UW-Whitewater/Community Optimist Club

Greetings Optimists,

Thank you to Kim Adams for her leadership of our club in 2013-14. And thank you to all of you for your commitment to our club, as well as to the ways in which you help serve our youth and our community.

Tomorrow is our first meeting of the new Optimist year but I guess technically it’s already week 2 of the new year.

Here is this week’s note:

Oct. 7, 12:00pm— UC 259A (our usual meeting place on campus) This will be a “Bring Your On Lunch” (BYOL) meeting. Guest speakers will be Eric Runez and Nathan Jaeger from the Whitewater Unified School District speaking about State of the Whitewater Unified School District and the upcoming referendum.

Oct. 14 — No club meeting but the first Board Meeting will be held. Time and location to be determined.

Oct. 21, 12:00pm – UC 259A. Youth of the Month with guest speaker. Lunch will be provided by UWW Catering. Lunch cost is $7.00 per member attending.

Who can help me line up speakers for our club meetings? I already have a list of possible topics but could use the help of one or two people to share phone calling and scheduling of speakers.

See many of you tomorrow!

Share the Optimism,

Dave Halbach

UW-Whitewater/Community Optimist Club

920-650-6089 or 262-472-5749

Club web site: http://blogs.uww.edu/uwwcommunityoptimist/

Optimist International web site: http://www.optimist.org/

Southern Wisconsinn District web site: http://www.swisdistrict.org/

UW-W Student Optimist Club: http://uwwstudentoptimist.blogspot.com/p/uw-w-student-optimist-club.html

Good Evening, Optimists (even though it is after midnight)!

As I wind down from this beautiful weekend, I close this chapter of weekly Optimist emails. I do so with gratitude for the past twelve months and great enthusiasm for the next year.

First—gratitude for your dedication to our cub and to the youth of our community. Together, we have dedicated hundreds of hours to our group’s purpose–and to bringing smiles to many faces.

Second—enthusiasm for the possibilities we have for greater service for 2014-15.

I want to thank our small planning group and ALL of our members who helped with the “Back to School Rally”/NOW Meeting at the high school. It was a great success this past Wednesday. Six applications have resulted from the meeting. It is exciting to add all of these new members to our club. I have copied those who have turned in applications and those who committed to turning in applications very soon.

I am also excited that our club has two hard working and talented student interns (Alix and Amanda) who will assist our club this fall semester. They will be joining us for the banquet.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our installation banquet this Tuesday at the Cold Spring Inn. This is a reminder that the social begins at 5:30pm and the dinner and program will start at 6:00pm. Governor Elect Jeff Kuchenbecker will also be joining us.

We will have a noon meeting on Tuesday, October 7 in UC 259A. Please bring your own lunch. There will not be a club meeting the second week in October. On October 21, we will again have a noon meeting (which will be a Youth of the Month meeting). Lunch will be provided on this day. From here, our new president–Dave Halbach will be in touch!

For now, I will sign off…

With gratitude and Optimism,

Kim 

Optimists,

It’s hard to believe that we are in week 50 of our Optimist year already. The time has gone quickly. I have just a couple of quick notes for this week.

Please remember that we are done with noon meetings for the rest of this month. We are looking forward to good attendance and participation in the “Back to School Rally/NOW Meeting” this Wednesday from 4:00-5:30pm at Whitewater High School. Thank you to those who have agreed to bring food, help set up, cook and serve food, attend the event, and help greet potential new members! I have updated a slide show of photos/events from this past year to show all of the great programs our club sponsors.

This past Friday, Connie sent out the invitation to our club’s Installation Banquet for Tuesday, Sept. 30 at the Cold Spring Inn. Please RSVP to her in a timely manner to ensure your attendance and to indicate your menu choice. Our Governor Elect (Jeff Kuchenbecker) will be joining us for the evening.

Dave and I completed the three interviews for the student interns who applied for helping our club this fall semester. After also visiting with Jeanine, we agreed to offer positions to all three of the students. The three of us will each supervise one of the interns. We are looking forward to making some great progress with promotions and membership recruitment this fall!

I will be setting up a planning meeting for Trivia Night for the first week in October. There are several Student Optimists who are interested in helping out with the event. There were 30 potential new members at the Student Optimist meeting this past Wednesday–yeah!

Thanks for reading–and see some of you this Wednesday.

Kim 🙂

Good Evening Optimists,

As promised, I am sending a second email this week in order to update you on our exciting “Back to School Rally”/NOW Meeting scheduled for this coming Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 4:00pm-5:30pm at the Whitewater High School Multi-Purpose Room.

