Erin Dickerson’s Prayer
Lord Our God,
We are all created in your image, yet we have differing talents, abilities, and callings. None of which are superior to another. All of which are needed in this world. Help us to appreciate each other’s uniqueness and to see your image reflected not only in ourselves, but also in all who we encounter.
Amen.
Get to Know Sonja Hertenstein
President Sarah Umbreit interviewed Sonja Hertenstein for this week’s “Get to Know a Member.”
- A CNO fall or winter activity she looks forward to is dressing up and leading the children down the Haunted Trail at the RecPlex.
- Her go-to comfort food is ice cream.
- If she had to form a team with two other members, she would choose her husband, Scott Hertenstein, and Joan Cordonnier, because Joan is fabulous.
Sonja joined CNO on June 4, 2023, sponsored by Mike Bevis.
Happy Birthday Sonja Hertenstein
July 21 happened to be Sonja Hertenstein’s birthday, so Bob Duffy led the club in our traditionally awful rendition of “Happy Birthday.” With the room full of scholarship recipients and their families, President Sarah Umbreit had to reassure the newcomers that the enthusiastic lack of musical talent is a feature of the club, not a warning sign. Happy birthday, Sonja!
Announcements
Member Directory Update and Headshots
The member directory is being updated for next year. Please send your submissions to Greg Griffin no later than August 24, 2026. Julie Walling Noeth will also take free headshots for the directory at the Tuesday meeting on August 4, from 11:00 AM until lunch and again after lunch until 1:30 PM in the lobby.
Club Picnic on August 18
Debe Dockins announced that the club’s summer picnic will be held during the regular Tuesday meeting on August 18, 2026. Instead of the usual Yankee Park location, the club will gather at the A-Frame by the RecPlex so members can see the fishing dock their fundraising helped build. The club will still honor Margaret Barclay, and the menu features Lee’s Famous Recipe chicken and Whit’s Frozen Custard. Debe could use extra help setting up tables and chairs.
National Night Out and Summer Night Lights
Andy Higgins shared two August events. The first Tuesday in August, August 4, is National Night Out at Stubbs Park from 5:00 to 8:30 PM. That Saturday, August 8, is Summer Night Lights at Centerville High School, a volleyball clinic the club supported with a $2,000 donation to the girls’ volleyball team. Admission is $5, and the event is a fundraiser for the kids. The club will set up a booth to talk about CNO and preview the mental health event launching in September at both events.
Childhood Health and Wellness Lunches
Carol Smerz and the Childhood Health and Wellness Committee are providing lunches for the summer program at Chevy Chase at noon on Wednesday (7/22/26) and Friday (7/24/26), working with Southbrook Church and other partners. Any member who would like to see the children in action is welcome to come and help.
Big Backyard Party
Erin Dickerson announced that volunteers are needed for the Big Backyard Party on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Oak Grove Park. Volunteers will help at a casting station, where there are no hooks, no worms, and no live fish, and at an ambassador station, where they will talk about the club and lead a craft for the children. Shifts run from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Please sign up using the Member Calendar.
Kids Day in the Park
Bob Lawson announced that Kids Day in the Park will take place on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Delco Park, where area Optimist clubs gather. He still needs several volunteers to help hand out prizes and run the games. Please sign up using the Member Calendar.
Memorial Educational Assistance Awards 2026
Gary Smiga, who chairs the committee, presented this year’s Centerville Noon Optimist Club Memorial Educational Assistance Awards. The scholarships are given in memory of individuals who passed away while active members of the club, people who exemplified what it means to give back to the community through their service and character. Gary read the names of those remembered and asked the club to join him in a moment of silence.
