Erin Dickerson’s Prayer
Lord,
We come to you today with heavy hearts as we mourn the loss of our dear friend, David Duncombe. As we allow ourselves to feel sorrow, may we also feel gratitude. Gratitude for the light David imparted onto each of us through his compassion, love, and generosity.
Marcus Aurelius is credited with saying, “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
As we approach Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season, help us honor David’s memory by noticing the multitude of blessings surrounding us. Let us give You thanks not only for momentous events in our lives but let us also give You gratitude for the simple blessings in each and every day.
Amen.
Substitute President Sarah Umbreit Leads the Meeting
Today, CNO President-Elect Sarah Umbreit served as our host, conducting the meeting with style and offering a glimpse of how remarkable her year will be when she assumes leadership. She swiftly lost the bell but managed to hold onto the gavel, perhaps considering that a victory. In the end, she mentioned that President Paul was actually supposed to lead the meeting, so any mishaps would count on his record. She generously offered to pay his fine to retrieve the bell.
KaJéza Hawkins from WDTN Interviews CNO Members
KaJéza Hawkins from WDTN News and her camera person were here today interviewing members. The story they are covering is about the importance of service organizations like CNO and what they do for communities. There is a focus on pointing out the need for younger people to join service organizations.
Christmas Tree Lot Opens on November 29, 2024
Greg Griffin announced that the tree lot opens on November 29, 2024. The tree lot teams have been set and you should have received information about your scheduled shifts by now. Please show up for shifts, especially the early ones, as they will be busier than normal since Thanksgiving is about a week later than normal. Last Saturday 870 trees were processed along with roping in record time of under two hours. Working a tree lot shift is a great way to connect with fellow members and a great way for CNO to connect with the public.
2024 You’re Invited: CNO Holiday Dinner on December 10, 2024!
Mark your calendars for an evening of festive fun! Beth Duncan is thrilled to announce that our annual CNO Holiday Party will take place on December 10, 2024, at the Sycamore Creek Country Club. This year’s celebration promises excitement with a special Optimist version of Family Feud—you won’t want to miss it!
Secure your spot by signing up online through the Member Calendar. Please note there will be no lunch meeting on that day. The last day to sign up is December 3, 2024.
Adopt-a-Family 2024
Christy Gariety announced that all the Adopt-a-Family children have been adopted. You can still donate money which will be used to buy food for the families. So far she has collected $1500 for food.
GripTape: Empowering Youth Through Self-Driven Learning
Gary Anderson introduced Andy Higgins, an IT consultant, mostly working with the DoD on large systems implementations, most recently for digital engineering in the cloud. He’s been a member of CNO for five years. Andy presentation is about GripTape.org, an organization committed to fostering self-directed learning experiences for youth aged 14 to 19. GripTape empowers young people to take charge of their education by offering resources, support, and funding to explore their passions independently.
Slides
The slide deck has more information than is listed in this article.
You can view the slide deck of the presentation here.
What GripTape Does
GripTape’s core initiative, the Learning Challenge, provides participants with a $250 grant to pursue a project of their choice. With no socio-economic or needs-based criteria, the program is open to all youth. Applications are accepted three times a year—in January, May, and September.
Each participant, called a Challenger, is paired with a Champion, an adult guide who supports their journey without steering their choices. The program deliberately avoids aligning Champions with expertise in the Challenger’s topic, reinforcing the youth-driven approach. This method encourages creativity, resilience, and independence in learners.
Real-Life Examples of Success
Andy shared inspiring stories from past Challengers:
Caleb, from Massachusetts, explored preserving historical architecture under the threat of climate change, focusing on iconic sites like Faneuil Hall and the Massachusetts State House.
Francisco, a high school student in Texas, designed recipes suitable for his mother’s restrictive diet while appealing to his family’s tastes.
Margaret, an artist, turned her passion for creativity into a budding sticker business, starting with custom requests from her high school band.
These stories highlight the diversity and impact of the projects GripTape supports.
