Future Dates
04/5-9 Spring Break Skate
04/12 Board Meeting
04/17 Safe Assured @ YMCA
05/22 Car Show Fundraiser
06/17 Golf Outing fundraiser
06/26 Triathlon
>>>>OPENING
65 Optimists & 5 guests attended our meeting: San-jay Gokhale guest of Angie Tom; Matt Deeds guest of Jeff Owens; Shyloh Hoy guest of Trina Hoy; Gary Gerard guest of Art Gakstatter; Larry Stackhouse guest of Jerry Titus.
Door Greeters: Mitch Goon & Joel Wihebrink.
Prayer was offered by Bill Landrigan.
Pledge was given to the American Flag.
Promise yourself was said in unison.
Birthday Honoree: Trina Hoy & Don Kenipe. Merl Heckaman led us with unusual timing results.
Mystery Person Steve Albertson reported 10 people shook his hand.
>>>> INFORMATION
Prayer List: Daniel Elliott’s continued recovery.
Membership: Past President Bob Jackson inducted Tony Ciriello & Ben Garden. Sam Whitaker spon-sored Tony & Mitch Goon sponsored Ben.
President Sam Whitaker reported Cathy Mullett is do-ing our club scrape-book.
Sherriff Bill Landrigan: It was good to see Dr. Jenny Lucht, Steve Albertson, Jerry Titus, & Deb Miller. Sherriff Bill is making house calls..
Email Trace Hansen at Tracesk8s@yahoo.com to vol-unteer for our Safe Assured ID 4/17 from 9am to 2pm at the YMCA. Afternoon shifts are open. ALSO, Trace needs ongoing members for the Safe Assured ID committee to do the following tasks: a person to do data entry, a person to get volunteers for events, & a person to set up & tear down at the events. Trace will continue to schedule events.
Spring Break Skate: Trace Hansen reported good attendance so far this week.
Everett Nifong handed out Stonehenge Golf Outing applications. The event is June 17. Cost is $360 per foursome. Call 551-9145 to sponsor at the $1000, $450, or $100 level.
Lt. Gov. Jim Reeve reported our ballet for our elec-tion to be Jeff Neumann—President; Joel Wi-hebrink—President-Elect; Angie Tom & Dave Meier—VPs; Jay Tate, Jim Reeve, Jim Kessler, Mike Cusick, Nancy Boston, & Bob Jackson—Board.
President Sam Whitaker commended Deb Miller for her bid to move our District Convention to Warsaw.
Stacey Cox saluted: Joel Wihebrink, who joined in 2006 is our President-elect, VP & is on our scholar-ship committee, & past board member. Ot Schroe-der, who joined in 1994 has 10 years perfect atten-dance is past president & Lt. Gov. Ot co-chairs our Visitation, Octagon, & Christmas Tree set-up com-mittees & is an Optimist Singer. Next week Stacey will salute Charles Neuwirth & Jerry Titus.
117 have already registered for our 6/26 Triathlon.
Sergeant-at-Arms: John Barrett & Pres. Sam Whitaker teamed up to tell a joke about stopping at stop signs. Jay Tate & Merl Heckaman collected from Ot Schroeder for having so many ―kids.‖ On a serious note, John Barrett made us aware that changes in Indiana law mean that a person who takes another person’s life while DUI now spend only 4 years in prison. Please tell your representative about this problem. John Teevan reminded us that our own local kids have benefited from longer jail terms that gave them time to be reformed by college classes. Please forward your dirt on fellow Opti-mists to WarsawLaw@Lawyer.com.
50/50: This week John Barrett won $31.
Please pray for our Troops and Families:
LCpl Dan McNulty – Marines – Iraq
Program: Art Gakstatter introduced Times-Union editor, Gary Gerard, & thanked him for the loads of free publicity he gives our events. Gary contrasted healthy local small daily newspapers with struggling big daily newspapers. There is less competition for local news. In the future the internet news will likely have some subscription cost.

[Show as slideshow]