Happy Sunday, Optimists,
Thank you to all Club members, Student Optimists, Kayla (our intern), and other community volunteers who helped to facilitate our Annual Optimist Easter Egg Hunt yesterday at the Middle School. A special thank you to Connie Murray for chairing the event and to her stepson for serving as our Easter Bunny. We had beautiful weather, a record turn out, and three news photographers there to cover the event. Watch for a story on the Whitewater Banner and in local papers. In the meantime, enjoy the group photo I have attached.
We do not have a Club meeting this week. Rather, we have a Board Meeting on Tuesday, April 11 at 12pm in UC 268. I will send an agenda by tomorrow evening. Please let me know if you can not participate (in person or via phone). Right now, I know of only one member who can not be there.
Angie and I are starting to work on the slate of officers for next year. Thank you to those who have said YES so far and to those who are considering a position on the Board!
In addition, thank you to those who contributed to the Birthday Box Project for the Whitewater Food Pantry. If anyone is interested in helping to stuff and label the boxes, we will be working with the Service Learning and Leadership students tomorrow from 8:30am – 10:00am in UC 259A&B. Many hands make light work–so please know we would gladly take any member’s assistance.
Another volunteer opportunity for Community Optimists, Student Optimists and Service Learning students will be to help with landscaping work sessions at Lakeview Elementary on April 25 and April 27, May 2 and May 4 from 4pm to 8pm. More information to come soon. In the meantime, feel free to contact Angie or me if you are interested in helping.
Our meeting schedule for the next few weeks is as follows:
Tuesday, April 11–Board Meeting, UC 268
Tuesday, April 18–Cub Meeting, 12pm, UC 259A (Guest Speaker: Courtney Nelson, Discover Whitewater; Youth of the Month)
Wednesday, April 25–Club Meeting, 5pm, Jessica’s Restaurant (Guest Speakers: Anne and Kayla on their work as Optimist Interns)
Tuesday, May 2–Club Meeting, 12pm, UC 259A (Induction of New Members; Guest Speaker TBD)
Angie and I will share key points from our Board meeting within the next week. There are a few important decisions that the Board will need to make this week.
Lastly, please note that our Club is the featured business for the Whitewater Chamber this week. Check out the Chamber’s web site for more details! They promoted our Easter Egg Hunt and offered to feature several Club photos.
Thank you for your commitment to being Optimists, and as always–“Just keep smiling!”
Kim and Angie 🙂
Good Evening, Optimists,
Well…April Showers bring May Flowers! And…so far the weather looks to be good for the Easter Egg Hunt this Saturday, April 8. Please let Connie know if you would like to help out with our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Set up will begin at 10am, the hunt will start at 11am (complete with the Easter Bunny and McGruff), and all goodie bags will be handed out by 12:00pm!
Speaking of goodie bags, we will be stuffing 200(ish) bags on Tuesday April 4 at our noon meeting in UC 259A. Mike Flanagan will also be our guest speaker at this meeting.
There will not be a Club meeting on April 11. Instead, the Board will meet in UC 268. We have many topics to address at this meeting. Board members, please let Kim know if you can not attend.
Therese has indicated that the NCAA Division III Regional Baseball Tournament will be hosted by UW-Whitewater and that they are hoping the Optimist Club would be willing to take tickets. This would be an additional fund raising project for our club, in addition to being a nice service for us to offer. The dates of the tournament are May 17-21, and the hours look to be from 10am – 7pm on most of the days. We will need three members per shift. We will start a sign up sheet on this project very soon. By the way, Happy Opening Day tomorrow!
We are still collecting items for the Birthday Box Project for the Whitewater Food Pantry. If you are interested in contributing items, please drop them off to Kim’s Office by 8:30am on Monday, April 10. Members are also invited to help with the wrapping and stuffing part of the project on April 10 from 8:30am – 10:00am in UC 259A & B. The items will be delivered to the Pantry immediately following this wrapping session.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 3 for the Optimist Fishing Derby. Thank you to Al Hutchison for leading this project. The event will likely take place at Trippe Lake Park. A flyer and other promos are being designed by our interns.
That’s it for now. Have a great week–and “just keep smiling!”
Kim 🙂
Greetings, Optimists,
We hope you have had a relaxing spring break.
