The Weekly Bulletin

Sept 18, 2017

 

Call to order:  Ed Musterman, President

Invocation: C.O. Scheffer

 

Pledge: Jim Murphy

 

Introduction of Guests   

Charlie Langreder presented his wife, Bonnie, as our only guest.

 

Birthdays and Anniversaries

Birthdays: Jim Murphy 9/3, Charlie Langreder 9/9, John Sapp 9/17.

 

Mystery Person  –

Ed Musterman presented the Gift Card to Steve Winters for his good work with the Koeze sales.

 

Greeter   –  Max Miller robustly greeted each member and our guest speaker as they arrived for the meeting.  Max reported that in preparation for his move to Kansas City to be closer to his family he held a garage sale.  The garage sale was a great success and Max said a constant parade of old men kept him busy socializing and opining on a variety of subjects. Max had a lot of fun and financial success.

 

Announcements

• Sign In or Pay the Pig – 25 cents went to feed the pig from Red Leighton who left his badge at home.
• Food Bank – Will be closed for staff training on Monday, Sept 25^th.
• E MO 1^st Qtr Convention – Moberly, Oct 27 – 28^th – Need attendance.
• Club Social and Installation of Officers. – October. No updates
• Koeze/Gift Certificates – Steve/Jake  . Steve reported that he had delivered 20+ catalogs in the past week and had 7 orders in hand.
• Board Meeting – Thurs 7/21  –  No funding requests or big issues so it should be a short meeting.
• Youth Community Coalition – 9/19 – Tuesday
• Jabberwocky – Optimist Park – 9/24.  Dedication of the mural painted by Jabberwocky at Optimist Park.
• Ronald McDonald House – 9/26.  Invitation to a dedication of “Sasha’s Store” from11:00 – 11:30.

 

 

Today’s Speaker

Mike Mathis, Columbia City Manager

 

Mr. Mathis was accompanied by his associate Casey Hall and presented the City of Columbia strategic plan addressing social equity.  You can find the strategic plan at http://www.como.gov/strategic-plan .   Mr. Mathis explained the high correlation between poverty and crime as well as a host of other social ills.  He stated that there is a huge disparity in poverty and resulting crime between white and black citizens.  Mr. Mathis provided a great deal of statistical and survey evidence from Columbia that black citizens were heavily disadvantaged for achieving success.  No statistical evidence exists that people in poverty, white or black, are not desiring to be fully employed and be productive citizens.  He also stated that the minimum wage in 1968 could purchase 30% more than in 2015.  If the minimum wage had merely increased by the rate of inflation it would be $20/hr today.  Mr. Mathis stated that the citizens of the country had lost sight of why the minimum wage was established.  Today a worker fully employed at the minimum wage cannot afford the rent on an apartment anywhere in the U.S. much less food or clothing.

 

The City of Columbia  has established a program to support black youth to work as summer interns in business, schools and non-profits.  The program Care Awareness Related Experience (CARE) mentors youth to prepare them for success in the work force by coaching on attitude, dress, manners and responsibilities among other things.  When the youth are place in an intern program they are paid minimum wage and the pay is provided to the employer by the city.  Mr. Mathis says that scholarships solicited to provide the program are $1,500/yr for each student.  This past year there were 425 applicants and financial resources were only available to enroll 187 in the CARE program.  Of the youth reporting to jobs as interns, 95% completed the program. 

 

 

UPCOMING SPEAKERS

Sept 25 – Great Circle

Oct 2 – Phil Rodrigues, Member Spotlight

Oct 9 – TBD

Oct 16- Jane Whitesides, MO Symphony.

Oct 23 – Capt Jenny Atwell, Boone Co Sheriffs, Detention