Volume 84 – Issue 14 – March 30, 2009
April Meetings – Rowland Hyle, Chairman
April 3 – Essay Contest Winners
April 10 – Bill Zirger, Banner Creek Science Center
April 17 – Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh
April 24 – Dr. Kevin Singer, Superintendent of USD 501
Current News:
President Bill Kastens has received a communiqué from Optimist International indicating that one matter to be discussed at the OI Convention in Orlando, Florida in July, will be a possible dues increase of $10 per member. The need to fully fund pension benefits, plus the current overall economic situation, has led to this consideration. Bill has been asking for input from our members on this matter. If you have comments, get in touch with him.
Preliminary results of our Pancake Breakfast and Bake and Nuts Sale on March 21 are as follows:
Gross receipts – Pancake Breakfast $1,994.10
Expenses 303.39
---------
Net receipts 1,690.71
Gross Receipts – Bake Sale 128.00
Gross Receipts – Sales of nuts 126.00
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Net receipts $1,944.71
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It may be that some members have not yet turned in their ticket money. If so, please send them to Jerry Bessette.
President Bill Kastens has expressed his appreciation to all of our Club members who worked to make this activity another success.
On March 23, the Board of Directors met and approved con-
tributions of $100 to the Topeka Fire Department and $100 to Optimist International in memory of long-time member, Floyd Taylor.
The Board was informed by Jerry Bessette that our Club will sponsor a youth for OI Junior Golf this spring. If a qualified youngster is not available, our Club will contribute $150 to the Kansas District to support the golf tournament.
Last March 6, we were told about a new OI program called “NOW” (New Optimists Welcome). The Directors have approved such a program for our Club, to be held on April 17. The plan is for members to send invitations to prospective members to attend that evening between 6:30 P.M. and 8:30 P.M. Secretary Nancy Foster is preparing an official invitation for our use. It will be available in the near future. Please take time to consider any acquaintances whom you would like to invite. Refreshments of wine and cheese will be served
President Kastens has appointed a Nominating Committee for a President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and three Directors for the year beginning October 1. The Committee is made up of Tom Wigley, Mike Akulow, Rod Obermeier and Paul Bicknell. If there is someone you would like to nominate, let one of the above know.
Planning is underway for the 2009 Run-N-Gun program. At present, it is anticipated that the actual competition will take place in mid May. Thanks again to Jim Green for his help with this competition.
Our member, Ken Kerle, had hernia surgery on March 19,
And we were happy to see him back on Club on March 27.
What trees do in the Spring
Meeting of March 20, 2009
Sara Hale, a young lady who recently moved to Topeka and teaches deaf student at Whitson School, gave us a close up look at deafness. Sara has been deaf from birth and was born to parents who were also deaf. As a result of years of therapy, she is now able to speak which is rather rare for people born totally deaf.
According to Sara, 90% of people born deaf are born to hearing parents. Sadly, only about 10% of these hearing parents learn sign language so that they can communicate with their deaf children. As a result, many young deaf persons live lonely lives. Sara’s opinion is that these young people will benefit from attending a school for the deaf, particularly for the fellowship with others. And there they will be able to learn sign language so that they can be a part of normal life.
However, signing is not universal. For example, American, Chinese and African signing is different. Interestingly, she said the only universal word in the world is: “Jesus”.
When asked, she said that she instructs eighteen students at Whitson, and estimates that there may be thirty youngsters in Topeka who are deaf.
President Kastens had as his guests, his wife, Monica, his son, Dr. Don Kastens, an instructor in the School of Medicine at Oklahoma University and Don’s daughter, Natalie. Jerry Bessette had a joke or two; Junior Elder
tried again (did anyone understand?) and Clayton McMurray’s joke’s punch line was stolen by Clyde Kensinger, who, apparently has a direct e-mail line with God.
Susie Obermeier was the winner of $12, the other $12 going to the OI Foundation. Again Lloyd Montgomery’s name was drawn to receive a package of nuts, but he could not be at Club; and Marge Hogue won the President’s prize of dried fruit.
We were glad to see Justin McGarity back from several weeks of recovering from a staph infection.
Meeting of March 27,, 2009
Gelene Savage from the Office of the Chief Counsel of the Kansas Department of Transportation spoke about traffic control signs. A more complicated subject than one might imagine. Gelene, who has been with KDOT for over eighteen years, outlined some of her varied duties. Probably the most important is defending the Department against lawsuits. She gave the details of several representative types of cases in which she has been involved. The resolution of each case dealt with complex issues.
Gelene said that she also handled such matters as: condemnation of property, monitoring billboards and salvage yards, employee personnel issues and tracking actions of the Kansas legislature in so far as KDOT was affected.
Then she gave us a test. We all flunked – some more than others. She showed us ten signs which have been proposed by the Federal Government, in order to effect unity of signs in all fifty states. If these become effective there will have to be extensive instruction of all Americans (in the editor’s opinion). One learned member, Mike Akulow, said he got five of the signs right; others claimed to have recognized three or four. The “winners” were rewarded with prizes Gelene had brought with her. We all gained respect for the responsibilities of a KDOT attorney.
There were no guests – President Kastens recognized Dean Landman’s upcoming birthday on March 30 - President Kastens’s number was drawn, to share $16 with OI International – Nancy Foster was the winner of a bag of walnuts and Ted Heim went home with the President’s box of dried fruit. There were no jokes today.
.The “Higher Education Corner
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up!
Believe in miracles – Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
Never lose hope.
Volume 84 – Issue 13 – March 16, 2009
March Meetings – Dean Landman, Chairman
March 20 - Sara Hale, Signing Teacher at Whitson
Grade School
March 27 – Gelene Savage, Attorney with KDOT,
Traffic Control Devices
Current News:
Steve Weir, a Topeka attorney, is our newest member and is sponsored by Jerry Bessette. We welcome Steve to our Club.
At 6:30 A.M.on March 10, the following Club members made an Inter-club Visitation to the Sunrise Optimist Club: Bill Kastens, Rodney Obermeier, Leland Kimball, Mike Akulow, Rowland Hyle, Dean Landman and Gary Fleenor. They were pleased to be present for that Club’s Oratorical Contest. Inter-club Visitations are a great opportunity to meet fellow Optimists and share ideas. There will be more visitations coming up. Sign up for a future visit. (They are not all at 6:30 A.M.)
Get ready for our Pancake Breakfast and Bake Sale on March 21 at Christ The King Parish Center. Tickets have been mailed or distributed, so please send your ticket money to Treasurer, Jerry Bessette.). Nancy Foster could still use more baked goods for the sale. If you can provide some baked goods, let Nancy know before next Friday.
There will be a Wine and Cheese Party on April 17 to entertain potential Club members.
President Kastens has appointed a Nominating Committee for a President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and three Directors for the year beginning October 1. The Committee is made up of Tom Wigley, Mike Akulow, Rod Obermeier and Paul Bicknell. If there is someone you would like to nominate, let one of the above know.
Planning is underway for the 2009 Run-N-Gun program. At present, it is anticipated that the actual competition will take place in mid May. Thanks again to Jim Green for his help with this competition.
Meeting of March 6, 2009
Our guest speaker was Dave Parks, a member of the McPherson Optimist Club, and also our District Membership Chairman. Dave told of a new membership program called: “New Optimists Welcome” ( NOW). In order to be able to welcome new members, they need to be asked to join our Club. The “Just Ask” approach is designed to assist in recruiting new members. Membership recruitment is every member’s business and the best way to get started is to “Just Ask”. Mentoring those new members and seeing that they get involved in Club activities will certainly help to maintain the retention of members. We want to welcome new members so Dave’s message is to take a positive approach by asking someone to join our Club. He told us there are people out there who will join if they are just asked. You can pick up a “Just Ask” badge at any Club meeting.
We had two guests at this meeting, one was Optimist Governor Peggy Ingle of Olathe (who brought with her a box of chocolates to be given as a door prize); and John Herrell, who was a guest of Ed Zeller. Stan Dennis’ number was drawn to share $18 with the OI Foundation. Ken Elder’s membership number was selected to receive a bag of English walnuts, but Ken was not present to claim them. Margaret Denton was the winner of President Bill Kastens’s dried fruit. And the winner of the drawing of President Peggy Ingle’s beautiful box of chocolates was Stan Dennis. Pretty good afternoon, Stan.
