Erin Dickerson’s Prayer
Dear God,
Help us to be more like children. To see the holy in the mundane. To hold the secular and the sacred in the same breath. To let nothing stand between us and You. To know that You are in helplessness and hopelessness the same as You are in faith and healing. Children understand that prayer and conversation with You need no frills, nothing fancy, but to simply be an expression of our hearts.
Amen.
Announcements
- Karen Charnesky announced that the booth for the American Festival on July 4, 2024, needs more volunteers. Sign up using the Member Calendar.
- Joan Cordonnier announced that on June 24, 2024, if you eat at Elsa’s on Wilmington Pike and tell them you support JOI (Junior Optimist International) they will donate a portion of what you spend to JOI.
- Donna Huss asked for members to come and help at St Leonard on June 20, 2024, to make blankets for South Community Behavioral Health Center. If you can use scissors or tie knots, you can help.
- Nancy Lehren announced that the next meeting of the Childhood Health and Wellness committee will be on June 19, 2024 at Panera Bread on Wilmington.
- Greg Wasmund, co-chair of the Americana 5K, announced that they need volunteers for the day of the race that starts at 7:30 AM on July 4, 2024. You can sign up using the Member Calendar.
- Beth Duncan announced that there is a social event on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at LaComedia. There is a brunch buffet before the performance of the “Wizard of Oz.” You are welcome to bring kids and grandkids to this event. Learn more and sign up using the Member Calendar.
Visual Arts Awards
Rachael Goetz, the co-chair of the Visual Arts Contest with Jane Fiehrer, introduced the winners of the Visual Arts contest and gave cash awards. The teachers also received the same amount to spend on their classrooms. The teacher incentive really increased the participation rate in the contest this year.
In the seven and under category, the first-place winner was a kindergartener at Primary Village South. Her teacher, Lindsey Godfrey, came up to congratulate her. The student received a check and a calendar featuring her winning artwork. Her piece was also forwarded to the Optimist International competition.
The second-place winner in the seven and under category was a student from Normandy Elementary. Their teacher, Sarah Clark, attended today’s lunch and she had multiple students place in the contest this year.
The third-place winner for ages seven and under, a student at Cline Elementary, was recognized. Her teacher, Matthew Szozda, was unable to attend.
In the 8-11 age group, the first and second place winners were unable to attend the lunch but planned to be at tonight’s Youth Recognition ceremony.
The third-place winner in the 8-11 category was present to accept his award.
Meet the Members
Joan Cordonnier said today was club day and it will be used to learn more about a couple of members as well as information about CNO 2.0 meetings.
Jeff Busch
Jeff Busch joined CNO in 1998.
Hello, I’m Jeff Busch, a past president. Let me tell you a bit about myself. It’s important to know that I worked in law enforcement for three decades, three years of which were as a deputy in the jail. You can meet some of the nicest people there.
In the early 90s, there was a series of murders in Dayton around Christmas time. I had to babysit Marvallous Keene, the head of the group, in a very close setting. You might also remember a case where a missing child in Dayton was found in a foundry after several days of searching. Her mom was the one who killed her, even though she had been regularly appearing on the news. The child’s name was Samantha Ritchie. I got to book her in because the news wanted to interview her, but she didn’t want to do that.
I joined the Fairborn Police Department in 1974. I was there for nine years, then served as sheriff for 20 years before retiring. My wife and I decided to have a kid, Hunter, whom you’ve seen here a few times. He has a sister who’s 20 years older, so we have a child every 20 years.
After retiring, I took a job as the director of the 911 center in Troy, Miami County, which has a county-wide dispatch center. When you call 911, we dispatch all police and fire services. The first people to help you are the dispatchers, who are often overlooked as first responders.
My exposure to optimism started in 1968 when CNO started the tree lot and my dad took me there to work. My dad, a pastor, was a charter member of the club and he was the president for 1973-74.
I joined the club in 1998 and originally played softball with Tom Frazier on our church team at Southminster. We had a great team, going 22-1. Tom was a really good pitcher, but also my dentist. Once, while getting a filling done, he laid an application on my chest and said, “You don’t get this Novocain unless you fill out the Optimist Club application.”
After being president, I served for a year as a special assistant to the Governor of the Ohio District.
The big picture of a little guy in a cozy coop with a tree on top is Hunter, from about 13 years ago. This year Hunter and I will be at the tree lot at 5:00 in the morning, just like every teenager. We’ll see you there. Thank you.
Tim Clemmer
Tim Clemmer joined CNO in 2001.
Hi everyone, I’m Tim Clemmer. I have been in the club for about 23 years.
