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THE BLOOMFIELD HILLS OPTIMIST CLUB P.O. Box 781 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303 NAVIGATION
	BACK winter newsletter *CHILDREN’S WISH PROGRAM DELIVERS PRESENTS TO 2,800 UNDERPRIVILEGED KIDS. OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM TO DATE.* MEMBER NEWS NEW MEMBERS President Tazzia inducted Joan Abraham as a new member. Joan lives and works in the community. Welcome aboard Joan!!! President-elect Tazzia says “I am excited about being your new president. Our club does many wonderful and positive events for the youth of our community. I believe this year can be as good and better. As we work together, in harmony, to have a "stellar'' year. BREAKFAST MEETINGS Our weekly breakfast meetings are at the Parkway Grille inside the Centerpoint Marriott in Pontiac. It is located on the southwest corner of Opdyke Rd. and Centerpoint Parkway, and it is clearly visible from Square Lake Rd. They serve a wonderful buffet breakfast, and we have fun speakers/events & 50/50 drawings. BOARD MEETINGS Board meetings are held monthly. Generally, on the 1^st Thursday in the month, the Board Meeting starts at 7:30 and continues through breakfast. All members are encouraged to attend. BREAKFAST SPEAKERS Karen Miller is the Speakers chairperson. If you know someone that would like to speak to us contact Karen at 248-289-1424 or kmiller@cpresearchgroup.com. We have the following upcoming speakers: Mar 5 – Donna Marie: “Speaking with Confidence” MEMBERS EVENT PLANNER Jan 8 – Board Meeting Jan 22 – Children’s Wish Thank You Breakfast Jan 29 – Head Start reading day Feb 1 – Super Bowl party Feb 5 – Board Meeting Feb 7 – OLHSA Walk for Warmth Feb 12 – Essay Contest Mar 5 – Board Meeting Mar 19 – Oratorical Contest UPCOMING EVENTS HEAD START READING DAY On Thursday, January 29 we will skip breakfast at the Marriott and go to OLHSA and read books to some of the kids in their Head Start program. The location is the OLHSA office at 196 Cesar E Chavez Ave in Pontiac. The program will start at 9:00 AM, so arrive a little early. SUPER BOWL PARTY On February 1, Karen Miller has volunteered to host a Super Bowl Party at her residence. We will have a 50/50 contest on the game score. All members are encouraged to attend, and bring a guest who would make a good member. Please RSVP to Karen at kmiller@cpresearchgroup.com and let her know if you can attend. WALK FOR WARMTH On Saturday, Feb 7, OLHSA is holding their annual Walk for Warmth. It will be held at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Registration is at 9:00 AM and the walk around the Palace concourse starts at 9:30 and goes till 11:30. All proceeds from this event go directly to families in need of heating assistance. Contact Adela Knedlik at adelak@olhsa.org ESSAY CONTEST On February 12 we will hold our annual Essay Contest. We partner with the schools in the community and have their students write an essay. The best essays, and writers, are honored at breakfast. Participating will be Detroit Country Day, Cranbrook Academy, International Academy, & The Academy of the Sacred Heart. This year’s topic is “The Power of Youth”. The event will be held at the Pontiac Marriott at Centerpoint. Contact Scott Suomela at 248-645-3906. ORATORICAL CONTEST On March 19 we will hold our annual Oratorical Contest. We partner with the schools in the community and have their students write a speech. The best speeches, and speakers, are honored at breakfast. This year’s topic is “For Me, Optimism is…”. The event will be held at the Pontiac Marriott at Centerpoint. Contact Jay Cravens at jcravens@bloomfieldhillsmi.net TRI STAR BASKETBALL We have faced declining participation in this event over the past couple of years to the point where we have more trophies than contestants. We have decided to cancel this year’s event. We are looking at holding the event in 2010, possibly together with the Pontiac Academy for Excellence after their new gymnasium is built. *VISIT OUR* *WEBSITE AT WWW.BLOOMFIELD* *OPTIMIST.ORG* SUCCESSES CHILDRENS WISH We reached 2,800 kids this year, our highest ever. So many people are involved in this activity to ensure its success. We have grown this program over the past 20 years from less than 100 kids to where we are today. The program donations covered the Club’s gift expenses. Master Elf Brian MacKenzie was a marvelous leader again this year. Thanks go to all of you who participated. Brian reminds everyone that it’s never too early to think about the 2009 program. We will have a sponsor thank you continental breakfast on Thursday, January 22 at the Marriott. MI DISTRICT 1^ST QUARTER MEETING The Optimist Michigan District held its 1^st quarter meeting at the Pontiac Marriott at Centerpoint on Nov 14-16. We sponsored a reception in one of the hotel’s banquet rooms on Nov 14. We had at least fifteen members present to greet the out of town Optimists. Thanks to all of those that attended. We want to thank the Auburn Hills Club & the Rochester Club for their donations. GOLF OUTING This year’s golf outing is scheduled for Monday, May 18, 2009 at Wabeek Country Club. More information will be in the spring newsletter and on the website. MORE NEWS 41pounds.org The average adult gets about 41 pounds of junk mail per year. Sign up and their website will stop 85-90% of junk mail for $41. Over one third of the fee goes to a charitable organization of your choice. Why mention this here? Because our club is one of the charitable organizations that you can choose to benefit. Get more info and sign up at www.41pounds.org. Some may remember when Sander DeVries spoke to the club last year. Sander is the brains behind the website. OUR 2008-2009 BHOC OFFICERS Tamara Tazzia – President Jay Cravens – Vice President Phyllis Zimmerman – Secretary Stuart McCormick – Treasurer The Bloomfield Hills Optimist Club (BHOC) publishes The Optimist of Bloomfield Hills periodically in Bloomfield Hills, MI. The news contained herein is for the use and enjoyment of the BHOC members and friends. Information in The Optimist is not copyrighted to ease the exchange of Optimists’ information. We only ask that you indicate the source of your information. The BHOC assumes no liability for itself or its members. OPTIMIST CREED PROMISE YOURSELF- To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel that there is something in them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble. *QUARTERLY DUES: $85.00*

