Erin Dickerson’s Prayer
Heavenly Father,
When we show our patriotism by pledging allegiance to our flag, help us to truly listen to what we are saying. Too often, we are just going through the motions. We do not act as “one nation UNDER GOD” and we struggle with “liberty and justice for all.” We put ourselves and our needs above You, what You expect of us, and what we pledge to be. Help us Lord to strive to be better and do better. You and our nation deserve it.
Amen.
Announcements
Derby Party Recap
Beth Duncan said, “My Social Committee co-chair, Sue Jessee, works hard and she’s awesome!” Thanks also to Erin Laurito for hosting the Derby Party at Berkshire Hathaway, Charlie Tapp for the delicious mint juleps, and Karl Frydryk and Larry Lynde for running the betting. Congratulations to the hat contest winners: first Ellie Parker, second Val Huff, and third Barbara Santo. For the balloon horse race, Mike Creech and Nancy Frydryk each won.
Be sure to check out several photographs from the party in the slides in the link at the bottom of this article.
Fishing Events
Bob Lawson announced the Fishing Derby will be on June 7, 2025, and the Castle Fishing Day will be on June 9, 2025. There are several volunteer opportunities available. Please sign up using the Member Calendar.
Summer Reading Club Kickoff
Liz Fultz invited CNO members to help with the library’s Summer Reading Club Kickoff at Sinclair College in Centerville on Saturday, May 31, 2025 (1–4 p.m.). There will be performances by the Cincinnati Circus Company, and in between, kids can enjoy activities and learn about the library. This is a good time to inform the public what CNO is all about. Please sign up using the Member Calendar.
Americana Booth
Karen Charnesky announced that at Americana this year there will be two booths side by side — one for the Youth Mental Health Initiative and one for the main club. Please sign up using the Member Calendar.
Skilled Trade Scholarships
Fred Polizzi announced that three students received Skilled Trade Scholarships, two for welding at Hobart and one for aviation at Sinclair. A special thank-you to Gail Aiken, who generously funded a scholarship in Gary Aiken’s name.
Derby Party Exacta Winner
Karl Frydryk said that at the Derby Party Bob Myers picked the “exacta” which requires picking the first and second place horses.
District Conference Recap
Paul Boeckman reported that at the District Conference, five students competed in the Oratorical Contest. The Centerville contestant placed second, earning a $2,000 scholarship, while the winner, a freshman from Lima High School, earned $3,500. The Ohio District Essay Contest winner also read their essay at the event.
International Conference
Paul Boeckman announced that the International Conference will be held June 29 through July 3, 2025, in St. Louis. If you’re interested in attending, let Paul know.
Ohio District Convention
Paul Boeckman announced that the Ohio Convention will be held August 14–16 at the Hope Hotel. The main day for the convention will be Saturday, August 16, 2025. You can also choose to just attend the Gala Dinner instead of the Convention.
CNO Member of the Year Recognized
Paul Boeckman congratulated Mike Cordonnier, who was honored as CNO Member of the Year at the annual Presidents Club breakfast.
Happy Birthday Mary Madden
Today we celebrated Mary Madden’s birthday! As is club tradition, Bob Duffy led us in the worst, most off-key rendition of “Happy Birthday” we could muster — a performance so gloriously awful that Tim Clemmer’s high-pitched squeal practically stole the show. Today’ guests, including the Photography Contest winner and her family, were looking around in wide-eyed wonder, no doubt thinking, “What is going on here?!” Mary, with perfect comedic timing, capped it all off by saying, “If I knew how long I was going to live, I would have taken better care of myself!”
Photography Contest 2025
Paul Boeckman introduced Patrick Arehart and Roberta Taylor, the co-chairs of the Annual Photography Contest.
Patrick and Roberta gave special thanks to Uriah Langmeyer, who was at lunch today and served as a judge for this year’s contest.
The contest encourages young people to explore photography while connecting their work to one of the ten tenets of the Optimist Creed. This year’s participants submitted impressive entries that reflected both technical skill and thoughtful interpretation of the Creed.
