Opti-B-Bull 3-17-11

 Our Flag salute was led by Dave Chrisman and Marv Doty gave the invocation. Prior to the opening bell, Lillian called with a sprained back still snuggled in bed with a heating pad while popping pain pills. This should have been an indicator that events might go catywhompus and not follow my typed agenda. Then some complained that I had set the picture screen in such a way as to obscure their view of our flag. I moved the screen to quiet the complaints but it turned out our man with his projector didn’t make it to the meeting. This was a bit of a snag in my plans as I was going to screen OI’s Internet Safety Program. Next week our speaker (which Lillian scheduled) is to be a gal from the Red Cross so I am crossing my fingers that we don’t have an emergency event here on the Pacific Coast. Thank goodness we disassembled our Trojan Nuclear Reactor and shipped it up to the Hanford Reach by Richland, WA. Hopefully they took the old fuel rods with it! The darn name should have been a dead give away that it was nothing but trouble.


            Lillian’s car refused to run correctly anymore so we had gone yesterday to get a rental so that she could search for a replacement  to last her a couple of more years. If anyone has any leads or suggestions, please give her a call. We did hold our raffle as scheduled and were amazed to find that Marv D didn’t win again this week? (He generously donated his winnings to the Candlelighters this time.) Joan gave a little victory dance and we presented her with our official St. Patrick’s lea of shamrocks in celebration but she will have to wait until next week to cash in on her winnings. It’s only $4.00 but perhaps that’s enough to take me to coffee?

Our This Day in History Section

In keeping with the beginning of our meeting, I left my notes on the history of Saint Patrick at home so had to wing it. I managed to remember how he had been abducted by Irish marauders and enslaved at age 16 but managed to escape and get on a boat back to Britain and go home to Scotland. He was a trifle religious and became a priest and was ordained as a bishop. He dreamed that he heard the voices of Irishmen pleading with him to return to their country which he did in 433. For forty years he traveled about building churches and preaching the Gospel. He died on March 17, 461 in Saul where he had built his first church. The Irish believe he drove the snakes from Ireland but since he lived in poverty I sort of wonder if perhaps he just ate them? Thefirst St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held in New York City in 1762 by Irish soldiers serving in the English military. The Irish were persecuted here so the parades became a show of unity and strength. In 1995 the Irish government said, “hey, this is a good thing let’s promote it.” Today it is an international celebration. We had our special napkins out to mark the day. (Hurry back Wally, they don’t like my history as well as yours!)


We had a guest show up and ask to talk with us. She is a neighbor of Jack’s and our old member Steve Wabnitz who moved toWest Virginia and a friend of Jennie Moton. She invited us to attend a music program on Saturday, April 16th at 7 PM to raise money for a child suffering from a very rare cancer diagnosed a year ago. Alena was diagnosed with Group4, Stage IV Alvelolar Rhabdomyosarcoma with 250 cases a year in the US and two in Oregon. Alena was in the hospital at the same time as another sibling with a different problem. Sort of like Japan with an earthquake and then a tsunami. Michael Allen Harrison the pianist and Julianne Johnson the vocalist are presenting this program at the Cedar Mill Bible Church to help the family and Alena out. The tickets are available from www.ticketsoregon.com for $25, $35, and $45 or we can make donations at any branch of the US Bank just ask for the Alena J. Marek Medical Fund Account c/o Acct # 153-662-744-777. If you would like more information about Alena’s story you can check it out at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/alenamarek . If you can’t make the concert, you can still buy the tickets on line and email them back to the family so that Alena’s friends in her class can attend.  It is explained on the caringbridge site.


I didn’t take notes while I tap-danced throughout the meeting but remember asking Jack to discuss trailer camping while shampooing at some park and he did give some good news. His son is already back to work and we discussed the names of bones in a person’s arm and the horrendous pictures of the car from which everyone emerged alive. Jack plans to leave us for a couple of months and as near as I can tell he will be following Sarah Pale one and various politicians to Iowa where he was born but hasn’t settled on a platform to run on. He claims running for office once was enuff but you know these politicians. (I always wondered if he was really born in Oregon or perhaps Kenya?) He also claims to have a certificate for living in Oregon for 50 years which makes a person a pioneer and you can get free fishing licenses? Why don’t I know these things?


Joe Coss also had to admit he had bought a house over near Bend and his wife plans to retire from Nike and the two will be moving next year so Joe can take pictures of the Three Sisters and Three Finger Jack at various times and lighting out his window. He offered to present a power point program (since he and Dave Chrisman are next month’s Program Chairmen.) Perhaps we can discuss at our next Board Mtg.?