MEMBER NEWS

NEW MEMBERS

President Tazzia inducted Joan Abraham as a new member. Joan lives and works in the community. Welcome aboard Joan!!!

President-elect Tazzia says “I am excited about being your new president. Our club does many wonderful and positive events for the youth of our community. I believe this year can be as good and better. As we work together, in harmony, to have a "stellar'' year.

BREAKFAST MEETINGS

Our weekly breakfast meetings are at the Parkway Grille inside the Centerpoint Marriott in Pontiac. It is located on the southwest corner of Opdyke Rd. and Centerpoint Parkway, and it is clearly visible from Square Lake Rd. They serve a wonderful buffet breakfast, and we have fun speakers/events & 50/50 drawings.

BOARD MEETINGS

Board meetings are held monthly. Generally, on the 1^st Thursday in the month, the Board Meeting starts at 7:30 and continues through breakfast. All members are encouraged to attend.

BREAKFAST SPEAKERS

Karen Miller is the Speakers chairperson. If you know someone that would like to speak to us contact Karen at 248-289-1424 or kmiller@cpresearchgroup.com.

We have the following upcoming speakers:

Mar 5 – Donna Marie: “Speaking with Confidence”

MEMBERS EVENT PLANNER

Jan 8 – Board Meeting

Jan 22 – Children’s Wish Thank You Breakfast

Jan 29 – Head Start reading day

Feb 1 – Super Bowl party

Feb 5 – Board Meeting

Feb 7 – OLHSA Walk for Warmth

Feb 12 – Essay Contest

Mar 5 – Board Meeting

Mar 19 – Oratorical Contest

UPCOMING EVENTS

HEAD START READING DAY

On Thursday, January 29 we will skip breakfast at the Marriott and go to OLHSA and read books to some of the kids in their Head Start program. The location is the OLHSA office at 196 Cesar E Chavez Ave in Pontiac. The program will start at 9:00 AM, so arrive a little early.

