DATELINE: Tuesday, March 11, 2003. President Erika Kirtdoll opened the meeting and asked Jazmine Kyles to give the invocation and lead us in the pledge of allegiance.

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS: There were no guests other than the guest speaker.

BIRTHDAYS: Sherry Bunch celebrates her birthday this week on Friday, March 14^th. Sherry even brought some great green cookies in honor of St. Patrick’s Day next week. Thank you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHERRY!

BRAGS: John Willis bragged on Susan Coulston and Louanne Wesner for going out there and getting so many sponsors for Optimist Soccer League that we actually got two too many. The sponsors are each assigned one soccer team. For $150 sponsorship they have their company names on the back of each team members soccer t-shirt. All teams have been sponsored for this year. Thanks for all the hard work Susan and Louanne! Michel Listenberger bragged on his daughter Laura who recently received her PhD in Chemistry. Laura teaches genetics at Washington University. Congratulations Ms. Listenberger! Jazmine Kyles wished good luck to the Buchanan basketball team who are on their way to the regionals. Jazmine said that 25 years ago her uncle was on his way to the same regional from the same school. Today, her brother is on the team. We all wish them good luck!

ANNOUNCEMENTS: John Willis announced that Optimist Soccer desperately needs a coach for girls 6-8^th grade. Please contact him if you can help out. He also announced that the Coaches meeting is March 18^th at Ballard School. They need help from Optimists on Monday, March 17^th at Ballard School at 6 pm to help prepare the coaches bags, check the balls and other equipment and a variety of things. Please come out to help. Call John if you can help at 684-4205. Also, the Battel River Walk will be held this Sunday at Battel Center. Race starts at 1:00 and all volunteers need to be there by 12:30. Robert Todd announced that we need guest speakers for April 1^st and April 22^nd and of course for each week in May. Please contact him. President Kirtdoll announced that our restaurant sponsor has indeed sold his restaurant equipment. The buyers are willing to cater our lunch meetings, but we don’t know exactly where that will be. It could even be in this same location. But we will have to wait and see if we will be relocating our meeting place. WATCH YOUR EMAILS TO FIND OUT WHERE AND WHEN THE CHANGE WILL TAKE PLACE. President Kirtdoll also informed us that our Optimist Tri-Star Basketball competition had to be cancelled. It will not be held on March 22^nd. Also at the previous night’s board meeting Laurie Ryan had been accepted as a new member of the Niles Noon Optimists. Congratulations Laurie. Also, two Optimist members were dropped from the membership, Michael Johnson and Douglass Wyland.

50/50 RAFFLE DRAWING: Osceola Skinner conducted the 50/50 raffle. David VanStrien was the lucky winner of the $10 pot. Congratulations David!

GUEST SPEAKER: President Kirtdoll introduced Denise Varnesdeel, Ms. Southwest Michigan. Denise was accompanied by her chaperone Ms. Shirley Schadler. Denise is 20 years old and comes from Paw Paw, MI. She is currently working on her Masters Degree in Criminal Justice. Denise told us that the Ms. America Organization which sponsors local, state and nationwide pageants gave out $40 million in scholarships to young women last year. The organization helps to do a great service for young women with dreams of attending college. She said that these contests include interviews, swimsuit modeling, and evening wear. Denise was crowned by Ms. Michigan Erin Moss who was a past guest at the Optimist Club. Denise said that her platform is about preventing high school drop outs and that it is titled, "Mentoring – the Key to Unlock a Student’s Potential". She said there are two parts to eliminating high school drop outs – Education and Balance of Mind, Body and Spirit. She said that risk factors for high school drop outs include learning style, truancy, low self-esteem, little retention and little parental involvement. Denise told us that every 24 hours two busloads of kids drop out of high school. Drop Outs are more likely among lower salaried families, welfare recipients and those who feel a loss of potential. The total drop out rates has increased from 22% in 1993 to 25.3% in 1999. The majority of drop outs have a truancy problem. In other words, they miss school without an excuse. Usually they have a fear of failing. Actually failing is the most common reason for truancy. Mentors are needed to encourage students to stay the course. Mentors can help eliminate a student’s fear of failing and thereby eliminate truancy. Sometimes learning style is a factor in a student's learning abilities. A teacher’s learning style usually only matches 7% of each class she teaches. It is why sometimes children who seem to need help do better with some teachers than with others. Retention is when a student is held back a grade, sometimes more than once. We all need to feel we are making progress. Students that are being retained don’t feel they are making progress. However a good mentor, through encouragement and advice, can help a student see where they are progressing. Self-esteem must be built up and nurtured in young people. Sometimes after school activities like sports, etc. help to build up the student’s self esteem in one area and it can transfer to other areas. Mentors also put building self-esteem at the top of the list of what is needed to help a student. Students who have parental involvement are more likely to do better in school. It gives the student the feeling that he/she is important to the family and others. Mentors sometimes can help in this area; but parental involvement is very important. Denise also talked about how mentors can help students to expand their minds, give them purpose and a sense of destiny to enhance their spirits and encourage them to take care of their physical bodies. Mentors help students to improve their overall outlook in life. Students need someone to help give them balance. Mentoring is extremely important.

We give our thanks to Denise Varnesdeel for being our guest today. Come visit us again soon.

CLOSING CREED: David VanStrien led the group in reciting the Closing Creed at the end of the meeting.

"No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently." Agnes Demille (1905 – 1993) Dancer and Choreographer

TODAY IN HISTORY: March 11

1302: According to Shakespeare, this is Romeo and Juliet's wedding day.

1865: General William T. Sherman takes Fayetteville, North Carolina, and destroys the arsenal there.

1888: From March 11 until March 14, the worst blizzard in history hits the eastern United States, paralyzing the region.

1941: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Act. It gives the president authority to aid any nation whose defense is regarded as vital to the United States and to accept repayment.

1959: The play A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, is first performed in New York City. It stars Sidney Poitier and Claudia McNeil and goes on to win a New York Drama Critics Circle award.

1985: Mikhail Gorbachev is named first secretary of the Soviet Communist Party.

Torquato Tasso, Italian poet (1544)

Malcolm Campbell, British corporation director and automobile racer (1885)

Frederick IX, king of Denmark (1899)

Rupert Murdoch, Australian-born media magnate (1931)

Bobby McFerrin, American vocalist and conductor (1950)

In five years time, I will be three times as old as I was three years ago. How old am I now?

I was born on this day in 1903. My so-called champagne music featured the accordion and organ and was distinctive for its lively style.

Seven years old.

American accordion player and band leader Lawrence Welk hosted a popular television variety show from 1955 to 1982. In addition to a band that played so-called champagne music, "The Lawrence Welk Show" also featured dance routines.