Bob Burkman’s Prayer
Heavenly Father.
As we welcome these young people here today, we pray You will give them words to speak that shine brightly. As they speak, make their voices strong and clear. Let their hearts be filled with courage and grace. Help them share ideas that we will receive with open ears and open minds.
May their thoughts make us and them feel more secure in Optimism.
Give them your blessing Father. This will be a wonderful moment to inspire others.
Amen
Announcements
New Ronald McDonald House Is Now Open
Beth Groff, the Director of Philanthropy at Ronald McDonald House, announced that the new Ronald McDonald House in Dayton has just opened. She thanked CNO for the recent grant for $5,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities for bed linens and pillow covers.
Dayton’s new facility will have 42 overnight rooms, which is a large increase from the previous 14 rooms. You can learn more from this CNOtes article when they told us they were building it.
Visual Arts Contest 2025
Jane Fiehrer, co-chair of the Visual Arts Contest with Rachel Goetz, announced that the annual Visual Arts contest is now open. Paintings or drawings must be submitted online by February 22, 2025. Here is the link to the contest. Children in two age groups (7 & under and 8–11) can submit drawings or paintings for cash prizes. This year’s theme is “Bringing Out the Best.”
Tri-Star Basketball
Craig Dring, the co-chair for Tri-Star Basketball, said that the next Tri-Star Basketball event will be on March 8, 2025, at Watts Middle School. Sign up to volunteer for the event using the Member Calendar. There are two shifts to choose from, 8-10:15 and 10-12:15. They need about 33 volunteers for this event. Kids aged 7-12 will compete in pass, shoot, and dribble contests. You don’t need any basketball skills. Volunteers are needed to help with setup, registration, running the contests, scoring the participants, and handing out trophies. The event is also an opportunity to get to know fellow CNO members. They expect about 100 kids to participate.
Chuck Dickerson Memorial Scholarship
Mike Thonnerieux announced that the deadline for the Chuck Dickerson Memorial Scholarship is 4 PM, March 7, 2025. Students can learn details and apply for the $1000 scholarship at the Dayton Foundation using this link. Students must be the child or grandchild of a current or past member of the Centerville Noon Optimists, a graduating high school senior, be accepted to a two- or four-year college or university, and demonstrate a commitment to community service. Mike also noted that students can apply for over 300 Dayton Foundation scholarship opportunities. Most of these scholarships are open exclusively to students who reside in the Greater Dayton region of Ohio.
CNO 2.0 Meeting at Zink’s
Jesse Gaither announced that the next CNO 2.0 is on February 20, 2025, at 5:30 PM at Zink’s. There will be an opportunity to participate in a wine tasting during the meeting.
Will Cale Scholarship Mentors Are Needed
Joan Cordonnier is looking for mentors to support nine Will Cale Scholarship recipients this year. They are great kids who need a little extra help. If you have questions before you commit, reach out to Joan, who will explain the mentoring process. Without more volunteers, some students may have to be turned away. They are having a meeting on February 19, 2025, at 5:30 PM. You can attend even if you are not sure if you want to be a mentor.
Social Events
Euchre Tournament
Sue Jessee announced that there is a Euchre tournament on Friday, February 28, 2025, at ContempoRoast. For details and to sign up, use the Member Calendar.
Bourbon, Wine and Beer Tasting
Sue Jessee announced that Patrick and Diane Arehart will host a Bourbon, Wine and Beer tasting at their home on Saturday, March 22, 2025. For details and to sign up, use the Member Calendar.
Donation Requests Approved at February 2025 Board Meeting
Several donation requests were discussed at the meeting. The Board approved $4868 in grants.
- $1500 to Centerville Science Olympiad for a Bambu Lab X1 Carbon 3D printer
- $1000 to Centerville Track and Field for the 50th Annual Centerville Elk Relays
- $600 to Dayton Christian School for the 8th Grade Washington DC trip.
- $500 to Centerville Police Department for the Mystery Night Out
- $500 to Centerville City Schools for Integrated Transition Options Program (ITOP)
- $418 to Centerville High School Advanced Ceramics Studio for Queen City Clay Field Trip
- $350 to Driscoll Elementary 3rd Grade for Home-A-Rama Animal Research Books
Happy Birthday Ron Tinnerman
Today, we celebrated Ron Tinnerman’s birthday. Before Bob Duffy led the club in song, President Paul Boeckman gave the oratorical contestants and their parents a fair warning—they might want to cover their ears! At least they had time to prepare before the singing began.
Have a great year, Ron!
Margaret Barclay Memorial 2025 Optimist Oratorical Contest
The first round of the Oratorical Contest took place today, featuring two speakers who delivered 4 to 5-minute speeches on the topic, “How Optimism Has Guided Me Through Trying Times.” Each shared personal stories of challenges they have faced and overcome.
Co-Chair Jessica Wagner said, “Ron and I enjoy running this contest because of our background in public speaking. Ron was a state champion, and I was a four-time state qualifier in speech at Centerville High School. This competition is meaningful to us, as we never expected to be organizing an oratorical contest after our own years of competing in speech and debate.”
