Downtown Optimist Club of Columbia
Zoom/In Person Meeting Newsletter
Monday, July 25, 2022 at Downtown Optimist Clubhouse
Meeting began at 12:01 pm
Members attend in person President Tony Parisio, Red Leighton, Ken Oster, Rick McKernan, Jerry Sullivan, Ed Musterman, Carl Scott, Steve Klein, Steve Winter, Pat Brown, Jim Murphy, Mike Hackett and Mary Dewey
Special Guest are: Steve Neumann and Guest was Tony’s daughter Carmelina
Prayer: Rick McKernan
Pledge of Allegiance: Carmelina Parisio
No special guests, no birthdays, no anniversaries.
Board Meeting information from Thursday, July 20.
We had NO Funding
We talked about having a school supply drive in August. We are looking for someone to head this drive like a newer member. We voted in a new member that Rick McKernan brought in and his name is George Rains.
We will not have a booth at the CCUA Harvest Hootenanny
Carl like to Thank Tony and Deb for helping with the Family Fun Fest at the MU Health Care Pavilion at Clay-Shy Park on the hot day. Please sign up for the next Family Fun Fest at Albert-Oakland Park on Wednesday, August 17, 2022 from 5 to 8 pm.
This Sunday is the last day of Show Me State Games and our club is handing out medal again for soccer. We are still looking for volunteers to come out and help from 9 to 1 pm or 1 to 5 pm. It will be a little cool that last Sunday.
Hallsville Optimist Club is having a fish fry on Saturday, August 20th at 5:00 pm to 7:00
Bike Safety Rodeo will be at the Northeast Regional Park (old fairground) inside on Saturday, September 24 from 9:30 to 11:30 am
Someone gave Rick McKernan a check for $200.00 in Memory of Chuck Boots. There will no memorial service right now for Chuck Boots
Reminder the 4th qtr. East Missouri Optimist District meeting will on Friday, August 26 through Sunday, August 28 in St. Louis. Please let Tony know if you want to go to the conference.
Guest Speaker: Steve Neumann who talked about Alcoholics Anonymous
Steve said “There are 38 area and 12 district Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Columbia.” There are meetings on Sunday through Saturday meeting that people can meet when they need to go to a meeting for help. Steve goes to 5 days a week they give him a lot of help and strength from not drinking if he wants one.
AA stands for Alcoholics Anonymous is a illness and they can’t control their drinking because they are ill. They believe if they don’t stop drinking the alcoholism almost always gets worse and worse if there wasn’t any place to go for help.
They symptoms is not all alcoholics have same symptoms but, many at different stages in the illness. The signs are that alcohol makes them fell self-confident and at ease with other people and “just want one more drink at the end of the party.” The get drunk when they had not planned to, blackout, sneak drinks and lies about their drinking at the same time hiding the bottles or cans so no ones know they are drinking.
How does A.A. help the alcoholic? They make friends of the recovered alcoholics in A.A. They encouraged them to stay away from a drink “one day at a time.” There are 12 steps to recovery and these steps suggest ideas and actions that can guide alcoholics toward happy and useful lives.
Steve did talk about a lot more that he shared with us but, he didn’t give it to me to share with you all who weren’t there at the meeting.
Optimist Creed was recited at 12:45 pm
Meeting adjourned at 12:48 pm
Tony Parision, President
Downtown Optimist Club 