Phil Holmblade introduced our speaker for the morning, Sharri Newman. She is the Program Director for the Flint/Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Youth Quest. More detailed information about the program can be found at their nicely designed and easy to navigate website http://www.yquest.org/.

YouthQuest is a free, innovative after school enrichment program for youth in Genesee County, Michigan, managed by the Flint and Genesee Chamber of Commerce (FGCC). Currently the are located in 16 schools in Carman-Ainsworth and Flint. YouthQuest is made possible through the generous support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, along with additional funding through donations.

The mission of YouthQuest is to provide children with opportunities to grow through safe, engaging and exciting after school learning experiences, surrounded with caring, responsible adults and sustained by an involved, contributing community. The program typically operates 3 hours per day, Monday – Thursday, usually between 2-7 PM.

We are looking for vendors (persons or organizations that provide a paid service at any YouthQuest site) who will help us to accomplish this mission by aligning safe, engaging and exciting learning experiences with our core program objectives:

• Traditional academic support (experiences focused on literacy, math, science, or social studies)
• Exploratory academic support (experiences that engage two or more of the traditional academic subjects)
• Enrichment through:
  • Visual arts
  • Performing arts
• Personal / individual physical fitness / sports / recreation
• Team physical fitness / sports / recreation
• Nutrition education
• Youth development: life skills, career awareness, technology, character education, or leadership
• Family involvement
• Service projects

The program also includes TeenQuest, which is a free after school pre-employment and leadership school. Sharri is a very busy woman as she plans all kinds of activities to help coordinate the training for kids to match the needs of the business community. There are all kinds of vendor trips, field trips, leadership and nutrition education. The kids are taught how to run a meeting and other social skills. They are required to do 5 service projects /year. Her service provides help for around 2000 kids/day. There are 1,650 kids in the summer program K-12^th grade. They also provide skilled trades training for those interested in those fields. As a reward for the kids having excellent attendance, they are rewarded with a trip to Mackinaw Island.

We really want to thank Sharri for meeting with us this morning and for all the great work she is doing to help the kids of Genesee County. Her presentation was very informative.

There were 25 Optimists gathered for breakfast this morning. It is always fun and uplifting to start our Thursdays out with this group. After Jeff got done selling his eggs he had enough money to buy the crown for $1.00. Floyd won the 50/50 and promised to try to be there next week to sell tickets.

Our next board meeting will be July 9 at 6:00 pm at the Bridge. Hope all officers can make it.

The Flint Olympian Golf Tournament will be July 24 at Brookwood. The cost is $80.00/player or $320/4 man team.

More ticket stubs were turned in for our 31 Day Raffle. Please turn the stubs in as you sell the tickets. The Raffle starts Wednesday, July 1st. Contact Jeff Dennings.

Reminders

• 31 Day Raffle starts July 1st so turn Money and Ticket Stubs in ASAP
• Board Meeting 6:00 PM July 9th @ The Bridge
• Flint Olympian Golf Tournament July 24th @ Brookwood

Hope to see everyone next Thursday. In the meantime live life with an optimistic attitude.

Ken Cullen

Phil introduced Marcia Franks from the Robert E. Weiss Child Advocacy Center. She is the Interim Executive Director of the center. Child abuse and neglect are serious problems in Genesee County. There are 2000 confirmed cases every year. 90% are perpetrated by caregivers. The incidence of child abuse and neglect in the US is ten times higher than incidence of all forms of cancer. Sustained stress in childhood has lifelong impacts on the brain and body. The total yearly cost of each abused and neglected child in the US is $63,871.00. Children need adults to protect them. They need someone who will plead for them and will take their side. The center provides a court appointed special advocate to speak for the child’s best interest.

Thank you Marcia for all the good information. What you are doing has a real impact for the children of Genesee County. To learn more about the Weiss Advocacy visit their website at http://www.weissadvocacycenter.org/.