Speaker A, Girl Attending CHS – Summary
She shared her journey with Vitiligo, a skin condition causing depigmentation. Diagnosed at age seven, she initially didn’t understand the impact, but her parents’ support and optimism helped her stay confident. Encouraged to engage in activities like Taekwondo, swimming, and volleyball, she built resilience. She learned that optimism, rooted in family and faith, guided her through challenges, that she could choose how to react to hardships, and that her experience inspired her to pursue a career in dermatology. She concluded that optimism, like a silver lining, brings light to difficult times.
Speaker B, Boy Attending Magsig – Summary
A male speaker shared how optimism has helped him navigate challenges, from humorous childhood mistakes to deeper personal struggles. He recounted a memorable incident in middle school when he brought electric clippers to school and gave himself and several friends impromptu haircuts. His mother was furious, especially when he accidentally shaved off part of his eyebrow. He also shared another childhood lesson—after he opened his Christmas gifts early, his mother returned some of them as a consequence.
Beyond these lighthearted stories, he spoke about the emotional challenges of growing up with a shared parenting schedule, adjusting to different rules and expectations in each household. He emphasized that optimism isn’t about ignoring hardships but about choosing hope and growth. He warned against pessimism, explaining how negative thinking can affect happiness and relationships.
He concluded with key lessons: optimism helps find a way forward, pessimism holds people back, haircuts should be left to barbers, and Christmas presents should stay wrapped until it’s time to open them. He ended with a challenge—will you choose optimism in the face of difficulties?
The Winner is Speaker B
Speaker B won today, and he received a medallion and a cash prize from Roy Barclay. He will move on to the zone contest. The winners of the zone contests move on to the regional level with those winners advancing to the district level and from there the winners go to the national competition.
Thank You to the Judges and Committee
Thank you to the judges Erin Giffin, Erin Laurito and Mark Metzger. Thank you to the timekeeper Tom Novak. Thank you to the committee Jessica Wagner (co-chair), Ron Thompson (co-chair) and Liz Fultz (past co-chair).
About the Oratorical Contest
Since it was established in 1928, the Oratorical Contest has become the longest-running program sponsored by Optimist International.
Our contest is named in honor of former Optimist member Margaret Barclay. Margaret chaired this committee for many years. She cared deeply about bringing out the best in kids and living the Optimist Creed. She was a most beloved member of our club, a past president and lived a life dedicated to helping others. Margaret’s accomplishments were vast, including 40 years in public education, the last 27 in the Centerville Schools. She retired in 2000 as Principal at Magsig Middle School. While Margaret passed away in 2010, it is a pleasure to see her memory being recognized in this way.
Mr. Roy Barclay, husband of Margaret, supports the Oratorical contest by making an annual donation. Thank you, Roy, for your ongoing contributions and support of this contest.
Details about the contest for participants.
President Paul’s Quote of the Week
“If you’ve failed to prepare then you’ve prepared to fail.” – Mark Spitz
Welcome Guests
| Guest | Guest Of |
| Beth Groff | Mike Bevis |
| Bob Bowman | Nancy Lehren |
| Maureen Crossman | Julie Noeth |
| Wes Feldmeyer | Janer Fiehrer |
New Member Readings and Inductions
| Name | Sponsor | 1st 2nd 3rd Reading or Induction |
| Bob Bowman | Nancy Lehren | 1st Reading |
| Nanea Llacuna | Stephanie Llacuna | 3rd Reading |
| Cris Peterson | Mike Bevis | 3rd Reading |
Happy Bucks
No time for Happy Bucks this week.
Sergeants at Arms
No time for Sergeants this week.
Club Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Joined | Years |
| Jon Werts | February 13, 2018 | 7 |
| Brent Richburg | February 13, 2018 | 7 |
| Suzanne Werts | February 13, 2018 | 7 |
| Jan Gerber | February 15, 2024 | 1 |
| Christopher Mackey | February 15, 2024 | 1 |
| John Horner | February 17, 2010 | 15 |
| Sandy Stevens | February 17, 2010 | 15 |
| Sarah Umbreit | February 17, 2016 | 9 |
| Harry Bossey | February 17, 1994 | 31 |
| Lou Brinkman | February 17, 1995 | 30 |
| Bob Lawson | February 17, 2016 | 9 |
Birthdays
| Ron Tinnerman | February 11 |
| Mary Ann MacKenzie | February 11 |
| John Horner | February 12 |
| Diane Bradburne | February 12 |
| Monty Zinck | February 13 |
| Ron Thompson | February 14 |
| Stephanie Llacuna | February 15 |
| Ken Peacock | February 16 |
CNO Donations – Since 2013
Click here to see a summary of donations the club has made since 2013
Thank You Notes Received
No Thank You Notes received this week.
Links to PowerPoint and Pictures
CLICK HERE to see the PowerPoint Slides from this week’s meeting