UW-Whitewater/Community Optimist Club

Optimists,

As July winds down, I wanted to thank you for all of your fund raising efforts in June and July.  We now have several months to plan and promote our Trivia Night, scheduled for Friday, Feb. 20, 2015.  Please mark your calendars—and assist by spreading the word about saving the date.  This event will be co-sponsored with the Student Optimist Club.  If you would like to be a part of the planning team, please email me.  We need creative planners and plenty of good worker bees!

Please note that we do not have a noon meeting this week, however we do have our summer picnic/potluck on Tuesday evening from 5-8pm.  This gathering will be held at Angie’s and my house—640 Stonefield Lane.  Please see the RSVP list.  If you would still like to attend, please let me know by Monday at 3pm so that we are able to prepare enough meat.  We will provide beverages, along with the meat for our gathering.  Remember the pool, hot tub, backyard and board games will be available for “kids of all ages!”

Finally, a few weeks ago, we inquired about the new sign for our Optimist-sponsored park.  The Park and Rec Dept. was able to install the sign shortly after our inquiry.  Thank you to Mills for taking a photo of our new sign.  See our “Photos” page for Mills picture.

We’ll see some of your soon.  The next Optimist meeting on campus will be Tuesday, August 12 at 12pm in UC 259A.  Remember to bring your own lunch.  There will be more details to come on that meeting by next week.

Jeanine and Kelly are continuing to work on promotions for our club and recruiting our next intern(s).  More to come…

Always with Optimism,

Kim

Optimists,

This will be a short note.

We do not have a meeting this week (July 22), but we do hope to see many of you at the summer picnic that Angie and I will be hosting on Tuesday, July 29 from 5-8 pm.  We will provide the meat and beverages, and we ask those attending to bring a dish to pass.

Thank you to those who have signed up so far.  If your name didn’t make it to the sign up list, please R.S.V.P. to me via email so that we know how to plan.

Thank you to the group who helped to paint the pavers for the orders we took through the “Relay for Life” event.  We had nine orders to fill and we collected another $105 to contribute to the American Cancer Society on behalf of our team.  I attached a few photos from our painting party!

Hope to see many of you next Tuesday!

Enjoy your week,

Kim 🙂

Happy Monday Optimists,

It’s hard to believe that we are at week 40 for our Optimist year!

Another terrific fund raising project took place this past Wednesday–and we had picture perfect weather.  Thank you to Don and Lou Zahn for coordinating our workers–and to all of our helping hands (Optimists, family members, and one UC student volunteer–Elaina) for the Jefferson County Fair!  We’ll look forward to learning how much we raised.

We had a board meeting this past Tuesday.  Here are a few highlights:

*  Our slate of officers is almost complete.  Thank you to those who have agreed to serve–including Dave Halbach as president.  The rest of the slate will be announced soon as we are waiting to hear back from a few individuals.

*  We are recommending to try two meetings per month next year–one noon meeting and one evening meeting.  More discussion will follow at a club meeting.

* We need to review the planning and budgets for larger projects for next year, such as Breakfast with Santa and Trivia Night.  The goal is to ensure we continue to serve needs, have successful projects, allocate appropriate funding, and/or raise budgeted monies.

* Jeanine will facilitate a discussion at the club meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 12 to address various topics like the ones above, as well as how we implement Youth of the Month in the future.  We invite you to attend the noon meeting in UC 259A.  Discussion about a less expensive approach for our installation banquet will also take place.

This week’s meeting will be at noon in UC 259A and will feature Steve Bertagnolli as our guest speaker.  Steve will share an informative presentation about many of the grounds projects on campus that he and his team oversee.

Next Sunday, July 20 from 12pm-6pm at Kim and Angie’s House will be our second paver painting party.  We have some orders to complete from Relay for Life. Please email me to let me know if you would like to participate. Even if you don’t think you are very creative, you are welcome to participate–to share ideas (and to partner up with someone).  We are confident you will have fun.

Finally, this is a reminder that we will have our summer picnic–also at Kim and Angie’s house on Tuesday, July 29 from 5:30pm-8:30pm. Please R.S.V.P. to let me know if you can attend and what you will contribute to the potluck.  We will provide the meat and beverages.  We look forward to having some good fellowship time with you.  The pool and hot tub will be open, and several backyard games will be available.  For those who don’t want to be outside, we  will have some tables with board games set up inside.  Please note that Angie is very hard to beat in “Bananagrams!”  We hope you are able to join in the fun!

