously acquire and apply knowledge and skills while pursuing their dreams and enriching the lives of others.


In the 2012 – 2013 school year the following things were added to the curriculum:  Dual Credit classes provide college/technical credit at low or no cost to almost all Indiana Schools.  The goal is that each student leaves WCS with 1 semester of college/technical credit.  Advanced Culinary Arts“The Blue Apron.”  World Language additions from 7th to 12 grades.  Dance I and II.  Fire Rescue.  6th grade Band.  6th to 12th grade Strings / Orchestra.  Washington STEM Academy.


In the 2013 – 2014 school year the following additions are planned:  U. S. Army JROTC.  Further World Language expansions.  Engineering and Robotics III and IV.  Multiple other class additions with computer and technical support.   Many Dual Credit / Advanced Placement additions.


In the Q & A section we wrangled from Dave that the complex formula for the letter grades applied to schools can result in a school actually having higher raw scores of achievement and still get a lower grade than the prior year.  This means a great school may not get an “A.”  However only great schools get “A”s.  We are proud of our educators, students, and families for achieving an “A” at every school and for our whole school system.


David can be reached at dhoffert@warsaw.k12.in.us or 574-371-5098.