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Newsletter - January 23, 2001

GUESTS

On January 9, Barrett Evans was host to Carl Pullin of Lone Star Food Service and to Doug Smith, from the Salvation Army Peacock Boys & Girls Club. Dale Clark was accompanied by Peggy. No visitors on the 16th.

DREAM VACATION RAFFLE

Look for Jim Hollerbach at this week's meeting. He is chairman of this year's raffle ticket sale. Tickets cost $10 each, and only 500 tickets have been printed. For 2 years we've called it a "Hawaiian Vacation" Raffle, but the Board decided it should be called the "Dream Vacation" Raffle, so that buyers wouldn't think they HAVE to go to Hawaii, whether they want to or not.

NIGHT OF THE IGUANAS

Special arrangements have been made for the club to attend the San Antonio "Iguanas" hockey game on Saturday, February 24, against the Oklahoma City "Blazers." Game time is 7:05 p.m. Tickets will cost $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. We will be seated as a group on the Lower Level, the club will get scoreboard and program recognition, everyone will get souvenir Iguanas hats, there will be a group raffle for prizes, group members can participate in on-ice activities. Also, on that night, a Cayman Islands trip will be given away.

We are invited to a pre-game party from 5-7 at Sunset Station, so you could park there for free and take the free shuttle to and from the game. If you want to attend, but would rather meet the group at the Coliseum, that's fine. (Just be aware there is a $5 parking fee.) Reservation deadline is February 16.

HOW TO SEARCH THE INTERNET

Jim DeLine, Internet guru/consultant, gave us an easy-to-understand lesson in ways to search for information on the Internet. If you want a to go to a specific web page you can type in its "www." address and you'll get right there. If you want to look for a name or a topic, then you must go to a "search engine" such as altavista.com, excite.com, google.com, hotbot.com or askjeeves.com. A one word search will probably turn up an unmanageable number of references, so the more qualifiers and delimiters you can include, the more refined the search will be. Query words such as "and", "or" and "not" are used. A website must be listed in a directory so that the search engine can find it. If you didn't pick up a copy of Jim's presentation, you can E-mail him at jimd@gasullivan.com

FOSTER / ADOPT

Marie Corsino, Foster Care and Adoption Recruiter for the Children's Shelter of San Antonio, told us of the great need for families to take in very young children who come there from emergency situations, when no friend or family can take the child(ren). The Shelter has 18 cribs for infant to 2-year olds and 52 beds for children 2-12. Fifty-five percent of the Shelter residents are under age 5. More and more children are coming to the Shelter as a result of state Child Protective Services removing them from an abusive home. Children can stay there for 3 months. If not able to return home, they must then be placed in foster care. Foster care placement is typically 6 months, but can be as long as a year. If parental rights are terminated, the fostering family can be considered to become adoptive parents. If you want to investigate this program, call Ms. Corsino at 223-2142.

MEMBERSHIP

Pres. Tom Trimble is holding a series of small-group meetings with Membership Chairman Don Hand, Past Presidents and others to organize a membership recruitment program. But YOU, as an interested and concerned club member, must do your part, too. Club membership is by invitation, you know. Have YOU invited someone to visit one of the meetings? Have YOU asked someone to join the Optimist Club?

CALENDAR

January 23 - Mike Karageorge, Sprint PCS
    "The Future of Wireless Communication"
January 26 - Essay Contest Deadline
January 30 - Pat Frost, San Antonio Sports Foundation
    "The NCAA Final Four Games"
February 6 - Ramiro Cavazos, Economic Development
    City of San Antonio
February 6 - Board of Directors Meeting
February 13 - Mary Rauch, Rauch Communications
    "Valentine Luncheon"
February 20 - Bob Gaylor
February 24 - Optimist Night with the Iguanas
    Freeman Coliseum, 7:05
    Iguanas vs Oklahoma City Blazers
February 28 - Youth Appreciation Week Program
    Scottish Rite Auditorium

HELPERS

January 23 - Table Host: Tarrillion
    Greeters: Muir, Leal

January 30 - Table Host: Greiner
    Greeters: Tarrillion, Brown

OPTI-MRS. NEWS

All Opti-Mrs., please note: The Board approved a motion that ALL LUNCH RESERVATIONS THAT ARE NOT CANCELLED BY 3:00 PM OF THE MONDAY BEFORE THE MEETING WILL BE CHARGED.

The "Valentine's Luncheon" with the Optimist Club at Luby's will be on Tuesday, February 13. Cost of the meal is $8.

With children and grandchildren going back to respective schools, grandmothers and great-grandmothers are getting back to their "old routines." Helen Baetz spent Christmas in Austin for 4 days (which she thoroughly enjoyed) but was glad to get back into her familiar routine. Her great-granddaughter, 3, is a bundle of energy!

Virginia Oefinger's college grandson took her to the lake house as a last fling before going back to A&M. It's nice being chauffeured, isn't it?

Talked with Jan Connor. She said they lead a very dull life and everyone in their family is well.

Bob and Patty's grandson, Chris, goes to school in Austin, so they get to see him fairly often. Scott, a high school junior in Corpus Christi, is on the varsity soccer team. His school played here weekend before last. Bob and Patty had fun cheering him (and the team) on.

Since everyone seems to be much better, on the mend and back to normal, let's keep it that way!