UW-Whitewater/Community Optimist Club

All–

Two things:

I meant to say no meeting on Dec. 31, and I forgot to say “Go Warhawks!”  Let’s get another national championship!!

Thanks,

Kim 🙂

Happy Ho, Ho, Ho to You, Optimists!

Our Optimist semester is winding down–but we still have some holiday service to provide.  Here are a few items to note:

*  Collection of toys for kids is today and the wrapping is at the Old Armory (beginning around 5pm).  Please contact Al Hutchison if you can help or if you have any questions.

*  The Mitten Tree presentation will take place at our club meeting tomorrow.  Please bring any contributions of mittens, gloves, hats and scarves at our meeting.  Anne Fellows has lined up school officials to receive the items.

Jeanine will be facilitating our meeting.

*  Denise will be distributing quilt raffle tickets to members who are willing to help sell them.  We have made $124 on the raffle so far (from Breakfast with Santa).  All proceeds will be contributed to the Whitewater Food Pantry. The drawing will take place on February 21 at a Trivia Night sponsored by our club and the Student Optimist Club.  This event has recently been approved by our board and could be a very large fund raiser for us, as well as a fun event to help host in the middle of winter.  Our portion of the monies raised will be donated to the Whitewater Emergency Fund.  The Student Optimists have a good start to the planning, but other assistance will be needed from our members.  More information to come soon.

*  Therese is offering an opportunity to our club to take tickets at two more events in late February and early March for the WIAC track and field and gymnastics championships.  As Therese says, at least we would be inside and warm in helping with these events.  She will have more information at the meeting tomorrow.  She may also have an update on the Academic Decathlon.

*  Please remember that we will not have club meetings on Dec. 24 and Dec. 30.  We will reconvene on Jan. 7.

Thanks, All–and have a happy and safe holiday season!

Kim 🙂

Did you know you can now see when the Club has their meetings on your smartphone. Get the free iOS app Strive from the Apple store at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gostrive/id630833679?mt=8.  The Android version is available from play.google.com. at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.strive.gostrive. Check out all the things you can do with Strive!!

Happy Holidays, Optimists!

Thank you to all who helped with Breakfast with Santa.  We served 650 children and their families/significant persons.   Of that total, 85 of those used the tickets from the Whitewater Food Pantry.  One of my favorite moments was when a little girl went running to her mom saying: “Santa is a really nice guy!”  The last photo was taken at 11:25 am.  Thankfully Santa’s sleigh was just outside Esker to take him over to the Warhawk football game!  And, gratefully, the Warhawks came back to defeat Linfield 28-17.

We invite club members and their families / friends to celebrate some some holiday cheer at our social meeting on Monday, December 9 at the Lakefront Pub (Whitewater Room) from 5:30-7:00 pm.  Anyone who wishes to eat dinner may order off the menu.

This is one last reminder to bring your “Gifts with a Meaning” to this Tuesday’s meeting.  Brenda O’Beirne will facilitate our annual guessing activity at the meeting.  You are also invited to bring small items that the Octagon Club can use to stuff items for adults.  These stockings will be donated to the Whitewater Food Pantry.  Please 2013 Stuff a Stocking Flyer.

On Monday, December 16, the collection of “toys for kids” from various locations and the annual wrapping will take place.  Al Hutchison is coordinating this project.  Please see the 2013 Wrapping Sign Up Sheet from Al, and feel free to contact him via email or at either 920-723-4180 (cell) or 262-473-3038 (home) if you have questions or suggestions.

On Tuesday, December 17, school representatives will be at our meeting to receive all donated mittens, gloves, hats and scarves.  Donations of these items can be brought to the meetings on Dec. 9, 10 and 17.  Please also note that we do not have a meeting on December 24.

Board members, please remember that we have our December Board meeting this Tuesday from 5:30pm-6:30pm in UC 260.

Stay warm . . . and Happy Ho Ho Ho to you!

Kim 🙂

December Greetings, Optimists,

It is the week for preparing for Breakfast with Santa.  We will be stuffing goodie bags at the club meeting today, and decorating at Esker will begin at 12:00pm on Friday.  Our festive event will run from 8:00am – 11:00am on Saturday.

Our Warhawk Football Team continues to have success, so we will indeed need those football ticket takers who signed up for this Saturday, as well.  Kickoff against Linfield will be at 12:00pm.

