January 30, 2006

The Optimist Bell rang loud and clear at 12:15 PM. President Rick McKernan called our group to order. The Invocation was offered today by VP Bo Bossaller, and the honor of leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance was given to Charlie Langreder. 

Our first day of "shuffled" seating came off without any severe injuries either to members or to the president who dreamed this up. Four more weeks to get the prize-winning poker hand!

GUESTS 
Our club was honored today by the presence of a number of guests. New member Susie Naeger brought repeat guest Diana Duncan from the Boone County 4-H Program and Meredith Imler, manager of BCNB's Rock Bridge branch. Dr. Dick Todd was also a repeat visitor this week. Sid Sullivan brought his wife Joan Sullivan, Brian Phifer brought his wife Doris Phifer, and Dottie Stoerker-Peters brought her husband E.J. Peters. Also with us today was our old friend (and past member) Leigh Nutter from the City of Columbia Volunteer Office. 

MYSTERY PERSON 
Ellis Havard was the Mystery Person this week, and he awarded the free lunch next week to Tom Morerro for his ready willingness to help out and fill in at a moment's notice during our Christmas Tree sales. Anyone who has ever served as a weekly lot captain knows exactly how valuable such a person is to our club.

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES 
Dottie Stoerker-Peters announced three birthdays for this week: 
Brent Sappington on February 1st, and both Dennis Funk and Kevin Roberson on February 4th. Easy on the cake and ice cream!

TAIL TWISTER:
Tail Twister Steve Henderson wrangled $.25 from the president this week for lack of continuity for skipping our weekly salute of "I Feel Go-o-oo-o-d!" Steve, with assistance from Susie Naeger, also performed a symbolic and meaningful illustration with a $100 bill, which, after bending, folding, and mutilating was none-the-less still valued at $100. Sometimes in life we also suffer bending, folding, mutilating, getting wrinkled and stamped on, and we sometimes forget that we too retain every bit of the worth of our own intrinsic value. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 
The Oratorical Contest is coming up on February 18th at the DOC Clubhouse. Anyone under age 16 as of 12/31/05 is eligible to enter. Contact Meredith Donaldson for more details.
We will need about five volunteers to help sometime in mid to late March to help distribute City of Columbia excess computers to needy families living in Columbia with kids in the Columbia school system. Please contact Rick for details and to volunteer. We will be partnering with the City of Columbia and the Voluntary Action Center to deliver about 35 late model computers. 
The next East Missouri District Meeting will be in St. Louis on February 11th. We have five people registered so far. Contact secretary Mike Hatchett if you would like to attend.
The 4th Annual Chili Cook Off will be held at the clubhouse on Wednesday, February 22nd. Last year Chef Extraordinaire Steve Henderson captured the top honors for the second straight year, besting eleven of his fellow Optimist competitors. Anyone willing to challenge our reigning champion should contact Jess Weaver.
Some of you may not know that Jake Jolley's sister Mary Jolley is quite ill and is on the list to receive a double lung transplant. Costs for this type of operation run into the 100's of thousands of dollars. There will be a trivia night fundraiser in St. Louis on February 17th to help raise money for her surgery. Contact Rick for more details.

PROGRAM 
We were honored today to host Columbia's new city manager Bill Watkins as our guest speaker. Bill has a long history with our city, ranging back to his college days, then back again years later to serve with REDI and then for many years as our assistant city manager. In the interim he served as city manager at cities in Illinois and in Ohio.

Among the many challenges already on his plate are the issues of roads, city growth, electricity, and sanitary sewage. Highlighting the many areas of joint cooperation between the city and the county is also an important priority. In an effort to involve the community in our governmental processes, there will be a city planning retreat to be held here in town at the Health Department on February 18th. Interested citizens are invited to attend.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS
February 6th - Columbia Realtor Richard Mendenhall

The meeting adjourned at 1:00 pm with the Optimist Creed. 

January 23, 2006

President Rick McKernan rang the Optimist Bell at 12:15 PM to began the meeting. Statistical evidence proves that it's impossible to shout “I feel goo-o-o-oo-ood!” without breaking out into a smile. Our Invocation today was led by Jay Ketchie. Presenting the Pledge of Allegiance in grand style was Luke Chase. 