I mainly attend the Tuesday noon meetings here, but there are other opportunities to get involved if that time doesn’t work for your schedule. Try a subgroup like CNO 2.0 or the St Leonard Club.
Over the years, I’ve helped run various club events for kids. I ran the Fishing Derby where I would dress up as a pirate. One kid asked if I was dressed like Johnny Depp, I joked “No, Johnny Depp dresses like me!” I also work at the Haunted Trail, giving announcements and rules. It’s a lot of fun. I’ve attended the Safety on Wheels event. And I coach TOP soccer, which is sponsored by the club.
Today many of us are wearing our Flag Day uniforms. Right after today’s meeting, I’m picking up and delivering 38 flags. I’ve also served as Sergeant at Arms, which involves friendly fines as a way to raise money that all goes to support the Optimist International Foundation and children’s programs, which is our core mission as a “Friend of Youth.”
In addition to hands-on volunteering, the club has social events that provide an opportunity to make friends with good people. What I like is that it allows me to give back to the community. It fits my frugal philosophy since the money we raise from the community gets invested right back into the community.
A little about me – I’m retired after a career in tech, including 6 years as a programmer in Huntsville, 25 years at LexisNexis, and 3 years at CVS. In my free time I enjoy biking, hiking and camping out West. As a retiree, I have a lot of time for little projects as well as helping with cooking and cleaning since my wife of 6 years, Christine Clemmer, is still working. We have a couple of daughters nearby.
CNO is a great group of people with a worthwhile mission that I’m able to dedicate more time to in retirement. I look forward to getting to know you all better. Feel free to ask me any questions after the meeting. Thank you!
Greg Fay Started Optimist 2.0
Joan Cordonnier introduced Greg Fay, who instead of giving a Meet the Member talk gave a Meet the Club talk about Optimist 2.0.
Here is a summary of the key points from Greg Fay’s talk about the Optimist 2.0 club:
- About 6-7 years ago, Greg Fay and Jack Anderson wanted to find a way to engage young people in the community: entrepreneurs and professionals who couldn’t attend the regular Tuesday noon Optimist meetings.
- They created Optimist 2.0 as another “door” into the same Optimist club, not as a separate club. Attending either a regular Tuesday meeting or a 2.0 event means you are part of the same club.
- Optimist 2.0 meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 5:30pm at different venues in the community. There is a social time from 5:30-6:00 with appetizers and optional cocktails, followed by announcements, inductions if any, and sometimes a speaker.
- The committee tries to choose interesting new venues to showcase to members and support local businesses. Recent locations have included Brunch Pub and On Par Entertainment, which was a meeting with the Greene Optimist Club. Next we will meet at Meridien in Uptown Centerville on June 20, 2024.
- One unanticipated benefit is that Optimist 2.0 has allowed members who can no longer make the Tuesday meetings due to schedule/location changes to stay engaged with the club.
- Greg encouraged all members to attend an Optimist 2.0 meeting in the next six months and invite others to learn about CNO. The events provide a different, more casual format to be involved with the club’s mission.
Welcome Guests
| Guest | Guest Of |
| Brian Odgers | Mike Bevis |
| Jim Bucher | Scott Langer |
| Karen Myers | Bob Myers |
| Mariann Montgomery | Blanca Criner |
| Wesleigh Cummings | Mike Bevis |
| Julie Sowder | Scott Sowder |
New Member Readings and Inductions
| Name | Sponsor | 1st 2nd 3rd Reading or Induction |
| Marilyn Nagle | Sally Martino | Induction |
| Virginia Tangeman | Sally Martino | Induction |
Happy Bucks
| Member | Reason |
| Evelyn Griffin | $5, Thanks to everyone who helped assemble 125 flags last week. |
Sergeants at Arms
| Member | Infraction |
| Don Kelley | Recently played golf with sergeant Chris McAlpine and didn’t owe the sergeant any money, so he was fined. |
| Scott Langer | Sergeant Chris McAlpine said, “There are so many fines for you, but the real one is for being 10 minutes early.” |
| Julie Rado | She saw two space rockets blast off while on vacation, so pay a $1. |
| Scott Sowder | His introduction of his guest today was far too brief, “This is my wife, Julie Sowder.” |
| Rachael Goetz | The sergeant said, “Your presentation today was great for the Visual Arts Contest and yet you are still fined.” |
Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Joined | Years |
| Sam Pfabe | June 17, 2015 | 9 |
Birthdays
| Mike Wall | June 12 |
| Charla Rheaume | June 16 |
| Deanna Nesbit | June 16 |
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