There were only 15 members present to enjoy our breakfast and fellowship this morning. We missed all of you who could not be there. Hope to see you next week!

We had 18 gathered together for our breakfast. As usual the room was full of conversation until President Jack called the meeting to order and asked Greg to pray. It is nice when everyone says “amen” but it seems to be only to let everyone know that Greg is done praying.

Ken outbid everyone for the crown with a bid of $1.10. Upon receiving the crown he immediately fined everyone for being so cheap as not to bid more than this meager amount. Jeff reported on the good things learned at the Leadership Conference. The club voted to keep pancakes as one of the options for breakfast.

The Flint Olympian Golf Tournament will be July 24 at Brookwood. The cost is $80.00/player or $320/4 man team.

More ticket stubs were turned in for our 31 Day Raffle. Please turn the stubs in as you sell the tickets and more importantly get more tickets to sell if you have sold out or are close to selling out. Contact Jeff Dennings if you don’t have a packet of tickets.

Reminders

• 31 Day Raffle starts July 1st so turn Money and Ticket Stubs in ASAP
• Board Meeting 6:00 PM July 9th @ The Bridge
• Flint Olympian Golf Tournament July 24th @ Brookwood

Hope to see everyone next week. Have a very special and optimistic week.

Ken Cullen

Phil Holmblade introduced our guest speaker Dave Geiger. He is the Mundy Township Supervisor. He was Police Chief for 20 years and retired in 2006. He then was elected Treasurer and then Supervisor. Mundy Township and Swartz Creek are working together to coordinate their police departments. Swartz Creek has 7 officers and Mundy Township has 15. Dave has worked to develop the MVP (Mundy Volunteer Program). The volunteers have to attend Citizen Police Academy. It is a program to train volunteers to assist officer to take care of blight, vacation homes check, handicap parking tickets, lawns mowed and windows boarded up on abandoned homes. Dave was very helpful in explaining all the benefits in the changes he has helped to develop as the Supervisor.

There were only 15 members present to enjoy our breakfast and fellowship this morning. We missed all of you who could not be there. Hope to see you next week!

Lynn Eastman bought the crown for $2.00. He said he will not be here to bid next week so he went crazy! We found out later that Stephanie Eastman wanted to see her name in the newsletter, so that was the true reason that Lynn was willing to bid so much.

The fundraiser committee met after breakfast. The board will meet tonight at 6:00 pm at the Bridge. Hope all officers can make it. The people who helped on the Miracle Children’s Network program Sunday raised $73,074 during their time on the phones. Next week at the breakfast meeting we are going to vote on whether we should drop pancakes from our menu to be replaced by a sausage omelet. Let’s all try to be there for our voice to be heard. The Boys and Girls Club Youth Appreciation is next Wednesday at 12:00 noon. The Flint Olympian Golf Tournament will be July 24 at Brookwood. The cost is $80.00/player or $320/4 man team.

More ticket stubs were turned in for our 31 Day Raffle. Please turn the stubs in as you sell the tickets and more importantly get more tickets to sell if you have sold out or are close to selling out. Contact Jeff Dennings if you don’t have a packet of tickets.

Reminders

• Board Meeting 6:00 PM June 11th @ The Bridge
• Optimist Leadership Conference June 13th
• Boys and Girls Club Youth Appreciation 12:00 PM June 17th @ Boys and Girls Club Flint
• Flint Olympian Golf Tournament July 24th @ Brookwood

Hope to see everyone next week. Until then live with an optimistic attitude.

Ken Cullen

Geri Poage was our speaker this morning. She is a health coach representing Take Shape for Life. She helps people lose weight through good health habits of enough sleep, lots of water, moving, being energetic and eating right. There meal replacements and you eat one every 2-3 hours. Then you have a healthy evening meal. Once you reach your target weight there is a maintenance program to help maintain your weight. It costs approximately $11.00/day to replace 5 meals. It also includes resistance training and exercise.