We discussed an upcoming yard sale to get rid of stuff in our storage shed over at Tualatin Hills Park and Rec. Hdqtrs. We learned sort of by accident that the steel we had used to put up our booth to sell buttered corn-on-the-cob has been cut down to make the trailers we used to build the trails in our Regional Park. Perhaps the lights we used to sell Christmas Trees with the Girl Sea Scouts are still there…who knows? We discussed at our Board Meeting having our new member Meredith help with this wonderful sale and a chance to be involved but I forgot to mention at this meeting. We did announce that the Board had helped Scott to decide in helping to find new leaders for next year. And we decided that having a walk for Childhood Cancer might be above our ability to organize. Joan discussed our upcoming evening meeting and the planned silent auction. She had to sort of explain how these auctions work. You would think that folks who have suffered through our Christmas Gift Exchange would already infer the pain involved in having someone trump your bid while your back is turned. Anyway, our speaker at the event will discuss the plants which will be available at the upcoming sale at THPR Regional Park so you don’t have to mow your lawn?! Please plan on bringing friends who might join us as well as your significant other.


Please stay up to date with our activities at our club website: http://beavertonoptimist.webs.com/

Meeting Minutes March 10, 2011

Optimist Club Meeting Minutes 

March 10, 2011 by Susan

No speaker today

A small group of us showed up and had a blast this morning.  Special thanks to the following people who were able to make it on this rather drippy and windy morning.  Marv D., Marv T., Gene , Bob A., Gary, Noel, Alan, Steve, Barry, Joe and Susan.   Hope I didn't leave anyone off of this list.  

Bob led us in the pledge and Marv D.  said the invocation. 

Alan brought and article in about the importance of riding a bike in order to keep the doctor away.  Steve said he'd rather eat an apple then ride a bike and Barry suggested that Steve ride a bike while eating an apple.  

Member News:   

Bob A. made an announcement that next Monday, March 14th there will be a mid year Honor Cord Ceremony for the Scout Troop that we Sponsor.  It just so happen that this year there are to be 60 Merit Badges being awarded to the scouts.  Bob said this is extremely rare.  Unfortunantly, it does fall on our board meeting night as well.  Bob will get the information to Alan on the time and the location if you are interested in attending contact one of them or look for the e-mail talking about it.  Would be nice to have someone from the club go and support the Boy Scouts.  

Gary's Grandson, who came to show us his amazing talents in Taekwondo, will be getting his 2nd degree black belt this coming week.  He was also inducted into the National Honor Society I believe that is what Gary said.  So not only is he an expert in Taekwondo, he also is very smart!

Henry's wife just got out of the hospital.  She had a bad asthma attack, after not having any real problems for 10 years. It was also discovered she had some pneumonia in her lung.  She is doing much better now.  Plus I heard a muttering that Henry got a new travel trailer though didn't get the specifics.  

Wally got a blood transfusion due to some bad nosebleeds and is back home recovering from his health issues.  Hope you feel better soon Wally.  He mentoned that many of his friends have come by to offer him support and feed him meals and wants to thank everyone for their kindness for all he's been going through.  Get better soon Wally, we miss you at our meetings!

Jack's son, Ted and his family, are doing much better and are at home.  Jack and his wife Carol have taken their new motor home down to Champoeg State Park for some r/r for a few days.  So happy to hear that Ted and his family are doing better.  Thanks for the update Marv D.

Marv T. gave an update on the Golf Tournament.  He has not heard from Bill French yet, though he did say that the tournament would be either the end of September or early October and that it would be at the Forest Hills Golf Course in Forest Grove.  He talked about the cost for sponsoring a hole, which I believe he said would be either $ 100 or $ 125.  Kind of zoned out at this point as I had gotten my breakfast and forgot I needed to be taking notes.  

Susan gave an update on the dinner meeting on April 21st.  It will be at the Peppermill, a Silent Auction will start at 6:30pm, if you are interested in donating an auction item please contact Joan.  Dinner will start around 7pm and Joan hopes to get a friend of her's to come and chat to us from the Native Plant Sale.  It's going to be a fun evening so please plan to be there and bring a guest or a spouse.   Please let Susan know by April 18th if you plan to be there and how many you will be bringing.  Thanks. 

Don't forget, we want to fill the room on March 31, 2011 for the Award Ceremony for the Essay Contest winners.  Barry has asked that 10 extra chairs be out that day.  He hopes to bring in the outside judge that helped in this years contest.  

