Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Future Dates
12/20 Fri. Visit Middlebury club
12/24 Tue. Optimist Singers at B-macs
12/25 Wed. No Meeting
1/1 Wed. No Meeting
1/8 Wed. 100 Years of Winona Lake / Terry White
1/8 Wed. Warsaw Community High School Wrestling / Justin Smith
1/8 Wed. Car Show meeting after regular meeting
1/15/14 Wed. Walk-n-Wonder Warsaw / Michelle Bormet & Darla
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
2/12 Wed. KCH / Affordable Care Act
2/12 Wed. Student of the Week
2/19 Wed. Kosciusko County Cancer Care Fund / Sandy Green
2/19/14 Wed. Student of the Week
2/26 Wed. Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker
2/26/14 Wed. Student of the Week
3/5/14 Wed. WCHS Poetry Contest Winners
3/5/14 Wed. Student of the Week
3/7/14 Fri. Oratorical Contest
3/12/14 Wed. Warsaw Schools Band
3/12/14 Wed. Student of the Week
3/19/14 Wed. Oratorical Contest Winners
3/22/14 Sat. Bowling for Kids / Big Brothers Big Sisters @ The Bowling Alley
3/26/14 Wed. Warsaw Community Schools Chief Academic Officer David Hoffert
4/16 Wed. DARE / Lt Joel Beam
4/30 Wed. Josh Wildman CEO of Wildman Business Group
5/7 Wed. Splash Pad / Erin Porter
5/14 Wed. Sheriff Rocky Goshert
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Prior to our meeting, we were blessed to hear the music of Lt. Gov. John Sullivan.
President Everett Nifong led our meeting.
>>>>OPENING
92 Optimists & 16 guests attended our meeting. David Cates was the guest of Jim Layne; Robert Bishop was the guest of Sam Whitaker; Dr. Mitch Reinholt was the guest of Mayor Dr. Joe Thallemer; Drew Flamm was the guest of Dr. Bill Katip; Michelle Becknell was the guest of Luke Becknell; Clelda Benning was the guest of David Benning; Janet Kirkpatrick was the guest of John Kirkpatrick; Emily & Brad Voelz were the guests of Gina Voelz; Babs Haines was the guest of Dr. David Haines; Carol Chambers was the guest of Ron Chambers; Carol King was the guest of Dan King; Barbara Gigous was the guest of Harry Gigous; Ian Wihebrink was the guest of Joel Wihebrink; Keegan and Kamden Tom were the guests of Angie Tom.
Door Greeters: Bart Templeton.
Prayer: Dr. David Haines led us in prayer.
Pledge was given to the American flag.
Promise yourself was said in unison.
Martin Becker led us in singing Hail to Optimism.
Birthday Honorees: Mary Ann Gradeless, Michele Bickel, Kellie Malcolm, Robert Bishop, Chad Zaucha, Bob Ibach, and Jerry Titus. Kellie Malcolm led us in the birthday song with unusual results.
>>>> INFORMATION
Prayer Requests:
Ron Henry’s recovery.
John Burtoft’s family at his father’s passing.
Membership: Membership Chairperson Kellie Malcolm read Kristin Farwell’s application. Kris is sponsored by Akash Jain.
President Everett Nifong reported the following Board action:
No meeting December 25 nor January 1.
Our caterers in 2014 will be the Golden Coral. Penguin Point has been great.
The Valentine’s Banquet has been cancelled. Attendance has dwindled.
Trina Hoy & Jim Hayes reported our directories are here. Lynn Kendall and Miles Printing did a great job on them.
Luke Becknell needs someone to be Santa on Saturday, December 21. The Santa House is at the Courthouse. Jane Wear, Ann Sweet, Michele Bickel, andTrina Hoy are coordinating supplies and volunteers.
President Everett Nifong presented Past President Tracy Furnivall with $650 that we raised the last 2 weeks for Christmas gifts for the kids at Baker Youth Clubs. Tracy reported 350 kids including from the satellite clubs will receive Christmas gifts.
President Everett Nifong presented our wonderful servers with the over $400 we collected for them today. We gave them a standing ovation for the years of wonderful service they have provided to us. We will miss them.
Past Gov. Ron Donkers & Lt. Gov. John Sullivan reminded us of Optimist International Foundation’s Dime-A-Day fundraising program. Some of the overhead for things like the Oratorical and Essay contests at the district and higher levels are in need of funding. The higher level Oratorical Contest winner receives $2,500 and the higher level Essay Contest winner receives $500. As a larger club, we need to cover a large part of these costs. The Dime-A Day program is a great way to do this. Please send your $36.50 to Optimist International Foundation, Dime-A-Day Campaign, P.O. Box 952126, St. Louis, MO 63195. Make sure you put “club # 04555” in the memo section of your check. An even better way to do this is to use a form Ron has to have your card charged $3.05 per month on an ongoing basis. The forms are by the badge box.
Visitation Chairman Ron Chambers announced we will visit the Middlebury club Friday, December 20. Our group will leave from The Bowling Alley / Tokens N Tickets (North Detroit Street) at 5:40 a.m. The meeting is at Das Dutchman Essenhaus!
Chaplain Fred Nieter is passing around a sign-up sheet for members to do our invocation.
Greeter Chairman Bart Templeton is passing around a sign-up sheet for greeters.
Past President John Elliott announced that he and Dr. Jenny & Alan Lucht are holding a meeting about our Car Show after our January 8 meeting.
Christmas Tree Chairman Harry Gigous thanked those who set up Owens Christmas Tree lot. Owens has been very generous to give us $5 for every tree they sell. Reports are they may have already sold out!