On Monday, December 9, we will have an Optimist Holiday Social at the Lakefront Pub (in the Whitewater Room), from 5:30pm-7:00om.  We will order off the menu for dinner.  Jeanine and I hope to see several folks there.  Feel free to bring friends and family members.

Dec 10 will feature our “Gifts with a Meaning,” so if you wish, please bring a toy, book or stuffed animal that represents you and one of your interests/hobbies.  For new members, please bring it unwrapped.

Dec. 16 will include our annual wrapping of the gifts for kids in our community.  Please come out to the Armory if you have an hour or two to spare.

Please bring mittens, gloves, hats, and/or scarves to our meeting on Dec. 17 as these items with be presented to school officials for our local children.

Thanks for all the ways you contribute to our December activities.

Kim 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving Week, Optimists!

I am thankful for all of you and the common purpose we have of serving the youth and our community.

I hope to see some of you at our meeting tomorrow.  Kevin Brunner and Brienne Brown, from the Whitewater Community Foundation, will be our guest speakers.

Football ticket taking will continue for our group as our UW-Whitewater Warhawks claimed a victory over St. Norberts on Saturday. We will be hosting Franklin College (of Indiana) this Saturday for a 12:00pm kickoff.  Hopefully the weather will be a touch nicer!!

On Tuesday, Dec. 3 during our 12:00pm meeting, we will be stuffing goodie bags for Breakfast with Santa.  Santa, Mrs. Claus, Frosty and all of their helpers will be on hand on Saturday, Dec. 7 at Esker Hall for the big event.  Breakfast will be served from 8:00am – 11:00am.  Tickets are $1.00 for children and $4.00 for adults.  Many tickets will be available through the Whitewater Food Pantry.

On Monday, December 9, we will have an Optimist Holiday Social at the Lakefront Pub (in the Whitewater Room), from 5:30pm-7:00om.  We will order off the menu for dinner.  Jeanine and I hope to see several folks there.  Feel free to bring friends and family members.

Dec 10 will feature our “Gifts with a Meaning,” so if you wish, please bring a toy, book or stuffed animal that represents you and one of your interests/hobbies.  For new members, please bring it unwrapped.

Speaking of new members, please continue to invite  friends, colleagues, neighbors, etc to our meetings.  It would be great to add some new faces and willing hands to our club’s membership roster.  The board regrettably needed to vote on three resignations from our club at our meeting on Nov. 18.

Lastly–mittens, gloves, scarves and hats are needed for the children in our community.  Anne Fellows will be arranging for school officials to come to our club meeting on Dec. 17 for our annual mitten tree presentation.  Please bring any contributions of these types no later than the 17th.  A tree will be set up outside of our meeting room for the presentation.  Several other trees will be set up throughout the community.

With gratitude,

Kim 🙂

Greetings Optimists,

Tomorrow will be a fun meeting with hosting youths of the month, in addition to guest speaker Amy Edmonds (interim director for UW-W Athletics).

Thank you to Kim Simes for starting a Facebook page for our club!  More updates to come soon.  Dave is also working at getting our events listed through the “Strive” ap so that others in the Whitewater and surrounding communities can see the programs that our club has to offer.

Here are some important activity dates to be aware of:

Guest Speakers at Club Meeting, Kevin Brunner and Brienne Brown (Whitewater Community Foundation)–Nov. 26, 12pm

Stuffing Breakfast with Santa Bags at Club Meeting–Dec. 3

Decorating for Breakfast with Santa at Esker Hall–Dec. 6

Breakfast with Santa at Esker Hall–Dec 7, 8am-11am

“Gifts with a Meaning” at Club Meeting–Dec. 10

Wrapping Gifts at Armory–Dec. 16

Academic Decathlon Judging–January 10

Our board will be meeting tomorrow evening at 5:30pm in UC 260,  We will have some updates to share following our meeting, budget approval, membership recruitment plan, etc.

Thanks–and see you tomorrow.

In Optimism,

Kim 🙂

Thanks for inviting me to present a little bit about social media and it’s implications for our club at today’s club meeting. I’ve added the presentation to our web site as a refresher for those at the meeting as well to help and inform those who couldn’t attend. Enjoy.

Sincerely,

Dave Halbach

Electronic Communications Chair

Online Optimists