What the owner of a seafood store does.
Meeting of March 13,, 2009
Many sports fans think only about basketball in the season of “March Madness”, but if you listen to Washburn University’s women’s volleyball coach, Chris Herron, you will learn there is another exciting sport. His enthusiasm for volleyball was quite apparent to those in attendance.
Chris Herron was introduced to the sport in 1984 when he was asked to take over as volleyball coach for a high school which had not won a game, let alone a match, in four years.
The move began a career for him which has led him to his present position at Washburn University. And his teams have been very successful wherever he has coached.
The Washburn women’s volleyball team won the MIAA championship the first year he was the coach. He has now been at Washburn for seven years and his teams have had great success.
Chris explained that there is a considerable difference in volleyball currently as compared to 1984. As in other sports, women have become more athletic and more dedicated to the sport. Sports are more organized currently and expectations are different. Where once the sport was played for pleasure, now winning has become much more important and players’ attitudes have changed. Competition is intense and winning is everything.
In order to bring some balance into the lives of his players, Herron has endeavored to recruit young women with good work ethics, and has encouraged them to keep up with their studies. Overall, his volleyball team last year earned a 3.14 grade point average. Outstanding.
The majority of his players are Kansas products, but he does recruit from other states. At present he has five players from Nebraska, two from Missouri and one from Wisconsin. He is proud of the MIAA Conference because five MIAA teams are included in the listing of top fifteen volleyball teams in the United States.
Herron had with him as a guest, Caitlin Conley who is a graduate of Shawnee Heights High School and is a key player on this years’ team.
Other guests included Mike Kuhn, a guest of Stan Dennis and Jessica Landman, Dean’s granddaughter. Past President Mike Akulow, substituting for President Bill Kastens, announced that Jim Shannon’s birthday would be March 19. Jokes were told by Stan Dennis and Jerry Bessette.
Marilyn Meyer was the lucky winner to share $18 with the OI Foundation. Lloyd Montgomery’s name was drawn to receive a bag of English walnuts, but, of course, he was not able to attend; and Nancy Foster’s number was drawn to receive a box of President Kasten’s dried fruit.
.
The “Higher Education Corner
Remember, half the people you know are below average.
If you still offer your hand in friendship to others that have touched your life, then you still have hope.
Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? OK raise my hand
Volume 84 – Issue 12 – March 2, 2009
March Meetings – Dean Landman, Chairman
March 6 – David Parks, District Membership Chairman,
Optimist NOW program
March 13 – Chris Herron, Washburn University,
Volleyball Coach
March 20 - Sara Hale, Signing Teacher at Whitson
Grade School
March 27 – Gelene Savage, Attorney with KDOT,
Traffic Control Devices
Current News:
Coming events are the Pancake Breakfast on March 21 at Christ The King Parish Center; a Zone Meeting in Holton in March; and a Wine and Cheese Party on April 17 to entertain potential Club members.
At the District Meeting at Ottawa on Feb. 21, several awards were made to our Club and one member. President Bill Kastens was presented with the Christian Larsen Award for making a substantial contribution to Optimist International.
Our Club received the “Bear Award” as the largest giver to the Childhood Cancer Fund. And our Club also received an award because our contributions to the OI Foundation during the 2007-2008 year, averaged $40 per member.
President Kastens has appointed a Nominating Committee for a President-Elect and three Directors for the year beginning October 1. The Committee is made up of Tom Wigley, Mike Akulow, Rod Obermeier and Paul Bicknell. If there is someone you would like to nominate, let one of them know.
Mike Akulow reported that seven members took part in the preparations for Doorstep’s fund raiser on Feb. 18, and that all went well. One of the seven was President Bill Kastens
who won a basket of food in the silent auction.
On March 10, our Club will make a visitation to the Sunrise Optimist Club. Sunrise meets at 6:30 A.M. in their building north of Seaman High School. There is still time to sign up if you want to go. A good program and fine food are assured.
Dean Landman reported that our club has received a note of appreciation from the young man to whom we made a $100 contribution allowing him to attend the Model Legislature.
Steve Weir, a Topeka attorney is our newest member, thanks to Jerry Bessette . We welcome Steve to our Club.
On Wednesday, March 4, the mentors will meet with the students at Lowman Hill School.
The health of two of our long time members, Floyd Taylor and Lloyd Montgomery has deteriorated. Your prayers for both will be appreciated.
Meeting of February 20, 2009
Carol Perry RN, Vice-President and Chief Nursing Officer at Stormont-Vail Healthcare, presented a very informative program about the nursing profession and the nursing status at Stormont-Vail. Somewhat similar to the comments of Dr. Kent Palmberg on Feb. 6, Ms. Perry stated that there is also a nationwide shortage of nurses.
A major development in the profession is the development of a program entitled; “Magnet Certification”. The objective of this program is to develop a demanding set of criteria which will demonstrate excellence in nursing practice. Of the ap-
proximately 6,500 hospitals in the United States, only some 200 have qualified for this certification. The KU Medical Center is the only hospital in Kansas which is presently certified.
Ms. Perry said that Stormont-Vail began two years ago to apply for the certification. The necessary documentation has now been submitted and surveyors have visited the hospital. Action on their application will be received shortly. She stated that preparing the application has substantially improved the quality of nursing care at Stormont. Once a hospital has earned the certification, they are required to be recertified every four years. Thus a very high level of nursing care is assured.
As for the hospital itself, Ms. Perry said that there are about 1,000 nurses employed by the hospital. They include Regis-
tered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses and Nursing Tech-
nologists. All new nurses hired have at least a Nursing Degree and are computer literate. Having the latter ability has helped considerably in maintaining the increasing load of record keeping. One advantage for Stormont is being able to draw upon an unusually large number of Nursing Schools in this area.
There were two guests: Doris Wullschleger was the guest of Carl Smith as well as Alvina Holmes, Bob Holmes’ wife. (Alvina had surgery recently and is doing well at home.)
President Bill Kastens reported birthdays for Lorraine Hyle and Bob Holmes on Feb. 21 and for Rowland Hyle and Father Norbert Lickteig on Feb. 27.
Jerry Bessette and President Kastens had the jokes for the day. Finally, Bob Lewis shared $22 with the OI Foundation. Leland Kimball took home President Kasten’s gift of dried fruit and Clayton McMurray was present to win a bag of English walnuts.
Meeting of February 27, 2009
“The Recession of 2008-09 – How Did We Get Here And Where do We go From Here”. That was the subject of the presentation of Dean David Sollars of the Washburn University School of Business. One of the most interesting and informative programs we have had in some time (in the opinion of this editor). According to Dean Sollars, the reasons for the recession are complex and the path ahead is rather long and difficult. It is a challenge to detail them here. But some general statements can be made. Broadly speaking there were two causes:
1. The housing bubble burst. Meaning that the values of
houses were no longer increasing annually, as they
had done for several years; but actually declined so
that often, the market value of the homes was less
than the amount due on the mortgage.
2. The financial markets collapsed. Notably, giant lenders
“Freddie Mac” and Fannie Mae”. Also many Invest-
ment Banks and Commercial Banks followed suit.
Dean Sollars is of the opinion that this recession may last as long as two years, but he noted that, since this particular recession has been established as starting in December of 2007, we are now in the fourteenth month.
Cures, he said, will come from increased consumer spending and business reinvestment. At the present time, these are not occurring.
As for Kansas, and especially, Topeka, it was his opinion that this recession would not be felt as severely here, as in other parts of the United States, because Topeka has the diversity of industry and government, plus a strong financial center.
There was one guest, Karen Wigley, wife of Tom Wigley. And Feb. 27 was the birthday Father Norbert Lickteig and Rowland Hyle. Father Lickteig made the day a special celebration by serving birthday cake to all present.
And as we are often good to guests, Karen Wigley’s number was drawn to share $14 with OI International. Nancy Foster was not present to receive the bag of nuts, but Ted Heim was there to receive President Kastens’ dried fruit.
The “Higher Education Corner
Light travels faster than sound…that’s why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
A short, ugly inmate.
Volume 84 – Issue 11 – February 16, 2009
February Meetings – Gary Fleenor, Chairman
Feb. 20 – Carol Perry RN, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Stormont-Vail Healthcare
Feb. 27 – David Sollars, Dean, Washburn University School of Business Eclipse
Current News:
Mark Scheve, who had been a guest of Governor-Elect Rod Obermeier earlier, was inducted into membership by President Bill Kastens. Mark is employed by Westar Energy and we welcome him to the Club.
