Attendance: 95

Greeters: Jim Smith and Juergen Voss

Invocation: Joey Hickerson

Guests: Kristin Hale (Brittany Petersen); Tai Johnson (Vickie Lootens); Kristine Sommers (Dirk Sommers); Katie Voelz (Gina Voelz)

Membership Report:  Mike Hawkins (Jeff Servies) was inducted by John Elliott. Congratulations Mike!!

Birthdays: Joe Sutton, Cheryl Avery, Joy Lavender

50/50: $105.00 total with $52.50 to the winner: Dave Turner

Check Presentation: None

CEO Report: None

Sheriff Report: None

Committees/Announcements:

Golf Outing – Everett Nifong, Chair, said that anyone who wants to volunteer for the golf outing (June 14th) should contact him at 574.551.9145 or come to the first planning meeting scheduled for Jan. 24 at 8:00 a.m., Shrine Building.

Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club 60th Birthday Bash – Pam Galloway, Chair, is wanting club members to save the date for this big celebration. The celebration event will be on Wednesday, September 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and will take the place of club meeting that morning. There will be no club meeting on September 26. Please save the date and celebrate 60 years of Optimist contributions to youth of Warsaw at the Heritage Room at 901 Park Avenue in Winona Lake. FREE babysitting – Cash Bar – Delicious catered meal – FREE for members – $25.00 charge for each guest. More information to follow.

Revision of Club By-Laws – President Steve Hollar advised members that a draft of revised by-laws will be presented at club for review and vote in the near future.

Program: David Hatfield, Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Thadd Mellott, President – Circle M Spring, Inc.

This local, thriving company was started in 1998 by Fred Mellott in a pole barn in Bourbon, IN. Now located in Warsaw with Thadd Mellott at the helm, the company has nearly $10,000,000 in annual sales. The company created the most complicated spring in a rifle through a federal government contract. Once word got out, gun manufacturers started turning to Circle M Spring to manufacture spring, pins, and other materials for rifles. They currently develop and manufacture about 80% of the parts in this particular rifle. However, there has been a downturn in gun manufacturing. Circle M Spring was in a position to diversify their product offerings. They are now successfully in the implant market, including dental implants and instruments, in addition.

Sergeants-at-Arms: Brooke Hamstra, Gina Voelz, Sam Whitaker, Jeff Owens

Every table that did not have an invited guest had to contribute a $1.00 extraction. In addition to other sergeant’s shenanigans, John Elliott and Jeff Servies were told by Sergeant Owens to sing the Ohio State Buckeye fight song. After their impeccable rendition, John and Jeff thought the club should pay them! Not a chance guys : )

Next Week’s Program (January 17): “The Wheels on the Train Go Round and Round,” by Bruce Carpenter, Norfolk Southern Railroad

Quote: “By providing hope and positive vision, optimists bring out the best in kids.” O.I. Mission Statement

Adjourn: By President Hollar at 7:57 a.m.