There is a Board Meeting on Monday at 6:30pm at the PAL Club.  Marv T. made a special announcement to say he would not be at this months board meeting because he and his friends were driving down to Bandon to golf 4 different courses in 4 days.  He did put in a side note that there have been several earthquakes 200 miles off of Bandon and so not only would he have to contend with this while he was golfing, but he also checked out the weather report and said he'd be dealing with driving rain and heavy wind as well.  So none the less we'll hold the board meeting without Marv T, and we'll all be happy our board meeting is inside where it is dry.  

Last week raffle winner was Marv D. he donated his winnings to the club.  And then he subsequently won this weeks raffle, so he'll have to come back next week to claim those winnings.  

This day in history was 1959: Tibetans ban together in revolt, surrounding the summer palace of the Dalai Lama in defiance of Chinese Occupation Forces.  Thanks Alan for this day in history.  

There was some discussion on what would happen at next weeks breakfast meeting.  I think we decided we were watching the Internet Safety Disk and Bob A. would bring his projector.   Alan also suggested we look at photographs on cd of our optimist in different activities.  Gary seemed to insert his own idea that we could watch the video he made up of the Nethercutt Auto Collection he went too I believe it was last year.  So come and find out next week what we are doing, either way it's great to hang out with all of the Optimist Club Members.  

Don't forget to check out our website at:  www.beavertonoptimist.webs.com  However this afternoon I have tried to get on and it just won't open anything up.  

Have a great week.  

Optimist Club Minutes

By Susan Nordstrom for Bob Primrose, who is vacationing in Hawaii

Alan rang the bell, Bruce led us in the pledge and Marv gave the invocation, which included several prayers to members of our club.  

Barry gave update on the Essay Contest.  He has scheduled the winners to be at our club meeting on March 31, 2011.  Please mark your calendar and let's fill the room for these folks!  

Wally has a staff infection in his leg.  He is home from the hospital, but in a lot of pain and isn't very mobile.  He continues on with his antibiotic treatments, let's all keep Wally in our thoughts and prayers.  I know that Lillian has been helping him out a lot as well.  

Jack shared with us this morning that his youngest son, wife and kids were driving back from  vacation, when a driver entering the highway going the wrong way nearly hit his son, his son had to swerve to miss the oncoming wrong way driver and ended up rolling his SUV Expedition many times before it came to rest on the roof.  His wife was able to crawl out of the wreckage and I believe also get the kids out.  Jack's son had to be cut out of the car.  The son is in the hospital in Yuma Arizona, he has the following injuries:  bruised lungs, a gash in his head that has 11 staples,  swelling on the side of his head, a mangled left arm and a broken left shoulder.  The wife is bruised up but OK and the kids are ok as well.  Thank goodness!  Jack wasn't planning on being at the meeting this morning but thank you Jack for coming and sharing this with us.  Please keep us posted when you find more news out about your son and his family.  Jack is waiting to hear more before deciding what to do next.  

Dave Chrisman mentioned that on May 14th and June 4th that there are opportunities to help out with two playground install projects.  I do know that on May 14th  and June 4th that NWBSC will be having bike safety fairs.  So for me, Susan, I would not be able to attend either playground build as myself and Rudy and Joyce volunteer at all the NWBSC Bike Safety Fairs.  

I will be sending out an e-mail, separate to this one, to see how many people will be showing up for the Optimist Evening Meeting on April 21st. 

It was decided this morning the evening meeting on  the 21st because it is a Thursday and so that day will have the evening meeting at the Peppermill Restaurant and not hold our breakfast meeting.  Joan and Susan are on the committee to get this together.  Joan will be calling to reserve the spot at the Peppermill this afternoon as the scheduler was not there this morning when we were meeting.  After the time slot is affirmed I will send out the e-mail. 

Pin and Badge check:  Dave and Barry both paid a fine.  

Meredith was late, but Alan shook her hand and said that since he was the secret greeter he was not going to fine her.  What a nice President we have!

Our Speaker today was, Ed Proulx from Love Inc.  His group mobilizes churches to meet the needs of the community.  Check their website out at: www.loveincbeaverton.org 

In August Love Inc. gathers money and backpacks for their Packs of Love program.  It costs $ 25.00 for a full back pack and $ 5.00 for the actual backpack.  Bob Arneson brought up that this would be something maybe our club could do.  I think if every member donated a backpack that would be an awesome idea.  $ 25 is a very good price to help a child in need in the following school year.  

Ed also mentioned they have volunteer opportunities available:

- Volunteers to man the phones on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

- Men to move furniture

- Pick people up and take to doctors appointments, grocery shopping, outings etc. and bring back home.

- Mentoring

Please remember to check out our website at http://beavertonoptimist.webs.com/

Have a good week everyone, see you next week.