14 members and one special guest, Jennifer McKay, Chief Advancement Officer at Whaley Children’s Center gathered at Liberty Family Dining this morning for our weekly 7:30 breakfast. Jennifer (seen in photo above) has been with us before, but she came today for the special purpose of discussing plans for next month’s SummerFest in Flushing. Whaley staff will be working with us on Thursday, June 11, for a Fenech Feud game event at our beverage tent for friendship, frivolity and fundraising. Jen and Cindy discussed publicity flyers to go out, especially to school teachers, regarding the event. Jeff Dennings suggested that our Club should have organized competitive teams (“north vs. south” tables) for it. He also displayed this year’s “Raffle Prize” of a YETI cooler for the Summerfest fundraising. We are looking forward to our collaboration again this year!
President Rich Lewis called for announcements shortly after he called the meeting to (dis)order, at which time:
- Cindy Sullivan showed and discussed the basket of goodies that she had assembled for this weekend’s Michigan District Optimist’s Summit, and Jeff Dennings noted that all members can still register and attend.
- Steve Schlott noted that CANUSA has their annual appreciation dinner on June 4th, to which we have received invitations – some expressed interest in attending this annual enjoyable event. Speak to Rich if you are interested.
- Steve also noted that Karen Gasperosky’s mother passed away at age 101 this past week. (Karen is President of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, one of our favorite projects, and her mother’s information and arrangements can be seen HERE.)
- In addition, Steve celebrated the completion of his 5th radiation treatment and is now finished with the process, which had minimal side-effects!
- Jeff Gauger announced that a Sleep in Heavenly Peace “Build Day” is scheduled at Genesee Career Institute on Friday, June 5. We have several members who would be very helpful and are invited to participate in teaching and coordinating the substantial workforce of volunteers already looking to be at this event.
Fines opened with Steve Schlott proposing one against Joe Cozart for his “Gilligan’s Island obsession” and garish offspring-embarrassing garb. Greg Hilliker was targeted for being “geographically challenged” for not supporting the “Civil War” theme of the contest idea suggested by Jeff Dennings. Mic Goulet fined Cindy Sullivan and Jeff Dennings for wearing their “going steady shirts” (Optimist Club sweatshirts) and was, with John Farah, involved in several mutual fines involving “domination” dynamics, “intimate knowledge”, and the Optimist Creed passage about “the success of others”.
To save discussion of details and change the course of discourse, Prez Rich called for the “50/50 Progressive Pot” drawing, which ended with the “lucky” Steve Schlott drawing the Ace of Spades but leaving the Queen of Diamonds and $1254 on the table.
Until next time, “Promise Yourself…”