I have attached WUSD Welcome Back Rally Noets, Sept, 17, 2014 from the planning meeting held yesterday. Thank you to Jeanine (one of our planners) for giving us a nice summary of the meeting notes–and to Lanora Heim, Joe Lynch and Dave Halbach for also serving on the planning team. Information about our menu and program order is included in the minutes.

If you are willing/able to contribute a dish to pass at the event (and you haven’t already volunteered), please contact Jeanine. She is coordinating the list of food and contributors for the event. Thank you to all who are assisting to make it a well-rounded tailgate menu!

Dave has volunteered his grill and grilling services for the evening. Joe will be assisting. They would gladly welcome another grill and griller–if there are any volunteers.

We would also welcome other members to help greet and answer questions, as well as collect new member applications. Hopefully, there will be several applications completed!

We are planning for 60 in attendance. If you are able to attend, please “replay all” by Monday, Sept. 22 at 4:00pm. Dave will be purchasing our meet and will need to know how to plan.

Thanks for reading a second note this week. We hope many of you will be able to join us. This will be a great opportunity to add some new and energetic members who are committed to working with youth.

Have a great weekend,

Kim 🙂

Happy Sunday, Optimists,

Here are just a few updates for our upcoming week.

I spoke with Connie Frida evening.  We are confirmed for the Cold Spring Inn for our Installation Banquet on Tuesday, Sept. 30.  Our social is scheduled for 5:30pm, with the dinner and program beginning at 6:00.  Information on our menu options and cost will come from the committee in the very near future. For now, please mark your calendars!

We have three applications for student interns for this fall.  Interviews with the three applicants will take place this week.  A few of us will be meeting with the interested students.

We have a meeting to finalize the Back to School/NOW meeting with the Whitewater School District this Wednesday.  If you are interested in making a dish to pass for the event, which is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 4:00pm – 5:30pm, please contact Jeanine.  Thank you to the 5-6 folks from our club who have already volunteered.  Members from the school district will also be contributing items for dinner.

Denise, Jan and I will be starting the planning for our Trivia Night, scheduled for Friday, Feb. 20 in the Hamilton Room.  As soon as the UW-W Student Club has their first meeting this week, we will also have a few students to work with on the co-sponsored event.

Our meeting this Tuesday will feature Youth of the Month, a representative from the UW-W Student Optimist Club, and a representative from Roberta’s Art Gallery.  Lunch will be provided by UW-W Catering this week since it is a Youth of the Month program.  Hope to see some of you on Tuesday at noon in UC 259A.  This will be our last noon meeting of the month.  Dave will be sending out a schedule for October in the near future.

Have a great week.  Let’s hope for some warmer weather again!

Kim 🙂

Good Evening Optimists,

I hope you enjoyed the spectacular weather this weekend.

Thank you to our football ticket takers on Friday night.  What a victory for our Warhawks.  We’re off to a great start for the 2014 season!

Thank you to the committee that is planning our installation celebration.  There will be an update at our Tuesday club meeting.  Information will also be sent out to the club members very soon.

Our club meeting this week will be in UC 259A.  Please remember to bring your own lunch.  Angie and I will be your guest speakers on our participation in the Yellowstone Travel Study experience.  We have some fun stories, nice photos and artifacts to share with the group–as well as an OI Foundation gift for one lucky winner!

We will be selecting a new intern for our club within the next two weeks.  Also, planning continues for our Back to School Rally/NOW Meeting for the Whitewater Unified School District on Sept. 24.  I hope that some of you will be able to join us for this gathering.  We have heard that at least 25 faculty/staff have already signed up for this meeting.

Board members, please remember that we have a joint board meeting this Tuesday from 5:30pm-7:00pm at Jessica’s. Thank you to all who have replied for the meeting.

See many of you soon,

Kim 🙂

Happy Fall Semester Optimists,

It is hard to believe that August is ending and and the start up of the new academic year is just around the corner.

Thank you to Jeanine, Dave, Denise, Jan, and Kelly H. who have kept things rolling in forward motion on many accounts. Jeanine and I spoke last night–just hours after my return from out west.  Here are a few important updates:

*  We do not have a meeting this week.  We also will not meet next Tuesday (since it is right after Labor Day–and it is the week that classes begin)

*  Our September meeting schedule is as follows–Sept. 9, 12pm meeting, UC 259A;  Sept. 16, 12pm meeting, UC 259A; Sept. 24 (Wed), 4-5pm Back to School Pep Rally/Optimist NOW Meeting at Whitewater High School, Multipurpose Room; Sept. 30, Installation Celebration–time and location to be announced.  Thank you to Mills, Connie, Rick, Hans and Carla for volunteering to coordinate our Installation evening.  More information will be sent out very soon regarding the details of our September meetings and the Installation event.

