The Weekly Bulletin
Monday, November 18, 2019
Attendee: club members present: Didn’t get precise count – around a dozen
Call to order: President, Mary Dewey at 12:07 pm.
Invocation: Pat Brown
Pledge: Jerry Sullivan
Introduction of Guests and New and Old Members (who have been gone)
none
Welcome any new or returning members
none
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Ed Harre – 16 yrs wedding anniversary
Mystery Person:
Steve Klein – picked Ric – declined; Jim – declined; Scott accepted <grin>.
Sign In or Pay the Pig:
Steve W, Jim Murphy, and Cyrilla – no badges;
Carl – MU baseball team, Jim Murphy for weekend work, Steve W and Chuck Boots for food preparation Saturday, and for everybody else that worked there.
President Announcements
- Board Meeting: Thursday, November 21, 2019 at 6:00 pm at the Club House. No funding requests. Approval of Rootin Tootin Chili Cookoff in February.
- Food Bank: Jim Murphy, Carl Scott, and Larry Fick – Buddy Packs
- Koeze/ Restaurant Certificates– Steve Winter: 2nd order will be delivered Thursday the 21st and should be available for delivery next Monday (The 25th). The last order is due to Ed by Dec 3rd.
- Holiday Luncheon: Larry Fick has started collecting for the Holiday Luncheon which is Monday December 16th at the clubhouse. We are having fried chicken, herb-roasted pork loin, white cheddar macaroni, garden salad, apple Waldorf salad, rolls, and cake. We need to know who would like cake, cupcakes or pies for dessert. The cost is $12.
- Christmas Trees: Mary thanked everyone who came out this past weekend to help unload the three truck loads of trees and do some of the drilling. Jim hopes to have all drilling done by tomorrow (Tuesday).
- Mary reminder the club members that there is NO NOON Meeting next Monday. We will be fixing dinner at Ronald McDonald’s house family dinner on Monday, November 25. We will start cooking at 3-4:00 pm with a tour at 5:30 pm. Make sure to sign up on line what you are fixing for that day so Mary can pick up additional dishes if necessary. We will be feed around 35 to 40. Scott reports post facto that the house is full of guests, so hopefully there will be a good turnout for supper.
- Zone 2 Ugly Sweater Party will be on Tuesday, December 2 at the Sunrise Optimist Club House at 6:00 pm. Cost is $12.00 for the two meats of Herb Chicken and Pork loin with a side of White Mac and Cheese. The rest is will pot luck for the rest of the side dishes and desserts. Please let me know ASAP if you are coming.
Announcements from the Floor:
Today’s Speaker:
- Jolene Schulz from Assistance League Ambassadors (Operation School Bell)
In 1894 Anne banning and Ada Laughlin and their friends began raising money for local charitable giving. By 1919 they founded what was to become The Assistance league of southern California.
They provided food clothing and assistance to local families severely impacted by World War I.
By 1919, they founded what was to become the assistance league of southern California. They provided food clothing and assistance to local families severely impacted by World War I. They expanded north to San Francisco where earthquake and fire victims received their help. They greatly expanded their effort with a neighborhood community house, offering programs and services which emulated public and private agencies.
Organized as a national nonprofit in 1935 founders Ann and Ada pioneered the raising of money for those people under served by conventional charities. They created a legacy of giving back that endures today. In 1948 there were 10 local chapters throughout southern California. As the population grew more chapters were formed.
To support the growing number of chapters The National Assistance League was organized in 1936 and incorporated in 1949.
From this modest beginning the Assistance League has grown to over 26,000 members and 125 chapters throughout the United States. The Columbia chapter of Mid Missouri Assistance League was formed in 1994 and became the 90th chapter of the national organization. They have over 300 members who meet at a monthly chapter meeting. There are also auxiliary members which I think are younger members who are still working and not able to volunteer as much time.
The Columbia Chapter of The Assistance League has their hands in many activities. Most of us know about the Upscale Retail outlet which re-sells donated items, in particular usable clothing. From there they run what is called Operation School Bell. Qualifying public school children are brought in and provided with new clothing. Over 1500 children locally are helped by this service. They also provide personal hygiene items. They give Kaboodle Kits which I figured out from their website are packages of personal hygiene and cleaning supplies donated for children, senior citizens, veterans and their families which are distributed through other organizations in town.
They have a Links to Learning program which provides teachers with grants to help them obtain needed classroom materials that not all children are able to afford. They have given over $1M in total to Columbia teachers.
They provide provide Assault Survivor Kits to True North and local hospitals.
They give Assisting Women’s Scholarship through grants to Columbia College, Stevens College, and the University of Missouri. Students apply for those scholarships. They also give out Women Military Hero Scholarships.
They provide Bundles for Babies through local hospitals to provide to parents of new babies items needed to get baby home.
Through the library they provide Parent Packs which are tote packs of books and vides which can be checked out at the library.
They actively collaborate with True North in providing local assistance. They also have begun dealing with furniture. Donations of furniture must be coordinated with Upscale Resale who will make arrangements for you to deliver or they can pick up donated furniture.
And of course there is the COOKIE CONNECTION which happen four times a year. They utilize the Knights of Columbus kitchen to bake and deliver 600 dozen pre-ordered cookies to businesses and industries throughout the community. In many cases these cookies arrive still warm from the ovens.
Donations of items for Upscale Resale are always welcome and of course cash donations are gratefully accepted. In addition they participate in the CoMo Gives campaign which runs next month.
They have a website at
https://www.assistanceleague.org/mid-missouri/
or a shorter link which goes to the same place:
It is an extensive site telling all about them including the history of the creation of the local chapter, all the services they provide and the various ways people can get in involved either through volunteering or funding.
UPCOMING SPEAKER
- 11/25/19 Ashlee Smith with a tour of Ronald McDonald House and fixing a meal for the families that night (Still working on the time) (NO NOON MEETING)
- 12/2/19 Jane Williams & Pat McMurry, Love INC
- 12/9/19 Ron Schmidt from City of Columbia CARE program
- 12/16/19 Holiday luncheon at the Clubhouse
- 1/6/20 Carol Montie from Central Missouri Foster Care & Adoption Association
- 1/13/20 Carla Lewis from CRIB Program from Douglass High School
- 1/20/20 Bonnie Yantzi and Phil Williams from Fun City Youth Academy
- 1/27/20 JoNette Weaver from Meals on Wheels
- 2/3/20 Tim Haller from Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge
- 3/16/20 Peter Stipleman, Superintendent for the Columbia Public School
Adjourn with the Creed:
Optimistically Yours,
Mary Dewey, President
Prepared by Scott Stager
East Missouri District 2018-2019 “IT’S FOR THE KIDS”
Downtown Optimist Club 