- Tom Frazier – 1994
- Tom Craig – 1994
- Denise Goeckel – 1998
- Dick Lewin – 2002
- Corwin Robinson – 2005
- Steve Fisher – 2007
- Dave Petree – 2007
- Jim Hawley – 2010
- Margaret Barclay – 2010
- Tom Gravlin – 2013
- Terry Blair – 2014
- Dave Milam – 2014
- Ken Bluhm – 2015
- John Hughes – 2015
- Mike Hayes – 2015
- Wes Hamdan – 2016
- Tim Gibson – 2017
- Linda Fisher – 2017
- Brent Moore – 2018
- Chuck Dickerson – 2018
- Ed Case – 2019
- Jeff Brown – 2020
- Jim Schumacher – 2020
- Don Wildenhaus – 2020
- Tom Brozich – 2021
- Gary Aiken – 2021
- “Phather” Phil Robinson – 2021
- Dick Lee – 2021
- Will Cale – 2022
- Kathy McAlpine – 2022
- Joe Madden – 2023
- Louise Haun – 2023
- Kent Loose – 2023
- Julie Lafferty – 2024
- Pam Truitt – 2024
- David Duncombe – 2025
- Gary Hansen – 2025
- Ruth Young – 2025
- Gay Miller – 2025
- Greg Crabtree – 2025
- John Horner – 2025
- Shirley Kuhn – 2025
- Dennis Dockins – 2025
- Roy Barclay – 2025
- Mary Madden – 2025
- Paula Kalaman – 2025
- John Kalaman – 2026
- Geoff Darr – 2026
About the Awards
Gary reviewed the qualifications for the award. Each recipient must be a graduating high school senior who will attend a college or university offering a two- or four-year degree through an accredited program, be a resident of Centerville or Washington Township, have a strong record of community service, and demonstrate financial need as affirmed by the FAFSA. Gary recognized the committee that read the applications and made the selections: Bob Duffy, Erin Laurito, Stephanie Llacuna, Cadance Lowell, and Roberta Taylor. He also thanked the Board of Directors for budgeting the funds and the entire club membership, whose work on fundraisers such as Christmas Trees, the Avenue of Flags, and the Tom Frazier Tee Off for Youth Golf Outing makes the program possible. Each first-year recipient receives a $2,500 check toward the cost of attendance at the school they have chosen.
Before reading their essays, the students addressed the question, “Why is it important that community members provide service to youth, and what is the high school student’s role in providing such service?”
Jack Archibald
Jack Archibald graduated from Alter High School with a 3.77 GPA. His activities included Alter Soccer, where he served on the Senior Leadership Council, the National Honor Society, German Club, where he served as President, Alter Scholars, Key Club, coaching CYO Basketball and Volleyball, and Bible Camp. He has worked at Kettering Health, Whit’s Frozen Custard, and the 5 Seasons pool. Jack will attend Heidelberg University to play soccer and hopes to become a Nurse and eventually, a Nurse Anesthetist. He thanked his mother, Jessica Archibald, for supporting him endlessly.
Summary of the essay Jack read: Jack argued that community members play an important role in helping young people grow into responsible, confident adults. When teachers, coaches, neighbors, and volunteers give their time and support, they create a safe, positive environment where children can learn new skills and make good decisions. He said high school students have their own part to play by volunteering and helping younger students, pointing to his school’s food-packaging project for people facing hunger in Lesotho as proof that youth can make a difference both at home and around the world. In the end, he said, communities and their youth depend on one another.
Braelynn Brown
Braelynn Brown graduated from Centerville High School with a 4.5088 GPA. Her activities included Wrestling and Volleyball, where she served as team Captain, the National Honor Society, Airman’s Attic, and Key Club. She explained that Airman’s Attic, on base at Wright-Patterson, stocks shelves and provides free items to military families. Braelynn has worked at Tannenberg Pet Resort and Better Blend. She will attend Ohio Northern University and hopes to work in the field of Mechanical Engineering. She thanked her mother, Samantha Corino.
Summary of the essay Braelynn read: Braelynn described service to youth as a necessity that lays the foundation for a healthy and stable society. She said community support creates a cycle of growth and shared responsibility, and that young people, as the most vulnerable members of a community, need guidance to become well-rounded individuals. Drawing on her own experience of being supported through difficult times, she said that support shaped her into a leader who shows kindness and gives back, and she encouraged people of every age to take part in serving youth.
Alyssa Chenoweth
Alyssa Chenoweth graduated from Centerville High School a year ago with a 4.3 GPA. She deferred her first-year award to serve in the National Guard full time for a year, and she will continue her Guard service on weekends while in college. Alyssa will attend Penn State Behrend and plans to become a police officer, specifically a Crime Scene Investigator. She was unable to attend the meeting.
