Smyrna Optimist Club  
 

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July 2003 Meeting notes

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July 25, 2003 Meeting Notes

Speaker: Allen Nicely
Alen Nicely has been at Campbell High School for 26 years. He has served in man positions and is currently the athletic director. In his capacity as athletic director. He supervises the operation of 34 different athletic teams. He has high hopes for the upcoming football season. Under the direction of second-year coach Phillip Ironside, coach Ironside is not only demanding of his players on the field, but also requires them to set a good example. They must be successful both academically and socially in school, failure to do so will result in a player not participating. School starts this year on August 11, with the first football game on September 6 against Wheeler High School.

Among other sports, Josh and Jerry Carson are standouts in cross-country they both placed very well in the Peachtree Road Race and he expects them to represent Campbell High School very well in region and state competitions.

He also announced the creation of a scholar athlete program for Campbell High School. Any athlete who maintains aa 3.0 average at the end of each semester will receive recognition from this program. He brought a Campbell High School hat, which was auctioned off as part of a fundraiser for this program.

The Club Grows: Brian Cooper inducted a new member, Kim Kockleburg, who was sponsored by Susan Pearson. Kim is an occupational helth nurse at AT&T. She loves the outdoor life and travel. We are sure she will be an asset to our club.

Guests at the meeting were:

  • Austin Tull, Junior Class President of Campbell High School, invited by Steve Wilson
  • John Paul Hood, recipient of the citizen of the year award scholarship for 2003 ($1000) from the Optimist Club of Smyrna. Austin was invited by Ed Whittington.
  • Bishop Will Ritchie, an Optimist from Detroit Michigan was a walk-in guest.

The Meeting
There were 56 members and 4 guests present.

Susan Williams of MUST Ministries still needs you to bring your used grocery bags. Also, MUST Ministries is starting a back-to-school program she expects to server 500-600 children starting August 4 through August 15. She needs donations of all types of school supplies from pencils to backpacks. Ify ou cannot bring them to the meeting you may take them to the MUST offices at 460 Pat Mill Road.

Ed Dorester requests that whoever mistakenly took the committee signup sheet for next year please return it. Come on people, he'll just make another one.

Anyone needing an updated roster should send Dennis Harding an e-mail at hardinghouse@bellsouth.net. Dennis will send it as an attachment. For a paper copy, give him a call at 770-435-5762, and he will get it to you.

Adopt-A-Mile
A big Thank You goes out to all the people who showed up for the adopt-a-mile. The weather was great. Suzanne Lynn, Greg Lynn, Ann Harris, Mike McNabb, Arron Morris, Steve Clair, Ed Camp, Shane Wissman.

I am thankful for.....

  • the taxes that I pay because it means that I am employed
  • mess to clean up after a party, because it means I have been surrounded by friends
  • all the complaining I hear about the government because it means we have freedom of speech
  • the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means I am alive.

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July 18, 2003 Meeting Notes

Remembering Nick Monsour
(a message from Ed Whittington)

Nick was a past President and is a Life Member. He has been one of my confidants during my year as President, and monthly without fail sent me an email to use during our meetings. This is the last email he sent me suggesting I read it to the club and send it to the Optimist Magazine, which I have done. As I re-read this, I realized that Nick followed these commandments every day.

10 Commandments for Optimists

  1. Thou shalt not worry, for worrying is the most unproductive of all human activities.
  2. Thou shalt not be afraid, for most things we fear never come to pass.
  3. Thou shalt not cross bridges before thou comest to them.
  4. Thou shalt not handle but one problem at a time, leaving the others to The Lord until their proper time.
  5. Thou shalt not take troubles to bed, for they make poor bedfellows. 6. Thou shalt not try to carry the problems of the world on thy shoulders, for only One hath a back that strong.
  6. Thou shalt be a good listener, for God often speaks through the mouths of others.
  7. Thou shalt not try to relive yesterday, for good or ill, it is gone forever, but to live and rejoice in today.
  8. Thou shalt dismiss feelings of frustration, for they are rooted in self-pity and interfere with positive action.
  9. Thou shalt count they blessings, never overlooking the smallest, for our biggest blessings are often composed of our smaller ones.