Here are a few tidbits related to upcoming Optimist activities:
1) We have a noon meeting this week (March 28). We will be featuring three “Youths of the Month!” We will also have a guest speaker–to be announced!
2) On Tuesday, April 4, we will stuff goodie bags for the Easter Egg Hunt, as well as host guest speaker Mike Flanagan, from the Crossman Art Gallery. Our meeting will be in our usual location–UC 259A.
3 Our Easter Egg Hunt will be Saturday, April 8, starting at 11:00am and set up begin an hour or so before the Easter Bunny arrives. Thank you to Connie for organizing this event. Sign up info will be coming out very soon!
4) The Board will meet on Tuesday, April 11 in UC 268. There will not be a Club meeting on that day. We have many topics to address at this meeting. Board members, please let Kim know if you can not attend.
5) Therese has indicated that the NCAA Division III Regional Baseball Tournament will be hosted by UW-Whitewater and that they are hoping the Optimist Club would be willing to take tickets. This would be an additional fund raising project for our club, in addition to being a nice service for us to offer. The dates of the tournament are May17-21, and times are yet to be determined. We will start a sign up sheet on this project very soon, as well.
6) Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 3 for the Optimist Fishing Derby. Thank you to Al Hutchison for leading this project. The event will likely take place at Tripp Lake. A flyer and other promos are being signed by our interns.
That’s it for now. Enjoy the rest of your day–and “just keep smiling!”
Kim 🙂
Enjoy these pictures from the 2016 Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by our Club. The event was held at the Whitewater Middle School.
Greetings Optimists,
Our next general member meeting will be tomorrow night, March 29, at 5:00 PM, Jessica’s Restaurant. I’m still searching for a speaker. Otherwise we’ll discuss the Easter Egg Hunt and City-wide Rummage Sale.
Easter Egg Hunt update. Many, many thanks to Kim Adams, Connie Murray, Rick Fassl, Jeanine Fassl, Jan Olson, Susan Hiscox, Lanora Heim, Jenny Musilek, Michele Filip, Josh Tepps, Linda Kinson, Hans Hahn, Carla Cheek, and Angie Alesci (and any others I’ve missed) for quickly putting together last Saturday’s Easter Egg Hunt!!!
City-wide Rummage Sale. We are in need of a co-chair/co-leader for this event. Michele Filip has volunteered to co-chair/co-lead. Would we do this Saturday May 14 or 21? Therese Kennedy has already received a call wondering when the event would be. Please let me know ASAP if you’re willing to co-chair/co-lead this event.
A Call for 2016-17 Club Officers. It’s time to begin planning for the slate of officers for 2016-17. What would YOU like to do next year to contribute? How about an Exec Board position? Perhaps one that you’ve not held in the past? Please begin thinking about volunteering to be an officer for 2016-17. “Many hands make light work.”
The February Exec Board Minutes were approved at the last Exec Board meeting. I’ve posted them on the web site for your reading.
Dates for upcoming club meetings and events include:
That’s all for tonight.
Share the Optimism,
Dave Halbach
UW-Whitewater/Community Optimist Club
920-650-6089 or 262-472-5749
Greetings Optimists,
After hiding in Phoenix, AZ, last week for a conference, I have been forced back to reality this week.
No general member meeting this week. Instead, the Exec Board will meet on Tuesday, March 8 at 12 Noon, in the University Center, room 268. If you have any topics for the Exec Board to consider tomorrow, please contact me so I can include the item/topic on the agenda.
Easter Egg Hunt update. We are in need of a chair/leader for this event! The Whitewater Middle School is reserved for the Easter Egg hunt on Saturday, March 26. We still need to order items for the “goody bags” and Connie Murray has information she can share regarding what has been ordered in the past. Also, Rev. Wendt in interested in coming and saying a few words.
For our new members, here is a basic description of the event from last year. “The event is scheduled to take place at 11 am at The Whitewater Middle School grounds, 401 S. Elizabeth Street, weather permitting. Inclement weather will move the event into the WMS building, so the event will be held rain or shine on April 4th. There will be a short invocation, with the arrival of the Easter Bunny and McGruff the Crime Dog aboard a Whitewater Fire Dept. truck before the signal to start the hunt is given. Children through 5th grade are welcome and will be grouped as follows: Ages 2 years and under; Ages 3 & 4; Kindergarten & grade 1; grades 2 & 3 and grades 4 & 5. Children are encouraged to bring a basket or bag to collect the eggs. The plastic eggs they find will be returned in exchange for a small bag of treats. Several “special” eggs will earn the finder a special basket of treats.”
