July 2019 Optimizer
The Optimizer | July 2019 | Menomonee Falls Optimist Club
– In this issue –
Meeting Schedule
President’s Thoughts
We Need You!
Upcoming Activities and Events
Optimist Club Picnic
Football Crazr
Wheeling and Heeling
Centennial “Homecoming” Membership Program
Board Briefings
Past Events
Tri-Star Baseball
Optimist Meeting Photos
MFHS Baseball Team
MFHS Tennis Team
Village Board
Parade Photos
Thank You Notes
This Month in Club History
How to Publish Optimist News
—- Meeting Schedule —-
All meetings are at 7:15 am at the Community Center except as noted.
Wed. July 3: No Meeting! See Parade photos in this newsletter.
Wed. July 10: We welcome the Patio Players Summer Youth Camp to our meeting. They want to thank us for our donation along with a performance from this year’s workshop.
Wed. July 17: Each year our club participates in Optimist International Respect for Law Month. This year we’re honoring four Menomonee Police D.A.R.E Officers as part of this initiative.
Wed. July 24: We’re excited that the new Menomonee Falls Business Improvement Director (BID) Paige Lesniewski accepted an invitation to join us and fill us in on what’s happening Downtown!
Wed. July 31: On deck is Menomonee Fall’s resident and former Milwaukee Brewer pitcher Don August. Don has had a very interesting baseball career beyond just the Brewers connection. Looking forward to at least nine innings from him!
—- President’s Thoughts July 2019—-
One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one Nation evermore! ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
We have had a busy June with the planning of the July 3rd parade – many thanks to the entire committee and all volunteers! This is such a great event to get our Club name out to so many and continue to promote the good work that our Club does for our community. I know I can speak for many when I say I am so proud to be part of such an incredible organization.
June was also an exciting month to learn about the potential partnership with the Village of Menomonee Falls and the park project. Stay tuned for continued updates on this.
Thank you to Don Eisenhauer and volunteers for supporting 115 kids with Tri Star baseball on June 22. Awesome!
And – the popcorn wagon is back and open for business! Many thanks to all “poppers”, team captains and wagon co-chairs Larry Podolske and Tim Newman!
We welcomed three new members in June – Terra Chmielewski, Dottie Schilling and Andy Chertack. And we also welcome back three members – Bruce Russell, Chad Johnson and Wendysue Fluegge.
Have a wonderful summer!
Jeanine
We Need You!!
Kim Wenzel is resigning her post as PR coordinator and we need someone to take over this role. Responsibilities are to get articles and photos to a variety of media outlets about our events and promote our Club. Please contact me soon with a “yes”. Thank you!
Jeanine Dederich
—- Upcoming Activities and Events—-
Optimist Club Picnic
Our Optimist Club Picnic is slated for Wednesday August 28th at Shepherds Waters (same place as last year). Dan and Lynette Shepherd have graciously opened up their beautiful piece of land for our gathering. Festivities will begin at 4:00pm. You need to bring nothing except your smiling faces along with your other half and any interested or potential newbies. It is our time to celebrate all that we’ve done during the year.
We will have lots of food and beverages for all. This is an absolutely beautiful place for all to enjoy. Directions and sign up will come later as we get closer to the event. Please just mark your calendars. If you have any questions, suggestions, or whatever, please feel free to contact me at mrchebbring@aol.com. Also this is an adult only event due to us serving alcohol….
Have a safe and wonderful summer,
Marcia Hebbring
Football Crazr
Time to get started in getting your tickets for the SWIS District’s Crazr Football Sweepstakes is ready to go. You can pick-up tickets to buy or sell at any of our weekly meeting or contacting Co-chairs Larry Hebbring and Jan Barbera. The Club has 660 tickets to sell from May to August and will only sell with the cooperation of the club members. These tickets will sell and should bring in around $9,000.00 if all are sold. Tickets are again $20.00 each. Stubs must be returned to Co-chairs, filled out completely/correctly and accompanied with the $20.00.
During the 17 weeks of the football season the Sweepstakes pays out $1000.00 each week. You get 4 teams each week, the cards are automatically counted to see if your 4 teams have won for the week. If you win your check comes in the mail, but you can follow on line also. The highest accumulative score each week of 4 teams is $500.00, 2nd $150.00, 3rd $100.00, 4th $60.00, 5th $50.00, 6th $35.00, 7th $30.00, 8th $25.00, Lowest $25.00, 2nd lowest $15.00 and 3rd lowest $10.00.
Great for gifts!!
Larry Hebbring
Wheeling & Heeling
What are you doing the morning of Saturday, August 10? Our Optimist Board of Directors has approved funding for a team of participants for the annual Wheeling and Heeling event sponsored by Community Memorial Hospital Foundation. This event benefits the Cancer Care Center at Community Memorial.