Geri is quitting social work to work with Dave Crabill and work helping people lose weight. On Sept. 3 she will be participating in a health fair in Lapeer. There will be vendors there to promote healthy mind, body and finances.

We had a great group of guys gather for breakfast and fellowship this morning. Jeff Dennings bought the crown for only $1.00. This Sunday at 8:00 AM is the Children’s Miracle Network. We have a good number of members signed up to be there and answer phones and represent our club. Next Thursday after our breakfast the fund raiser committee will meet. Then our board will meet at 6:00 PM at the Bridge. The Leadership Summit is 5/13 and Jack Proffett and Jeff Dennings will be attending. Art Ridley won the 50/50.

A few ticket stubs were turned in for our 31 Day Raffle. Please turn the stubs in as you sell the tickets and more importantly get more tickets to sell if you have sold out or are close to selling out. Contact Jeff Dennings if you don’t have a packet of tickets.

We are adding photos to the online directory of members on OptimistsInAction.com. Please show up on June 11th with the clothes on that you would like in your picture. Pictures will be taken and added to the web directory.

Reminders

• Children’s Miracle Network June 7th 8:00 AM
• Optimist Leadership Conference June 13th

Hope everyone has a great week and look forward to seeing all this Thursday.

Keep optimistic!!

Ken Cullen

There were 8 speakers at the Oratorical Contest at the Boys and Girls Club. The first and second place winners were unavailable to attend the next competition in Clarkston so the third place winner was offered the opportunity. Pete Venos made a passionate plea for all club members to be involved in the outreach activities wherever and whenever they can.

VERY IMPORTANT: Next week, April 2nd, we are going to have a discussion regarding the possibilities for our new location. If you have ideas about where to go, please go to that restaurant and get information regarding cost, having our storage closet on site and options for breakfast. Our president said to not show up with the name of a restaurant, but all the information listed above so we can make our best choice.

This morning 23 optimists met to fellowship and enjoy bacon omelets. As usual there was plenty of good fellowship and comradery. We just had a business meeting as our speaker chair who shall remain nameless was absent on the job. The fines were flying after Ken Cullen bought the crown for a measly $1.10. Of course all were fined by the king for being so cheap as not to bid more. Jim Riegle won the 50/50.
The application for the license for the 31 day raffle has been submitted. We hope to have tickets and everything ready so we can sell tickets at the Swartz Creek Hometown Days on May 23-31.

Dave Crabill is going to look into getting more of our WFOC shirts for those who have joined our club recently.

Next week after breakfast the people who are on the fund raising committee will meet.

The next board meeting will be April 16 at 6:00 pm at the Bridge.

The chicken dinner at the Masonic Temple in downtown Flint will be Sunday April 26 from 11:00 am to 2:30. Please try to get your tickets sold asap and plan on attending and helping to setup, teardown, or any other place where you can help as well as enjoying the good dinner.

Reminders

• Change in Meeting Place Decision 7:30 AM April 2nd at Valley Family Restaurant
• Fund Raising Meeting 8:30 AM April 2nd at Valley Family Restaurant – Immediately following Breakfast Meeting
• Chicken Dinner 11 AM to 2:30 April 26th at Masonic Temple in Downtown Flint
• Board Meeting 6 PM April 16th at the Bridge

Have a great optimistic week!

Ken Cullen

Our guest speaker was Terri Stangl from Great Lakes Flotation. Terri started out her career as a lawyer and felt under stress all the time as many of us do as we do our jobs. She was one who could not face confrontation and was overwhelmed by her job as are 66% of working people. Terri decided to do something about her stress and studied the benefits of floating. She has a business where people come to her and are able to go into a float tank containing 10 inches of very salty water which allows the individual to float very easily. By being in that position and in the darkness, the process helps with relaxation, reduced stress, clearer thinking, athletic focus and recovery, improved sleep and energy, and problem solving ability. She is having an open house next Tuesday from 5:30-7:30 pm if you would like to check it out.