Your President
Ed Whittington

Speaker: Stephanie Glassing, Miss Wheelchair Georgia
Dan Scoggins introduced Stephanie Glassing who came on Friday with her daughter Briana, a freshman in the performing arts program at Pebblebrook, and friend Mike Mosley. Ms. Glassing gave us the speech she gave at the Campbell Middle School graduation. She spoke about having to live with one's decisions and how that will effect the rest of your life. Stephanie is a freelance artist, a water-skier, she scuba dives and has sky dived. Next weekend there will be a ski competition at Lake Acworth for the Georgia Games.

The Meeting
There were 42 members and 6 visitors at Friday's meeting. Kim Kuckenburger returned. Ken Smith's guest, Jimmy Pitts returned for his second visit. Susan Hiott, the Smyrna City Clerk, was guest of Mike McNabb and Ann Kirk. Ed Whittington's wife Connie was also a guest.

Susan Carter is next year's chair of the Campbell High School's athletic booster club. She has advertising space in programs available for both businesses and personal ads.

The Third Quarter Regional Meeting will be held at Callaway Garden the first weekend in August. Registration is due by July 23. We are hoping for a strong club turnout.

Sergeant-at-arms, Ann Harris, asks people to find their member number on the back of their badge and use that slot for badge storage. If you do not have a number, see Ann.

Ed Forscher is back from the International Convention in Kansas City. There were some changes made that will effect the local clubs. Octagon Clubs, or youth clubs are now full membership clubs and the organizing club will receive full credit for it. Dues for college students will be $5. Individual dues to the international organization were raised from $26 to $30. The new Optimist Program is centered on childhood cancer and will include a fundraising campaign to raise money to fight cancer.

Peter Hairston lost his father Thursday, July 17.

Anyone needing an updated roster should send Dennis Harding an e-mail at hardinghouse@bellsouth.net. Dennis will send it as an attachment. For a paper copy, give him a call at 770-435-5762, and he will get it to you.

Spiritual Nuggets

  • God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.
  • There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.
  • Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.
  • Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

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July 11, 2003 Meeting Notes

Speaker: Mike McNabb

Harold Smith introduced the club's own Mike McNabb as Friday's speaker. Mike is running for the seat vacated by the retiring Jim Hawkins. In his first political speach Mike told about growing up in Smyrna and his work at BellSouth, and how that prepared him for city council work by making him project and budget oriented. Smyrna is the most politically successful city in Cobb County. Both Harold Smith and Gary Hill are on the committee to elect Mike McNabb.

The Meeting
There were 56 members and 7 guests at Friday's meeting bringing the attendence to 63.

Guests at the meeting were:

  • Susan Hiott, invited by Ray Metts
  • Artie Kelly of Innter Harbor of Douglasville, invited by Ed Whittington
  • Mike McNabb's wife and mother.
  • Susan Carter's son, Michael
  • Susan Kuckleburg, invited by Susan Pearson

Adopt-a-mile will be next Saturday at 8:00 at the Smyrna Recycling Center

The Pancake Committee held it's first meeting and will be headed by Mike Kidd.

Susan Carter is next year's chair of the Campbell High School's athletic booster club. She has advertising space in programs available for both businesses and personal ads.

The Third Quarter Regional meting will be held at Callaway Gardens the first weekend in August. Registration is due by July 23. We are hoping for a strong club turnout.

Ed Forscher needs committee heads and members for next year. There is a signup sheet circulating for the next few weeks. There are many ways you can help the club through its activities.

Susan Williams will have a back-to-school program at MUST to distribute school supplies the first week of August. Please donate supplies to her.

The Optimist Board will meet August 15 at the Smyrna Community Center.

July Birthdays: Ann Harris 7/3; Ted Smiley 7/3; Ed Forscher 7/10; Curt Johnston 7/10; George Kreeger 7/6; Wayne Shutt 7/13; Bill Bennett 7/21; Susan Williams 7/31.

July Membership Anniversaries: Reagon Merrill 1988; Susan Kendall 1998; Stephen Daniel 1998; Shane Cannon 2002; Peter Hairston 2002.

Ten Commandments Cajun Style

  1. God is number one...and das' all.
  2. Don't pray to nuthin' or nobody..jus' God.
  3. Don't cuss nobody...'specially da Good Lord.
  4. When it be Sunday... pass yo'self by God's House.
  5. Yo mama an' you daddy dun did it all... lissen to dem.
  6. Killin' duck and fish, das' OK.. people --No!.
  7. God done give you a wife...sleep wit' jus' her.
  8. Don't take nobody's boar... or nuttin' else.
  9. Don't go wantin' somebody's stuff.
  10. Stop lyin'.. you tongue gonna fall out yo mouf.