GUESTS 
Joining us Monday were Scott Spasnick, regional representative for Mercy Health Plans, guest of Rick McKernan, and Zach Boots and Steve Tatlow, guests of a man who looked suspiciously like Chuck Boots.

MYSTERY PERSON 
The difficult role of Mystery Person was successfully played by Mike Hatchett this week. After much soul searching, Mike selected Connie Howe because he perennially bears a happy smile and greeting for all. Congrats, Connie - lunch on the house next week! 

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES 
Although our reporter was under the weather this week, rumor has it that some birthdays happen this week: new member Brandon Beddoe on the 24th, Greg Schneider on the 27th, and Steve Baumgartner on the 29th. Careful with all the candles!

TAIL TWISTER:
Tail Twister Steve Henderson was absent, but we nevertheless noted that two members are in debt to the pig for $.25 each for getting their names promenently displayed in the papers: Suzie Naeger for her recent promotion with Boone County National Bank, and Lorenzo Lawson for the article on his ministry in our community.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 
Don't forget the Oratorical Contest coming up on February 18th at the DOC Clubhouse. Anyone under age 16 as of 12/31/05 is eligible to enter. Contact Meredith Donaldson for more details.

*DOC Board approved the following actions at the regular meeting last week: $1000 to help support the Hickman Review, and $500 to Mrs. J's African American Centered Family Institute to help fund a field trip to Washington, DC.

*Our club will be partnering with the City of Columbia and the Voluntary Action Center to deliver about 35 late model computers to families with young students in the public schools. We will need about five volunteers to help sometime in mid to late March. Please contact Rick for details and to volunteer.

*The next East Missouri District Meeting will be in St. Louis on February 11th. We have five people registered so far. Contact secretary Mike Hatchett if you would like to attend.

PROGRAM 
Introducing Monday's program was Kerry Bramon, who has had years of practice striking a judge in court - the handball court. Kerry introduced fellow handball player and 13th Circuit Court Judge Gary Oxenhandler. Club members enjoyed learning about some of the day-to-day workings of our judicial system, and some of the challenges our system faces.

Don't forget your hand of poker starts next week as you record your card to compete for a dinner for two. And remember...the card for any guest you bring gets added into your hand for determining the best poker hand. At last, your chance to legally have 5 Aces. Bring those guests and increase your chances to win!

UPCOMING PROGRAMS
January 30th - New Columbia City Manager Bill Watkins

The meeting adjourned at 1:00 pm with the Optimist Creed. 

January 16th Meeting

President Rick McKernan rang the Optimist Bell at 12:20 PM and began the meeting with a training course in the proper presentation and execution of the phrase “I feel goo-o-o-oo-ood!” Connie Howe provided the Invocation and Ed Harre led the Pledge of Allegiance. The Martin Luther King holiday resulted in a lighter than average attendance, which meant extra deserts for everyone!. 

GUESTS 
We were pleased and honored to welcome the following as our guests Monday: Bill Plank, branch manager of River Region Credit Union (who came for the last time as a guest, since he presented his application to join), guest of John Sanders; MU Senior Austin DeBoe, intern at Friends of Rock Bridge State Park, guest of Meredith Donaldson; and Paul "P.C." Clark, realtor and guest of Jim Yankee. Welcome all - please feel welcome to come visit us again.

GREETER
Today's greeter was new member Jim Yankee. Jim says he is the "chief cook and bottle washer" for his new mortgage business, Flat Branch Mortgage Company, located downtown in the heart of Columbia. If you're looking to refinance that mortgage, give Jim a call, he'd be happy to help you.

MYSTERY PERSON 
Jess Weaver was the Man of Mystery today. Jess honored Ellis Havard for his dedication and hard work on behalf of the club with a free lunch next week. Congratulations, Ellis, and thanks! 

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES 
One Happy Birthday wish was sent out this week to Pat Kelley, whose birthday was on the 19th. Everyone be sure and let Pat know she missed out on the standard $100 birthday gift from the Downtown Optimists by missing lunch Monday...

TAIL TWISTER:
Tail Twister Steve Henderson brought smiles to our faces this week, and also managed to increase the pig's coffers significantly by collecting not one but two $.25 fines from John Sanders, first for not wearing his name badge, and second, for misappropriation of another member's badge (Steve's). It sounded suspiciously to me like a case of... well...."badge....ering" one of our fellow Optimists....

