Erin Dickerson’s Prayer
Lord our God,
As we grow closer to Thanksgiving, help us to look upon the changes in our seasons with gratitude. When we look out in the evening and see the dark, help us to be grateful for time to rest. When we walk outside and hear the crunching of the leaves under our feet, help us to be grateful for our time here on earth no matter the length. When we see our breath in the cold air, help us to be grateful for the life you have breathed into us. You made each of us in your image. May we be grateful for our uniqueness and rejoice in the amazing things we can accomplish when we witness life through a lens of gratitude.
Amen.
Get to Know a Member – Dan Passidomo
President Sarah Umbreit interviewed Dan Passidomo.
- What is your favorite part working at the Christmas Tree Lot? Dan said he enjoys interacting with customers the most. He especially likes handing out candy canes and watching families enjoy the tradition.
- Would you pick pizza or fancy restaurant? He chose pizza.
- Who was your role model growing up? He shared that his father was his role model.
Dan Passidimo joined CNO on April 25, 2007, and was sponsored by Stan Fronzaglia.
Ohio District Conference in Dublin Ohio
Sarah Umbreit said that about ten CNO members attended the district conference in Dublin Ohio this past Saturday. She said it was a great way to learn about Optimist International, the changes that are happening, what they want clubs in the district to do, and to meet people from other clubs to learn what they are doing.
Sarah also said the club got recognized for the Dime-a-Day 365 Patch, which means at least $365 was raised last year by our club for the Optimist International Foundation.
Optimist International Foundation
Bill Stone, the CNO representative for the Optimist International Foundation (OIF), discussed the OIF which is about “Helping Optimists Help Kids.” It is our charity, separate from our member dues.
Member dues go to Optimist International for insurance and organizational needs, but Foundation donations directly support programs for clubs and youth.
You can donate online using oifoundation.org.
Bill had a longer and more detail presentation on April 2, 2024 and you can read it here.
He highlighted several things the Foundation accomplished last year:
- $61,000 awarded through the Childhood Health and Wellness Program.
- $160,000 supporting the Junior Optimist International (JOI) program, including funding conferences that our strong JOI Club benefits from.
- $355,000 facilitated through the Pass-Through Program, where clubs can raise tax-deductible donations for big projects.
- $110,000 paid out in endowments for community projects and scholarships.
- Funding for the OI World Oratorical Championships, covering U.S. and international regional winners plus 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards (over $55,000).
- Ongoing financial support for Oratorical, Essay, CCDHH, and OI Junior Golf programs.
He also noted that the Ohio District was #2 in all of OI, giving over $50,000 last year.
Bill encouraged members to donate even small amounts and reminded everyone about Dime-a-Day ($36.50) and President’s Club ($250) giving levels. There is a small amount of paperwork to be part of the President’s Club and if you want help Bill is more than willing.
Announcements
Wreath Unloading Volunteers Needed
Mike Creech announced that he and Evelyn Griffin need 4–5 people to help unload and mark wreaths on Wednesday, November 26 at 11:00 AM at the tree lot.
Practical Uses for AI – CNO 2.0 Meeting on November 20
Diane Arehart asked if you ever had to key in a bunch of handwritten pages? This is another reason to attend the CNO 2.0 meeting on November 20 at 5:30 p.m. at Heavier Than Air Brewing Company. Patrick Arehart will present “Practical Uses for AI,” an overview of how Artificial Intelligence can be used in everyday work and personal projects, including how anyone can start using AI right now.
Annual CNO Holiday Dinner – December 9, 2025
Sarah Umbreit announced that the CNO Holiday Party will be held on December 9, 2025, at Sycamore Creek Country Club. There will be no lunch meeting that day. Please sign up through the Member Calendar. The last day to sign up is November 25, 2025.
Top Optimist Poinsettia Sale
Craig Dring announced that all the Poinsettias from the Top Optimist Poinsettia Sale have been sold. Thank you to everyone who purchased them.
St. Leonard and South Community Adopt-a-Family Drive
Carol Smerz announced that she will be collecting donations of hats, gloves, socks, and money at next week’s meeting to support South Community Behavioral Health in partnership with St. Leonard’s Adopt-a-Family program.
