NEXT CLUB MEETING

  The next meeting of the Optimist Club of Treynor is planned at 7:20 a.m. Saturday morning May 12, 2007 in the Community Center.  CHAD GUTTAU has arranged for Pott. Co. Attorney Matt Wilber to speak.  All members are encouraged to bring a guest and the public is invited. 

 

REPORT OF RECENT CLUB MEETING

  At the Club meeting on 5/5 there were 20 members and two guests present.  President GARY GUTTAU opened the meeting with the pledge and DALE WILLEBORG led the devotion.

  Christian Goos of Treynor was introduced as guest.  Since January he has worked as the south west Iowa campaign manager for presidential candidate Mitt Romney.  While attending the University of Iowa he was chairman of the college Republicans there. 

  The 50/50 was awarded to KEITH DENTON.  The attendance pot was awarded to RICHARD VORTHMANN.

  Pres. GUTTAU added a dollar to the Youth Fund to announce the Pott. Co. Master Gardeners plant sale next Saturday at the IDS campus.

  GARY FUNKHOUSER circulated the watch he received from Optimist International for being president of a distinguished club last year. 

  DALE WILLENBORG announced the Web site for our club was available and he is still adding information to it.

  Pres. GUTTAU asked for volunteers to work at the District track meet next Saturday which starts at 10 a.m.

  JOHN KLEIN announced he had submitted a grant to Promise Partners for further development of the Can Kennel program, but doesn’t know the outcome, yet.

  Pres. GUTTAU asked for interest in conducting a bike safety event for the elementary students.  A date of May 24 has been selected.  Many volunteers are needed during the afternoon period to prepare the riding skills course, inspect bikes, and score the riders.

  Pres. GUTTAU noted that this month all cans and bottles collected in the Can Kennel will be for senior scholarships.  The scholarship selection committee has completed their work and has asked for an additional scholarship this year.  So it is important to collect all the loose cans and bottles for the Can Kennel this month.  DICK BABER noted the Lamoni Optimist Club has a can and bottle collection center, and the club is growing in size and service.

  The annual Youth Appreciation Celebration was held at Zion Church on the 6^th.  The following students were nominated by Treynor school teachers:

 7th Grade--Bradley Bailey, Alexandria Snyder

 8th Grade--Shawn Hearn, Tirzah Beam

 9th Grade--Steven Zimmerman, Kayla Greiner

10th Grade--Anthony Gordon, Miranda Smith

11th Grade--Lee Volkens, Faith McApline

12th Grade--Brandon Green, Jennifer Hadfield,

                      and Kristin Hendrix

   Charles Caldwell was recognized at the Teacher-of-the-Year from the elementary school staff. 

  GARY FUNKHOUSER announced winners of the Optimist International Essay and Oratorical contests sponsored by our Club:

Essay Contest:

1^st   Ben Hardy

2^nd  Nicole Schmidt

3^rd  Megan Godfrey

 

 

Oratory Contest (boys and girls have separate competition):

1^st   Nick Carolus and Tia McCullough

2^nd  Alec Schoening and Tiffany Hecker

3^rd  Joel Hardy and Justine Hiebner

  Nicole Schmidt, President of the Junior Optimist Octagon Club was recognized for her outstanding leadership during the past school year.  Thanks to STEVE IRVIN for speaking about ‘Integrity’ and to FUNKHOUSER for organizing the event.

  Seven Board members met after the Club meeting and decided to offer six $300 scholarships this year.  Treasurer JEFF JORGENSEN reported club assets of $6348 and an Endowment balance of $2002.

 

IOWA HAS IMPORTANT ROLE IN POLITICAL PROCESS

 

  Gentry Collins of Des Moines is a busy man as the Iowa campaign manager for presidential candidate Mitt Romney.  Collins explained he graduated from Iowa State Univ. in 1997 with a degree in political science and has worked for the Speaker of the Iowa House.  He also was an intern for Governor Branstad.  Collins was chair of the Iowa Republican Party in 2003-2004 and chaired an Iowa Governor’s Conference.  Collins was also in charge of redistricting in Iowa as a result of the last population census.  From his perspective Collins stated the Iowa Caucus is probably the most important political event in the U.S.  Both political parties are working to keep the Iowa Caucuses first in the nation.  Twenty-six states will vote for a presidential nominee before the New Hampshire primary compared to four years ago.  In the opinion of Collins Iowa takes the presidential election process more seriously than other states.  Collins remarked that it appeared that all major presidential candidates will visi! t Iowa this year as part of their campaign strategies.  Collins noted that Iowa has a Republican Straw Poll event on August 11 in Ames.  This is the largest attended political fund raiser in the nation, and all presidential candidates are expected.  In 1999 40,000 Iowans attended and four candidates dropped out of the running after the event. 

 

CALENDAR

May Can Kennel contributions for Optimist Scholarships

May 12    Club meeting, program by Matt Wilber.

May 12    District Track Meet, 10 a.m.

May 16    Can and bottle sorting, 6 p.m.

May 19    3^rd Qtr. Iowa District Optimist Conference, Des Moines.

May 19    Club meeting, program by Gabriel’s Corner.

May 24    Bike Safety Day, Elementary School, 3:30-5 p.m.

May 26    Club meeting, program TBA.

May 30    Can and bottle sorting, 6 p.m.

 

   Birthdays

5/11  KEITH DENTON,   5/20  KELLY SUTHERLAND

5/21  STEVE IRVIN,   5/21  CARL GARAFFA

5/22  LINNEA WHITE

   Anniversaries

5/25  BOB ABBOTT,   5/29  BILL MATTHEW

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