First Place, $500
- Hannah, 12th Grade, Spring Valley Academy
- Optimist Creed Verse: To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
Hannah attended lunch today and shared how much support from her teachers has meant in developing her photography skills. She’s excited to continue learning and growing as a photographer.
Second Place, $250
- Emory, 11th Grade, Centerville High School
- Title: Edinburgh Sunset
- Optimist Creed Verse: To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
Emory was unable to attend because of an AP exam.
Third Place, $100
- Brooklynn, 11th Grade, Spring Valley Academy
- Title: Rose Glow
- Optimist Creed Verse: To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
Brooklynn couldn’t be at lunch today.
View the Photos
This year’s entries are available online. To explore entries from all years since the contest began in 2022, visit Photography Contest Overview.
Closing Thoughts
Special thanks also went to Debe Dockins and the Washington-Centerville Public Library for displaying the winning photos for the next few weeks. Stop by to see the exhibit!
Patrick said that programs like Avenue of Flags help raise the funds needed to support contests like this, providing valuable opportunities for local youth.
The winners will be invited to Youth Recognition Night on June 12, 2025, at 7 PM. CNO members are invited to this fun night. Members can sign up using the Member Calendar.
Congratulations to all the young photographers who participated! All participants received a nice certificate of participation.
Avenue of Flags Kick Off 2025
The Avenue of Flags (AOF) program is rolling into its 20th year, and what a journey it’s been! Bob Burkman shared the history of the program, which got its start after Mike Wall visited a club in Iowa during an Optimist International Convention to learn how their program worked. While not everyone initially agreed to take it on, it was Chuck Dickerson’s generous seed money that launched what would become Centerville Noon Optimist Club’s largest fundraiser.
The program started with just four routes. Today, the numbers are staggering:
- 3,649 flags will be delivered on Memorial Day, and it is expected to top 4,000 as the year progresses.
- Over 10,000 flags are displayed across the Miami Valley because of CNO’s help with starting many other programs for other organizations.
- 107 flag routes
- 50 CNO delivery teams (100 members) and 50 additional teams from outside partner groups
Delivery Team Breakdown (see chart in the link to the slides below):
- 49% Optimist Club Members
- 21% Subscribers
- 17% Centerville High School Wrestling Team
- 5% VFW Members
- 3% Scout Troop 316
- 3% Knights of Columbus
- 2% Blue Star Mothers
Renewals have been pouring in since January. There are 3–4 flag assembly parties each year to keep everything running smoothly. Special thanks were given to Julie Walling Noeth for the fantastic photos in today’s presentation and to Deb Saunders for creating the beautiful 20th-year flyer. Tom Novak also thanked co-chairs Mike Brubaker and Bob Burkman for their leadership.
A key partner for the Avenue of Flags is Sinclair College in Centerville, which generously stores over 4,000 flags. Each year CNO awards several Will Cale Scholarship to Sinclair, which provides both financial support and a mentor for students who might not otherwise attend college.
Last year’s financial impact was remarkable with a gross income of $177,120 and a net income of $140,518. It’s truly a “win-win” program, benefiting both the club and the community.
The seven holidays celebrated with flag displays are Memorial Day, Flag Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Patriot Day and Veterans Day.
To learn even more facts about the Avenue of Flags fundraiser, check these previous CNOtes articles.
Additional Volunteers are Always Welcome
Let Tom Novak know if you can help with delivery or pickup of flags. Helpers go out as two person teams. They are very excited to get volunteers that have flag friendly vehicles, like mini-vans, SUV’s and pickup trucks. If you do not own a flag friendly vehicle you can still help; you will be paired with someone who has a compatible vehicle.
Memorial Day and Armed Forces Day History
Memorial Day was originally named Decoration Day. Memorial Day started on May 30, 1865, to honor the 620,000 people who died in the Civil War. May 30th was chosen because there were no battles on that day. Memorial Day got its current official name in 1967. Currently Memorial Day is on the last Monday of May each year because of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. Signed into law on June 28, 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect on January 1, 1971. Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May as a tribute to the people currently serving in the Armed Forces.