Adopt-a-Family Program
Chris Gariety announced that all of the children in the Adopt-a-Family program have been adopted. She said the program is also accepting extra money for food for these families, as a greater need is expected this year.
Tree Lot Trivia Contest – TREEvial Pursuit!
Karl Frydryk wrote and delivered a fun TREEvial Pursuit contest for our meeting. Bob Myers randomly selected tables to give their answers, and prizes were awarded for the most creative and least creative responses as judged by Mike Creech. How those judgments were made remains a mystery.
Greg Griffin designed and assembled the TREEvial Pursuit slide deck that was used for the presentation.
The quiz gave us a lighthearted way to review helpful facts about our annual Christmas Tree Lot fundraiser.
Check out the meeting slide deck to see formatted slides.
1. What year was the tree lot started?
Clue: 15 years after the last episode of the Original Mickey Mouse Club
Answer: 1974
2. Laying the trees end to end, how many miles of trees have we sold since 1974 (within 5 miles)?
Work shown: 51 years × 7 ft average height × 900 trees per year
Answer: 60.85 miles
3. How many trees will we be selling this year?
Clue: Select A = OVER or B = UNDER the number of hairs on Bob Burkman’s head
Answer: About 870 trees
4. Where is the tree lot located?
- A – 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
- B – In the Magic Kingdom
- C – On a planet in a galaxy far, far away
- D – Less than a half mile from six bars
- E – Your answer
Answer: D (Famous, White Rabbit, Lock 27, Archer’s, O’Leary’s, Loose Ends)
5. When is tree delivery day?
- A – Saturday 11/22
Answer: A
6. Since pennies are now in short supply, how many pennies in tree sales are we expecting this year (within 100,000)?
Answer: 11,220,000 pennies ($112,200)
7. Which two states provide our trees?
Clue: It’s not Euphoria and Exhilaration
Answer: Michigan and North Carolina
8. Name the five different varieties of trees that we sell.
Clue: Not Tall, Short, Thin, Stout, or Dead
Answer: Fraser Fir, Scotch Pine, White Pine, Balsam Fir, Douglas Fir
9. What is the least expensive type of tree we sell?
Clue: Something Paul Boeckman drinks
Answer: “Cheap Scotch” Pines
10. What is the lowest price of any tree we sell?
Clue: It’s not a $0 giveaway
Answer: $31
11. What is the most expensive type of tree we sell?
Answer: Fraser Fir
12. What is the highest price of any tree we sell?
Answer: $275
13. Name our two best-selling trees (size and variety).
Answer: 6–7 ft and 7–8 ft Fraser Firs
14. Other than trees, we sell eight additional items at the tree lot. Name at least four.
Answer: Wreaths, roping, door sprays, wreath hangers, tree stands, boughs, tree bags, Prolong
15. Speaking of Prolong, what other uses are there for it?
Answer: To spur hair growth; see past users Bob Duffy, Bob Burkman, Paul Stull, Tim Mach
Note: Prolong is the preservative solution that helps trees absorb water more efficiently, keeping them fresher and reducing needle drop throughout the season.
16. What is the maximum distance from the tree lot that we deliver trees in feet to the nearest thousand feet?
Answer: 36,960 feet (about 7 miles)
17. Name four people who are not permitted to drive the Voss delivery truck.
Clue: They are not tall enough to see over the steering wheel
Answer: Debe Dockins, Jim Mogan, Beth Duncan, President Sarah
18. Who is permitted to drive the Voss delivery truck?
Answer: Anyone with a valid license and insurance who completes the verification sheet in the back of the trailer. You must make a copy of your driver’s license using the copier in the trailer.
19. What is the delivery fee in Bitcoin (nearest ten-thousandths)?
Answer: 0.000217 BTC (about $20 with Bitcoin at $92,000)
20. What is the Gary DeMarco rule?
Answer: Load the tree into the delivery truck with the butt end toward the cab
21. When is Opening Day?
Clue: Not Thursday, March 26, 2026, versus the Red Sox
Answer: 11/28/2025
22. When is Closing Day?
Answer: When they remove the Port-O-Potty
23. What are the shifts?
Clues:
- Not something you use to change gears
- Not something politicians do to charm voters
Answer:
