The World’s Greatest Optimist Club had the honor of honoring Detective Gilbert Tovar for his dedication to duty within the San Antonio Police Department. Detective Tovar said he was grateful and thanked God for making this day possible. He said that as a young person he wanted to make a difference in our community and city. He said that it means a lot when a citizen recognizes what he does as an officer and commends him on a job well done.

We were also honored to host a number of police officers from the San Antonio police department.

Chief Mc Mannus commended the city and the San Antonio Police Department for the great support they show the department and staff.

Dr. Eileen Lundy is a retired professor from the English Department at UTSA. Ed is also a retired professor from the English Department at Austin Community College. Both have their Ph. D’s from UT Austin. After teaching American literature, culture and writing in the United States, Eileen and Ed continued international teaching and research in American Studies in Jordan. From January to August of 2007, as senior fellows of the American Center for Oriental Research in Amman, Jordan, Eileen and Ed traveled to 12 countries to interview professors, students, and administrator to explore the nature and effectiveness of the American Studies Program.

Eileen concentrated her studies on women. Some women are very oppressed, but most are not. They were guests within a traditional Mediterranean Villa that had 3 levels. The lady of the house did not wear a veil to cover her face and stated that she did not want her daughters to . What is occurring is referred to as the “Islamic Revolution”.

The second woman she encountered was the cleaning lady. She made her living working mostly for English teachers and Fullbright scholars. She was very hospitable and presented Eileen with a very lavish gift of a hand crochet jacket that was valued in surrounding Airports for $400. She had taught her daughters to carry on this age old tradition.

The third woman she encountered was the Director of Vibrant Women’s Center. She was a Christian, Palestinian and a woman in a predominantly man’s world. The forth face was that of a student who presented her thesis on the belief that the west was better than the east. This was based on family beliefs that the Jews were cursed. She pointed out facts from the Koran that proved that they were not cursed. Ed also commented on the hospitality in the Middle East.

Our guest speaker David Gallant retired from the USAF as a Master Sergeant and Air Force Office of Special Investigations Special Agent. He is currently employed by efence as a Computer Forensics Specialist. Computer forensics is a systematic analysis of any computer media, such as hard drives, thumb drives, and blackberries. Through computer forensics David is able to recover deleted files, internet histories, emails, images, chat histories, pictures, etc. Investigations that typically use computer forensics are family law cases, criminal defense, civil cases, and government and business unauthorized use of computers. David said that most of the cases that he has worked on recently involve divorce. He said to be careful of what you take pictures of because with digital images, once on your computer they can easily be transferred online for all the world to see.

Texas now requires that anyone who provides computer forensic services must be licensed as a Private Investigations Company.

Richard Gambitta director of the Institute of Law and Public Affairs from UTSA was our guest speaker. He said that their was a great deal of Optimism in the three presidential candidates, There is diversity in the candidates in their views and in age, gender, and race. A German scholar asked the question, Why do politicians tell us things that are not true or things that can’t be kept? It seems that there are there are three times in life when stretching the truth occurs— after a fishing or hunting trip, before marriage, and during political campaigns.

Cost is incredible and the longer that the campaign is stretched out the more it will cost. With the election so close, we have to be Optimistic for our country.

Richard also gave us some interesting demographics on the remaining primaries and caucuses, the electoral college, and Democratic, Republican, and undecided states.

Bob McCullough is director of corporate communications and community relations for CPS Energy. Bob is responsible for the utility’s public relations, community relations, advertising, public safety awareness, web development, consumer relations and employee communications programs.

CPS Energy’s Fuels diversification program services 680,000 customers a month with electricity and 320,000 customers a month with natural gas. They boast rates that are lower than any other city and they pay about one fifth of the cities revenue. Cps Energy’s Strategic Energy Plan is committed to diversifying Nuclear, gas, wind, and coal energy. They have also committed 500million dollars to helping the environment and are looking at adding more nuclear energy. CPS currently has two renewable energy plants and are looking at adding a third plant on the coast where they will be able to harvest wind year around. They have also contracted with the Pearl Brewery to utilize their building to produce solar energy.

Choices for energy may diminish, but CPS will continue to go with what is the most reliable source of energy.

Cary Clack commended the Optimist Club on our longevity and positive impact we provide to the community and the kids we help. He also commended the Essay contestants on their accomplishments.