*  An evite has been sent to folks in the Whitewater Unified School District regarding our NOW meeting for September 24.  We will also be getting invitations sent to our members.  We will be counting on the support, attendance, and some assistance with food for this event.  Our planning team is very excited about the opportunities to recruit several new members from the school system.  We are very grateful to have the support of the District administration and to have the full involvement of members Joe Lynch and Lanora Heim!

*  Dave and I facilitated an information table about our cub at the Faculty/Staff involvement Fair today on campus–just prior to the Chancellor’s “State of the University Address.”  I am happy to report that 8 new faculty/staff signed up to learn more about our club.  Our follow up with these individuals will be very important.

*  Therese has been sending out emails regarding football ticket taking for fall 2014.  We only have four home football games–so we’ll have to really keep our fingers crossed for some more home-field advantage in the post season.  Please look at your calendars to see if you can fill any of the regular season slots that are still open.

*  Dave will be coordinating an ACPC meeting in the next two weeks.  All outgoing and incoming board members can expect more information from Dave in the near future.

I will sign off for now.  Please enjoy the six attached photos from our travel study trip to Yellowstone.  I look forward to giving a program about the trip in the near future.  Hopefully Angie will be able to join in the effort!  It was an amazing learning experience.

Have a great week–and please keep the Burkina Faso group in your thoughts as they make their way home on Wednesday, August 27!

Always in Optimism,

Kim 🙂

P.S.  Please use this email list as I have now added in Lanora Heim.  Thanks!

Happy SUMMER, Optimists!  Since Kim is out of state, Dave and I have agreed to take turns with the weekly newsletter.  I’m happy to share some great news!

As Kim mentioned last week that we Optimists have lots to celebrate;

Most of our major fundraisers for the summer are DONE!  We had good member turnout for those projects like the Gyros Stand and the Jefferson County Fair as well as some fun at the Relay for Life, the paver painting parties and our summer social.  Sure seems like there is always SOMETHING happening with our club and members!

Now for some really exciting news:

1) We are pleased to announce that Lenora Heim, the Special Ed/Pupil Services Coordinator for Whitewater’s School District and one of the creators of the Family Emergency Fund that our club supports, has reactivated her membership in our club!  Welcome back, Lenora and we’re so glad to have you with us!

2) Along with Lenora, Joe Lynch, a member of our club since March of last year, and Whitewater H.S. Vice-Principal, will be helping us to plan a Welcome Back Pep Rally for the Whitewater Unified School District faculty and staff.  We will be presenting a brief program to those attending (250 will be invited) to illustrate the partnerships we as an organization have with the District and actively recruit new members from the District.  Our Advertising Intern, Kelly, will be assisting me with some of the details in using an E-Vite and hopefully we will see many new faces in our ranks by the end of Sept.  The event will be announced as soon as final details are arranged but we are counting on several of our members as well as School district Administrative staff to help with a picnic themed event.  Anyone of our members who would like to help should contact me at your earliest convenience.

3)  It is a pleasure to announce the slate of candidates for the 2014-2015

UW-W/Community Optimist Club for the Executive Board;

The following members have agreed to serve in the following positions:

President – Dave Halbach

Co – Vice Presidents – Jim and Carol Miller (Jim will forgo attendance at Board Meetings but will step up to handle meetings in Dave’s absence)

Secretary – Jan Olson

Co-Treasurers – Kate and Ken Ksobiech (Yeah, for our first year members!)

Board Members – Barb Dickens will complete the second year of her term, while Jeanine Fassl and Denise Kaminski will begin serving the first year of their two year terms.  (Thanks to Al Hutchison and Anne Fellows for their service these past two years on the board!)

Past President  –  Kim Adams

There is still no one who has come forward to serve as President Elect, but we still have time to add that name….HINT, HINT!!!  Also, anyone who is interested is serving in any of the above office still has time to put their name on the ballot!  REALLY, we can have an “election” .

4) Lastly, in light of the Annual Installation Banquet we have every year, we are in need of several members to form the planning committee for that event scheduled for Sept. 30, at a place to be announced later.  Please contact Kim, Dave or me if you are interested in helping with that event.

Let’s all keep our travelers to Burkina Faso and Yellowstone in our thoughts and prayers for safe travels and returns.

Don’t forget, we have only one meeting scheduled for August due to the return of students and staff at the end of August.  Please make every attempt to attend our meeting on Aug. 12 from noon to 1 pm in UC 259A.   We will begin looking to next year’s planning so please be part of the conversation at this meeting.

This is going to be a great year for Optimism!

Jeanine Fassl

UWW/Community Optimist Club

Vice-President

Emeriti Faculty

262-473-4906