DATELINE: Tuesday, September 23, 2003. President Elect Liz Capron gave the invocation and led us in the pledge of allegiance.

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS: Jazmine Kyles introduced her guest Becky Bookout who has applied for membership to our club and should be inducted soon. Jazmine also introduced our guest speakers from the Fresh Start Program, Mrs. Charlie McAfee and Ms. Mary Crayton.

MEMBERSHIP INDUCTION: President Kirtdoll conducted an induction for membership for Nancy Kulesia. Nancy was sponsored by Sgt. At Arms Andrew Plym. After making her pledge Nancy changed her temporary "visitor’s" badge in for a real Optimist Membership badge. Of course the Sgt. At Arms tried to fine her before she could even get the new badge clipped on.

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES: There were no birthdays or anniversaries to announce today.

BRAGS: Jon Martin bragged that the new school millage passed yesterday. Niles schools can be looking forward to some improvements. Jon also bragged that he had just returned from spending two weeks in Canada. He got a chance to take part in a Dale Carnegie course. It was a great opportunity for him. Dana Trowbridge bragged on his 12-year old who changed schools and is now enrolled in the Penn-Harris school system. He says that they have a website that allows parents to check the grades and progress of their children online. Dana said that his son received straight As! Congratulations young Mr. Trowbridge! President Elect Capron bragged that she returned from Las Vegas and actually had money when she got home. She also bragged that she actually went to Las Vegas to hand deliver an oil painting she had completed for a personal residence. She also urged all the members to attend this year’s annual banquet. Mike Listenberger bragged that he also went to Las Vegas last week and won a little money. John Willis bragged that he is still ahead of the game in Las Vegas, but only because he didn’t go. President Kirtdoll bragged on Past President Tom Majerek who is on his way to Three Oaks today to help in building a new club there.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: John Willis announced that the next timing races will be held October 11^th in Edison Lakes for the Montessori School Run and again on October 18^th at the Cystic Fibrosis Fun Run in Buchanan. President Kirtdoll announced that the annual Banquet will be held on Tuesday, October 7^th. There will be no lunch meeting on that day. The social hour will begin at 6:00 and dinner starts promptly at 7:00. There will be a buffet dinner of beef tips over noodles or lemon pepper fish. Please plan on attending and bring the family out too. Tickets for the dinner are $16. Sgt. At Arms Andrew Plym announced that all fines will be doubled doubled at the annual banquet so bring plenty of cash.

50/50 RAFFLE DRAWING: Dana Trowbridge conducted the 50/50 raffle. New Member Nancy Kulesia took home the $13 pot! Congratulations Nancy!

GUEST SPEAKER: Jazmine Kyles introduced Ms. Mary Crayton, President of the Niles School Board and Mrs. Charlie McAfee, Vice Chair of the Multicultural Involvement Council. The Multicultural Involvement Council is the governing body for the Fresh Start program. Fresh Start gets its funding mainly through community organizations, like the Optimist Club, individuals and the United Way. The Fresh Start staff is made up of predominantly volunteer teachers. They also have one school psychologist on board. The program seeks to help students who have been expelled from school. In the program they continue their academic learning responsibilities while working their way back to the regular school setting. Currently the program is housed at the Michiana Christian Embassy building on Main Street. This building has its own school rooms and Fresh Start rents school rooms there. The program has been active for 9 ½ years and began its work in a one room schoolhouse on Ferry Street. Fresh Start is a structured program that runs in conjunction with the regular school’s curriculum. Students have attended the program from Third grade up through 11^th grade. They are taught the standard subjects, but are also taught respect for others and how to conduct themselves or interact with others. Many of these students would be what are called "problem students". Many of these problems stem from problems in their homes. Fresh Start is not a mandatory program. Students must voluntarily attend but it is mandatory that the parents take an interest in what is going on also. To even begin the program the student and parent must meet with the Fresh Start representative and agree to certain terms of their enrollment. Then parent and student sign an agreement with the school stating what they will do to ensure the student’s success. Mrs. McAfee says that she acts as office manager and special mentor also. She therefore counsels the children in areas ranging from their behavior to their progress in specific courses. Mrs. McAfee told the group some interesting stories about some of the kids who are in or have been in the program. She also distributed a short handout that included the following information. We offer our thanks to Mary Crayton and Charlie McAfee for being our guest speakers today and for bringing us so much information on the Fresh Start program.

PRESENTATION: President Kirtdoll presented Mrs. Charlie McAfee with a $1,000.00 check for the Fresh Start program. The Niles Noon Optimists are happy to help facilitate the assistance this program gives to At Risk youth in our school system. Thank you to all the volunteers who work to make this program so successful.

CLOSING CREED: Nancy Kulesia led the group in reciting the Closing Creed at the end of the meeting.

If you’d like to see previous issues of the Optizette visit our site at www.nilesoptimist.org or visit the international site at www.optimist.org. Don’t forget the Niles JOOI Club’s site is www.jooi.org .

"Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better." Emile Coue (1857 – 1926) Psychotherapist

"The answer to having a better life is not about getting a better life; it’s just about changing how we see the one we have right now." Angel Kyodo Williams, Founder of the Urban Peace Project

"Don’t follow the path. Go where there is no path and begin the trail. When you start a new trail equipped with courage, strength and conviction, the only thing that can stop you is you!" Ruby Bridges, Civil rights activist

TODAY IN HISTORY: September 23^rd

1642: Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the oldest college in the United States, holds its first commencement exercises.

1780: British agent John André is captured while carrying documents that reveal the treason of American general Benedict Arnold, who has agreed to hand over the American fort at West Point to the British.

1846: German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle discovers the eighth planet, Neptune, on the basis of French astronomer Urbain Le Verrier's calculations of its position.

1912: After leaving the Biograph Company to start his own film studio, director Mack Sennett releases the first Keystone comedy short, starring Mabel Normand, Ford Sterling, and Fred Mace.

1939: Sigmund Freud, the Austrian founder of psychoanalysis and one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, dies in London at the age of 83, having fled the Nazi takeover of Austria in 1938.

1952: U.S. senator Richard Nixon, a candidate for vice president, answers charges that he used an improper expense fund in the nationally televised "Checkers" speech, in which he mentions his dog, Checkers.

Bruce Springsteen, rock singer and songwriter (1949)
Augustus, Roman emperor (63 BC)
Victoria Woodhull, reformer and feminist (1838)
Louise Nevelson, sculptor (1900)
Ray Charles, pianist and singer (1930)
Jaroslav Seifert, poet (1901)

A guy found a penguin and showed him to a policeman.

The policeman said, "Take that penguin to the zoo, now."

Next day the policeman sees the man with the penguin again.

The policeman stops the guy and says, "What on earth are you doing with that penguin?"

The guy says, "What is there to do? Yesterday I took him to the zoo and now I'm taking him to the movies."

Born on this day in 1926, I was the most influential saxophone player in jazz after Charlie Parker.

Jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer John Coltrane emerged in the late 1950s as a leading innovator in jazz music, recording both with his own groups and as a soloist with trumpet player Miles Davis. Performing on tenor saxophone, and later on soprano saxophone, Coltrane infused his improvisations with new harmonic relationships and imaginative timbres (tone colors) and gained recognition for his technical genius. Widely imitated and admired, he helped to revolutionize the role of the saxophone in jazz.