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

BIRTHDAYS: Jazmine Kyles will celebrate her birthday on April 20^th. Barbara Williams will celebrate her anniversary on April 22^nd. Congratulations Ladies!

MEMBERSHIP INDUCTION: President Capron conducted membership induction for Scott Crouch. Scott is a firefighter with the Niles City Fire Department. Scott is a very He will also be our guest speaker today. WELCOME TO THE CLUB SCOTT!!

BRAGS: John Willis bragged that the Optimist Soccer season is underway and that he is proud to report that two soccer games are completed and there are only 322 more games to go. John also passed out copies of the Optimist Soccer Newsletter and schedule of games. He asked that Optimists who could come out to see the games. John also bragged that Robert Rhynard was able to make today’s meeting – cast on leg and all. Good to see you Bob!! Heidi Leneway bragged that this is her first year of being a soccer coach. She coaches first and second grade students. She says that it is good to see the kids having fun and that, "wherever the ball is, that’s where all the kids are too". Osceola Skinner bragged on seeing Mike Listenberger’s name in the Optimist Magazine as a possible candidate for the position of International President. Way to go Mike! President Capron bragged on having John Armitage back with us after a long winter in Texas. Welcome back John!! Nancy Kulesia bragged that she and Sgt At Arms Andrew Plym would be taking a trip to Nassau, Bahamas very soon. Andy finally, John Willis told us how while working at a funeral recently he ran into former Niles Optimist President Terri Hamilton. Terri no longer lives in the area, but while traveling overheard a conversation about a recent death and discovered it was an old friend of hers here in Niles. So, she changed her plans to detour to Niles for the funeral, but was not able to come to today’s meeting in order to catch another plane going home. Wish we all could have seen you Terri – but next time you’re in town . . . .

ANNOUNCEMENTS: President Capron announced that Michigan District Optimist Oratorical contest would be held in Kalamazoo on April 24^th at 9 a.m. She also announced the next two races would be on May 1^st in Three Rivers and on May 2^nd at St. Patrick’s Park. President Capron reminded the group that there were other Optimist activities coming up such as the Tri-Star Baseball competition, the Optimist Performing Arts Festival on Mother’s Day weekend and the Optimist Junior Golf Outing, which will be headed by Dave Majerek. Past President Erika Kirtdoll announced that Duck Race tickets would be in this quarter’s billing package. We need people to start selling the tickets now. The club is considering offering a prize to the person who sells the most during each month.

50/50 RAFFLE DRAWING: Secretary/Treasurer Erika Kirtdoll conducted the 50/50 raffle. Lyle McMullen took home the $17 pot! Congratulations Lyle!

GUEST SPEAKERS: Our guest speaker today was Scott Crouch who talked to us about a new project that he thought of and is involved in getting set up. Scott told us how that at one time he weighed 270 pounds. He said that he got so fed up that he lost a lot more than 135 pounds in two months by eating hardly anything. Well, even his doctor and family became concerned because he lost the weight so fast they thought he was ill. But Scott has learned that this is not the way to live a healthy life. Scott talked about why diets seem to fail us. He said that the best thing to do was to eat healthy and eat the correct proportions. He recently began a project working with nutritionists and dieticians that would help people eat better when they are eating out. The idea is this: people will see a nutritionist or dietician in the program to assess what their body needs really are and what types of foods they should be eating. Each person’s "nutritional menu" would be kept in the databases of various restaurants in our area. Scott already has some restaurants on board with the idea. Whenever a person visits a particular restaurant, it already has a list of what meals that person can eat. All the person has to do is order the foods on their diet plan. Scott said that in most restaurants healthy foods are limited; sure they may have a few "heart healthy" meals to choose from, but the bulk of the menu would not be considered healthy eating. This plan that he and others are working on will help people to better plan their meals and help them to reach their weight goal and move towards a healthier lifestyle. He reminded the group that obesity is a dangerous thing for us and he told us how bad the problem has gotten. Scott talked about how this program would help you to create your own individual plan, but also how it helps you to make the restaurants work for you – add workouts to the YMCA to your plan and you are on your way. Thank you Scott Crouch for telling us about your program to help us become healthier.

PRESENTATION: President Capron presented a check to Scott Crouch for $500.00 to the Niles City Fire Department’s Safety Education Program. This is the program that teaches school children fire safety.

CLOSING CREED: Lyle McMullen led the group in reciting the Optimist Pledge at the close of the meeting.

Dear Ma and Pa:

I am well.  Hope you are.  Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before maybe all of the places are filled.

I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6a.m., but am getting so I like to sleep late.

Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things.  No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay.  Practically nothing.

Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water.

Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and

Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee.  Their food plus yours holds you till noon when you get fed again.

It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.  We go on "route marches", which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us.  If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks. The country is nice but awful flat.

The sergeant is like a school teacher.  He nags a lot. The Capt. is like the school board.  Majors and colonels just ride around and frown.  They don't bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing.  I keep getting medals for shooting.  I don't know why.  The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't

shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home.  All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it.  You don't even load your own cartridges.  They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys.  I have to be real careful though, they break real easy.  It ain't like fighting

with that ole bull at home.  I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake.  I only beat him once.  He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds, and he's 6'8" and weighs near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,

Gail