Wheeling and Heeling, formerly known as Wheeling for Healing, gives participants a variety of options. You can enjoy one of four bike routes, a 2-mile walk or a 5K run. All participants will receive a Wheeling and Heeling t-shirt with the Optimist Club of Menomonee Falls on the back. Food and entertainment are also provided. Visit communitymemorialfoundation.org/wheeling for details.
Contact Team Captain Ann Freudenthal by July 10 if you are interested. Annfreudenthal@gmail.com. The first 10 member participants will be paid for by our Club. Others may also participate and receive the Optimist Club on the back of their shirts – including children and grandchildren. Cost is $35 for adults (ages 13 and up) and $25 for youth (ages 6-12). Children ages 5 and under are free. Participants that are cancer survivors will receive a special t-shirt. Let Ann know when you register.
In addition, our popcorn wagon will be at this event. We are in need of one or two folks to work the wagon from 9:00-10:30 a.m. Can you help out? Contact Jeanine at Jeanine.dederich@gmail.com if you are available.
Jeanine Dederich
Centennial “Homecoming” Membership Program
As Optimist International celebrates their 100th year, they are offering an incentive program for former members who rejoin the club from now through September 30, 2019. The joining fee of $30 covers the $15 administrative fee and OI dues for one year from the date of joining. (OI dues are about $14 per quarter per member.) After the year is up, dues will be $90. This same program is also available for teachers and under 30 new members. This is a great opportunity to reach out to former members inviting them to consider rejoining us.
Contact Cathy Sharkey at csharkey224@yahool.com with questions.
—– Board Briefings – June 18, 2019 —–
Executive Board MINUTES: June 18, 2019 Meeting Location – Community Center – 7:00 am
2019/2019 Board of Directors Present: President: Jeanine Dederich; VP: Todd Paulus; Treasurer: Marcia Hebbring; Board Members: Dave Curran, Steve Fleming, Ann Freudenthal, Kathryn Hoff, Barb Schmit, Joanne Wanner; Past President: Lynette Shepherd; Past Presidents Council: Don Eisenhauer
Absent: 2nd VP: Rick Kohl;
- Call to order and Welcome: The meeting was called to order at 7:02 a.m. by President J. Dederich
- Approval of Agenda: A. Freudenthal moved to approve the agenda, second by M. Hebbring; all approve
- Review and Approval of Minutes from 5/21/19 Meeting: B. Schmit moved to approve the 5/21/19 minutes, second by K. Hoff; all approve
- Guests Introductions: Sara Burling and FBLA students; Ed Schlumpf
- Donation Requests: FBLA requested $2,500 to send 31 student participants to the National competition in San Antonio this summer; S. Fleming moved to approve $2500, second by D. Curran; all approve
- Committee Reports and Budget: Ed Schlumpf provided information and history of the Packer raffle and scholarship commitment; Board suggested Cathy Hazzard (scholarship committee chair) provide updated budget request for 2020
- Review and Approval of Treasurer’s Report: M. Hebbring provided report; J. Wanner moved to approve, second by T. Paulus; all approve
- Unfinished Business – Informational Items: Park project meetings – about 40 attended the 6/12 meeting; night informational meeting scheduled for 6/20/19
- New Business / Discussion
- LMF applicant – Jenn Dedrick; M. Hebbring moved to approve Optimist sponsorship of J. Dedrick, second by T. Paulus; all approve
- Member approval – Carolyn Anderson, Andrew Chertak; A. Fruedenthal moved to approve membership for both, second by L. Shepherd; all approve
- Wheeling and Heeling team ($35 per person) – S. Fleming moved to approve up to $350 for an Optimist team (name on back of t-shirts), second by L. Shepherd; all approve. A. Fruedenthal has volunteered to be Team Captain.
10. Next Meeting Date: July 16, 2019
11. Anything else for the good of the club: K. Hoff has updated the display case; D. Eisenhauer still looking for June 22 volunteers for TriStar baseball.
12. Adjournment: M. Hebbring moved to adjourn at 7:55 a.m., second by J. Wanner; all approve
Jeanine Dederich
—- Past Events —-
Tri-Star Baseball
Thanks to the MFLL Organization, Jerry Mislang, several other wonderful baseball-loving Optimists (two Larrys, Bill, Rick, Del, Fred, Ann, Lenny, Deb, Steve and Andy) and a handful of kids (including from JOI, FBLA and the HS Baseball Team), and photographers Jon Cline and Don Gorzek, our 2019 Tri-Star Baseball Event was a definite success! Thanks to the incredible work of Jerry (and many other Optimists) over the years building a solid foundation for this event, we were able to hit the ground running with our new partner – Menomonee Falls Little League. We simply moved the location to the Little League Complex, changed the date to coincide with their Family Fun Day, and expanded the time frame to 6.5 hours (10:30-5:00) to coincide with the Saturday Little League schedule. They even gave us a field for the entire day! Although this made for a long day, we were able to provide a great opportunity for 115 kids, and the weather was perfect! I’m pretty sure that the MFLL Organization will want us back next year.