SUPER BOWL PARTY

On February 1, Karen Miller has volunteered to host a Super Bowl Party at her residence. We will have a 50/50 contest on the game score. All members are encouraged to attend, and bring a guest who would make a good member. Please RSVP to Karen at kmiller@cpresearchgroup.com

and let her know if you can attend.

WALK FOR WARMTH

On Saturday, Feb 7, OLHSA is holding their annual Walk for Warmth. It will be held at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Registration is at 9:00 AM and the walk around the Palace concourse starts at 9:30 and goes till 11:30. All proceeds from this event go directly to families in need of heating assistance. Contact Adela Knedlik at adelak@olhsa.org

ESSAY CONTEST

On February 12 we will hold our annual Essay Contest. We partner with the schools in the community and have their students write an essay. The best essays, and writers, are honored at breakfast. Participating will be Detroit Country Day, Cranbrook Academy, International Academy, & The Academy of the Sacred Heart. This year’s topic is “The Power of Youth”. The event will be held at the Pontiac Marriott at Centerpoint. Contact Scott Suomela at 248-645-3906.

ORATORICAL CONTEST

On March 19 we will hold our annual Oratorical Contest. We partner with the schools in the community and have their students write a speech. The best speeches, and speakers, are honored at breakfast. This year’s topic is “For Me, Optimism is…”. The event will be held at the Pontiac Marriott at Centerpoint. Contact Jay Cravens at jcravens@bloomfieldhillsmi.net

TRI STAR BASKETBALL

We have faced declining participation in this event over the past couple of years to the point where we have more trophies than contestants. We have decided to cancel this year’s event. We are looking at holding the event in 2010, possibly together with the Pontiac Academy for Excellence after their new gymnasium is built.

VISIT OUR

WEBSITE AT WWW.BLOOMFIELD

OPTIMIST.ORG

SUCCESSES

CHILDRENS WISH

We reached 2,800 kids this year, our highest ever. So many people are involved in this activity to ensure its success. We have grown this program over the past 20 years from less than 100 kids to where we are today. The program donations covered the Club’s gift expenses. Master Elf Brian MacKenzie was a marvelous leader again this year. Thanks go to all of you who participated. Brian reminds everyone that it’s never too early to think about the 2009 program. We will have a sponsor thank you continental breakfast on Thursday, January 22 at the Marriott.

MI DISTRICT 1^ST QUARTER MEETING

The Optimist Michigan District held its 1^st quarter meeting at the Pontiac Marriott at Centerpoint on Nov 14-16. We sponsored a reception in one of the hotel’s banquet rooms on Nov 14. We had at least fifteen members present to greet the out of town Optimists. Thanks to all of those that attended. We want to thank the Auburn Hills Club & the Rochester Club for their donations.

GOLF OUTING

This year’s golf outing is scheduled for Monday, May 18, 2009 at Wabeek Country Club. More information will be in the spring newsletter and on the website.

MORE NEWS

41pounds.org

The average adult gets about 41 pounds of junk mail per year. Sign up and their website will stop 85-90% of junk mail for $41. Over one third of the fee goes to a charitable organization of your choice. Why mention this here? Because our club is one of the charitable organizations that you can choose to benefit. Get more info and sign up at www.41pounds.org. Some may remember when Sander DeVries spoke to the club last year. Sander is the brains behind the website.

OUR 2008-2009 BHOC OFFICERS

Tamara Tazzia – President

Jay Cravens – Vice President

Phyllis Zimmerman – Secretary

Stuart McCormick – Treasurer

The Bloomfield Hills Optimist Club (BHOC) publishes The Optimist of Bloomfield Hills periodically in Bloomfield Hills, MI. The news contained herein is for the use and enjoyment of the BHOC members and friends. Information in The Optimist is not copyrighted to ease the exchange of Optimists’ information. We only ask that you indicate the source of your information. The BHOC assumes no liability for itself or its members.

OPTIMIST CREED

PROMISE YOURSELF-

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

QUARTERLY DUES: $85.00