Cary said that what he does as a writer is so accessible to anyone. He is constantly struck by the number of people who say they cannot write. If not written down the history dies. We all have the opportunity to write and tell the stories. We all have a sound track running inside the mind. Your song will tell you who you are and what you will be. It is within your power to be the hero’s and heroines of your own life. Writing takes discipline. When asked what inspires him to write? Cary said, “deadlines, a paycheck, everything is a potential column to me. I have a passion to write and express myself.” When asked How do you choose what to write about? He said, “ You just start and see where it goes. Writing helps you organize your thoughts.”

Cary currently writes a column in the San Antonio Express News SA Life on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

The World’s Greatest Optimist Club presented Cary with an Friend Of Optimist Membership and an Optimist Creed Plaque.

Dr. David Green is best known as the editor of two widely used orthopedic and hand surgery textbooks: Rockwood and Green’s Fractures and Green’s Operative Hand Surgery. Dr. Green was born in El Paso, Texas, he is a graduate of Pomona College, Baylor Medical School, and the New York Orthopedic Hospital (NYOH) residency program. In 1997 he was named Outstanding Alumnus of the NYOH. He started his academic career as a full time faculty member at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and currently is Clinical Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics at that institution. His passion is teaching residents and fellows, and he takes great pride in the alumni of the Hand Surgery Fellowship in San Antonio, with which he has been associatedsince its inception.

Dr. Green gave us an interesting history lesson in San Antonio trivia.

Doran Hopkins retired as a Colonel from the Air Force in 1991 after 28 years of service. He served at both Randolph and Kelly. He also served eight years as a planner at the Pentagon. At the time of his retirement he was in charge of the Air Force’s worldwide employee information program that included newspapers, Airman Magazine, video and radio.

In 1998 Doran and his wife moved to Oregon and built their home on forty acres next to a national forest in the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon. They winter in Texas to spend time with their children and grand children. Currently he handles insurance for school districts in Laredo.

While at a county building in Laredo being briefed by the President of the company, he had a severe pain in the back. Thinking he was having a heart attack, he asked his wife to call 911. He lost all his vital signs and ended up in ICU for 11 days and hospitalized for 30 days. A tumor had developed in his adrenal gland and ruptured. Doran stated that the medical facilities in Laredo are superb, and had he been any” where else, he would have died. By the grace of God, I am a lucky fellow.” Doran said, “I had a vision of falling down a deep, dark tunnel with a light below, my wife was reaching down to bring me back.” He was considered a miracle patient by the medical staff in Laredo. When asked, what brought you our of this? He answered, “ I fought to save my life, I wanted to live.” Doran experienced unending support from family and friends. Two families in Laredo also offered their home to his wife. He was surrounded by prayers from all religions. Doran said, “Do not ever under estimate the support of your family and have your affairs in order at all times”, “ My wife was my advocate, she bathed me, fed me, and changed my bed linens when the hospital staff could not.

The most important people in life are family members. They will be there with you till the end. Appreciate them.

Dr. Raymond Judd stated that we all need a multitude of optimists and we definitely need young optimists like our OSY. He stated that athletes in our time definitely receive a great deal of publicity and money, but we do not always honor the Olympians of the spirit. Those who persevere, who stick with a job, who always uplift the spirit. In life “ Punctuation Marks” have as much to do with life as anything else. We have “quotation marks” because everyone of us is indebted to someone. We have question marks, have you known someone who has known everything about everything? We need question marks to probe us in life. We need periods, when we come to an end of a season or situation in life. We should put down the period and move on in life. Sometimes we have parenthesis, perhaps a vacation, or a short adventure, an illness, or problem in a job, or financial stresses. Some are good, some not so good, but we do not live there forever. Life must go on. Life is full of punctuation marks, but then we must get on with this great life that God has given us. We must go on and know that he is also with us as we journey on.

Our Guest speaker was Jennifer Broome, Chief Meteorologist with the 4 Warn Storm Team for WOAI. As Chief Meteorologist, public safety is her major concern. The two things that she wanted us to understand were that when we are in a “Weather Watch” it means to “watch out”, be in tune to the station for the latest weather forecast. When in a “Weather Warning”, it is currently happening.

Jennifer said that she knew that she would be in TV from the age of 6. At this time she wrote letters to Jane Pauley and Connie Chung and both responded back to her and encouraged her dreams. Later when she was going off to college, she again wrote them and both responded and gave her advice. Jennifer said, “Both these women inspired her, you never know when you will touch the life of a child”. She studied journalism in college. She was offered a job at a TV station in Myrtle Beach in weather. She felt that in order to do her job well, she needed to know the science, so she went back to school. She fell in love with the weather and it has been her passion ever since.