Rod Obermeier announced that our Club had received a contribution of $500 from Mary Prochaska-Cue of Lincoln, Nebraska as a memorial to our late member, Dean Prochaska. We all remember Dean and his service to our Club and we are grateful to his daughter, Mary.
On February 12, our Club presented the “I Like Me” books to the students we mentor at Lowman Hill School. Rod Obermeier made the presentations and Club members: Bill Kastens, Mike Akulow and Bob Lewis also attended. If you were watching TV Channel 27 that evening you saw part of the presentation. And our club received very favorable comments from news anchor, Meagan Farley.
President Kastens has appointed a Nominating Committee for a President-Elect and three Directors for the year beginning October 1. The Committee is made up of Tom Wigley, Mike Akulow, Rod Obermeier and Paul Bicknell. If there is someone you would like to nominate, let one of them know.
Rod Obermeier, has asked that we remind Club members of the Quarterly District Meeting in Ottawa on February 21. This is an important event and you will be well rewarded by attending.
Meeting of February 6, 2009
“Where have all the doctors gone?” This is a question which is becoming more important for all Americans. The reasons for an increasing shortage of doctors were given by Dr. Kent Palmberg, who is a Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Stormont-Vail Healthcare.
Country-wide there is now a shortage of primary care doctors and only a few primary care doctors are now accepting new patients. Why? There are greater earnings for doctors in specialized fields. Basically, this is illustrated by the acronym: ROAD. Meaning, “Radiology”, “Oncology”, “Anesthesiology” and “Dermatology”. New physicians are drawn to these fields because of the very high costs of obtaining their medical educations.
During recent years, Federal funds for medical training have been reduced. Whether as a direct result or not, it is clear that Medical Schools are training fewer doctors.
There have been new developments in answer to the shortage. Walk-in clinics are booming – two “Take-
Care Clinics” have opened recently in Topeka. More “Express-Care” locations have opened nationwide. Many, or perhaps all, are manned by former primary care physicians.
As for Topeka, Dr. Palmberg said we are in better shape than most of the country, although he did state that the city could use six to eight more primary doctors. He added that the State of Kansas has a good mal-practice environment.
Further developments in the health-care field are increases in women doctors and in foreigners entering the American medical field.
What an English barber does for a living.
There were several guests: Carrie Lancaster, wife of Art Lancaster; Mary McGarity, Justin McGarity’s wife; Steve Weir, guest of Jerry Bessette; and Patty Trotter, guest of Tom Wigley. One birthday was reported: “Susie” Sidesinger, wife of “Cy” Sidesinger. And jokes were told by Dan Donaldson and Jerry Bessette.
Junior Elder was present to announce that Rowland Hyle would be seeking volunteers for the Essay Contest. Then he had to leave to care for Mary Jane Elder, who had eye surgery that morning. (She was back for the Feb. 13 meeting) Leland Denton won the drawing to share $20 with the OI Foundation; Past President Mike Akulow was not present to receive the bag of nuts; and Marilyn Meyer was awarded President Bill Kastens package of dried fruit.
Meeting of February 13, 2009
Colonel Kerry Taylor, the Vice Wing and Air commander of the 190th Air Refueling Wing, based in Topeka, spoke about the impact of the unit upon Topeka, as well as some details of the 190th’s mission. He informed us that this Air National Guard unit is the 9th largest employer in Topeka. In terms of financial impact it generates approximately $74,000,000 for the community, including a payroll of $32,000,000. The 190th includes some 230 enlisted personnel and 80 part-time officers.
Their most important activity is the flying of its tankers, which range over a wide area of the world. The list of the military activities in which the 190th has participated is too long to enumerate. Certainly the 190th has played a major role in the Middle East conflicts.
But the 190th has many other functions, such as: providing security in Iraq: a weather unit; home for 3 Expeditionary Medical Support groups; a medical group and civil engineers. The first 190th EMEDS was deployed to Mississippi after the Katrina Hurricane and operated there as a small hospital.
In a broader sense, National Reserve Units have existed since 1636 (really) and have participated in every war in which the United States was involved.
National Guard units have both a National Mission and a State Mission, many of which are not related to the conduct of a war. For example, the National Guard has a Community Mission, which includes a program known as “Star Base” which trains young people in math and science. Then there is a Civil Support Team which investigates potentially hazardous materials and can clean up contaminated spills. Some State Guard Units have a partnership with certain Soviet Bloc countries to help train their citizens as to handle disasters.
Kristen Pietzner, from Wittenberg, Germany, was the guest of Dean Landman. They met while the Landman’s were touring in Europe. She is spending several weeks in our country studying our customs, etc. No members’ birthdays were reported, however, Colonel Kerry Taylor disclosed that his birthday was coming up on Feb.21. One joke was provided by Clayton McMurray.
Last week, Mike Akulow was not present to win a package of nuts. At his meeting Mike made up for this loss by sharing $21 with the OI Foundation. “Cy” Sidesinger was present this week and was awarded a package of almonds as his number was drawn. Ron Brown was selected to receive President Kastens’s dried fruit , but because Ron had to leave early,Rowland Hyle was the lucky second choice.
The “Higher Education Corner
This may help to understand the “Stimulus Bill”:
A billion seconds ago, it was 1959.
A billion minutes ago, Jesus was alive.
A billion hours ago, our ancestors lived in the Stone Age.
A billion days ago, no one walked on the earth on two feet.
A trillion is a thousand billion.
If you can look at the sunset and smile, then you still have hope.
Volume 84 – Issue 10 – February 2, 2009
February Meetings – Gary Fleenor, Chairman
Feb. 6 – Dr. Kent Palmberg, Sr. Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Stormont-Vail Healthcare
Feb. 13 – Colonel Kerry Taylor, Vice Wing and Air Commander, 190th Air Refueling Wing
Feb. 20 – Carol Perry RN, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Stormont-Vail Healthcare
Feb. 27 – David Sollars, Dean, Washburn University School of Business
Current News:
We want to extend our sympathy to Susie Obermeier for the recent death of her father. A card for her was signed by all present on January 30.
We will soon be having a new member. Mary Jane Elder has submitted her application. We will look forward to having her on a full time basis. (Wonder if this will affect Junior’s behavior as one of the two “rowdy boys”?)
President Bill Kastens has appointed a Nominating Committee for a new President-Elect and three new Directors for the coming year beginning October 1. The Committee is made up of Tom Wigley, Mike Akulow, Rod Obermeier and Paul Bicknell. If there is someone you would like to nominate, let one of them know.
As of January 26, the date of the latest Board Meeting, the gross receipts from the Chili Supper and the sale of baked goods and nuts totals, $2,294. Actual expenses were not available, but were estimated to be $450. However, a number of members have not yet turned in their ticket money, so hopefully they will do so and the gross receipts will be greater. There was an excellent turnout, especially in view of the threatening weather. Thanks go to all members who worked that evening.
Coming up is the Essay Contest. As of Jan. 26, sixteen essays have been received and are being evaluated by the judges. Junior Elder and Rowland Hyle are handling the contest and the winner will be announced in the coming weeks.
Mentoring at Lowman Hill School will be Wednesday, February 4. Rod Obermeier announced that new “I Like Me” books will be presented to the students on Feb. 12, at 12;30 P.M. All members are invited to attend the presentation.
And, once again, we are reminded that Mike Akulow is seeking volunteers for February 17, when we will be setting up tables and decorations for Doorstep’s chili feed fund raiser to be held on Feb. 18. Mike is waiting to hear from you. He needs your help. Governor Elect, Rod Obermeier, has asked that we remind Club members of the Quarterly District Meeting in Ottawa on February 21. This is an important event and you will be well rewarded by attending.
Meeting of January 23, 2009
Mike Ramirez and Zack Frank from St. Francis Sports Medicine in Topeka spoke of steps to be taken to treat or prevent back pains. Mike is an athletic trainer and his clients include the Athletic Department at Kansas University. Zack is a Physical Therapist. Many of their suggestions were really not new, but it was important to have them brought to our attention once more.
Mike, speaking first, advised that a first step would be to identify sources of stress and to eliminate or alleviate them.