Calder Ellis
Calder Ellis graduated from Centerville High School with a 4.72 GPA. His activities included Elk Connectors, Cross Country, where he served as a Co-Captain, Track and Tield, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Student Council, where he served as Business Manager and Treasurer, the Spanish and National Honor Societies, Spirit Chain, Safetyville Square, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, for which he raised over $30,000. Through Student Council’s Spirit Chain, he helped set a school record of over $100,000 for local charities. Calder will attend The Ohio State University to study Biology and hopes to become a research scientist. He thanked his parents, Lori and Corey Ellis.
Summary of the essay Calder read: Calder said service to youth matters because today’s young people will one day become the future leaders of the world, and giving them opportunities, wisdom, and direction helps them become the best versions of themselves. He noted that a single act of service can give a struggling young person a more optimistic outlook, and that service benefits the whole community, not just the child. Service can take many forms beyond volunteering, he said, from mentoring and building awareness to fundraising or simply using one’s own skills to help others, and he reminded the club that serving others is more about them than about yourself.
Ellen Erwin
Ellen Erwin graduated from Centerville High School with a 4.76 GPA. Her activities included Volleyball, where she served as a Captain, Track and Field, the Spanish and National Honor Societies, the Marketing program and DECA, where she served as President, BOLD, SADD, and the CARE team, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Lunch Buddies. She described BOLD’s workshops that help younger students navigate unsafe situations at home, and SADD’s mock car crash, staged before prom, that shows students the consequences of drunk driving. Ellen ran her own lawn-mowing business and worked as a babysitter. She will attend The Ohio State University and hopes to become a Business Administrator working in International Affairs. She thanked her parents, Emily and Robert Erwin.
Summary of the essay Ellen read: Ellen said community members must serve youth because young people are the next generation of leaders, and the skills they build at an early age are the ones that show up most later in life. When high school students serve, she said, they strengthen their own character while showing younger students what a good example looks like. She stressed that not every child has a supportive home, which makes it all the more important for students to step up, and she pointed to the many clubs, tutoring programs, and coaching opportunities in Centerville that make service easy. Consistent service, she concluded, creates a cycle of leadership that keeps inspiring future generations.
Oluwatosin Tayo-Ayorinde
Oluwatosin Tayo-Ayorinde, who invited the club to call her Tosin, graduated from Centerville High School with a 4.24 GPA. Her activities included Cancer Kids First, where she served as President, the Career Tech Program, the Black Cultural Alliance, Sending Sunshine, where she served as Vice President, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and the Centerville High School Focus Group. She explained that Sending Sunshine writes letters to elderly residents in nursing homes. Oluwatosin worked as a tutor at Kumon and as a babysitter. She will attend the University of Dayton, majoring in Pre-Med with a minor in Neuroscience, and plans to attend medical school.
Summary of the essay Oluwatosin read: Oluwatosin said the strength of a community can be measured by how well it supports its youth. Mentorship and structured programs, she said, build resilience and confidence in young people and help them perform better academically and socially. High school students have a crucial role because their closeness in age makes them effective role models who can guide younger students’ choices. Through community service, from volunteering at food banks to taking part in environmental clean-ups, students make a positive impact while developing leadership and communication skills of their own.
Renewals
The first-year awards are renewable for a second year for students who show continued financial need, stay involved in school, community, or faith-based activities, and maintain a grade point average of at least a 3.0. Three recipients from last year met all the renewal requirements, and each received a $2,500 check toward the cost of attendance.
Erich Biermann
Erich Biermann completed his first year at The Ohio State University with a 3.948 GPA and 72 credit hours (30 earned, 19 from Sinclair Community College, 6 from Wright State University, 3 from Career Tech, and 14 from Advanced Placement), majoring in Exercise Science with a minor in Human Nutrition. During the year he took part in Buck-I-Serv Day, assisted the Ohio State Swim Club and the Arnold Sports Classic, and volunteered at the Buckeye 4-Miler community race. He thanked his parents, Karl and Lana Biermann.