City-wide Rummage Sale. Another event in need of a chair/leader. Would we do this Saturday May 14 or 21? Therese Kennedy has already a call wondering when the event would be.
For our new members, here is a basic description of the event from last year. “The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater/Community Optimist Club, in cooperation with the Whitewater Chamber of Commerce, will be hosting a City-Wide Rummage Sale on Saturday, May 16, 2015. Registrations are now being accepted. All proceeds from this event help fund activities to support youth programs throughout the year. Last year saw over 60 families benefit by having their rummage sale on the same day. More sales draw more people and that means more items you don’t have to store anymore!
The cost to participants will be $10 per household, which guarantees each seller a spot on the master rummage sale locator list, a sign for their yard, and a brief, 10-word description of the most attractive items available for sale. This is a community service project offered by the UW-W/Community Optimist Club and we appreciate persons registering with us as the very reasonable registration fee gives them better publicity at a cost savings over running a separate ad. Funds raised cover the costs for the project and any money in excess of costs goes to fund other youth service projects throughout the year.”
2016-17 Club Officers. It’s time to begin thinking and planning for the slate of officers for 2016-17. What would YOU like to do next year to contribute? How about an Exec Board position? Perhaps one that you’ve not held in the past? Please begin thinking about volunteering to be an officer for 2016-17. “Many hands make light work.”
Dates for upcoming club meetings and events include:
That’s all for tonight.
Share the Optimism,
Dave Halbach
UW-Whitewater/Community Optimist Club
920-650-6089 or 262-472-5749
Greetings Optimists,
Have you checked the SWIS District web site lately?
A “shout-out” to club member Jim McLernon!!! Jim organized a “Super Bowl Squares” event for “The Big Game” this past February 7 and was able to make a $100 donation to the club at our Tuesday, February 16 meeting. Thanks Jim!!
Easter Egg Hunt update. Easter will be Sunday, March 27, 2016. Information from the School District indicates that the Middle School is available for the Easter Egg hunt on Saturday, March 26. The building is already in use Saturday, March 19. Finally, who would be willing to chair/lead the event and who can help with the event?
Wow!!! What a great time this past Friday night at the 3rd Annual Trivia Night. 28 teams from the campus, community, and surrounding area. 22 children who participated in the children’s activities, supervised by many of the UWW Student Optimists, while Mom and Dad participated in the trivia competition. Wonderful silent auction and “bucket raffle” items.
There are many “Thanks Yous” to be shared but they need to start with Kim Adams, Jan Olson, and Lanora Heim. To Jeanine Fassl for leading much of the publicity. Thanks also to Ken & Kate Ksobiech for all their efforts managing the money received before and during the event. Thanks to Angie Alesci and Betsy Brandt for managing the Silent Auction. Thanks to Dr. Tom Drucker for writing the 80 trivia questions used for this year’s event. Thanks to the UW-W Student Optimist Club for providing so much labor.
We also had a good balance of Student Optimists, Community Optimists and other helpful volunteers at the event. The winning team was “Desire 2 Learn Y’all Some Trivia” with Corey Davis, Kelly Davis, Josh Kapfer, Jen Kapfer, Kerry Katovich, Nadine Kriska, Chris Calvert-Minor, Deilee Calvert-Minor, and Mark McGuire. Once again Kim Simes and her team are to be complimented for their many creative answers to some of the difficult questions. Some of their answers were even correct! Kim and I have been communicating with Tom Ganser who is working on an article for the Daily Jefferson Union paper with highlights of the night. Those of you who receive that paper, watch for an upcoming article about the night.
Overall, a great success with preliminary gross income of slightly over $10,000. In addition to the food pantry money raised, 388 food items were collected –a great gift to share with the pantry in the coming week.
Well done everyone, well done!
This week’s meeting will be Tuesday evening, February 23 at 5pm at Jessica’s Restaurant.
Dates for upcoming club meetings and events include:
That’s all for tonight.
Share the Optimism,
Dave Halbach
UW-Whitewater/Community Optimist Club
920-650-6089 or 262-472-5749