Perhaps one could condense all that we should be doing into one phrase: “Stay mobile”. There are many ways to stay active, one of the best of which is swimming; you can also undertake aerobic exercise and yoga; take up biking or even just walk as often as possible. Other comments were: pay attention to posture – stand erect – get out of that chair and move around – stand straight.
Peripheral activities include: good night’s sleep, improve life style, warm up before physical activities and, always, avoid obesity.
Zack spoke primarily about back pain and explained the causes of such pain, such as a tear in the ligaments in the back or simply the aging process. Again, the need to stand rather than sit is important. He stressed the need to remain
standing if one believes there may be a tear. Ice should be applied to the back for 24 to 48 hours, before heat is applied.
When in bed, place a pillow between your knees and lie on your side to ease any strain on the lower back.
As about 80% of the US population will experience back time at one time or another, his remarks could be very helpful in easing or eliminating the pain.
There were no guests, but two birthdays were reported: Jeanne Elder, wife of Ken, and Don Lee on Jan. 28. Jokesters were: Bill Kastens, Ted Heim, Junior Elder and Clayton McMurray. Leland Kimball won the drawing to share $14 with OI Foundation; Floyd Taylor was not present to win the prize of a package of nuts; and Mike Akulow was the recipient of the President’s fruit bites.
Meeting of January 30, 2009
Terry Beck, an attorney in Topeka was our Guest Speaker and he chose to talk about: “Worst Decisions Ever By the Supreme Court”. He prefaced his comments by saying that in considering such cases, one’s political preference would dictate how one would respond to these cases.
We aren’t going to go into specifics of these cases. Terry did pass out several copies of his choices with his personal comments thereon. Some were from the “Conservative” viewpoint; some from a “Liberal” persuasion; and some would have made everybody’s list, according to him. These were not all current cases by any means, as some went back as far as 1856 (the Dred Scott case).
He did, however, include the full transcripts of two cases which were decided in 1922 and which granted major league baseball an exemption from the provisions of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, an exemption which is still in effect today.
Several members did keep copies of his handout and would be pleased to make them available to any who would like to
study them further.
One guest attended the meeting: David Norman, a guest of Marilyn Meyer. No new birthdays were reported. Jokes and inspiration were given by Nancy Foster and Clayton McMurray. Bob Lewis’ number was drawn to share $21 with the OI Foundation; Ken Kerle was present to win a bag of walnuts; and “Cy” Sidesinger received a package of dried fruit from President Kastens. And President Bill awarded a Certificate to this editor as “Optimist Of The Quarter”. (Presumably, just for writing this Newsletter, which he enjoys doing.)
The “Higher Education” Corner
If you meet new people with a trace of excitement and optimism, then you still have hope.
If you don’t have a sense of humor, you probably don’t have any sense at all.
In democracy it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism it’s your count that votes.
Do you remember what word is never used in the Optimist Creed?”
A good resolution for the New Year; invite prospective members to a meeting.
84 – Issue 9 - January19, 2009
January Meetings – Jerry Bessette, Chairman
Jan. 23 – Jeff Smalley – St. Francis Sports Medicine
Jan. 30 – Terry Beck – New Laws in Kansas
February Meetings – Gary Fleenor, Chairman
Feb. 6 – Dr. Kent Palmberg, Sr. Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Stormont-Vail Healthcare
Current News: Primate
Lloyd Montgomery has been moved to Room 308 at Plaza West’s Long-Term Care Unit. You can drop him a card or stop by to see him. He will appreciate either.
In the last Newsletter, there was this question: “Do you know what word is never used in the Optimist Creed?”
The answer was also given in the Newsletter, but was apparently not easily related to the question. In order to make the point, the answer is made clear now.The answer is:”Youth”. (This was an interesting thought to the editor.)
Plans for the Optimist Youth Essay Contest are well along. Junior Elder reported that, in addition to Christ The King School, Wanamaker School will have entrants. Rules for the contest have been revised so that Club members can now serve as judges. Junior said this year’s panel has already been chosen. But if have an interest in being a judge, keep this in mind for next year.
One of the new activities of Optimist clubs is the selection of an “Optimist Of The Quarter” President Bill Kastens is now seeking nominees for the quarter for the months of October through December. If you have a nominee in mind, please contact Bill.
On January 23, 2009, we will hold a chili supper at Christ The King Church. Sign-up sheets are available at Friday meetings. Be sure to put this event on your calendar. You should have your tickets by now.Please remember to get your ticket money to Jerry Bessette.
Mike Akulow has agreed to take charge of setting up the facilities for a public fund raiser for Doorstep. He will need volunteers for February 17, 2009 for the fund raiser to be held the following day. If you can help, give Mike a call.
Remember the Quarterly Meeting of the Kansas District to be held in Ottawa on February 21, 2009. This is an important meeting and all members are urged to attend.
For all Program Chairmen: President Bill Kastens has some information on a possible speaker. If you need a program, see Bill.
A good resolution for the New Year; invite prospective members to a meeting.
Meeting of January 9, 2009
We were given some excellent advice concerning pre-planning for funerals, whether it be for a spouse, other loved ones or even ones self. This presentation was made by Carrie Law and Sarah Williamson from Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home. They set forth three benefits which will come from such planning:
1. Pre-planning will offer peace of mind for one’s family
as well as for one’s self. They pointed out that any
death is stressful and decisions are often difficult for
survivors to make at that time.
2. There is a saving of funeral costs that can be realized
by pre-payment. Often prices are frozen at a level
which is substantially lower than current costs at
the time of death.
3. Funerals can be tailored to meet the desires of the
deceased. Lacking pre-planning, many times the
survivors will be left to guess about details.
We did have one guest: Mary Jane Elder, Junior Elder’s wife. Mary Jane’s birthday on Jan. 2 was recognized by President Kastens, who also reported the following birthdays: Ken Kerle on Jan. 7; “Cy”Sidesinger on Jan. 8; Jeanie Akulow on Jan. 11; and John Meyer on Jan. 12.
Jokes were told by Bill Kastens and Jerry Bessette. The winner of the drawing to share with the OI Foundation, was Leland Kimball, who left with an extra $11.00. John Weber’s name was drawn as the winner of a bag of nuts, but John was not present; and, Leland Kimball was the winner of the President’s gift of a package of dried fruit.
Meeting of January 16, 2009
Ken Kerle, one of our newer members and one of the leading experts in the USA in criminal justice, spoke with authority and enthusiasm about the need for crisis inter-
vention training for both professionals and volunteers.
Ken has published over 200 articles regarding jails and criminal justice and is the Managing Editor for the American Jail Association.
Presently, he is looking for groups in Shawnee County who will help provide education regarding the treatment of former inmates who are returning to the community. In addition he is an advocate for educating young people before they actually commit acts leading to incarceration.
Since the Community Health Act, passed in 1960 released many inmates with mental health problems, the country’s jails have been overwhelmed. In fact they have been forced to become the leaders in treatment of the mentally ill. The improper use of drugs and alcohol is the main contributor to the increase in this segment of the population.
Ken stated also that when such programs are established, they need to be evaluated by neutral institutions, such as Colleges and Universities
There is a real opportunity now in Shawnee County, said Ken, for the forging of a community response to this problem, if there is cooperation between law enforcement, the community and educational institutions.
Roger Litton was a guest of Jerry Bessette and was chosen to receive President Bill Kasten’s gift of a package of dried fruit. The weekly jokes were by courtesy of Jerry Bessette and Bill Kastens. Sharing $14 with the OI Foundation was Clayton McMurray; and John Weber’s name was drawn (as it was also on January 9) to receive a package of nuts. Alas, once again he was not present.
Removing your spouse from in front of the TV.
The “Higher Education Corner”
Why do we have to swear on the Bible in court when the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed outside? If you can see the good in other people, then you still have hope. If you can look to the past and smile, then you still have hope. (And a special hello to Sterling Baumgardner, Ed Henderson, Don Lee, Floyd Taylor, Lloyd Montgomery and Bill Zirger.)
Volume 84 – Issue 8-- January 5, 2009
January Meetings – Jerry Bessette, Chairman
Jan. 9 – Carrie Law, Penwell-Gabel
Jan. 16 -- Ken Kerle – Crisis Intervention Training for
mentally disturbed in the Penal Systems
Jan. 23 – Jeff Smalley – St. Francis Sports Medicine
Jan. 30 – Terry Beck – New Laws in Kansas
Current News:
Some of the following are repeated from the last Newsletter, but are worth repeating for two reasons. First of all they will still happen in the future; and secondly, there isn’t much to report since we did not meet for the last two weeks. (So you are at the mercy of the news editor.)
