NOW - New Optimists Wanted Update

Background
The big push for the Midtown Optimists Club for the 2008-2009 year is to increase membership. As you may or may not know, we presently have 16 active, paid members. Remember... email or call your president with the names and contact information of your suggestion for a new, prospective member that you would like to sponsor for the 2008-2009
year.

Meeting Update: September 23, 2008
At our meeting held on September 23rd we discussed plans to make the Optimists International NOW Program to increase membership our primary program for this year. To that end, we are planning to have a NOW Dinner. Each member is asked to sponsor at least one new member to inducted at our NOW dinner.

Angela Lang, JCM Community Liaison, attended for Ms. Crump. She is chairing a committee to plan a community cabaret with the friends and family of JCM. Ms. Lang suggested and Midtown Optimists members agreed it would be advantageous for us to incorporate our NOW dinner with the community event for JCM. Both events target the same people and we both can reach a larger group by working together.

Meeting Update: October 14, 2008
Ms. Lang submitted a proposal, detailing the proposed plans for the JCM community event, "Friends and Family of Jackson Central-Merry Denim Cabaret", tentatively scheduled for December 20, 2008. Location is to be determined. The tickets will be $10, with sales for premier tables, entertainment, etc.

The goal of the event is:
To unite the surrounding communities of Jackson Central-Merry High in order to promote parental involvement and build a stronger relationship between JCM and its community members. This will be a fun entertaining event but will also address the goals of JCM and a call for more parental/community involvement.


As the entire program includes dinner, entertainment, and dancing, we discussed having the Optimists NOW presentation in the early part of the evening. We will use only a portion of the official NOW dinner agenda. For example:

• Introduction of Members/Officers
• Introductions of Prospective Members
• Presentation/Info on Optimist International & Midtown Optimists
• Questions & Answers

Last of all, the president just reminded everyone to please email or call with names, addresses, and email addresses of at least one new prospective member. We will start sending them info and updates about Optimists International and then an official invitation to the community event.

Meeting Update: October 28, 2008
No meeting held. Please send in your suggestion and contact information for your NOW prospective member.

Next Meeting: November 11, 2008, 12 noon Royal Reed

Jackson Midtown Optimists Meeting

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

12 noon

Royal Reed Restaurant
507 N. Royal, Jackson

Please remember, we are having our regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 23^rd at Royal Reed, 23 noon. This is a special meeting, as we are planning our new year which starts the new Optimists International year October 2008-October 2009.

We will be possibly adding 2 new members and discussing the addition of a new Vice President at this meeting. Pastor Jerrell Beard from the Zion Church and a member of his congregation will be joining us to discuss these items. Please plan to attend, if at all possible as discussed at our last meeting.

Agenda:

• Intro of guests and overview of Optimists Club
• Intro of Officers for 2008-09

o President – Yvonne Thompson

o Vice President/Elect – Jerrell Beard (Pending Membership and Board approval)

o Secretary – Farrell Roe

o Treasurer – James Poe

• Club Goals
• Open Discussion
• Creed

Jackson Midtown Optimists Meeting

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

12 noon

Royal Reed Restaurant
507 N. Royal, Jackson

Latest News

Pastor Jerrell Beard at The Zion Church is very much interested in having us present the iKeep Safe Internet Safety program from the Optimists Internation Youth Safety Program to the youth at The Zion Church weeklyYouth Computer Class. The class is held every Saturday from 11 am – 12 noon at The ZionCommunity Center on McCowat St. I will volunteer my time to make the presentation to the class. I plan to meet with him and/or his representative to discuss the program in detail with the next week.

The placemats are ready! I have picked up the fully printed and laminated placemats. Mr. Minor Reed at Royal Reed has agreed to let us place 1 of each of the 3 placemats on each of the 16 tables at the Restaurant on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, and of course, we can use them in our meetings. We have several unlaminated copies left over, as I only printed a total of 48 to keep costs down.

That’s the latest news for today!

Remember our monthly Board meeting is Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 12 noon at Royal Reed. The placemats will be placed on the tables for the first time that day. Please try to make the meeting.