Past President Jeff Owens announced our Oratorical Contest will be March 7th at Zimmer’s Headquarters at 7 p.m. The topic is “How My Passions Impact the World.” There are 3 prizes. Prize sponsors are Esther Pfleiderer Charitable Trust at 1st Source Bank and Lake City Bank. Other sponsors are needed.
Past Gov. and Triathlon Chairman Ron Donkers reported our Triathlon is open this week. We already have customers. Ron suggested a guest registration for the runner in your family.
Past Lt. Gov. Dr. David Haines provided our first post to our Year in Review series. It is featured on the front page of our website. Here is a direct linkhttps://warsawoptimist.org/
Sergeant-at-Arms Trace Hansen commended 2 of our members:
Safe Assured ID Chairman Robert Lee and his spouse Suzanne Caudill and their students worked a Salvation Army kettle for 2 hours before Alan & Dr. Jenny Lucht’s shift. Then they came back and covered another 2 hours.
Board Member Trina Hoy has brought in many many new members while at her job as V.P. of Communications & Events at our Chamber of Commerce. She is now the Community Development Director of Big Brothers Big Sister of Northeast Indiana.
Not missing an opportunity, Trina Hoy invited us to take part in their Bowling for Kids fundraiser Saturday, March 22, 2014. It is at The Bowling Alley on North Detroit St. Time slots are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sign-up brochures are by our badge box. www.bbbsnei.org
Song Director Martin Becker invited us to see our Optimist Singers at B-macs on Tuesday, December 24 at 7 a.m.
Program:
We had two programs today:
Optimist Singers entertained us with their Christmas program.
Merl Heckaman and Bill Landrigan entertained us as they held our White Elephant Auction.
Our Optimist Singers under the direction of Song Leader Martin Becker and accompanied by Millie Andrews entertained us as they sang:
Noel, Sing We Noel!
Minka
Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy
Hot Chocolate!
The Twelve Days AFTER Christmas
Silent Night
Roland Kramer read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke.
A special guest quartet of Dan Wray, Chad Hoffert, Matt Deeds, and Bill Landrigan sang Christmas in Louisiana in the Duck Dynasty style.
We enjoyed a video of the Duck Dynasty stars entitled I’m Dreamin of a Redneck Christmas.
Director Martin Becker read a funny personalized to our club version of the Night Before Christmas.
OPTIMIST WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS
T’was the week before Christmas and all the club were Optimistic
Many Creatures were stirring which was quite humoristic.
The greeters were in place and introduced by president Nifong with care
In hopes that this meeting would not run long and cause despair!
The members were all nestled at their tables of comfort
While visions of winning the 50/50 made Don Kenipe give a BIG SNORT!
Denny Andrews wore a kerchief and John Elliott in an Ohio State cap
And some of the early morning Optimist singers were ready for a nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
We sent out Trina Hoy to see what was the matter
Away to the with her camera she flew like a flash,
Opened the shutters and threw up — into the trash?
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave a luster of mid-day objects below,
And, what to our meeting gathering should appear
But a miniature sleigh, with eight new members full of cheer
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
We knew in a minute it must be John Kirkpatrick??
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came
And he had Bill Landrigan call them by name.
Now Neiter, now Reinholt, now Hansen and Owens
On Chambers on Church on Donkers and Dorman!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly
Luke, Trace and Lyle began to remove our money supply
As all the members began to get out their dollar
All of a sudden both Steve and Charlie began to Hollar.
So up to the house-top the sergeants flew,
With the sleigh full of bad pranks, and all our money too!
And then, in a twinkling we heard some rubber being laid
Could it be Art Gakstatter coming to the meeting delayed?
As we drew in our heads, and were turning around,
Merl Heckaman interrupted the meeting with a unique sound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot
And his suspenders added a nice touch even with the dirty soot
A bundle of ploys he had flung on his back,
As he told a questionable story about Jim Reeve’s Cub Scout pack.
His eyes – how they twinkled! His dimples we hairy
His cheeks were like roses, his nose was also a bit hairy.
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the Bobcat he was driving made it thru the snow;
The part of a tail pipe Rick Kerlin held in his teeth.
And his exhaust formed a circle like a wreath
Akash Jain had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he talked like a mouthful of jelly.
Our Santa’s in the room were chubby and plump, right jolly old elfs
And the Octagon members laughed when they saw them in spite of themselves,
With a wink from David Haines and a twist from KT’s head,
Soon gave the overeating Optimists nothing to dread
Craig Nayrocker spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
Jim Kessler’s team had not made many baskets, so he turned with a jerk,
Then by mistake he pointed his finger at his nose
And giving the referee a nod, a technical foul arose.
Just then the policemen in the room sprang to the plane, going after airline
Passenger George Brennan who had taken the blame.
As the meeting came to a close the president lost his gavel and so had to resort
to using a whistle And away they all flew like Jim Hayes sitting on a thistle
But we heard Song Leader Martin Becker exclaim ere we drove out of site,
Hail to Optimism and to all a Good Night!!!
Thanks to Marty for this personalized peom.
Merl Heckaman and Bill Landrigan auctioned off several White Elephant items to us. Some of the more interesting items I happened to notice were:
A landline telephone
Repaired bowl
Electric music box
A movie starring Jim Carey
A book about what to do with mosquitoes
My favorite was a 1963 tax guide from Andy Swihart. It was very small for what we would call a tax guide today.
I lost track of some of the bidding as I looked at the interesting items that were won. I think over $200 was raised today.