Have a good week!

Kim 🙂

Greetings Optimists,

I send a great big Thank you to all who helped with the 4th of July Gyro Stand.  I have learned that $5,800 was taken in on gyro sales over the three days of the festivities.  This is a fantastic number given that the fair was one less day this year.  Kelly has already posted pictures and info on Facebook.  Barb also wanted me to inform the group that  there are four tubs of the gyro sauce for sale to any interested members.  Please contact Duane or Barb if you would like to purchase one.  Thanks, too, to those who were promoting our club at the event.  I understand from Brenda O’Beirne that there were two interested individuals.  I have already sent a follow-up email to them.

This Wednesday (July 9) is the Jefferson County Fair.  I know that Lou has emailed the schedule to all workers.  I am requesting that you check and re-check your availability to assist with any additional hours.  We are very short on help for the 10am-2pm and 2pm-6pm shifts.  Please consider asking family members, friends, and/or colleagues if to help out–even if it is for two hours at a time.  I have several “asks” out there, and will follow up with Don and Lou tomorrow. 

Our next board meeting is tomorrow (July 8) at 5:30pm at Jessica’s.  If you haven’t responded to me yet, please email me to indicate your attendance.  A review of finances, slate of officers for 2014-15, membership recruitment/letter to new teachers, and planning our trivia night for next year will be among our agenda items.

July 15 at 12 noon will be our next on-campus Optimist meeting in UC 259A.  Our guest speaker will be Steve Bertagnolli who will discuss our campus grounds–current and future projects.

We will have another paver painting gathering on Sunday, July 20 from 12pm-6pm at Kim and Angie’s House.  We have some orders to complete from Relay for Life.  Please email me to let me know if you would like to participate. We had a great time at our first session.  It’s a fun fellowship activity for sure!

Thanks–and enjoy your week!

Kim 🙂

Happy 4th of July Week, Optimists!

We have a lot happening these few weeks.  Here are the highlights:

June 28 –thank you to Jan and Kate for chairing our Relay for Life Team.  Thanks, too, for our other Optimists who supported our team by walking and staffing our site.  Don and Lou, Hans and Carla, Carla’s daughter and son, Angie, Kate’s daughters Shelli and Laura, Jim Mc. and I were all involved at different times.  Our intern Kelly also helped to set up our site–which included hauling all of the pavers.  I learned from Jan that our team came in third place with the fund raising, bringing in a total of $3,098!  Way to go team.

This Tuesday (July 1), we will have a meeting to set up and clean the gyro stand at Cravath Lake.  We will also have an informal social meeting and will order food the the crew.  Duane will send out an updated work schedule for the 4th of July festivities this week.  Duane–could you please confirm what time you would like folks to show up?  THANKS!

On Wednesday, July 9, we will be staffing the Jefferson County Fair (for “Kids’ Day).  PLEASE check your calendars to see if you can volunteer for even a few hours.  There are still many open slots and we can’t put all of the pressure on the Zahn family to staff the entire event.  I have reattached the sign up sheet for the fair.

Kelly is doing a great job sending out updates on club activities via Facebook.  She just sent out another update.  Feel free to check it out!

Our next board meeting is Tuesday, July 8 at 5:30pm at Jessica’s.  If you haven’t responded to me yet, please email me to indicate your attendance.

July 15 at 12 noon will be our next on-campus Optimist meeting in UC 259A.  Our guest speaker will be Steve Bertagnolli who will discuss our campus grounds–current and future projects.

We will have another paver painting gathering on Sunday, July 20 from 12pm-6pm at Kim and Angie’s House.  We have some orders to complete from Relay for Life yesterday.  Please email me to let me know if you would like to participate. We had a great time last Sunday.  It’s a fun fellowship activity.

Thank you–and Happy 4th!

Kim 🙂

Greetings Optimists,

This will be a short update as I am out of town this week.

Please note that we do not have a meeting this Tuesday. Our next meeting will be on June 24 from 5:30pm-7:00pm at the Lakefront Pub.

Anyone wishing to join Angie and me with painting pavers for Relay for Life, feel free to stop by (our home) anytime between 10am-6pm on Sunday, June 22 to share your creativity. Lunch will be provided, as will the pavers, paints and brushes for our project.

We still need fundraising and walkers for our club’s Relay for Life team on Saturday, June 28. Kelly Holck will be assisting with putting our list of volunteers together.

