Happy New Year to all of our members and friends!

President Phil Holmblade rang the bell to open the first meeting of the calendar year, asked Ron Ballard to lead the Pledge to the American flag, and invited Jack Proffitt to pray for the new year and breakfast. The Optimist business review included mention of the

  • Board Meeting on Tuesday, January 8 at Crannie’s
  • “Backpack Program” activity next Tuesday  (January 8 at 9:30 am at Virtual Learning Center in Swartz Creek)
  • Second Quarter Conference in Kalamazoo on February 16 (other training events on the 23rd of February and in May)
  • International Convention in June (Louisville, KY)
  • Cheryl Thomas (VP of our Region) is having a dinner to present the collaboration of United Way and Optimists International to set up a camp (“LEAP” – “Learn, Earn, And Play”) and it will be at noon on January 10 (talk to Jeff Dennings for information) .

Phil passed around “Thank-You” cards and drawings from the MSD kids in appreciation for our “Signing Santa Pancake Breakfast”, and John Losinski offered ideas and recruited support from the members for adjusting plans for the “2019 $5,000 Raffle”.

The fines opened with a “Royal” assessment by King Jeff Dennings because of all the people eating before the King himself had been served, Jack Medemar proposed a fine against “all those who have to smother their food with red stuff in order to choke it down” and when Greg Hilliker sidestepped that fine, King Jeff fined him for “postponing the use of the red stuff so as to avoid a fine”. Kevin Wainwright passed a “princess” fine against Carol Dennings, and King Jeff fined his own daughter for starting “50/50” ticket sales late this morning. Since the King had driven Carol to breakfast, Bill Hentgen fined His Highness for being responsible for Carol’s tardiness and Bill, in turn, paid a fine for “spitting into the wind” with his disrespect for the monarchy. Carol proposed a “not me” fine against her father “to be paid for by the whole Club”. (“Game of Thrones” palace intrigue has gone local, or loco!)

Steve Schlott is so fed up with the whole royal and filial machinations that he is escaping for a few months to Florida and has is making a sign for his “new” trailer that will accommodate “Cocktails for 6, Dinner for 4, and Sleeping for 2”. We’ll Look forward to seeing you again soon, Steve, subject to your restrictions of course.

We also will miss Guenter Beholz, a long-time Club member who passed away on December 27. (http://obits.mlive.com/obituaries/flint/obituary.aspx?n=guenter-beholz&pid=191166529)

Until next time, “Promise Yourself…