Maggie Denlinger
Maggie Denlinger completed her first year at the University of Dayton with a 3.9 GPA and 94 credit hours (31 earned, 57 from Sinclair Community College, and 6 from Advanced Placement), majoring in Political Science with a minor in International Studies, Religious Studies, and Theology. She volunteered on the Campus Activity Board and its Late-Night Committee, served as a Eucharistic Minister with Campus Ministry, was inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, and walked on to the Division I Rowing team. She thanked her mother, Emily Denlinger.
Andi Yost
Andi Yost completed her first year at Wright State University with a 3.516 GPA and 31 credit hours, majoring in Nursing. She was part of the school’s Psychology Club and Hand to Hunger, which packs meals and decorates holiday treats for people who are underprivileged, and she serves as a preschool and infant teacher. She thanked her mother, Jennifer Yost.
A Message to the Scholars
Before the checks were handed out, Gary paused to tell the students about the club he has been part of for so long. He explained that the Centerville Noon Optimist Club, formed in the late 1960s, has grown into what he believes is still the largest Optimist club anywhere, and that its motto, “Friend of Youth,” made it an easy club for him to join as an educator and a meaningful one for the many members who are not teachers but who work hard on behalf of young people.
Gary then borrowed a message from a recent club speaker, University of Dayton women’s basketball coach Tamika Williams-Jeter, built around the word WIN. The W stands for work hard: he urged the students to outwork their competition in a fast-changing world where no one yet knows how much Artificial Intelligence will reshape the jobs ahead. The I stands for integrity, which he defined, as he once did in his own talks to the National Honor Society, as doing what is right when no one is watching. The N stands for no excuses: when something does not go well, he told them, analyze it honestly, own it, and rise up from there.
Gary closed by telling the students he had no worries about any of the nine recipients making a difference in the world. President Sarah Umbreit then presented each student with a $2,500 check.
New Member Readings and Inductions
- David Giffin, Third Reading, sponsored by Erin Giffin
- John Walter, First Reading, sponsored by Larry Lynde
- Jon Hazelton, First Reading, sponsored by Bob Duffy
Happy Bucks
There was no time for happy bucks this week.
Sergeants-at-Arms Fines: Jeff Busch and Mike Thonnerieux
There was no time for fines this week.
Welcome Guests
| Guest | Guest Of |
| Jack Archibald | Program |
| Jessica Archibald | Program |
| Lana Biermann | Program |
| Karl Biermann | Program |
| Erich Biermann | Program |
| Braelynn Brown | Program |
| Samantha Corino | Program |
| Emily Denlinger | Program |
| Maggie Denlinger | Program |
| Corey Ellis | Program |
| Lori Ellis | Program |
| Calder Ellis | Program |
| Emily Erwin | Program |
| Robert Erwin | Program |
| Ellen Erwin | Program |
| Oluwatosin Tayo-Ayorinde | Program |
| Jennifer Yost | Program |
| Andi Yost | Program |
| Ava Hung | Art Hung |
| Bill Meredith | Stan F |
| Jeff Kern | Mike Bevis |
| John Walter | Larry Lynde |
| Jon Hazelton | Bob Duffy |
| Lucas Dice | Gail Aiken |
| Ron Mershon | Mike Bevis |
| Caroline Comer | Cindy Gaboury |
Club Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Joined | Years |
| John Sherman | July 24, 2009 | 17 |
| Zachary Winning | July 24, 2024 | 2 |
| David Brookman | July 27, 2011 | 15 |
| Jim Long | July 27, 2015 | 11 |
Birthdays
| Sonja Hertenstein | July 21 |
| Steve Rau | July 23 |
| Cindy Lowndes | July 23 |
| Laraine Butkus | July 23 |
| Mike Yoder | July 24 |
| Rebekah Buck | July 26 |
| Jerry Stahley | July 27 |
| Katie Calloway | July 27 |
| Bob Thomas | July 27 |
Thank You Notes Received this Week
No Thank You Notes Received this week
Links to PowerPoint and Pictures
CLICK HERE to see the PowerPoint Slide Deck from this week’s meeting