Craig Eley was quite comfortable (and confident) in handling greeting duties all by himself, while Greg Holt did an admirable job of reminding us that "As one of the purposes of Optimism, grant us the time, the energy, and the desire to undertake this most important of all tasks: To aid in the development of youth". This was particularly appropriate today, as we were joined by a number of educators, representing the schools served by our Super Citizen Program.
PRESIDENTS CORNER
Short termer (Five weeks to go) President Casey Funk, having returned from his sojourn to South Dakota, explained that at the last Board of Directors' meeting, a vote had been taken on increasing dues from $130 to $150. Short story, apparently there were club members present who are not members of the Board but voted. Based on this fact, Casey used his Executive Privilege to declare the vote invalid. Due to the tight schedule of our educator guests today, no discussion was held, but this matter will be considered at the next Board meeting.
TREE LOT COMMITTEE
Tom Kramis, Christmas Tree Lot guru announced that there will be a meeting of the TLC on Wednesday, August 28, at Phil Perington's office beginning at 3:00 p.m. (There will also be a meeting of the Tree Lot Marketing committee, immediately after next Friday's club meeting.)
MEMBERSHIP
Linda Williams, our Lt. Governor presented John Burnett and Casy Funk with pins for bringing in a new member. Linda also mentioned that Frank Middleton has a 15-member pin. Congratulations to John, Casey and Frank for assuring the future for MSOC. Let's follow their example. Just Ask!
There are currently nine schools participating in the Super Citizen Program, which was initiated in 1982 by Charles Korsoski. The schools include Bradley International, Ellis Elementary, Hamilton Middle School, Holm Elementary, Lowry Elementary, McMeen Elementary, Most Precious Blood, Samuels Elementary and Slavens Elementary.
This morning, we had representatives of four of the nine join us for breakfast.
April Jones has served Holm Elementary for 25 years and has been the principal for the last five. Her daughter is not only a recipient of the Super Citizen Award at Holm but also the esteemed Korsoski Award, which honors the best Super Citizen of the year. April reports that Holm now has 545 students, with an increase of 90 in the past year alone. The classes are filled to capacity, and the student body speaks 24 different languages. Despite these challenges, April remains upbeat and consistently speaks highly of her school, one of the initial participants in the Super Citizen Program since 1982.
Lauren Bartsch, the Principal Resident at McMeen Elementary School, hopes her one-year-old and three-
year-old daughters will have the chance to receive a Super Citizen Award there. Like many schools in Southeast Denver, McMeen is operating at full capacity, having added more than 150 students in the past school year, bringing the total enrollment to 782. To accommodate this surge, a new modular building has been introduced. Lauren notes the challenge of finding translators for the over 25 languages spoken at her school and mentions that most students in the English as a Second Language (ESL) program typically acquire English proficiency within four years. Sharing Ms. Jones' super-positive outlook, Lauren is excited about her upcoming transition to the role of principal.
Editor's Note: Vaughn Kendall donated $100 from last week's lottery winnings to McMeen.
Dr. Mark Fritzenschaft became a part of the Hamilton Husky community in July 2024, bringing a rich background in teaching and leadership from his experiences in Houston, Nashville, Korea, and most recently, Germany. His roles have included English, Social Studies, and Math Teacher, Instructional Coach, Model UN Director, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Dr. Fritzenschaft is a proponent of extended partnerships with organizations like MSOC, recognizing their critical importance to both students and the wider community. He aims to collaborate with
Tom Mauro and
Karl Geil to ensure the Super Citizen Program continues to thrive as he adjusts to the 800-student body at Hamilton.
As Wellness Coordinator,
Jeff Parker is an integral part of the Samuels Elementary S
ocial-Emotional Learning (SEL) with Second Step, an evidenced-based SEL curriculum. The school psychologist, school-based therapist, school nurse and Jeff are onsite every day to support this work. The Samuels Wellness Center also serves as a place for students to relax and engage in healthy conversations for conflict resolution. Jeff says his daughter is a Super Citizen and that he always looks forward to "Charley K" day, when the Korsoski Award is given to deserving Super-Super Citizen. (Jeff also visits the Optimist Christmas tree lot on a regular basis!)
The club recognized Robert Wardlaw and Dr. Bob Finkelmeier for their dedication to the administration of the Super Citizen program over the past years. And thanks to all of the members who act as liaison between the club and the schools!
AVOID SCAMS
From Greg Young:
Avoid these scams that want your money:
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Real account personnel will not ask for your password or full credit card number.
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Don’t click emails or links that look suspicious. Legitimate communications will tell you to go separately to the website and will use proper spelling and grammar.
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Beware of phone calls or texts warning that your account has been or will be suspended or deleted. If someone calls you purporting to be a relative in trouble, ask for a phone number where you can call them right back. Then call their cell phone.
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Use a unique password for your accounts and don’t allow external access to your camera or computer.
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Be cautious of deals that sound too good to be true, like 90% off
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DRAWING
How
hard can it be to draw the King of Diamonds from the only five cards left in the deck? Apparently, it is relatively difficult, since it took four tries before
Ed Leuty came up with the King... and won $50. Ed managed to do this on the final draw of the day when his name was called, and he was wearing his nametag. Congratulations to Ed!
SOUTH BY SOUTHEAST
Left -District 3 Denver Police officers staff booth to promote community relations, right next to the Tamarac/Monaco South Book Giveaway. Right-
Phil Perington and
George Buzick visit with mounted patrol officers. Also in attendance:
Mark Metevia, Greg Holt, Zabi Danesh, Kevinn Dempsey.
