Our new Optimist’s year has just started and I’ve already attended a district meeting. I’ve discovered there is a lot to learn, but I’m excited to settle into this year and make our club’s 50^th year one of the best yet. I like the International President’s motto ‘Yes We Can’. The word’s ‘yes’ and ‘can’ are very positive and show an attitude of moving forward (optimism at its best). Sandwiched in between is the ‘We’ part. That’s us, you and I as a team to plan, promote, work for youth and community, have fun, find new friends, and be what we are, optimists. Today’s Noon Optimist Club, as was the last 49 years, works because of a positive attitude to better the community and this takes everyone’s cooperation. Our club can stay strong only with the help of all members to join in the work projects and be a part of a committee. We can’t be a ‘friend of youth’ by sitting back and letting others do our share of the work. Part of my effort this year will be to find a fit for each member and let you enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done. We need to make sure the Noon Optimist Club in another fifty years will remembered our efforts to maintain our true spirit.

Several opportunities to help on projects and committees are in front of us now. The downtown Christmas lights project is already at our heels. Anne Fiscus has set up the weekends of Oct. 25 and Nov. 1 for installation. This is a large project for all members and the major fundraiser for our year. Getting the lights on the tops of the trees is a chore and hard work. Please respond to Anne’s requests for help. Last year only 1/3^rd of the members put in some work time. We have to do better.

Committee assignments are filling up and I will contact you, so you know you know where you are needed.

10/6 - Paul Beals 10/14 - Steve Ford 10/17 - Bill Martin

Christmas Tree Lighting

The Optimist will begin work on putting the lights on the trees at Marshall County Courthouse October 24 and 25 and probably November 1. Let’s think positive that we will have them up and don't have to work on November 2^nd, unless the weather doesn't cooperate. The turnout to get the fund raising letters folded and mailed out, was so wonderful. If we all pitch in and help with the lights like the letters, we are sure to be successful. We will start putting up the lights on Saturday at 9:00am and work until about 3:00 or 4:00pm. Sunday we will start at noon and work until 4:00pm. Please plan your leisure time around the big project!!! Let me know your availability to work and help save me telephoning. The answering machine is always on at 753-7563 or E-mail to annerbananer@adiis.net. Thank you so much. Anne

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!!

Duane Greenwood. Duane works for City of Marshalltown Public Works Department as Director. He has a wife, Cynthia, and three children, Karl (20), Eileen (18) and Richard (14). He moved here from California and was also an Optimist there. His hobbies include fishing, gardening and house remodeling. He is sponsored by Floyd Harthun

Masaki Shibata. Masaki works at Emerson Processing (Fisher Controls). His wife is Nobuko and they have one child, Yuichiro (2). He is sponsored by Larry Park.

Amy Pieper. Amy works for the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce as Executive Vice President. Her husband is Tony and they have three children, Jennifer (14), Kelsey (11) and Molly (9). She enjoys camping, biking, stamping and reading. She is sponsored by Maureen Devine.

These awards represent a great commitment to our club. It requires that you attend at least half of the meetings and make up 2 hours for each meeting missed through service in club events for a total of 52 credit hours. Congratulate these dedicated members when you see them! – Sean Ervin

Are you on a Committee?

This program is a newcomer to our group and stands for Always Buckle Children in the back seat. It is a community awareness program and will be active at various times throughout the year.

This committee is in charge of arranging to clean up our adopted mile of highway west of town 2-3 times a year.

This committee is chaired by the president-elect and is in charge of arranging and scheduling sales from after Thanksgiving to just before Christmas. This project remains our primary in-club fundraiser.

This committee’s charge is to dole out our community funds to appropriate sources of need. It meets throughout the year as requests accrue or until all monies are utilized.

This committee runs the essay contest with students. Contestants may qualify for the regional and national contests from this initial entry. The contest is traditionally held in December.

This social committee is intended to promote camaraderie among members and their spouses through a common activity or function. The committee decides which functions to offer.

This committee investigates new concepts for fundraising.. The goal is to introduce a new fundraising project every year or two to continue tuning ourselves to the community.

This committee is in charge of this youth golf tournament for the state of Iowa that usually happens in June. Winners qualify to play in a Florida championship tournament telecast on ESPN.

This committee promotes the non-use of drugs by our youth throughout the community. The committee determines the format of that effort.

The current life members decide which club member receives the distinguished life membership, an international club recognized honor. This is awarded to one person a year .

This committee continues to recruit new members and find ways to inspire the bringing of guests. Year long..

Marshalltown Optimist Basketball Invitational is a tournament of 32 teams for each the boys and girls of the region and often reaches beyond our state borders. The committee meets from December through March to organize these well-respected events.

This committee meets in April to determine nominees for upcoming officer elections in our club.

This committee takes on the challenge of establishing a new club in another community around us to help spread Optimism and assist in earning Distinguished Club status.

These people oversee our donations to the foundation and its many various causes. These funds include the pickle jar passed around each week.

This committee usually starts meeting in December. The local contest is usually held in March with teenagers writing and giving speeches about a specified topic. A winner can advance to the zone, regional, and district competitions.

This committee plans a family picnic day with a little bit of Optimist Park maintenance built in and a lot of fun to boot. This picnic will likely be held in May.

We sponsor a local pedal pull in July and the championship in September. The state championship is a one-day pedal tractor pull with the winners of some 60 qualifying pulls from around the state.

This group puts together a scrapbook of the year’s activities as a keepsake for the current president. These books are also judged and awarded by the overall Optimist Club.

These people establish the contacts and subjects for each of our meetings in advance. They meet throughout the year as needed.

This committee keeps the paper informed about our activities of the general club, program content, etc. This keeps our community informed about our presence and activities.

This group honors an individual for their service in law enforcement around May. Promoting the respect for law is one of the primary goals of our club.

This event happens during April or May and includes the familiar Bike Safety. We have added a focus on other wheeled recreation including roller blades and skateboards. This committee not only inspects bikes, but also promotes safety in the use of all of these modes of non-motorized transportation.

In December, this group sees that Santa visits the nursing homes for a splash of Christmas cheer. Santa’s final duty is to host a lunch for the children of our members.

This event, held in April, is the Central-Iowa qualifying event of the Special Olympics for the disabled and challenged. The rewarding event involves hundreds of youth at our local high school gymnasium and track.

Each quarter, our club visits another club to see what they are doing and bring back good ideas and input. This is also an Honor Club requirement.

In early May, this committee has a special lunch for 5^th grad students to recognize their noteworthy achievements by their teachers. Each one is recognized and given an award