Junior Elder and Rowland Hyle are making arrangements for the Essay Contest to be held early in 2009. Entries are to be submitted by January 9, 2009. The topic for this contest is: “The Power of Youth”.
On January 23, 2009, we will hold a chili supper at Christ The King Church. Sign-up sheets are available on Friday meetings. Be sure to put this event on your calendar. You should have your tickets by now. Remember to get your ticket money to Jerry Bessette.
The Quarterly Meeting of the Kansas District will be held in Ottawa on February 21, 2009. This is an important meeting and all members are urged to attend. Because of the close proximity of Ottawa to Topeka, there will be no need for an overnight stay.
Governor-Elect Rod Obermeier indicated that efforts to establish a new Optimist Club in Tonganoxie are progressing. Pharmacist
For all Program Chairmen: President Bill Kastens has some information on a possible speaker. If you need a program for your month, see Bill.
On January 1, 2009, there will be a password added for the “Teaching Materials” section of www.optimistleaders.0rg. Up until this point, materials in this area have been available to anyone who goes to the website. Now, only Optimists will be able to access these materials with a password. When you click on “Teaching Materials”, you will be asked to enter a password. The password is: “kids”. This password will not change from year to year.
A good resolution for the New Year; invite prospective members to a meeting.
We are in need of the names of college students in any of our Optimist families, who might provide a contact on their campus for the purpose of forming a College Optimist Club. This is a very fertile field for increasing our overall membership. There are District Optimist leaders willing to follow up on any leads given to them. The following infor-
mation would be helpful:
Name of College or University
Full name of the student
Campus address and telephone number
Please contact Bill Kastens if you have any names.
“Youth”
Our Downtown Club has donated funds to the reading program at the Shawnee County Juvenile Detention Center for young people there. Ted Heim has been involved in this activity for a number of years, and now Ken Kerle has joined him. Recently, there was a shopping trip for additional books, which resulted in the following letter from Duarena House, the Center’s Programs/Training Officer:
“Ted Heim and I went on our yearly Barnes and Noble shopping trip on December 17. Jenny, the Young Adult Books Manager was very knowledgeable and helped us pick out some interesting books. Also, I was able to purchase the “wish list” of books the juveniles have requested over the last year. The juveniles at our facility really enjoy the books that the Downtown Topeka Optimist Club make available to them. For some of our youth, it is the first time they have ever read a book completely. I would like to extend my appreciation for all the time and energy that your club invests into the youth of our facility and our surrounding community….you truly make a difference in the lives of youths.”
(One of life’s thoughts: Why is it that our children can’t read a Bible in school, but they can in prison? Or do they, Ted?)
A helper on the farm With sorrow we must report that our former member, Eugene “Gene” Hiatt passed away on December 31, 2008. He had been in poor health for some time and we had missed his presence at our meetings. (The editor first heard of Gene Hiatt when he was a star basketball player for Argentine High School in Kansas City, Kansas. Wonder how many of his friends knew that?)
The “Higher Education Corner”
An Inspirational Moment – “Hope” –
If the smile of a child can still warm your heart, then you still have hope.
“Hope is such a marvelous thing. It bends, it twists, it sometimes hides, but rarely does it break. It sustains us when nothing else can. It gives us reason to continue and courage to move ahead, when we tell ourselves we would rather give in.
Hope puts a smile on our face when the heart cannot manage.
Hope puts our feet on the path when our eyes cannot see it.
Hope moves us to act when our souls are confused of the direction.
Hope is a wonderful thing, something to be cherished and nurtured, and something that will refresh us in return. And it can be found in each of us, and it can bring a light into the darkest of places.”
NEVER LOSE HOPE
-- Author Unknown.
Do you know what word is never used in the Optimist Creed?
HAPPY NEW YEAR
After serious and cautious consideration, your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2009.
May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts. May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills. May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips. May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires. May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy. May the problems you had forget your home address!
May 2009 be the best year of your life!
Topeka Kansas Club
"Downtown"
37-250
This page was last updated: June 11, 2009
Volume 84 – Issue 19 - June 8 , 2009
June Meetings – Tom Wigley, Chairman
June 12 – Mike Coker, Topeka Zoo – Zoo Update
June 19 – Kirk Nystrom, Attorney – Powers of Attorney
And Directives
June 26 – Larry Wolgast, City of Topeka - City Council
Matters
Current News:
Pony rides started on Saturday morning, June 6. Rides will be given from 9 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. If you have not yet signed up to help during June and July, you can do so at the next Club meeting.
Our next Pancake Breakfast will take place on Saturday, June 13, at Christ The King Church. Tickets are being distributed at Club meetings, or have been mailed to members. Please send your checks to Jerry Bessette. If you have not yet signed up to help, please do so at the next Club meeting.
At the Board of Directors’Meeting on June 1, the Directors authorized a contribution of $100 to the Chesney Park Summer Youth Camp. In addition the Board approved an award of $150 to Nathan Roy, whom we will sponsor in the OI Junior Golf Tournament this spring.
Secretary Nancy Foster is asking that if you have an e-mail address, and not given it to her, please send it to her at:
nfoster11@cox.net, or at a Club meeting.
Meeting of May 29 , 2009
Randy Cox, co-owner, with his wife Sarah, of Comfort Keepers of Topeka, was our guest speaker. He told of the mission of Comfort Keepers as well as of the amenities they provide to the public. They offer “non-medical in-home care that helps to maintain the highest possible level of indep-
endent living.” In addition they stress tailoring their care services to the unique needs of each individual.
Such services include, among others: meal preparation, light housekeeping, transportation, grocery shopping, bathing and medication reminders. Emergency monitoring systems and 24 hour or live-in care are usually available. They can even arrange for lawn mowing and snow removal. There are times when all they are asked to do is provide some companionship for people who are often alone and do not have family or friends nearby.
All staff personnel receive extensive background checks and receive ongoing training. They are bonded, insured and covered by Worker’s Compensation insurance as a protection to their clients and families. The staff includes Certified Nurses Assistants and personnel who work on a part-time basis, as needed.
Randy and Sarah have been actively involved in comfort care for over seven years and recently purchased the Topeka franchise from the Comfort Keepers Home Office in Dayton, Ohio. Services are provided on an hourly rate basis and most often are for two to three hour periods. Comfort Keepers is a private-pay company and does not provide services which are covered by Medicare or Medicade.
The Coxes have contacts with many facilities in Topeka, such as the Kansas Rehabilitation Hospital, retirement communities, and hospice organizations.
From a small venture which started out to provide home care on a limited basis, the Coxes now have built an operation which has expanded and has been successful in their field.
We had one guest, Irene Cox, the Mother of Randy Cox, and who was Marge Hogue’s guest. No birthdays were reported and jokes were told by Jerry Bessette and your Editor.
If you recall, the program on May 22 presented an opportunity for Club members to relate some of their experiences while in military service. But not all were given a chance, because we ran out of time. This week, Father Lickteig, as he rose to give the blessing, took the opportunity to relate his experience, which led to his entering the priesthood and not accepting an appointment to the Army’s West Point Academy. So in a reverse twist, Father told of his “non-military” experience.
Margie Denton won the drawing to share $18 with the OI Foundation. Once again Lloyd Montgomery’s number was drawn to receive a bag of pecans. We are sorry Lloyd could not be present to receive the prize. And finally, Paul Bicknell won the President’s Prize, which in this case, was a candle from the Kaw Valley Bank. Not surprising, as President-Elect Tom Wigley was presiding in the absence of President Bill Kastens.
And to some members (you know who you are) we are sorry you could not make it to the meeting.
Meeting of June 5, 2009
Phil Oliver, from the Capper Foundation, gave a slide presentation about the Foundation’s history and its current activities. The Foundation will celebrate its 90th year anniversary in 2010. Arthur Capper, who was both a U.S. Senator and Governor of Kansas, started a program in 1920, to provide Christmas gifts to underprivileged children, but was later changed to the care and treatment of the disabled, with a strong emphasis on children. In 1934 the activities were formalized as the Capper Foundation.