Thank You
Thank you, Tom Novak, Mike Brubaker and Bob Burkman for heading up the biggest fundraiser for the Centerville Noon Optimist Club.
President Paul’s Quote of the Week
“The red, white and starry blue is freedoms shield and hope.” – John Phillips Sousa
Volunteer and Social Event Signups Available Online with the Virtual Clipboard
Did you know you can now sign up to volunteer or participate in social events using a simple online registration form from your phone or PC? The Member Calendar has a complete list of upcoming volunteer opportunities and social events.
Welcome Guests
| Guest | Guest Of |
| Bill Largo | Program |
| Christine Largo | Program |
| David Watkins | Steve Campbell |
| Emory Pianki | Program |
| Hannah Largo | Program |
| Hollie Macomber | Program |
| Ian Harvey | Program |
| Jacob Dice | Gail Aiken |
| Joshua Largo | Program |
| Marla Silliman | Program |
| Uriah Langmeyer | Program |
New Member Readings and Inductions
No readings nor inductions this week.
Happy Bucks
| Member | Reason |
| Vida McDowell | $5, Celebrating 50th wedding anniversary with Gary. |
| Scott Langer | Celebrating 35th wedding anniversary with Julie. |
| Bob Myers | $20, He won the exacta at the Kentucky Derby Party. |
| Julie Walling Noeth | The winner of this year’s photography contest, Hannah, has an aunt who works with Julie’s sister at TriHealth in Cincinnati! |
| Mike Creech | $5, He is sharing some of his winnings from the Kentucky Derby Party |
| Steve Mock | His four grandkids are featured in a flag photo shown during today’s meeting. |
| Bob Burkman | Happy Mary Madden was at today’s meeting. |
| Karen Charnesky | Her son from California flew home to surprise her husband for his birthday. |
| Karen Charnesky | Her daughter-in-law’s company was the focus of a recent Forbes article about how her business is saving millions in the healthcare industry. |
Sergeants at Arms – Gary Anderson and Maha Kashani
| Member | Infraction | Sergeants |
| Group Fine | Anyone that does not assist with the Avenue of Flags fundraiser. | Gary Anderson |
| Paul Stull | He bought his 50/50 tickets in a way that somehow irritated Sergeant Gary Anderson. | |
| Wayne Christie | As a self-proclaimed math wizard, he really should have followed Sergeant Gary Anderson’s advice: buy eight 50/50 tickets for $5 instead of just one for $1. | |
| Sam Pfabe | He usually skips meetings for Tuesday golf, but thanks to the rain, he showed up today — and was promptly fined. | |
| Bob Duffy | He wore his hat throughout the entire meeting and didn’t escape a fine. | |
| Chris McAlpine | Sergeant Gary Anderson said Chris McAlpine was just asking for it — especially after Chris remarked, “I didn’t think the bar could get any lower, but I was wrong.” | |
| Group Fine | Everyone wearing anything tied to shameless self-promotion was fined, with tablemates cheerfully turning each other in. | |
| Vida McDowell | She had a full carafe of coffee at her table — that earned a fine! | |
| Paul Boeckman | $2, He tried to hide bell and gavel from opportunistic thieves. | |
Club Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Joined | Years |
| Craig Dring | May 7, 1997 | 28 |
| Dave Kay | May 8, 1992 | 33 |
| Paul Bowell | May 8, 2000 | 25 |
Birthdays
| Lou Brinkman | May 6 |
| Tom Henderson | May 6 |
| Mary Madden | May 6 |
| Pam Miller | May 6 |
| Kara Ware | May 7 |
| Beth Duncan | May 9 |
| Julie Rado | May 9 |
| Jon Fox | May 10 |
| Jessica King | May 11 |
CNO Donations – Since 2013
Click here to see a summary of donations the club has made since 2013
Thank You Notes Received
CLICK HERE to see the Thank You Notes received this week
Links to PowerPoint and Pictures
CLICK HERE to see the PowerPoint Slides from this week’s meeting