Erin Dickerson’s Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Life is unfair. While some of your children seem to never be able to catch a break, others appear to skate through life with only minor bumps and bruises. We may struggle to understand why and keep faith, but deep down we know you love and care for us all. Help us to serve as examples of your love and light, not only for our own sake, but for the sake of others.
Amen
Joan Cordonnier as Co-President of the TOP Optimist Club
Joan said that she attended the TOP Optimist Club meeting last night. Just like last week, she was co-president with Elyse Higgins, but this time at the TOP meeting.
She said attending their meeting was an awesome experience.
Joan highly suggests that you go visit one of their meetings. TOP Optimist members would really appreciate seeing our faces. They do so many things to help our club, so let’s try and go to some of their meetings.
Announcements
- Joan Cordonnier said that she has been volunteering at Driscol Elementary. She has a 30-minute meeting with her assigned student twice a week with the goal of building a relationship. She has helped him study and to organize his locker. Contact Joan if you have any questions or need help getting involved.
- Nancy Lehren said the next Build-a-Bear will be on April 17, 2024, at the YWCA downtown, which helps women and children who are victims of domestic abuse. The time is from 4 PM to 6 PM. Sign up using the Member Calendar. Another Build-a-Bear will be May 17, 2024 at South Community Behavioral Health Center.
- Diane Arehart announced that the CNO 2.0 meeting on 4/18/2024 will be a joint meeting with the Greene Optimist Club and will be held at On Par Entertainment across from the Greene Shopping Center.
- Jane Fiehrer announced that the 2024 Visual Arts contest is open until April 15, 2024. Let young people and parents of young people know about the contest for drawings and paintings. Details are on the website.
- Bob Lawson announced that Family Adventure Day at RecPlex will be on April 27, 2024. They need people to give out information about CNO and to help teach casting and no worms are involved. Sign up using the Member Calendar.
- Debe Dockins announced that the Region 3 Oratorical Contest will be held 4/10/2024 at Woodbourne Library. Two winners will move on to the Ohio District contest.
Social Events for 2024
- Saturday, May 4 – Derby Party at Audio Etc. 5-8 pm
- Sunday, June 30 – La Comedia Dinner Theater – Wizard of Oz – Brunch – 10:30 am
- Friday, July 26th Euchre at Contemporoast – 6:30 pm
- Saturday, August 24th – Summer Party at Bill & Kelly Stone Home – Time TBD
- Tuesday, September 24th – Installation Dinner at Presidential Banquet Center – 6:00 pm
- October – Bourbon Trail Bus Trip – Date TBD
- Saturday, November 23 – Chili/Soups at Tree Lot 8:30 am
- Tuesday, December 10 – Christmas Party at Sycamore Creek Country Club – 6:00 pm
Meet the Members
Today was meet the members day. Joan Cordonnier introduced Maha Kashani, Vida McDowell, Phil Speelman and Jim Mogan.
Maha Kashani and Vida McDowell
Vida: Hi everyone, I’m Vida McDowell and this is Maha Kashani. We’re really excited to share our perspectives on Iran, our native country, with you today.
As I mentioned, we’re from two different generations with quite contrasting experiences growing up in Iran. I came to the United States when I was 15 years old back when Iran was still under the imperialistic government of the Shah and his Queen. They were really striving to westernize the country back then.
I was raised watching dubbed American shows like Perry Mason and doing western activities like ice skating.
At the time they sent the brightest young minds to places like America to learn and bring that knowledge back home.
Maha: Yes, that push to send students abroad was a big program under the Shah’s reign. My father actually came to America that way to attend university. But then around the time of the Iranian Revolution, my grandmother fell very ill, so my father had to return to Iran to care for her.
Unlike Vida’s upbringing, I was born after the 1979 Islamic Revolution when everything changed. The new religious government wanted to abolish all the westernization efforts and shift back to strict fundamentalist Islamic values.
I actually have a pretty dramatic story – my mom’s family, being of Iranian descent despite living in Iraq, got exiled by Saddam Hussein during the war between Iran and Iraq. They showed up at our door, put us in a van, and dropped us off at the Iranian border. We arrived with nothing, not even a home since ours got bombed the day before we were supposed to move in.
Vida: While my experience involved learning about and embracing Western culture, Maha’s life took an extremely isolated turn after the Revolution. The religious extremists cracked down hard, forcing rules like mandatory hijabs.