Her office is located at 5232 Morrish Rd, Swartz Creek, MI 48473. Call 810-584-5511 or 989-295-4269 to get an appointment. Visit them on the web at www.greatlakesflotation.com.

Twenty people hopped out of bed early to get to breakfast this morning. All but a few; Joe Bushey, John Losinski, and Stephanie arrived on time. Obviously they were all fined and Joe proceeded to pay his dollar with the first fine thinking that that maxed him out. Fines continued to fly on him until I believe he ended up having to dig deeper. He made up for it by winning the 50/50. This assures us that he will make every effort to be early next week to sell tickets.

Reminders

• Fund Raising Meeting 8:30 AM April 2nd at Valley Family Restaurant – Immediately following Breakfast Meeting
• Optimist Oratorical Contest 7:30 PM March 24th at Boys & Girls Club Flint
• Chicken Dinner 11 AM to 2:30 April 26th at Masonic Temple in Downtown Flint
• Board Meeting 6 PM April 16th at the Bridge

Have a great optimistic week!

Ken Cullen

Our speaker this morning was Tom Wyatt from Kettering University representing the University Avenue Corridor Coalition. Tom has a passion for revitalizing Flint and has had a career of making moves to get involved in community. The Coalition is helping in crime prevention, cleaning up blight, stabilizing land use, establishing leisure and recreational areas, and improving communication among the departments in Flint. It is encouraging to hear that there are people like Tom who are doing all they can to make Flint a better place to live.

Once again we had a good turnout for our breakfast this morning. The fines were flying after Ken Cullen bought the crown for $1.10. Greg cannot seem to get enough breath to last throughout his prayer and make himself heard. It costs him fines nearly every week he prays.

March 24 is the Boys and Girls Club Oratorical Contest at 6 pm. The board meeting for tonight has been cancelled.

Reminders

• Cancelled – Board Meeting 6 PM January 15th at the Bridge
• Vehicle City Challenge 10 AM March 14 at Boys & Girls Club Flint
• Optimist Oratorical Contest 7:30 PM March 24th at Boys & Girls Club Flint
• Board Meeting 6 PM April 9th at the Bridge

Hope to see everyone next week! In the meantime enjoy the spring like weather and face life with a positive and optimistic attitude.

Have a good week!

Ken Cullen

The club met this morning with 18 members present. As usual fines were flying with Stephanie and Greg seeming to take the brunt of the abuse. I don’t know who was not present that seemed to cause a much quieter tone to the meeting. Whoever you are, we missed your creating the excitement in the meeting. Art won the 50/50.

There are several events coming up. March 14 is the Vehicle City Challenge at the Boys and Girls Club. We need our members present to help with sign-up and assisting wherever possible. There are events from jump roping to basketball. Our club donated $400 to help for transportation costs for out of town teams.

The oratorical contest for the Boys and Girls Club will be March 24. The Toastmasters Club does the judging of speeches that are 4-5 minutes long.

The $5000 Raffle is October 22.

We are putting together a 31 day raffle for the month of July. Click here to learn more.

Stephanie announced that Tropical Smoothie is having a fundraiser for the month of March to raise funds for the Red Cross. Click here to read the article and download the flyer.

Dave Crabill announced that Mike Murphy, Lieutenant Governor of Zone 9, wants all the clubs to share a new website that will promote optimism throughout Genesee and Lapeer counties. The site is still under construction, but is shaping up very nicely. Jeff Dennings has been working very hard to get the site up and running as quickly as possible. Visit the home page and check out the progress.

Hope to see everyone Thursday. The weather should not be an excuse according to the weatherman. In the meantime have a great week.

Reminders

• Board Meeting 6 PM March 12th at the Bridge
• Vehicle City Challenge 10 AM – 3 PM at Boys & Girls Club of Flint
• Oratorical Contest 6 PM at Boys & Girls Club of Flint

Visit West Flint Optimist Club Event Calendar for all details.

Ken Cullen