The District Attorney’s office has 162 lawyers and a total staff of 450. They process 12 to 14 thousand civil offenses annually. Susan Reed is the criminal District Attorney. White collar crimes normally require more planning then other types of crimes. Cliff Herberg, First Assistant District Attorney for the city of San Antonio gave us an idea of the crimes they have been recently handling.

One of the recent cases which have been highlighted in the news involved the sheriff. He made some bad judgments and took a few trips to Costa Rica on money that was given to him by contractors. His right hand man was also accepting checks to the Optimist Club under an old charter. Money was taken as cash from this old account and used as walking around money. He issued 3 scholarships to students who were children of his friends in cash for the amount of $7500 each in the name of the Optimist Club. When asked what Optimist Club he belonged to he said the club with the little “o”. He was the only member. He is currently awaiting his sentencing.

Another recent case was the “Extorting Attorneys”. This husband and wife team was involved in an extortion scam. Mary would meet men online and arrange for a sexual rendezvous. Ted said he later found her emails, but instead of becoming distraught and confronting her. He drew up a document or petition enforcing the Texas penal code and blackmailed the men involved. He told the men he would sue and drag them into court, but never had the intent to pursue this. Together the husband and wife team received over $155,000 from this scam.

Our guest speaker was Pastor Mike Newman, associate pastor at Concordia Lutheran Church. Pastor Newman said that in ancient days music was different. The music was used to catch people’s attention and to call them out of their ordinary lives. It lifted their spirits and made life better for them. “Music to our Ears”, is an expression of excitement. “Facing the music”, an expression used in having to face the reality. Emotions are high over the holidays. Whatever you may be facing, depression, heartbreak, loss of loved ones, let this season brings hope in God’s calling to give us a new song. “The music to our ears.” Allow the message to refresh our souls. The beautiful music of knowing that we have a God who loves us. He also challenges us to become the music to the ears of others. What if you were to become the music to the ears of the people around us.

In our homes, places of work, to our customers, clients, and retailers. He challenged us to be patient, loving, and caring. To extend God’s grace to ourselves and to call people out of the old and into something better. Proclaim the good news of the one who rules the World with truth and grace. The good news of the one who is, “the music to our ears.”

Patsy Greeman introduced her good friend and our speaker of the day Alvin Loewenberg, CEO Morningside Ministries. Alvin stated that Morningside Ministries is passionate about the concerns for the elderly. The ministry was originally founded in 1961 by the Southwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church and joined five years later by First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio and the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas. Over the years, Morningside Ministries has grown to include three distinct and gracious communities that are home to more than 800 residents. Individuals come to Morningside

Ministries as an individual committing the rest of their life to care. Aging is a concern that our society does not want to talk about. Morningside offers three levels of care independent, assisted, and skilled nursing. They strive to meet the individual, physical, spiritual, emotional and intellectual needs of each of their residents and their families. Morningside Ministries is a caring community of experienced, dedicated professionals committed to serving each resident.

Statistics show that the 85 plus population will double in the next 20 years. By 2020 there will be over 20 million people with Alzheimer’s disease. By 2040 one fourth of Texas’ population will be over the age of 65.

We need to take more responsibility for our elderly. Every older adult deserves quality of life, care, and service.

The Bexar County Detention Ministries currently has a staff of 15 and 150 volunteers. Carol Lockett currently serves as Executive Director for Bexar County Detention Ministries. The Bexar County Detention Ministries goal is to “Make a difference in the lives of inmates, former inmates, and their families. Last year they served 735 individuals. 606 or 82% served maintained lawful behavior and did not return to prison. They are collaborating with the Haven for Hope to provide a temporary place for the formerly incarcerated to stay when returning to a productive life. The goal is to break the cycle that is often repeated. To do so, we as a community must provide better services to these individuals who so often have no other place to turn. BCDM provides support groups, educational, social and religious services including pastoral care and counseling. Their objective is to: facilitate the transformation of incarcerated adult and juvenile offenders into productive individuals with new direction and meaning in life, to assist with the former inmate’s successful reintegration in to the community following incarceration, and to support the children, partners, and other family members of the incarcerated, and formerly incarcerated.

Paul Micheli Jr. who was a previous offender spoke about how this program helped him get back into a productive lifestyle. He stated that support is essential through people who care. He said that getting a job after being incarcerated is very hard and discouraging. Some individuals need job skills and direction. They also need a place to be encouraged and not brought down. Anger management is another area that needs to be addressed. Paul currently works as a volunteer with BCDM and he serves on the Board of Directors. He receives no monetary assistance for his service, just blessings from the lives that he is able to assist.