Erin Dickerson’s Prayer
H. Jackson Brown, Jr., author of Life’s Little Instruction Book, said, “Inside each of us there are powers so strong, treasures so rich, possibilities so endless, that to command them all to action would change the history of the world.”
Lord,
Within us lies the power to change the world, but we struggle with where to begin. Help us to realize that each act of kindness, each reach out to offer a hand up, and each moment we volunteer our time, we create a ripple in the world that reaches farther than we can see. That our seemingly small acts have a bigger impact than we could ever imagine.
Amen.
Get to Know Bob Myers
President Sarah Umbreit interviewed Bob Myers for this week’s “Get to Know a Member.”
- Asked where he most likes to take a nap, Bob named Skyline Chili.
- For a short brag on his grandchildren, he shared that two of them have already performed in theater, following in their grandmother’s footsteps.
- In college, Bob served as the University of Cincinnati Bearcat mascot his senior year, a role his son later filled as well. In Bob’s day there was only one Bearcat costume and it was never professionally cleaned, while his son’s era had three or four costumes and his squad won Mascot of the Year.
Bob Myers joined CNO on January 17, 2022, sponsored by Gary Hansen.
Happy Birthday Carrie Million
The club celebrated Carrie Million’s birthday, and after a full “Tim! Tim! Tim!” chant, Tim Clemmer was drafted to lead everyone in Happy Birthday.
Tim’s signature high pitched screech carries just fine on its own, even at a normal meeting, but this time he led with a microphone, and with the whole club singing along behind him the result was next level. It may well have sent dogs across Centerville and Washington Township diving for cover. If your dog spent the next day or two cowering in a corner, now you know why. Happy birthday, Carrie.
Announcements
Golf Outing Raffle Basket
Erin Laurito ran a raffle during the meeting for a gift basket filled with a gift card, picnic supplies, wine, and a picnic basket, with the proceeds going toward the club’s Golf Outing on July 13, 2026. Thank you to everyone who bought tickets and supported the fundraiser. More baskets will be available to bid on at the outing itself, so members will have plenty more chances to win.
Americana Parade Float
Sarah Umbreit is looking for members to ride or walk with the CNO float in the Americana parade. Those taking part should plan to meet no later than 9:30 AM in front of Centerville High School, where the float stages, and the parade steps off at 10 AM. Members are encouraged to wear their Optimist gear, so please let Sarah know if you would like to take part.
Semiquincentennial Picnic
Connie Risch invited everyone to the club’s semiquincentennial picnic on Saturday, July 18, 2026, from 11 AM to 3 PM at the Oak Grove Optimist Shelter. The event is free and open to members’ families, children, grandchildren, and guests. Fried chicken will be provided, and members are asked to bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to share. Activities will include games and water fun, so plan to dress accordingly. The picnic will be held rain or shine under the shelter. Please register in advance so the club knows how many to expect. Please sign up using the Member Calendar.
CNO 2.0 at Rumbleseat Wine
The next CNO 2.0 evening meeting will be held Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 5:30 PM at Rumbleseat Wine. The evening’s guest will be Crayons to Classrooms, and the meeting will double as a school supply donation drive and a service project for the organization.
Top Supplies needed:
- Marker Packs (regular and dry erase)
- Colored Pencil Packs
- Pencils
- Crayons
- Children’s Scissors
- 70ct Spiral Notebooks
- Glue Sticks
- Filler Paper
- Pocket Folders
- Construction Paper
YMCA of Greater Dayton
Jane Fiehrer introduced the afternoon’s speakers, Melinda Moore and Mackenzie Resor of the YMCA of Greater Dayton. Melinda, a district executive who grew up in the Dayton region and holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration, has spent 26 years with the YMCA at branches including Coffman, West Carrollton, South, and Premier Health. She walked the club through the organization’s long history, while Mackenzie, the Executive Director of Child Care Services, spoke about the Y’s child care programs.
A Long History in Dayton
The YMCA was founded in Dayton in 1858 and, apart from a pause during the Civil War, has served the community ever since, more than 150 years. Its first downtown home still stands today as Dayton City Hall. Much of the Y’s early growth was guided by David Sinclair, whose vision for adult education and night school eventually grew into Sinclair College, which split off to become its own institution in 1965. The association began expanding into the suburbs in the late 1950s, opening in Oakwood and Kettering. The branch that serves the Centerville and Kettering area sits at the corner of David and Marshall Road and opened in 1964, and the club’s earlier South Suburban location is now the Washington Township RecPlex. Melinda said the Kettering branch’s deep roots, including generational families of swimmers and gymnasts, are one of her favorite things about it.
