Erin Dickerson’s Prayer
Today’s prayer is inspired by the song “Hard Days” by Brantley Gilbert.
Lord,
We give you thanks for the “hard days.” In those days and seasons of our lives, we discover who we are and whose we are. We grow. We change. We find purpose and meaning. And hopefully become the people and helpers you mean for us to be.
Amen.
Announcements
- Kelly Stone announced that the first planning meeting for the 75th anniversary Great Ohio District Conference will be on Tuesday February 7, 2023. Let her know if you would like to join this committee. CNO is hosting the event and it will be in Dayton.
- Erin Laurito, chair of the Got Talent Contest, announced she has found the committee members she needs. The live contest will be May 3, 2023, and video auditions will be due by April 6, 2023.
- Sarah Umbreit, chair of the Golf Committee, announced the next golf meeting will be on February 15, 2023. They are looking for more committee members and for volunteers for the day of the event.
- Jesse Gaither announced that the next Optimist 2.0 next event is Thursday February 16, 2023 at 5:30 PM. It will be at the Soft Rock Café. Instead of a guest speaker it will be an evening of Karaoke. You don’t have to sing to come, but you can sing if you like!
- Bill Stone announced Arlene Ackerman, Jack Ackerman’s wife, passed on January 30, 2023. She was a charter member of the Kettering Noon Optimist Club.
- Bill Stone, the Governor of the Great Ohio District of OI, announced that the next district conference will be held on February 10th and 11th. The theme is Mardi Gras and there will be a party where you are encouraged to wear your favorite costume and beads. On Saturday there will be an Ohio Exposition of various district clubs showcasing their special events, contests and fundraisers they hold.
Social Events
Euchre Party on Friday 2/24/2023 at 6 PM, get details and signup online here.
Judge Helen Wallace of the Montgomery County Juvenile Court
Debe Dockins introduced Judge Helen Wallace with the Montgomery County Juvenile Court. See Judge Wallace’s complete bio at the end of this article.
Also joining us for lunch today was Eric Shafer, the Montgomery County Court Administrator and Erika Mattingly, the Montgomery County Juvenile Court Public Information Officer.
You can view Judge Wallace’s slide deck here. There are many more details in the slides that are not in this article.
Presentation
Judge Wallace said the Montgomery County Juvenile Court is a large operation.
The court only intervenes when necessary, but sometimes families don’t have the resources to handle their children’s issues. A primary function of the court is to protect the community.
There has been a big rise in property crimes and a surge in car thefts. When they notice patterns of a type of crime, they try to figure out why it is happening and create solutions to reduce the behavior. Sometimes spikes can be social media driven.
The juvenile court handles cases you may expect in adult court. For unwed parents who have split, the juvenile court handles custody and child support issues. There are a lot more parents that don’t get married these days, so juvenile court’s caseload has increased. They will likely need to add a fifth magistrate to handle the increase.
The court has a Citizen Services Office to help those who file without an attorney. They provide free services to the community to ensure filings are in compliance with both local and state rules. It can take months for hearings to be scheduled and they don’t want people turned away for not having the right paperwork.
The court has several diversion programs to help the kids become productive members of society. A lot of kids they see are acting out because they are having issues in school. A learning disability is often the cause and they have a reading screening program to determine if this is the case.
Especially because of the lost years of learning from COVID, Judge Wallace asked if CNO members might want to help children that have fallen behind to catch up.
Being on probation has changed from being punitive to being a social work program. They provide resources to help these children improve their lives. There is an evening program that offers help with home and a meal. The goal is always to help children become contributing members of our community.
If a child is detained in the court’s housing, they go to the court’s school which is well run. It offers structure and the kids respond very well to the structure.
Thank You
Thank you, Judge Helen Wallace, for educating us about the services of the Montgomery County Juvenile Court.