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 
The Oratorical Contest is coming up on February 18th at the DOC Clubhouse. Help spread the word to let prospective entrants know. Anyone under age 16 as of 12/31/05 is eligible to enter. Contact Meredith Donaldson for more details.
DOC Board Meeting for January will be Thursday, January 19th at 7:00 pm at the clubhouse.
The next East Missouri District Meeting will be in St. Louis on February 11th. The club will pay for a limited number of registration fees. Contact secretary Mike Hatchett if you would like to attend.

PROGRAM 
Monday's program, Rev. Caroles Taylor, was AWOL, due in part to miscommunication with the college's Campus Security, who told him everything at the college was closed for the holiday as he was headed to our meeting. We'll reschedule Caroles for a future date.

Brian Hudspeth shared a couple of personal stories of how helping young people had reaped the feelings of satisfaction and thanks for events many moons removed in the past. Never forget that the good you do for others today will bear its fruit someday in the future.

Finding a seat for lunch next week will be a real "gamble." One of the greatest strengths...yet one of our club's greatest obstacles...is the friendship and camaraderie we have developed with fellow members over time. We find ourselves enjoying the fellowship and sitting with the same people each week. Starting next week, we are going to experiment with drawing a card to determine at which table you will sit. At the same time, we will record which card you drew, and then at the end of 5 weeks, whoever has the best poker hand will win a dinner. This will also give some of our newer members a chance to share some of our club's rich and valuable heritage of long-time members. And besides, for most of us, this is about as close to being "card-ed" as we are likely to get. Enjoy!

Rick McKernan ended the meeting at 1:00 pm with the creed. 

UPCOMING PROGRAMS
January 23rd - Judge Gary Oxenhandler, 13th Circuit Court Judge
January 30th - New Columbia City Manager Bill Watkins

January 9, 2006

President Rick McKernan rang the Optimist Bell at 12:15 PM and kicked the meeting off with members responding “I feel goo-o-o-oo-ood!” Dotty Storker-Peters gave the Invocation and Valerie Goodin led the Pledge of Allegiance. We had nearly a full house with almost 70 folks joining us to kick off the new year. 

GUESTS 
The Downtown Optimist Club was pleased to welcome a number of guests to start off the new year: Stella Johnson, Mrs. J's After School Program, guest of Lorenzo Lawson; Dr. Denny Donnell, professor at University of Missouri, guest of Connie Howe; Bill Plank, branch manager of River Region Credit Union, guest of John Sanders; Harry Tyrer, professor at University of Missouri, guest of Tom Marrero; Kelly Mescher, attorney for University of Missouri, guest of Buck Rikli; Doris Phifer, wife and guest of Brian Phifer; Gene Speichinger and Willi Boyd, guests of Bob Merriman; Brenda Righter and Laura Cagle, guests and co-workers of Mark Stevenson; Kelley Zynda, Activities Director of Boone Landing, John Fabsits, Boy Scouts of America District Executive, Connie Todd (University of Missouri) and Dick Todd (Psychologist), and Scott Charton, director of MU University Relations, guests of Rick McKernan. We also welcome Terry Ganey from the Columbia Daily Tribune. Welcome all, and we hope to see you again in the near future!

MYSTERY PERSON 
Rick Guilford was our Mystery Person today. Rick awarded today's free dinner to Dottie Storker-Peters for providing such an inspirational invocation. 

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES 
One Happy Birthday wish was sent out this week to Carl Scott, whose birthday was on the 10th.

TAIL TWISTER:
Our Tail Twister Steve Henderson was absent this week, which could account for the thunder of applause he received.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 
**Jess Weaver had a few cans of KOEZE nuts remaining for sale to members, which promptly disappeared in sales to club members.

**Our Oratorical Contest is coming up in the near future on February 18th at the DOC Clubhouse. Spread the word to let prospective entrants know. Anyone under age 16 as of 12/31/05 is eligible to enter. Contact Meredith Donaldson for more details.

PROGRAM 
Highlighting our program today was Dr. Elson Floyd, president of the University of Missouri System, valiantly introduced by Valerie Goodin. Dr. Floyd stressed the university's commitment to accessibility, affordability, and accountability. Today, the university's overall budget is in excess of $2 Billion dollars, and it ranks as Missouri's 21st largest employer.

Rick McKernan ended the meeting at 1:00 pm with the creed.