Day: 2:30–5:30 or 4:00–8:00
Weekend: 9:00–1:00, 12:30–4:30, 4:00–8:00
24. What is the half-off rule?
Clue: Not what Charlie Tapp or Jesse Gaither tell their barber every four months
Answer: Fifty percent off one item (maximum discount of $75) after working at least two shifts
25. What three essential items of clothing should you wear at the tree lot?
Choices:
A – Clean underwear, stylish shoes, raunchy jacket (Gary Anderson)
B – Boots, gloves, hats
C – Shorts, tank top, flip-flops
D – Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Versace
E – Write-in answer
Answer: B, boots, gloves, hats
26. Who are the two most important people during tree selling season?
Choices:
A – Minnie and Mickey
B – A wife or husband
C – Woody and Buzz
D – Louis Cabernet and Jacques Chardonnay
E – Write-in answer
Answer: E, your team captains
27. Who should you appoint as cashier?
Choices:
A – Bonny and Clyde Hoffbauer
B – John Dillinger Rau
C – Pretty Boy Floyd Fronzaglia
D – A team member who can count
Answer: Someone comfortable handling cash and the card machine
28. What do you do if you have questions?
Choices:
A – Turn out the lights, the party is over
B – Tell the fat lady to sing
C – Call Sarah 24/7
D – Look in the Tree Lot Manual in the sales trailer desk
E – Phone a friend
Answer: D
29. Who do you call if a problem arises?
Choices:
A – Ghostbusters
B – Mike Thonnerieux
C – Michael Wright
D – Write-in candidates
Answer: Greg Griffin or Karl Frydryk (numbers are in the sales trailer)
30. Who was ready for this presentation to end?
Answer: Everyone in the club!
Additional Information to Know
It takes a great deal of teamwork to bring in the expected $50,000 in net profit from the tree lot. Your help on each shift makes that possible.
A reminder for anyone delivering trees: do not go inside a customer’s home under any circumstances. Our insurance does not cover us once we step indoors. There have been cases where a tree has fallen after being set up, and the club has had to replace damaged items such as televisions. To protect both you and the club, tree placement should always remain outside the home.
Thank You
Thank you to Karl Frydryk, Greg Griffin, Bob Myers, and Mike Creech for creating and running this week’s TREEvial Pursuit program. They served as our guest presenters this week and made the meeting both informative and fun.
New Member Readings and Inductions
- Dave Hungler, First Reading, Sponsored by Dave Kay
- Bill Johnson, Third Reading, Sponsored by Erin Laurito
Happy Bucks
- Cadance Lowell said she and Bill Williams are expecting another grandchild in June.
- Tim and Christy Clemmer announced the arrival of their first grandchild.
- Larry Lynde said that on November 9th the ACC women’s soccer finals were held between Notre Dame and Stanford. The game was on national TV on ESPNU. If you were watching the game and saw the winning goal you saw his granddaughter. She was the ball girl standing to the left side of the goal.
Sergeants-at-Arms Fines – Bob Myers and Mike Creech
No time this week for fines.
Welcome Guests
| Guest | Guest Of |
| Bill Johnson | Erin Laurito |
| Dave Hungler | Dave Kay |
| Lin Pursel | Bob Glavin |
| Steve Hall | Mike Fanelli |
| Tricia Winkler | Mike Bevis |
Club Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Joined | Years |
| Carol Mays | November 18, 2022 | 3 |
| Julie Cochran | November 19, 2009 | 16 |
| Jon Fox | November 20, 2000 | 25 |
| John Kalaman | November 20, 2016 | 9 |
| Beth Duncan | November 20, 2016 | 9 |
| Paula Kalaman | November 20, 2016 | 9 |
| Marilyn Becht | November 20, 2016 | 9 |
| Kristina Rainer | November 21, 2012 | 13 |
| Christine Balsan | November 21, 2013 | 12 |
| Ron Kuker | November 24, 2018 | 7 |
| Rick Altvater | November 24, 2018 | 7 |
| Andy Dickerson | November 24, 2018 | 7 |
| Erin Dickerson | November 24, 2018 | 7 |
| Gareth Dickey | November 24, 2018 | 7 |
Birthdays
| Brendan Cunningham | November 22 |
| Jayne Weikel | November 22 |
| Luke Neff | November 23 |
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