The Foundation has a “Kidlink” program for pre-schoolers,
2 ½ to 6 years of age, with or without disabilities. For older youngsters the Foundation provides: Physical Therapy. Occupational Therapy, Speech/Language Therapy; Recreational Programs; Professional & Family Training; and Programs for Autistics. All services are provided on an out-patient basis.
70% of the support for the Foundation comes from non-
governmental sources, such as businesses and individuals. The remaining support comes from fees, grants and insurance reimbursements. Even so, all parents are required to make some sort of payment.
Oliver concluded by showing a short video about a youngster named “J.J.”, who is autistic, and is a patient at the Capper Foundation. Shown briefly in the video was a dog named Suzie. Suzie is trained to alert a patient when a seizure is about to occur. A very special help to J.J. In September of 2008, our Club donated $2,500 to the Capper Foundation, and these funds were used to acquire a camcorder. That camcorder was used to document J.J.’s condition and was very helpful in Suzie being awarded to J.J. Very few of these specially trained dogs are awarded each year. J.J. was fortunate and we can be proud that we were an important part of this true story.
Welcome back to Junior Elder, Harold Burkdoll and Bob Lewis, all of whom have had health problems. May you all stay well and able to attend Club regularly from now on.
We had one guest, Carrie Lancaster, Art’s wife. No one owned up to a birthday, or an anniversary, but we did get jokes from Nancy Foster, Leland Denton (if he got the punch line right), Jerry Bessette and Leland Kimball.
Mike Akulow, (recently back from two weeks in Italy) won the drawing to share $10 with the OI Foundation; Randy Bailes was not present, so he did not receive the prize of a bag of nuts; and our speaker, Phil Oliver, drew his own number to receive a large chocolate bar from President-Elect Tom Wigley, who presided in the absence of President Bill Kastens.
Volume 84 – Issue 18 - May 25 , 2009
May Meetings – Phelica Livingston, Chairwoman May 29 – Sarah Cox – Comfort Keepers of Topeka –
“ Living Safe”
June Meetings – Tom Wigley, Chairman
June 5 – Phil Oliver, Capper Foundation – Programs at
Cappers
June 12 – Mike Coker, Topeka Zoo – Zoo Update
June 19 – Kirk Nystrom, Attorney – Powers of Attorney
And Directives
June 26 – Larry Wolgast, City of Topeka and City Council
Matters
Current News:
In the last bulletin, the following sentence appeared in two different places. The idea was twofold: to see how thoroughly the bulletin was read and to urge some members whom we don’t see often enough, to attend more meetings. In case you missed it, it read like this:
“IF YOU READ THIS BULLETIN CAREFULLY, CONSIDER THIS A PLEA FROM YOUR FELLOW MEMBERS TO ATTEND CLUB MORE OFTEN. WE HAVE A GOOD MEETING PLACE, FOOD, FRIENDS ADD WORTHWHILE PROGRAMS. WHAT MORE CAN WE OFFER SO THAT WE CAN SEE YOU EACH FRIDAY? In this issue we are saying: “PLEASE COME TO MEETING”.
Our member, Margaret Brown, was one of the nominees at the YWCA Annual Leadership Luncheon held on May 12. The purpose of the Luncheon was to honor 2009 Women Of Excellence. Congratulations, Margaret.
On May 18, Nancy Foster presented an award to Barbara Bragg as Teacher Of The Year at Lowman Hill School, and also gave awards to two students in each of the classes we have been mentoring. Also attending the ceremonies were: Bill Kastens, Tom Wigley and Mike Akulow,
Pony rides will start on Saturday morning, June 6. Rides will be given from 9 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. If you have not yet signed up to help during June and July, you can do so at the next meeting.
Our next Pancake Breakfast will take place on Saturday, June 13, at Christ The King Church. Tickets are being distributed at Club meetings, or have been mailed. Please send your checks to Jerry Bessette.
We have been missing Mary Jane and Junior Elder lately, and Nancy Foster has asked about them. She learned that Junior had shoulder surgery recently and is recovering at home; and Mary Jane had been in the hospital twice. She also is back home and both are doing better. We hope to see them both back at meeting soon.
Our Club will sponsor Nathan Roy, a student at Most Pure Heart of Mary, for OI Junior Golf this spring. Nathan will play in the 12-13 year old class on June 9 in Salina. We wish Nathan well.
The next Board of Directors’ Meeting will be held at 6:30 P.M. on Monday, June 1 at Christ The King, in the usual room.
Meeting of May 15 , 2009
Jason Crenshaw, from Heart of America Hospice, assisted by Leigh Geary, talked about several factors concerning hospice care. There is one prerequisite: a person must have received a terminal diagnosis by a qualified physician. Ordinarily, that would be for the next six months period; however, Crenshaw said that evaluations are made every 90 days. If considered necessary the patient will be covered for the next 90 days. Thus for some, hospice care could go on for as long as several years.
As Medicare and most insurance plans cover hospice care, there is usually no cost to the patient. Jason reported that hospice will still provide care for those without coverage or adequate funds.
A hospice’s mission is to help a patient focus on the patient’s future time, rather than dwelling on the past. The purpose is to help the patient’s quality of life.
Each individual is assigned a Nurse, Nurses’ Aid, Social Worker and a Chaplain. Usually a patient works through phases of: anger, grief, denial, laughter and tears. The teams of hospice workers will help with physical pain, mental concerns and saying goodbye to relatives and friends.
Patients have been known to improve sufficiently to leave hospice care. And other patients say that hospice care has helped their morale.
Jason added that hospice also gives respite care to survivors, sometimes for periods of several months after their loved one have passed on.
Both Bob Lewis and Harold Burkdoll, who had recently been hospitalized, were welcomed back to Club.We had three guests: Ed and Lois Niles, guests of Nancy Foster, and Arlene Burkdoll, Harold’s wife. President Bill Kastens announced that Stanley Dennis’ birthday would be on May 23; and Clyde Kensinger revealed that his birthday had been May 3.
For the second week in a row, Ken Kerle had the winning number for the drawing to share with OI International. This week he received $8.50. Ken must be on a roll, because his membership number was drawn and he received a bag of English Walnuts. However, he did miss out on the President’s dried fruit, which went to Paul Bicknell.
Meeting of May 22, 2009
The scheduled speaker for this program was not able to attend, so Phelica and President Bill Kastens arranged for some substitutes. Bill called upon several military veterans to tell about their war experiences. As it turned out, some of the veterans were able to recall so many memories, that time ran out before all the veterans could take their turn.
Those that did were: Rod Obermeier, the Vietnam War; Leland Denton, Justin McGarity, World War II, in United States military; and Stanley Dennis, World War II in the English military.
There will be no attempt here to relate what each had to say, except to say that their experiences were quite varied and interesting. When President Kastens finally had to call a halt, he asked for a vote as to which veteran had the best story. Leland Denton was the winner and was honored with a package of dried fruit.
There were two guests at this meeting: one was Carol Williams, who was a guest of Philica Livingston; and the other was an old-time member, Fred Dittemore. Fred was very active in our Club for many years, before he retired in Fort Collins, Colorado to be nearer to family. He was able to recall the names of several of our present members, and asked to be remembered to those whom he remembered, but were not present.
President Kastens announced birthdays for: Stanley Dennis on May 23, Margie Denton on May 24, and Carl Smith and Lloyd Montgomery on May 27.
Jokes were told by Nancy Foster and Clayton McMurray. Jim Shannon was the winner of the cash drawing and split $16 with the OI International Foundation. However, Bob Lewis was not present and missed out on a bag of pecans; and Clayton McMurray’s number was chosen out of the 19 present and he received the President’s Award of a package of dried fruit.
Volume 84 – Issue 17 - May 11 , 2009
May Meetings – Phelica Livingston, Chairwoman
May 15 – Jason Crenshaw/Leigh Geary – Heart of
America Hospice – “ Choosing Hospice”
May 22 – Representative from VEMMA – “ The energy
drink alternative”
May 29 – Sarah Cox – Comfort Keepers of Topeka –
“ Living Safe”
Current News:
The annual election of a President-Elect and three new Directors was held on May 1, 2009. Those nominated:
President-Elect – Ron Brown
Directors- Bob Holmes, Clyde Kensinger and Gary
Fleenor
were elected by unanimous consent. Congratulations to all and we look forward to another banner year under the leadership of Tom Wigley and the Board of Directors.
