The Weekly Bulletin
Jan 22, 2018

Call to order: Ed Musterman, President
Invocation: Pat Brown
Pledge: Jack Cruise
Introduction of Guests
None

Birthdays and Anniversaries
None

Mystery Person –
Larry Fick awarded Scott Stager for his work recruiting and organizing this year’s crew of volunteers for the Boys and Girls Club Chili Cook Off
Greeter –
Steve Winters offered the good news that he passed his annual physical for the First Responders

Announcements
• Former Club Member Ira Hubbell passed away Jan 8th.
• Club members Leslie and Tony Parisio welcomed new son Dominic. Dominic was born Jan 16th about 6 weeks earlier than planned but mother and son are doing great, big sister is excited and Tony is really proud.
• Sign In or Pay the Pig: all were signed in.
• Food Bank –Larry Fick announce the volunteers are returning this week after a week hiatus with the Martin Luther King Holiday last week.
• Board Meeting Jan 18th. Grants heard and funded: Coyote Hill-$2,000 and Healthy Bottoms, $250. Approved 7 new members. Named an Officer/Board member recruitment committee. Agreed that $40,000 is the budget target for grant funding for the club year which is roughly the net income at 12/31/17. The board retains flexibility to go outside this amount if warranted.
To allay concerns regarding the club by-laws and we move forward with regular evening meetings the board will initially vote to approve each months meeting prior to the meeting date until an appropriate by-law revision is determined.
• Feb 9-10, E.MO District Meeting in Rolla – Let us know if you are attending so C.O. can send a check. The Club should get recognition as an honor club status.
• Rootin Tootin Chili Cook-off – Scott Stager still needs volunteers, an additional electric roaster to maintain the heated chili, two (2) large frying pans, and aprons for this Feb 17 event at the Holiday Inn Expo Center. Contact Scott at 573-424-4764 or stagers@missouri.edu to volunteer to help prepare the chili (8:00 am – noon) or serve chili (noon – 5:00 pm) Scott suggested a copy of the clubhouse mural in the form of a 4’ x 6 banner would be helpful to identify our club. A volunteer sheet was circulated at the meeting.
• Soap Box Derby – Rick McKernan, Chuck Boots. The next meeting in reparation for the June Soap Box Derby is set for Wednesday. January 24 at the clubhouse to orient new drivers. Rick reported he had to decline a request from the Civil Air Patrol to borrow the club’s 42 derbies for a STEM project entailing a dismantling and re-assembling of each car. The risk of a mishap or damage to any or all cars would endanger the club’s Soap box Derby event in June..
• Oratorical & Essay – Rick McKernan is awaiting the registration deadline of Feb 10 to determine whether or not there are three entries for each contest to enable these contests to move forward.
• Computer Giveaway – Rick McKernan, Feb 17th
• DO Club Chili Cook-off – Steve Winters has seven (7) cooks competing in our annual chili cook off event. Becca Winters will be competing using Max Miller’s winning chili recipe. The event is scheduled for Thursday, January 25 at 6:00 pm at the clubhouse. A short meeting will also take place with scheduled speaker Kelly Meyers from the Coyote Hill Christian Home.
• Scholarships – Cyrilla No report.
• Columbia Youth Basketball – Mary Dewey.reported the next game for Justin Anthony’s team is at 10:00 am Saturday, Jan 27. Interested member should check the Park Service’s .website for the game time of our other sponsored team.
• Next week’s speaker – Peter Stiepelman, Supt CPS

Today’s Speaker

Jennifer Clark, Community Programs, MU School of Law
Jennifer is Director of Public Interest Programs in the MU Law School’s Office of Career Development and Student Services. She is familiar with the Optimist as her father was an Optimist and she was a recipient of a college scholarship from the Optimists. She completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science at MU before continuing on to complete her Juris Doctor at MU in Kansas City. She began work in family law practice in Grain Valley, MO at the Law Office of Lorri L. Wilbee-Kobe and later was a law clerk for Commissioner Sherrill L. Rosen of the 16th Circuit Court of Jackson County. Her interest in family law evolved into a career of exposing law students to the public interest side of law. As she states “It affords a chance for lawyers to give back to the community.”

Ms. Clark drew a distinction between Public Interest Law and Public Service Law. Public Interest work is with a non-profit organization such as Mid-MO Social Services providing legal services assisting clients with housing, eviction or Medicare problems. Public Services Law encompasses careers as Prosecutors, Attorney General or Public Defender work. These kinds of law practices speak to the dedication of those who chose them when one considers the starting salaries can be as low at $38,000.

In her current position as Director of Public Interest Programs she coordinates voluntary work for the current 300 law students at MU Law School. This amounts to some 15,000 hours of volunteer work each year by the law students. She recounted the various programs in which law student spend some of their time.

Veterans’ Clinic allows students supervised by faculty assist in appeals for denial of VA benefits or handle personal injury or civil law cases of veterans. Mediation Clinic in the Western District of Missouri where students mediate dispute resolutions, assist clients with small claims or work with the Missouri Human Rights Commission. Students help draft legislation, work on policy and lobbying efforts with the Legislative Practice at Jefferson City They can handle landlord tenant disputes when property is not fully habitable or when the security deposit has not been returned. Other opportunities to explore are the Entrepreneurial Legal Clinic, Prosecution Clinic (open to 3rd year student under Supreme Court Rule 13 to try felony and misdemeanor cases), and Alternative Spring Break (where students work in a large law firm in Kansas City).In addition all students are required to perform 150 hours of Pro Bono work prior to graduation. Pro bono work does not always entail legal work.

UPCOMING SPEAKERS
Jan 29 – Peter Stiepleman, Supt. Colulmbia Public Schools
Feb 5 – Terri Leifeste, Publisher & Charles Westmoreland, Mg Editor, Columbia Tribune
Feb 12 – TBD
Feb 19 – Bonnie Yantzie, Fun City
Feb 26 – Jack Huested, OATS

Adjourn with the Creed: 1:00

Optimistically Yours,

Sid Sullivan
Secretary