Maha: One time my mother got beaten up on the streets for not having her hair fully covered. That incident, seeing that religious extremism seeping into Tehran, was the final straw that made my parents decide to leave everything in Iran and move our family to America when I was just a kid. Our worlds were night and day different.
Vida: Despite that vast cultural shift, so many fundamental pieces remain. The language we know, Farsi, is still Iran’s national language. The incredible history, arts and poetry are available. You can enjoy the amazing Persian cuisines. These core pieces unite every Iranian’s experience.
We may have had polar opposite upbringings, but that interwoven, rich heritage is something we both cherish deeply. Iran stood as the “Paris of the Middle East” for decades – a stunning, contemporary, cultural hub unlike anywhere else in the region.
Maha: Now the current regime has forced Iran back into an isolated, oppressive state. Currently 80% of Iranians are from a younger generation – they’ve had a taste of that Persian Renaissance and connection to the world. Despite the violent crackdowns, they are thirsty for positive change.
We don’t expect the extremist religious rule to have a permanent hold. This younger generation understands there is a different way. Through access to technology, they have gotten glimpses of how they’ve been cut off from advancements. Vida and I are hopeful they will be the catalysts to eventually restore Iran to its glorious days of growth and openness.
Phil Speelman
Hey everyone, Phil Speelman here. For years, I had heard from Stan Fronzaglia and Dr. Dan Passidomo about the great work the Optimist Club does in our community. Stan explained various committees I could join to help CNO support our community. It was something I was interested in getting involved with, but my hectic work schedule made it difficult to commit the time.
You see, I spent over 30 years working in the automotive industry – first at General Motors, then Delphi, and finally at Vanguard Products. I was an engineer, working on developing new designs and validating programs. With advancements in technology, what used to take 4-5 years to complete was being crunched into less than half that timeframe. It was an extremely competitive field, which created a lot of stress.
Then COVID hit right when I was starting on a huge new program. My whole team got laid off and suddenly I was putting in 80-90 hour weeks trying to keep up with customer demands and deadlines. It was insane.
Ironically, during that same stressful period, my wife was able to take advantage of the school shutdowns to pursue becoming a certified hypnotist – something she had wanted to do for a long time. Seeing how overworked and stressed I was, she thought I was going to have a heart attack! So, she started practicing hypnosis on me even before getting certified.
The results were profound. I was blown away and knew I had to learn hypnotherapy myself to be able to help others the way it helped me. In October, 2021, I completed my hypnotherapy certification.
Since then, I’ve been working with clients one-on-one to help them overcome challenges like imposter syndrome, fears, grieving, stress, anxiety and more. One client who was applying for a fire chief position was able to nail the interviews after our sessions. Another client who hated running was training to be a police officer – he ended up leading his group runs and pushing people to keep up!
Hypnosis isn’t mind control at all. It’s simply relaxing the conscious mind so I can communicate with the subconscious, which is always running in the background recording everything. In that open state, we can help people make profound changes to things like phobias, addictions, and mindset patterns holding them back.
My personal passion is using hypnotherapy to empower young athletes to unlock their full potential. I want to remove self-doubt, rebuild their confidence, and help them become the best they can be in pursuing their athletic dreams.
Last year, when my company went through workforce reductions, it allowed me the flexibility to finally connect with Stan about joining the Optimist Club. After learning more about it over a two-hour meeting, I was sold.
I’ve always enjoyed being involved in programs that help better the community, whether coaching youth sports or volunteering with the Boy Scouts. Unfortunately, my past work schedule prevented me from doing more. But now I have the opportunity to put my passion for helping others to good use with this great organization.
Thanks for letting me share my story and background with you all today. I’m excited to be part of the Optimist Club and to find ways I can contribute. Please let me know if you ever want to learn more about the potential of hypnotherapy!
Jim Mogan
Hi everyone, Jim Mogan here. Joan gave me just a few minutes to share some stories from my decades of leading group travel adventures all over the globe. Where do I even begin?
I got my start in the travel business at just 14 years old, working for Barney Rapp and Ruby Wright of Ruth Lyons TV show fame. My identical twin brother and I lost our dad when we were only four, so Barney was like a father figure. On my very first trip I was helping serve beer to passengers on a bus trip to St. Louis – you’ve got to start somewhere!
Barney loved practical jokes and once bought just one train ticket for my brother and I to go to California. He told us if one of us could dodge the conductor the whole way, he’d pay up. Being little 85- pound kids, we hid out in the baggage area above the seats to pull it off.