Our Club will sponsor a youth for OI Junior Golf this spring. If a qualified youngster is not available, our Club will contribute $150 to the Kansas District to support the golf tournament.
On May 6, the Annual Lowman Hill Bowling Day was held from 11:45 A.M. to 12:45 P.M. at Gage Bowl. There were a large number of bowlers, and quite a number of Club members turned out to help the youngsters.
At the District Meeting held in Manhattan on April 24-26, our Club won the Activities and Achievement Award Banner in recognition for the success of our various programs At the same meeting we were able to contribute $262 for the Children’s Cancer Fund. And Jane Harris, of Lawrence was elected the new Lt. Governor for this Zone.
Of special interest, Mollyanne Gibson, the winner of our Club’s Essay contest, finished seventh out of thirteen contestants in the District finals. At the Manhattan Conference, she won the District Oratorical contest and will advance to the US regionals.
If you read this bulletin carefully, consider this a plea from
your fellow members to attend Club more often. We have a
At the Board of Directors Meeting on May 4, actions approved were:
Contribution of $100 to the Hugh O’Brien Youth
Program, which is conducted by OI International.
Contribution of $100 to Joseph Dempewolf, a student at
Emporia State University, in response to his request
for financial assistance in attending a State Leadership
Conference in Anaheim, CA in June.
Contribution of $100 to the Banner Creek Science Center,
Holton, Kansas. (Their speakers, including our member,
Bill Zirger, attended our meeting on April 10.)
Approved the application for membership by John
Gauntt, who was Clayton McMurray’s guest on
April 17.
Nominated Mollyanne Gibson, the winner of our Essay
Contest, for the Bob Cutter Award. The winner of this
Award will be announced at the Zone Meeting on May
28, 2009. This Award goes to a High School student for
outstanding service to others.
good meeting place, food, friends and worthwhile programs. What more can we offer so that we can see you each Friday?
Mark your calendars for the next Pancake Breakfast to be held on June 13. Tickets will be given out to members on May 15.
Pony rides will begin on June 6. Sign up to help at our next meeting.
Meeting of May 1 , 2009 Mi sty
Kate Clemmons, representing the Homestead Assisted Living Facility located in Auburn, Kansas, spoke about the advantages of assisted living. This facility was built in 2001 and offers 3 meals per day; assistance with scheduling medications; and has a nurse on duty twenty-four hours a day, five days a week.
The atmosphere is that of a warm and comfortable home with many activities for the residents.
In addition to the home in Auburn, three other homes offering assisted living are owned and managed by Midwest Health Management in Topeka. They are: Homestead of Topeka, (formerly Sterling House) emphasizing care for Alzheimers patients), Lexington Park and Rolling Hills.
Kate Clemmons, has degrees from Washburn University and the University of Kansas, and began work with the Homestead Assisted Living Facility in Auburn in March. She emphasized that there are many opportunities for Assisted Living now and encouraged those with interest in this type of living to investigate all possibilities.
How golfers create divots
Although there were no guests, President Bill Kastens noted that Alyce Gannaway’s birthday was on May 5. Rowland Hyle shared $20 with the OI Foundation; again Lloyd Montgomery’s number was drawn to receive a bag of nuts (of course we know Lloyd is not presently able to attend, but we keep him in our thoughts); and Jim Shannon’s sign-in number was drawn to earn the President’s dried fruit. Once again, there were no jokes.
Meeting of May 8, 2009
We could have hardly had a more timely subject for this program than the comments by Jeff Martin, Managing Supervisor and Richard Crawford, Advisor Associate of the Topeka office of Waddell & Reed, Financial Advisors. Jeff Martin, using a slide presentation, gave a clear picture of the Country’s present financial crisis. He did begin his remarks with some good news: “We are fortunate to live in Kansas”. Conditions in many other parts of the USA have been affected more adversely than has Kansas. Tent cities, he said are springing up in some places.
His comments can be condensed as follows:
In October of 2007, the Dow Jones reached its highest point
ever at 14,127.
However, in December of that year, a recession started and
continues today.
At that time, the USA was very close to financial collapse.
The “AIG Situation” was a major factor in the downturn.
Too many “sub-prime” loans had been made.
The economy is still declining.
We need to reach a point where foreclosures stop.
And no more sub-prime loans should be made.
The Country is now in a period of “deflation”; but it is
not close to a depression.
As for what one can do now, Martin said that in his opinion, it is a good time to invest in Equity Securities. But, he added, one should rely on the Standard & Poor 500 Average, rather than the Dow Jones Index. He does believe the economy will require an additional “stimulus”.
He has been “cautiously optimistic” since last March and expects the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to move from negative to positive in the 4th Quarter of 2009. Finally, he expects this recession to end in the 2nd Quarter of 2010; and after the year 2011 inflation to grow dramatically.
We again had jokes from Bill Kastens, Dean Landman and Clayton McMurray. The winner of the OI Foundation drawing was Ken Kerle, who received $6.50; Frank Galbraith would have won a bag of pecans if he had been present; and Marge Hogue received the President’s prize.
Volume 84 – Issue 16– April 27 , 2009
April Meetings – Rowland Hyle, Chairman
April 24 – Dr. Kevin Singer, Superintendent of USD 501
May Meetings – Phelica Livingston, Chairwoman
May 1 - Kate Clemmons, HomeStead Assisted Living –
Alternative to a Nursing Home
May 8 – Rick Crawford, Waddell & Reed – Money
Management
May 15 – Jason Crenshaw/Leigh Geary – Heart of
America Hospice – Choosing Hospice
May 22 – Representative from VEMMA – The energy drink
alternative
May 29 – Sarah Cox – Comfort Keepers of Topeka –
Living Safe Polarize
Current News:
The annual election of a President-Elect and three new Directors will be held on May 1, 2009. Those nominated:
President-Elect – Ron Brown
Directors- Bob Holmes, Clyde Kensinger and Gary
Fleenor
Additional nominations can be made from the floor.
On Monday, April 20, the faculty and staff at Lowman Hill
School hosted volunteers from our Club at a special breakfast. Principal Russ Hutchin thanked these volunteers for their service. The volunteers were entertained by the girls’ chorus with a song entitled “We Appreciate You”.
The 2009 Run-N-Gun program will take place on May 23.. Thanks again to Jim Green for his help with this competition.
Our Club will sponsor a youth for OI Junior Golf this spring. If a qualified youngster is not available, our Club will contribute $150 to the Kansas District to support the golf tournament.
On May 6, the Annual Lowman Hill Bowling Day will be held from 11:45 A.M. to 12:45 P.M. at Gage Bowl. There will be a large number of bowlers and quite a number of Club members are needed to help keep control.
Sadly, because of a dearth of potential new members, the Wine and Cheese Party scheduled for April 17, was cancelled. Consideration is being given to having such a Party sometime in the future.
Congratulations to Dan Donaldson, who has been appointed as the Senior Pastor to the Holton Nazarene Church. He will be sharing his time between Holton and Topeka for the time being. So we can hope to see him at some future meetings.
Harold Burkdoll was in the hospital, but has now returned home. We wish Harold a speedy recovery.
Good news from Leland Denton. The surgery on his ear was successful and further tests showed no further surgery needed
Bob Lewis fell at home on April 19 suffering a head injury and a number of bruises. He was released from the hospital on April 24 and transferred to a rehabilitation hospital. At last report he was greatly improved. Get well soon, Bob.
Meeting of April 17 , 2009
Ron Thornburgh, the Kansas Secretary of State, spoke in general terms about the current status of Kansas State Government. He also set forth some of his own opinions about how individual citizens should react.
Secretary Thornburgh opened his remarks with some very complimentary statements about Optimism and its work in the community. Such comments are always welcome.
Ron Thornburgh is a Washburn University graduate and has a long history of government service. Specifically, he referred to studying under Ted Heim, who graciously acknowledged the compliment.
“Expectations have a funny way of coming true”, said Thornburgh. He went on to say that ordinary citizens need to have higher expectations of government officials. He expressed his concern that in these days citizens are really losing hope in government. His solution is for the creation of a sense of accountability for governmental officials. Secondly, he said, such officials need to stop the “game” of blaming someone else. And finally, he continued, to return to an attitude of common sense.