Judge Helen Wallace’s Bio
Prior to being elected as Montgomery County’s first female Juvenile Court Judge, Judge Wallace worked as a prosecutor, defense attorney, guardian ad litem, family law and civil litigation attorney for nearly twenty years. Judge Wallace earned her law degree from George Washington University Law School after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the University of Cincinnati and attending Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. While obtaining her education, Judge Wallace interned for the United States Department of Justice, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Cincinnati Public Defender’s Office and United States Senator John Glenn’s Office.
Judge Wallace secured the H.E.L. P. (Helping Everyone Learn Program) grant from the Ohio Supreme Court in 2019 to take a unique, innovative approach to better understand the needs of a child. The grant funds neuropsychological evaluations on youth before the Court. These evaluations give great insights on behavioral issues and overall brain development. Once issues are identified, the Court works to implement interventions to remediate and teach youth through cognitive behavior instruction and education that is tailored to their needs. Judge Wallace believes this approach will increase success in teaching children and reduce recidivism.
Judge Wallace oversees young adults transitioning from Children Service’s custody to independence. Judge Wallace works with the State of Ohio’s Bridges Program and Children Service’s to ensure that transition plans have been executed for each young adult and that the young adult understands and knows about all the resources available to them.
Judge Wallace created Book Nooks all around the courthouse to promote reading. The Book Nooks provide free books (donated by the community) to all families that enter the Court.
Judge Wallace resides in Washington Township, Ohio with her husband of 24 years. Both Judge Wallace’s children attended Centerville schools, with her son graduating in 2021 (he is now a combat medic in the U.S. Army). Judge Wallace’s daughter is a junior at Centerville High School. In her free time, Judge Wallace loves to spend time with her family, swim, read and hike.
Welcome Guests
| Guest | Guest Of |
| Glen Brendel | Erin Laurito |
| Elyse Higgins | Andy Higgins |
| Greg Hoffbauer | Debe Dockins |
| Mindy Hoffbauer | Debe Dockins |
| Erika Mattingly | Speaker Guest |
| Joseph Patek | Speaker Guest |
| Joseph Patek | Jesse Gaither |
| Ginger Ross | Stan Fronzaglia |
| Eric Shafer | Speaker |
| Helen Wallace | Speaker |
New Member Readings and Inductions
| Name | Sponsor | 1st 2nd 3rd Reading or Induction |
| Glen Brendel | Erin Laurito | 3rd Reading |
| Stephanie Llacuna | Mike Bevis | 2nd Reading |
| Mindy Hoffbauer | Debe Dockins | 2nd Reading |
| Greg Hoffbauer | Debe Dockins | 2nd Reading |
Happy Bucks
| Member | Reason |
| Jesse Gaither | Happy that he can still grow his hair |
| Dave Mitchell | Has a spare ticket for the UD game tonight |
| Mike Creech | Most fined member for the last quarter |
| Mike Bevis | Sarah Umbreit taking over as Chair of the Golf Committee |
| Megan Dalton | Celebrating five months with her great boyfriend |
| Bob Duffy | Didn’t run over a person in the parking lot |
| Bob Collins | $3, his heart adjustment procedure went great yesterday and he is celebrating |
| Deborah Moore | Chiefs beat the Bengals |
Sergeants at Arms
| Member | Infraction |
| Ellie Parker | Has not been been fined for a while |
| Sandy Stevens | Has never been fined |
| Bob Duffy | Wanting the 50/50 tickets mixed up because Scott Langer often wins because he arrives last and his ticket is on top of the pile |
| Chris McAlpine | Wearing a suit |
Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Joined | Years |
| Mike Bevis | January 31, 2002 | 21 |
| Rachel Goetz | January 31, 2013 | 10 |
| Renee Glenn | February 5, 2014 | 9 |
Birthdays
| Karen Sirmans | January 31 |
| Donna Huss | February 1 |
| David Ladd | February 1 |
| Greg Crabtree | February 5 |
| Shelby DiPasquale | February 6 |
| Steve Pitrof | February 6 |
CNO Donations – 2013 through December 2022
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 the Club Received this week