Phather Phil’s Prayer from 2/2/2016, Read by Bob Burkman
Heavenly Father,
When we promise ourselves, make it come true. Help us in our contacts with others to always be Optimistic – positive and uplifting be they friend or stranger. Let us be the one that reignites their pilot light when their fire has gone out. In doing so we are living one of the purposes of our lives and honoring You. Optimism is your special gift to us – one that is blessed – only when we give it away. Amen!
Amen.
Announcements
Liz Fultz, chair of the Oratorical Contest, announced that the annual contest will be held during CNO Zoom meetings on February 9, 2021 and February 16, 2021. The committee needs judges. Please contact Liz Fultz or Ron Thompson if you would like to help.
Kristen Marks, chair of the Essay Contest, needs more judges to help with the essay contest. There is a judging rubric to follow to help you score the essays.
Committee Meetings
- 2/16/2021, 6 PM, Monthly Board of Directors Meeting, Zoom hosted by President Debe Dockins
- 2/17/2021, 6 PM, Tom Frazier Tee Off for Youth Golf 2021, Zoom hosted by Mike Bevis. Meetings in 2021 will be on Wednesdays on 1/13, 2/17, 3/17, 4/14, 5/12, 6/16, 7/7. Additional volunteers are always welcome. The golf outing will be held on 7/12/2021.
Community Events
Greg Griffin announced that the Easter Egg Drive through will be held on April 3rd, 2021. If you would like to help stuff cinch sacks with candy let Greg know. Evelyn Griffin will deliver and pick up the bags and candy.
Beth Duncan, chair of Centerville’s Got Talent, said she needs more volunteers to help with this committee. The contest will be for kids ages 4-19 that live or go to school in Centerville or Washington Township.
Social Events
2/19/2021 at 6:30 PM, Sue Jesse and Sara Umbreit said the “Name that Baby” social event contest will be held that evening. Send in your baby pictures and three self-facts to Sue Jessee no later than February 12, 2021.
Ricki Pepin, U.S. Constitution Teacher
Carolyn Taylor introduced Ricki Pepin, a U.S. Constitution teacher. Ricki Pepin is a former employee of the FBI, published author, columnist and international lecturer who has been teaching Constitution classes for over 20 years.
You can view the slide deck here.
Your American Heritage – A Patriot’s Primer
Her presentation focused on using primary source documents – the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence and the U. S. Constitution – to help listeners discover for themselves the heritage our founders gave us when they wrote and established American law and government. Amazing, eye-opening quotations and definitions from America’s first dictionary, written by Founding Father Noah Webster and published in 1828, will provide new insights and understanding of our American heritage of hope and freedom.
Knowing Your history and heritage is important. History education gives youth their identity. James Madison (founding father and author of the constitution) said, “Conscience is our most sacred property.” Sacred meaning holy or pertaining to God.
Pepin said our American heritage is that our government is based on Christian values. She said the American View of the American Government’s Foundation and Purpose is that there is a God, our rights come from Him, and the purpose of government is to secure these rights.
Pepin said that American Exceptionalism comes from the fact that, “America is the only nation in the world whose government was established for the purpose of advancing the Christian faith. This means the principles for American government were born and built upon the principles within the Bible – inextricably linking God and government.”
The Mayflower Compact written by the Pilgrims was America’s first self-government document. It contained, “In the name of god, Amen…Having undertaken this voyage to America for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith…”
The Declaration of Independence contains, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal [and] are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness [and that] to secure these rights Governments are instituted among men…”. It also contains, “When it becomes necessary to dissolve the political bands which have connected them to another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them…”
Please view the slide deck or watch the video for many more details.
Resources to learn more about American Heritage
- Institute on the Constitution. Theamericanview.com
- The Woodson Center, 1776unites.com
- Freedom Project Academy, fpeusa.org
Thank you, Ricki Pepin, for your presentation today.
New Member Readings and Inductions
| Name | Sponsor | 1st 2nd 3rd Reading or Induction |
| Julie Rado | Beth Duncan | 2nd Reading |
Welcome Guests!
| Guest Name | Guest of |
| Joanne Fuchs | Carolyn Taylor |
| Gene Hartman | Carolyn Taylor |
| Julie Rado | Beth Duncan |
Happy Bucks
| Member | Reason |
| Bob Glavin | New granddaughter was born |
| Tom Novak | CNO member Kristen Marks is the new Executive Director of the Centerville-Washington Park District |
| Tom Novak | New members in readings |
| Tom Novak | Mike Brubaker sent emails for flag renewals and received 200 responses in 6 hours |
| Greg Griffin | $16 happy bucks for the 16 volunteers that have already signed up to prepare cinch candy sacks for the Easter Egg Hunt Drive through |
| Steve and Joan Rau | New granddaughter was born |
| Carolyn Taylor | $2 for her two guests today |
Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Month | Day | Joined | # Years |
| Renee Glenn | February | 5 | 2/5/2014 | 7 |
| Ellie Parker | February | 8 | 2/8/2011 | 10 |
Birthdays
| Member | Birthday |
| Wasfi Samaan | February 4 |
| Greg Crabtree | February 5 |
| Shelby DiPasquale | February 6 |
| Don Kelley | February 8 |
| Mariah Vogelgesang | February 8 |
CNO Donations – 2013 through December 2020
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 we received this week
Sergeants at Arms
No Sergeants this week.
Zoom Meeting This Week
We had another meeting using Zoom. We will continue our weekly meetings via computer, cell phone or tablet for at least the next several weeks. Please join us and keep inviting guests.
Who can Attend Zoom Meetings?
Any member of any type of Centerville Noon Optimist can attend Zoom meetings. CNO 2.0, St Leonard’s and CNO full members or CNO monthly members can ALL attend.
Guests are also welcome. Please invite guests and introduce them if you like. Just share the Zoom link with them for that week.
COVID-19 UPDATE
In keeping with social distancing requirements – our CNO Meetings have transitioned temporarily to a online format using ZOOM.
Club Member Joe Madden was inspired to rewrite The Optimist Creed – so we give you now – The Corona Creed -with apologies to Christian D. Larson, Author of The Optimist Creed.
Links to Recorded Meeting and PowerPoint
This week’s Zoom Meeting recording is here