You can learn several more details about these and other participants by reading the slide deck.
Research-Backed Impact
A multi-year study conducted by Cornell University’s Purpose and Identity Processes Lab demonstrated significant benefits for GripTape participants, including increased self-esteem, a clearer sense of purpose, and improved emotional well-being. GripTape’s model empowers teens to navigate life’s challenges with confidence and adaptability.
Bringing GripTape to Our Community
Andy proposed sharing GripTape opportunities with local schools like Centerville High School. He suggested that the Centerville Noon Optimists could consider supporting local students who are accepted into the program, helping to fund their innovative projects.
Learn More
For more information about GripTape and the incredible work they’re doing, visit griptape.org.
Thank You
Thank you, Andy Higgins, for introducing us to GripTape and its transformative impact on youth learning.
President Paul’s Quote of the Week
“You can never have an impact on society unless you have changed yourself.” – Nelson Mandela
Welcome Guests
| Guest | Guest Of |
| Anita Koerner | Donna Huss |
| David Criner | Blanca Criner |
| Gini Reinhard | Donna Huss |
| Jim Curtis | Mike Bevis |
| Josh Samples | Mike Thonnerieux |
| Tom Krusemark | Andy Higgins |
New Member Readings and Inductions
None this week.
Happy Bucks
| Member | Reason |
| Andy Higgins | He really liked Beth Duncan’s drink carrier used to allow a flight of four soups to be carried at one time on tree lot delivery day. |
| Evelyn Griffin | $5, She thanked Mike and Sue Creech, Andy and Gwen Dickerson and Jerry Staley for their help handling 135 wreaths for the tree lot. They counted, priced and stored them. |
| Gail Aiken | $2. The CHS football team is going to the semi-finals. She has two grandsons on the team and she is very proud of them. |
| Megan Dalton | She is happy she is engaged. She met him on September 6, 2022, they were engaged on September 6, 2024 and they will be married on September 6, 2025. |
| Vida McDowell | Thank you to whoever found and returned the cord for her crockpot that she took to the tree lot with soup for volunteers who helped on tree delivery day. |
| Gary Hansen | He is so happy for all the numerous messages, notes, cards, and emails with well wishes and encouragement for his recent health challenges. |
| Blanca Criner | Her husband’s niece is having a baby. |
| Ellie Parker | She is happy her infected elbow is scheduled to be fixed on December 9, 2024. |
| Harry Bossey | Harry said that Karl Frydryk needs to pay up for insulting him at the tree lot on delivery day. |
Sergeants at Arms
| Member | Infraction |
| Mike Creech | Broke the strap on the door of the storage trailer. There is a much longer story that will greatly reduce the responsibility of Mike Creech for this incident. |
| Karl Frydryk | Someone let a sergeant know that Karl told Harry Bossey that him being on the tree lot as unloader slowed them down at least ten minutes |
| FAIR WARNING FRIENDS | WEAR YOUR CNO PIN NEXT WEEK. THE SERGEANTS HAVE NOTIFIED US IN ADVANCE!!! |
Club Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Joined | Years |
| Jay McAlpine | November 27, 2017 | 7 |
| Rick Talda | November 27, 2017 | 7 |
| Jayne Weikel | November 27, 2017 | 7 |
| JoAnne Rau | November 27, 2019 | 5 |
| Steve Rau | November 27, 2019 | 5 |
| Chris Wysong | November 27, 2019 | 5 |
| Jesse Lightle | November 28, 2006 | 18 |
| Gail Aiken | November 29, 1988 | 36 |
| Ted Humphrey | November 29, 2001 | 23 |
| Liz Fultz | November 29, 2015 | 9 |
| Dan Beck | December 1, 1981 | 43 |
| Gary Smiga | December 1, 1985 | 39 |
Birthdays
| Alice Onady | November 26 |
| Tom Conroy | November 27 |
| Tom Beery | November 29 |
| Denny Cottle | November 29 |
| Christina Clemmer | November 30 |
| Rick Hartley | December 1 |
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