After Barney passed away in 1970, I took over leading the tours. My first big group was 650 people on a baseball spring training trip to Tampa in 1971. People didn’t think it would go well without Barney, but we pulled it off even though I was making it up as I went!
My travels have taken me all over and I’ve had so many unforgettable experiences. In Egypt one of the popular tourist activities is to bribe camel handlers to let you get on a camel for pictures…and then you need to really bribe them again to let you off!
My favorite destinations to revisit are Ireland, where I’ve been 36 times leading tours, and New Zealand for the stunning scenery.
I’ll never forget when my prankster pal at Provident Travel bet me $100 that I wouldn’t go in the water, wear shorts, and drink a beer when we were in Australia. Well, he got me with that one – I did it and he had to pay up!
Some travels have been more serious, too. Many times, I’ve had to escort people to hospitals in different countries when they were injured or ill. But a $20 bill works wonders to get you rushed to the front of the line.
I’ve met so many wonderful people on these group trips over the decades. For someone who never intended to go into travel, it became my unexpected calling in life. I’m truly grateful for all the amazing experiences. Thanks for letting me share a few highlights today!
Thank You
Thank you, Maha Kashani, Vida McDowell, Phil Speelman and Jim Mogan, for telling part of your stories so we can get to know you better.
Welcome Guests
| Guest | Guest Of |
| Andrew Nathan | Roland Rapp |
| Ashley Campbell | Maha Kashani |
| Bill Carroll | Nancy Lehren |
| Byron Wade | Ron Thompson |
| Caroline Liebl | Bob Duffy |
| Jane Herman | Stand Fronzaglia |
| Jeff Powell | Jackie Powell |
| John Miller | Dve Mitchell |
| Pam Carroll | Nancy Lehren |
| Vicki Thompson | Ron Thompson |
New Member Readings and Inductions
| Name | Sponsor | 1st 2nd 3rd Reading or Induction |
| Byron Wade | Ron Thompson | 2nd Reading |
| Andrew Nathan | Roland Rapp | 3rd Reading |
| Vicki Thompson | Ron Thompson | 3rd Reading |
| Jane Herman | Stan Fronzaglia | 3rd Reading |
| Jessie Kuhn | Mike Bevis | 3rd Reading |
Happy Bucks
| Member | Reason |
| Stephanie Llacuna | Therapeutic Riding Institute was nominated with three others for the BBB Torch Award. |
| Stephanie Llacuna | Therapeutic Riding Institute is holding Derby Fest. It is a free sensory-friendly event for all families on May 4, 2024 from 11 to 2. |
| Charlie Goodwin | Just returned from 3 weeks with his son in Antarctica and southern Argentina. They saw all kinds of whales, penguins and seals. He has now visited all seven continents. |
| Phil Speelman | His son and girlfriend are engaged to be married. |
| Andy Higgins | His daughter Elyse has not come down from the cloud she has been on from last week as co-president with Joan. |
| Tom Novak | Happy for the return of Jackie Powell and Jeff Powell to Centerville after staying warm in Texas for four months while we all froze. |
| Ellie Parker | She said, “Just because.” |
| Nancy Lehren | Happy Purdue was in the final game of the March Madness Basketball Tournament. |
| Joan Cordonnier | Happy that Ellie Parker was at today’s meeting. |
| Bob Duffy | His granddaughter Grace is graduating from college next Saturday. |
Sergeants at Arms
| Member | Infraction |
| Scott Langer | Made a smart aleck comment about Purdue losing to UConn last night for the final game of the March Madness Basketball Tournament. |
| Ron Thompson | His new member readings were too long. Shouldn’t the sergeants tell us all that we are on the clock when we introduce our newest members to their new friends? |
| Sue Jessee | She used the force when choosing her 50/50 ticket. |
| Stan Fronzaglia | Confusing his guest with Al Gore. |
Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Joined | Years |
| Ron Tinnerman | April 11, 2005 | 19 |
| Judy Johnson | April 11, 2022 | 2 |
| Jenna Robbins | April 11, 2022 | 2 |
Birthdays
| Erin Belangia-Sanchez | April 9 |
| Kelly Davis | April 9 |
| Steve Kohls | April 12 |
| Rick Talda | April 13 |
| Emily Duke | April 14 |
| Jessica Wagner | April 14 |
| Sharon Baker | April 15 |
CNO Donations – Since 2013
Click here to see a summary of donations the club has made since 2013
Thank You Notes Received this week
CLICK HERE to see the Thank You Notes we received this week