Bob Burkman’s Prayer
Heavenly Father,
We thank You for blessing our Noon Optimist Club with our new president, Sarah; brave of heart, quick of wit, and, as of last Tuesday, officially in charge of this merry band of Optimists.
Grant her patience in abundance, humor in surplus, and a bell and gavel that are stolen fewer times than the last president’s. When meetings run long, may her smile stay steady. When projects pile high, may her coffee cup never be empty.
Help her to remember that the word “Optimist” is not just in our name, it’s our survival strategy. When volunteers vanish, budgets are stretched or ideas multiply faster than hands raised to do them, remind her that with You, all things are possible.
Bless her with wisdom, laughter and a term so successful that Greg Wasmund, next year’s president, will have big shoes to fill.
In joyful fellowship we say,
Amen
Welcome President Sarah Umbreit
Congratulations and thank you Sarah Umbreit for serving as CNO president from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026.
Announcements
University of Dayton Optimist Club
Kelly Stone announced that the University of Dayton Optimist Club is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The UD students have been active in many CNO events, including Fall Fest, Tri-Star Soccer, Build-a-Bear, the Haunted Trail, and the Christmas Tree Lot. A photo of their club officers, including the President, Secretary, and Treasurer, was shown in the slide deck, which has a link at the bottom.
Haunted Trail
Debe Dockins announced that the Haunted Trail will take place on October 14 and 15 at the Rec Center. Setup begins on Monday. Volunteers are needed to help with refreshments, including cider and donut holes, and a few more people are needed to help set up. She thanked Denise O’Neill, Larry England, and Larry Lynde for all their help. Please sign up using the Member Calendar.
Centerville Wrestling Mats
Matt Goeke said his family is very involved with Centerville Wrestling. He thanked CNO for its donation to purchase new wrestling mats, which were delivered today. The mats will be used soon, and he expressed appreciation on behalf of the wrestling community for the club’s generosity.
Anne Kohls – Get to Know a Member
Sarah Umbreit announced “Get to Know a Member” feature by asking a few questions to Anne Kohls.
- Favorite place visited: Galapagos Islands
- Favorite superhero and why: After some serious thought, Anne said she didn’t have one
- How many languages do you speak besides English: One, French, though she said it has been a while since she learned it in school, and she doesn’t speak it well
Recap of the Installation Dinner and Thank Yous
Sarah Umbreit began her photo recap by thanking everyone who helped make the Officer Installation and Awards Banquet such a memorable evening. She said it was a night filled with laughter, celebration, and a few Mickey Mouse surprises.
Sarah suggested that everyone look through the photos from the article last week about the Installation Dinner, which captured many of these moments.
She first thanked the Social Committee for organizing the event and for adding fun Disney touches throughout the room. Committee members included Beth Duncan, Sue Jessee, Connie Risch, and Deb Saunders.
She also thanked the Centerville High School National Honor Society students who volunteered and earned service hours by serving food during the banquet.
She thanked Gary Smiga for doing an outstanding job as emcee and keeping the evening running smoothly and Erin Dickerson for offering a thoughtful and timely prayer.
Sarah also thanked Evelyn Griffin for capturing the evening in photographs and Greg Griffin for handling the technical setup and running the slide show.
She recognized Tom and Jennifer Kendo for attending the event. Tom became Optimist International President the next day and raised the pennant for Ohio. Jennifer serves as a Director for the Optimist International Foundation.
One of Sarah’s favorite memories from the night was taking the group photo of the new Board of Directors, which she said involved “a lot of laughter while trying to get everyone in place.”
She also noted several special moments from the program:
- Mike Bevis presenting outgoing president Paul Boeckman with a Where’s Waldo hat and glasses
- Tony Daniel receiving the Rookie of the Year Award
- Gary Anderson being recognized by Paul Boeckman for continuing the Mark Twain readings during meetings
- Mike Cordonnier, in full comedic character, delivering his “You might be an Optimist of the Year” jokes before announcing Jeff Umbreit as Optimist of the Year, along with Carol Smerz, who was honored the week prior
- A special thank-you gift to Paul and Ginny Boeckman, a miniature model of a podium complete with the bell and gavel
- The traditional Passing of the Gavel among Past Presidents, ending with Sarah officially receiving it
Sarah closed her thank-yous by recognizing everyone who joined in the spirit of the evening by wearing Disney-themed dresses and outfits, saying, “It made the night even more fun and personal.”
For full details of the evening, please refer to the full article linked here.
“Stealing the Gavel” – CNO Tradition
Sarah plans to help new members understand some of our club’s fun traditions, starting with the “Stealing of the Bell and Gavel.”
She plans to do her best to hold on to them, but it has become a playful game among members to steal the bell and gavel during meetings. There’s nothing serious about it; it’s all in good fun. When the items are “ransomed” back, the money collected goes to the Optimist International Foundation, helping to support youth programs around the world.
Sarah Umbreit’s Quote of the Week
Sarah said that two of her favorite Walt Disney quotes capture how she wants to lead this year:
“Togetherness for me is teamwork.” -Walt Disney
“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” -Walt Disney
She said these remind her that optimism and teamwork make the impossible seem achievable and that the fun of working together is what makes the club special.