Programs for Every Age
On the youth side, the Y fields swim and gymnastics teams with long traditions. The gymnastics team was leaving the following week to compete at a national meet in Wisconsin, and several swimmers had qualified for nationals in Florida at the end of July. Each summer the Y runs Y on the Fly, sending a van full of equipment, games, and healthy snacks to local parks, often in underserved communities, to spend a couple of hours with whoever shows up. The Y also offers free summer memberships to students entering seventh and eighth grade, giving middle schoolers a safe place to spend the summer, and it teaches water safety through a learn to swim program. For adults and seniors, branches offer water and land aerobics, pickleball with lessons for anyone who wants to learn, and programs offered through insurance plans. Many seniors spend the summer training to compete in the Senior Games each fall.
Child Care in Centerville Schools
Mackenzie Resor, the Y’s Executive Director of Child Care Services, oversees roughly 75 child care locations across the region. This past school year was the Y’s first serving Centerville Schools, where it provided before and after school care, kept many familiar staff, and supplied midday helpers and volunteer support at all eight elementary schools. The after school program includes a snack and chat time that helps children unwind and build relationships before homework help and activities. Care continues through the summer, with camps running every day except the Fourth of July, and the Y also covers most holidays, teacher development days, and snow days so parents can keep working. For families who do not qualify for state assistance but still find full fees out of reach, the Y offers scholarship help to bridge the gap.
Slides
These are the slides from the presentation, which include a deeper history of the Y than this article can cover. You can view the slide deck of the presentation here.
Thank You
Thank you, Melinda and Mackenzie, for sharing the history of the YMCA of Greater Dayton and the many ways it serves families across our community.
New Member Readings and Inductions
- Niel McKinley, Induction, sponsored by Ron Tinnerman.
Happy Bucks
- Mike Creech gave a happy buck for his good friend Bob Myers, thanking him for being a good sport.
- Charlie Goodwin gave a happy buck because his twin boys are turning 46. He shared that Gary Anderson had been their principal growing up.
- Blanca Criner gave a happy buck on her return after eight months away, having completed her certification as an executive coach.
- Christy Clemmer gave a happy buck, glad to be at the meeting and to help Karen Charnesky assemble the Americana pin cards.
- Rachel Goetz gave a happy buck because her daughter Becca has a new job with Entertainment 360, and mom and dad are especially happy that she qualifies for the company’s health insurance one week before she would have aged off theirs.
- Jeff Busch gave a happy buck for his son Hunter, who is one year from graduating high school.
- Jeff Busch gave a happy buck for his friend Jon Young, visiting from Seattle.
Sergeants-at-Arms Fines: Jeff Busch and Mike Thonnerieux
- Dr. Dan Passidomo drew an emergency fine from Jeff Busch for bringing in imitation donuts, apparently to round up customers with his sugary fare.
- Harry Bossey was fined because it had been too long since he last attended a meeting.
- Scott Langer was fined for stealing the bell and for not wearing his name tag.
- Tony Danial was fined for holding onto the bell after Scott Langer passed it to him.
- Bob Myers was fined for wearing the same shirt two meetings in a row.
- Niel McKinley paid the customary new member fine following his induction.
Welcome Guests
| Guest | Guest Of |
| Barb Parsons | Debbie Moore |
| Dave Booth | Blanca Criner |
| Hunter Busch | Jeff Busch |
| Jon Young | Jeff Busch |
| Mackenzie Resor | Speaker’s Guest |
| Melinda Moore | Speaker |
| Niel McKinley | Jesse Gaither |
Club Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Joined | Years |
| Matt Goeke | June 23, 2023 | 3 |
| Nancy Henson | June 23, 2023 | 3 |
| Chastity Richburg | June 23, 2023 | 3 |
| Phil Speelman | June 23, 2023 | 3 |
Birthdays
| Carrie Million | June 23 |
| Gary DeMarco | June 23 |
| Dick Lee | June 23 |
| Jay McAlpine | June 24 |
| Dave Ball | June 24 |
| Paulette Novak | June 25 |
| Wayne Christie | June 26 |
| Charlie Goodwin | June 26 |
| Niel McKinley | June 27 |
| Valorie Huff | June 28 |
| Frank DePalma | June 29 |
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