Although Thornburgh acknowledged that concern over job losses, and concern that our children, grandchildren, etc. will have less hope in the future, “our cup runneth over with opportunity”. There is still a way for individual success.
He concluded with these opinions:
“Good policy makes good politics” (and also good citizens) and that we are on solid ground: “When we do what we know what to do”.
There were three guests: John Gauntt (application to join in hand) guest of Clayton McMurray; Craig Bourne, from Secretary Thornburgh’s staff; and Alvina Holmes, wife of Bob Holmes. President Kastens supplied the joke for the day; your Editor shared $16 with the OI Foundation; Bill Gannaway, Jr. was present and was awarded a bag of nuts; and Dan Donaldson took home the President’s prize of dried fruit. What penguins see with.
Meeting of April 24, 2009
Dr. Kevin Singer, Superintendent of Topeka’s School District 501, presented an aspect of a School District that we seldom hear. Obviously, a Superintendent must deal with many personnel problems. After all, teachers are people and
They should have priority. But, a Superintendent must also be a statistician. Dr. Singer made a slide presentation which pointed out, for example:
501 is the 3rd largest employer in Shawnee County
It has 2,646 employees, of which 1,436 are teachers
There are 56 School Administrators and 28 Central Office
Administrators
501 is the 6th largest School District in Kansas, with 13,633
students
The District serves 250,000 meals, A MONTH
70% of the students receive a free or reduced lunch
Almost 6% of the students have special needs and nearly
7% are English language learners
3,490 students are bussed each day
90 % of new students not speaking English were born in
Topeka (And probably, neither do their parents).
In addition to the paid staff, the District receives over 47,800 volunteer hours each year. Plus the time contributed by its seven Board Members, who spend substantial amounts of their own time and face often difficult decisions.
We can believe that a School Superintendent leads a busy life. But Dr. Singer is pleased to be back in Topeka after having been away for a busy career around the Country.
Adding to Dr. Singer’s concerns is the fact that some 66% of the District’s revenues come from the State of Kansas. He will be keeping a watchful eye on this year’s Legislature as actions are taken regarding the State’s budget.
One interesting fact which he gave,, was that while he was the Superintendent of Schools in Garden City, the District was faced with educating students from some 110 countries. Further, that many of those students had never been exposed to writing or reading.
We had one guest, Alvina Holmes, Bob’s wife; and birthdays reported were April 22 for Rod Obermeier and April 24 for Nancy Foster. Past President Mike Akulow shared $21 with the OI Foundation. Ed Zeller’s badge number was drawn to receive a bag of nuts, but Ed was not present; and Paul Bicknell was awarded the President’s prize of dried fruit.
Volume 84 – Issue 15 – April 13 , 2009
April Meetings – Rowland Hyle, Chairman
April 17 – Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh
April 24 – Dr. Kevin Singer, Superintendent of USD 501
Current News:
Last March, we were told about a new OI program called “NOW” (New Optimists Welcome). The Directors have approved such a program for our Club, to be held on April 17. The plan is for members to send invitations to prospective members to attend a NOW Program at Christ The King Parish Center that evening,between 6:30 P.M. and 8:30 P.M. Secretary Nancy Foster is preparing an official invitation for our use. Please take time to consider any acquaintances you would like to invite. Refreshments of wine and cheese will be served
President Bill Kastens has appointed a Nominating Committee for a President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and three Directors for the year beginning October 1. The Committee is made up of Tom Wigley, Mike Akulow, Rod Obermeier and Paul Bicknell. If there is someone you would like to nominate, let one of the above know.
Planning is underway for the 2009 Run-N-Gun program. At present, it is anticipated that the actual competition will take place on May 23.. Thanks again to Jim Green for his help with this competition.
At the last meeting of the Board of Directors, The Board was informed by Jerry Bessette that our Club will sponsor a youth for OI Junior Golf this spring. If a qualified youngster is not available, our Club will contribute $150 to the Kansas District to support the golf tournament.
There will be a District Conference in Manhattan from April 24 to 26. All members are entitled to attend. See President Kastens for details.
Keep Leland Denton in your thoughts. He has had a growth removed from his ear and will undergo an MRI to learn if any further surgery may be necessary.
Meeting of April 3 , 2009
This year’s theme for the Optimist Essay contest was “The Power of Youth”, and, as is our custom, we had the three top winners, with their parents and friends, as our guests. Each read their essay and afterward received an award from our Club. The winners were:
First Place – Mollyanne Gibson, who is home schooled
Second Place – Richard Kirmer, from Hayden High
School Third Place – Daisy Hernandez, from Wanamaker
Elementary School
Mollyanne’s parents are Roger and Labecca Gibson. Richard’s parents are Dale and Karen Kirmer; and Daisy’s Mother is Reyna Hernandez. Nancy Riley, who was Daisy’s school counselor, also attended.
It should be known that Mollyanne won both the Zone and Regional Essay Contests and will be presenting her essay at the District Conference in Manhattan. And Richard won the District Contest a year ago, when he was sponsored by the Optimist Sunrise Club.
We would be remiss if we did not express our appreciation to Junior Elder and Rowland Hyle for making all of the arrangements for the Essay contest. Thank you, friends.
In addition to parents and school counselor, we had several additional guests. Bob Dunn, a former member of our Club, was the guest of Dick Reicherter; and Dick had two more guests, Barb McCauley and Mary Ellen Reese. Jokes were told by President Kastens, Jerry Bessette and J. Frank Elder. Brought litigation against a government official.
Richard Kirmer, in addition to his Essay Contest Award, divided $26 with the OI Foundation. Member Linda Smith was not present and will not receive a bag of English walnuts. And Clayton McMurray’s number was chosen out of the 37 persons in attendance to receive President Kasten’s box of dried fruit.
Meeting of April 10, 2009
We have all heard of “No Child Left Behind”, but now comes “No Child Left Indoors”. Whereas the former concentrates on Reading and Mathematics, the latter will stress the Sciences, with an emphasis on Astronomy. At the same time educational opportunities will be offered in: Applied Mathematics, Genetics, Ornithology, Entomology, Bio Science, Physics, Native Species and Water Quality.
Primarily designed for K-12 students, the facilities will be available to adults.
This is the mission of the Banner Creek Science Center to be set up on a 11.5 acre tract of prime land west of Holton, Kansas.
Long time Optimist member, Bill Zirger, Dr. Brad Rahe, the Product Development and Manager, and Michiel Ford, a teacher at Holton High School, all have a vision. A vision which will provide educational opportunities for as many as 30,000 students a year, once it is operating Each of the three spoke enthusiastically about their participation in this project, .
The Banner Creek Science Center is the successor to the Elk Creek Observatory, which was established in the year 2000 adjacent to the Holton High School football field.
Some funds have already provided by the Christa McAuliffe Grant Foundation (Christa McAuliffe, you will recall, perished in the 1986 Challenger disaster), and the Kansas Department of Education’s Technology Initiative Program, with funds obtained through the efforts of Senator Pat Roberts.
As a result, the Center has obtained a 20-inch telescope which has been installed in a 16.5 foot Ash Dome.
Thus the Center has been able to becoming a supporting entity to NASA, as well as a part of a world-wide exchange of Astronomical Information. It is the largest of any such facility in the world. Students are now studying black holes, gamma ray bursts and asteroids as well as other solar activities. So far the students have discovered six asteroids; monitor all NASA lift-offs and inter-act with universities all around the world. And all of this is happening in Holton, Kansas!
Until now, Banner Creek has relied upon the above named grants, plus individual grants and volunteer services. Recently the organization was granted a non-profit Federal 501,c (3) status. It is in the process of raising $4.5 million to build the necessary facilities on the Banner Creek site. Once those facilities are complete, the telescope and all other equipment will be moved to the Banner Creek location, west of Holton.
Dean Landman’s ticket was drawn so that he shared $16 with the OI Foundation. Margaret Brown, unfortunately was not present to win the traditional bag of nuts, and Bill Zirger received the President’s dried fruit award. And your Editor had a joke for the occasion.
The “Higher Education Corner
Think about this…No one ever says “It’s only a game” when his team is winning.
If you give people the benefit of a doubt, then you still have hope.
42.7 percent of all averages are made up on the spot.
When in doubt, just take the next small step.
And…Pray every day for our Country. It can’t hurt!