Disney Trivia
Which humans first wore Mickey Mouse ears? The answer ties back to October 3, 1955, the launch of the Mickey Mouse Club, where the children wore the signature ears.
New Member Readings and Inductions
- Steve Kelzer, First Reading, Sponsored by Mike Creech
- Kay Scarpino, Second Reading, Sponsored by Carol Smerz
Happy Bucks
- Mike Creech and his wife Sue are celebrating their 47th wedding anniversary.
- Charlie Tapp and his wife Wanda are celebrating their 56th wedding anniversary.
- Julie Walling Noeth and her husband George are celebrating their 11th wedding anniversary.
- Julie Walling Noeth just helped celebrate her mother-in-law’s 97th birthday and her grandson just turned 1.
- Tia Papp shared that her new baby is four months old and already adored by her older sister. Her family just moved into a new home, and her husband started a new job. After enjoying the summer off, she’s been back to work for three weeks and said she’s glad to be back at CNO lunches.
- Jane Fiehrer said her son Evan received a grant to support his band, The Groove Essentials. They’ll perform on October 24, 2025, at The Tank inside The Arcade in downtown Dayton. You can find more by searching for The Groove Essentials Arcade.
- Fred Polizzi took his 13-year-old grandson on a two-week trip to Switzerland this summer. They had a wonderful time, and he’s putting together a photo book from the trip.
- Tom Conroy gave six dollars in honor of becoming a grandfather again. His daughter just gave birth to their sixth grandchild in San Francisco. He said the great looking baby looks just like her granddad.
- Erin Laurito gave five dollars to celebrate with Joan Cordonnier about the Watts Middle School Junior Optimist Club, which reached 25 student members, twice as many as last year.
- Tony Daniel donated five dollars and said he has been a Buffalo Bills fan for 50 years. His neighbors recently gave him a bottle of Pessimist Chardonnay which he was reluctant to drink. The Bills won the week he opened it, but they lost their next game.
- Tom Novak mentioned the continued partnership between the Centerville High School Wrestling Team and Avenue of Flags. The wrestling team manages 17 flag routes, with parent and child teams handling deliveries together.
- Paul Boeckman congratulated Paul Stull for his ongoing dedication and optimism. As the club’s longest-serving member at 55 years, he continues to inspire others with his steady presence and enthusiasm.
- Paul Boeckman joked that it was good to be in line with the regular people at lunch.
- Ellie Parker thanked everyone for being so wonderful and said she’s happy to be part of such a great club.
- Vida McDowell celebrated her tennis team’s win at regionals, earning a trip to Nationals in Scottsdale, Arizona. She donated one dollar for herself and one for Ginny Boeckman, who’s also on the team.
- Michael Horton cheered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield for their latest win. He was also happy about today’s guest, Kevin Lawler, and said he hopes Kevin decides to join the club soon.
Sergeants at Arms Fines – Dave Kay and Denise Green
- The Lucky Wheel (the same wheel)was spun again and that table received candy treats.
- Jerry Stahley used the wrong form of “there” in an email. The sergeants are now the Grammar Police!
- Tia Papp has not attended a CNO meeting for four months. The sergeants don’t count just having a baby as an excuse.
- Steve Mock has not attended a meeting for way too long.
- Bob Duffy was wearing an outrageous shirt obviously failing to impress whoever he was trying to impress. The sergeants are now the Fashion Police too!
- Jane Fiehrer was not available to great her guest Kevin Lawler when he arrived.
- Bill Stone walked into the meeting with arms out ready to give a congratulatory hug to new President Sarah Umbreit while completely ignoring Sergeant Dave Kay who may have teared up as Bill passed him.
- Bob Burkman was not wearing his name badge.
- Sarah Umbreit received the Random Fine of the Week.
- Jean Pummill was chosen by the Wheel of Misfortune.
- The Unlucky Wheel selected table seven. Everyone at the table was fined.
Welcome Guests
| Guest | Guest Of |
| Bill Johnson | Erin Laurito |
| Kevin Lawler | Jane Fiehrer |
| Steve Kelzer | Mike Creech |
Club Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Joined | Years |
| Valorie Huff | October 7, 2004 | 21 |
| Deb Saunders | October 8, 2016 | 9 |
| Rachel Selby | October 8, 2016 | 9 |
| Jesse Gaither | October 8, 2016 | 9 |
| Jim Mogan | October 8, 2016 | 9 |
| Lisa Maciejewski | October 9, 2022 | 3 |
| Jon Wesney | October 9, 2022 | 3 |
Birthdays
| Rachel Selby | October 7 |
| Christy Gariety | October 9 |
| Paula Kalaman | October 9 |
| Lacy Owens | October 10 |
| Dav Bremer | October 11 |
| Steve Campbell | October 11 |
CNO Donations – Since 2013
Click here to see a summary of donations the club has made since 2013
Thank You Notes Received this Week
CLICK HERE to see the Thank You Notes received this week
Links to PowerPoint and Pictures
CLICK HERE to see the PowerPoint Slide Deck from this week’s meeting