On Tuesday, July 1, we will also have an evening meeting at Cravath Lake at the Gyro Stand–while we clean up the trailer and get it ready for the 4th of July activities. Please plan on 5:00pm for this gathering. We will be ordering sub sandwiches this evening. More info to come next week. Duane will also send a updated Gyro Stand sign up sheet. Helpers are still needed for the three-day event.

Finally, please see the attached Jefferson County Fair Sign Up 2014. Don and Lou are also seeking additional helpers for the afternoon and evening shifts. PLEASE check your calendars and let them know if you are able to cover a shift. We will take help of club members, family members and friends of our club. It is important that we fill the time slots.

Thanks–and have a great week,

Kim 🙂

Happy June, Optimists,

This is a friendly reminder that we are now on our summer schedule and we do not have a meeting this week.  That being said, we do have one addition to our summer schedule–an evening meeting at Cravath Lake on Tuesday, July 1 to help prepare the Gyro Stand.  We will have some food on hand and will give some club updates as we enjoy each other’s company in gearing up for our largest fund raiser of the year.  A big thank you to all those who have already signed up to work the Gyro Stand–and especially to some new folks that are getting connected with our club–Kelly Holck, Anna Bahr, and Kelly Strait (all copied on this email).

We do have the Fishing Derby this coming Saturday.  Jeanine will be sharing a flyer that Kelly (our intern) designed for the event.  Thank you to Rick, Mike and Al–as well as the student members of the UW-W Fishing Club who have joined forces to help coordinate this fun event for kids of all ages.  Any helpers who are able to to head to the lakefront, please come down between 8:00am and 8:30am to help set up for the event.

Thank you to all of the helpers (Frank, Don, Hans, Carla, Joyce, Jeanine, Angie, Kate, Shelly–Kate’s daughter, and Kim A.) for highway clean up this past Thursday.  We had a beautiful day, a strong workforce, tall blooming weeds, and many bags of trash collected.  See the attached photos!  I have left a message for the Rock County Adopt-A-Highway coordinator indicating that we have several bags of debris collected and on the sides of the highway.  We can celebrate a lovely stretch of clean highway on 59!

Also attached is a brief request from Kelly related to promoting our club.  Please help share our events via social media.  You will also find updates on our club activities more frequently on the Whitewater Banner.  Kelly will be submitting stories and photos on a regular basis.

Jeanine and Angie will be making contacts very soon related to our slate of officers.  It is a great privilege to serve this organization–and it’s fun to do when there is a good working team of officers and board members. Please consider what your role could be for the next Optimist year.

Lastly, please join the UW-Whitewater Student Optimist Club on June 11 from 5-8pm at a Culver’s Night in Whitewater.  This is a fund raiser for shipping the ambulance to Burkina Faso.  The ambulance, Hassimi and some of the travelers will be on hand to visit with folks, take pictures of groups by the ambulance, and gladly accept any other donations.  This is the night before Hassimi and Scott Sippel drive the ambulance to Baltimore to be shipped to Burkina Faso.

With gratitude,

Kim 🙂

Happy Memorial Day, Optimists,

I have just a few short reminders for this week:

* Tomorrow’s noon meeting will feature Dick and Maggie Winz on the Ten Chimneys of Genesee Depot. It will also be our last Youth of the Month of the season, as well as our last catered meal until fall. We will meet in UC 259A.

* This Thursday, we will meet at the UC loading dock at 4:45pm to caravan to our highway cleanup project. For those joining us in progress, please find us on our Optimist stretch of highway. We will have gloves, vests and bags ready for the project. Remember to wear proper shoes. I think the following members have said yes to helping with the clean up. If I have you on the list, but you are unable to help out–just let me know. I was partially working from memory–which hasn’t been the best as of late. Helpers: Hans, Carla, Angie, Joyce, Al, Jan, Kate, Don, Rick, Jeanine, and Kim.

* You will note that I am now copying our new student intern (Kelly) on our emails, as well as another student (Anna) who came to our evening meeting last week. Anna is interested in helping with some of our projects in the coming months. Thanks, Anna! Kelly has some great ideas in how to help promote our club and will be working with Jeanine and me to finalize and implement our plan. Thanks, Kelly!

* Thank you to Jeanine and Angie who will be putting a slate of officers together for the 2014-15 Optimist year. If you are contacted, I ask you to give their request thoughtful consideration. If you are not contacted and would like to serve as an officer or on the board, please reach out to Jeanine, Angie or me. THANK YOU!!

Enjoy the rest of this holiday weekend!

In Optimism,

Kim 🙂