Don Eisenhauer
*Additional photos at the end of the newsletter and on Cline Design Facebook page. (You do not need to be a Facebook member to view the photos.)
Optimist Meetings
Photos by Don Gorzek
On Wednesday June 19, 2019 had two MFHS sports teams as our guests who talked about their seasons.
Coach Pat Hansen of the MFHS baseball team.
Coach Matt Andreshak, MFHS tennis team.
Mark Fitzgerald, Village Manager and Tyler Zwagerman, a Planner for the Village of Menomonee Falls, presented plans for the future “Optimist Village Park” The information was presented at two meetings in the Village Board room.
Parade
June THANK YOU’S (excerpts)
Nate Fuiten – MFS May Student of the Month – “I really appreciate being chosen for this honor. Thank you for all your hard work in our community, Menomonee Falls wouldn’t be the same without you.”
Matt Andreshak – MFHS Tennis Coach – “Thank you for inviting the Tennis Program to speak about our year, appreciate it!”
Jenn Dedrick – Club Member – “Thank you for sponsoring me for Leadership MF. I look forward to the growth experience and promise to represent our club well.”
Becky Perez – Scholarship Winner – “Thanks so much for the Optimist Club Scholarship. I really appreciate all of your efforts…to provide support and encouragement to the community in general…and I will continue to try and fulfill the ideals of the Optimist Creed in college and beyond.”
Isabella Volk – Scholarship Winner – “Thanks so much for choosing me…I am deeply honored and look forward to giving back to others. Thanks for all you do for the school and community.”
Hannah Klug – Scholarship Winner – “I am so grateful for you believing in me and giving me the opportunity to pursue my dreams.”
Megan Schmeling – Scholarship Winner – “I am honored to be a recipient, and I am grateful that my hard work as a student, friend, coach and volunteer has been recognized. I know that Club members have worked hard to raise funds …and I hope you know how appreciated your acts of kindness are. Go Falls!”
Victoria Rosene – Scholarship Winner – “I am humbled to have been chosen for this award, knowing there were so many qualified applicants. Thank you for supporting me higher education and I look forward to what my future holds.”
Monica Repinski – Scholarship Winner – “I would like to thank you for not only your generosity …but also having a huge role in my high school years. I have been involved in JOI the last four years (Board Member), participated in multiple activities through the Optimist Club…and never got a chance to thank you for the free popcorn for being a participant in Distinguished Young Women. I will forever be grateful for this club.”
Emlyn Schuster – Do the Right Thing Winner – “Thank you for choosing me for this award…and the really cool bag.”
Kristi Seston – Valley View / Riverside Needs Request – “Thank you so much for your financial donation. It will really help our students whose families do not have the financial means to pay for field trips and supplies.”
Deb Mattson – Valley View / Riverside Needs Request – “Thank so much for helping make a difference in these kids’ lives.”
Scott Walter – Valley View / Riverside Needs Request – “Thank you very much for your generosity with our kids.”
Tina Posnanski – Valley View / Riverside Needs Request – “Thank you for your generosity and support.”
Sally Pallan – Valley View / Riverside Needs Request – “Thank you very much for the donation. You are the best!”
—- This Month in Club History —
July 2004 (15 years ago) – In an effort to boost ticket sales to 300, (only 241 were sold in 2003), the Packer Raffle initiates several changes. Grand prize is for eight people, not just four. The winner will get to go to Lambeau Field, not some out of town venue. Additional cash prizes are added making the odds 1 in 20 of more than doubling your entry fee if you win.
Submitted by Jerry Mislang from the 40 Year History Program – courtesy of Ed Schlumpf
—- How to Publish Optimist News –—-
There are multiple venues for publishing Optimist news and events the community and to the Optimist members. It is important to get the word out so everyone is aware of the events we sponsor to benefit the youth of the community. Committee chairs are responsible for writing the articles and sending them via email to the people listed below:
NEWSLETTER Jerry Mislang no later than the 25th of each month – jerry.mislang@prodigy.net
NEWSPAPERS Kim Wenzel three or more weeks prior to your event, as quickly as possible after an event – kfwenzel87@gmail.com
FACEBOOK Cathy Sharkey, Dawn Mariscal or Lynette Shepherd – csharkey224@yahoo.com, dmariscal@wi.rr.com, llshep4ma@gmail.com
WEBSITE Beth Saunders – bethjsaunders@gmail.com
