President Dan Rodriguez rang the bell and Zoomed the meeting into existence at precisely 7:00 a.m. Our guest today was Scott Pearson. After the invocation and pledge, Dan gave a brief overview of proposal for in-future in-person meetings: A contingent of members met with the new catering manager at the American Legion Hall and discussed details of re-establishing in-person meetings. Tentatively scheduled to commence on Friday, April 16, The Legion will let us use their kitchen and their coffee maker. Chris Dunphy will be in charge of coffee making and furnishing prepackaged pastries in the initial stages. (There will be a "tip jar" for the coffee and pastries (suggested tip =$3). The Legion is planning on training a new kitchen staff for preparing breakfast and lunch meals in the near future.
The hall is already Covid-19 compliant, There will be a temperature check upon entry, but no proof of vaccination is required. Masks will be optional.
John Wachter announced that The Bradley International "Helping Hands" JOOI club was learning the Optimist Creed. These 5th graders are very excited to learn the The Creed and are working hard on memorizing the whole thing. A reward is in store for those who are successful.
Supper Citizen
Joe Marci said that the Most Precious Blood Super Citizen met last Tuesday, with he and GregYoung handling assembly
Officer Elections
Nominating Committee is about to start calling. We need officers for the 2021-22 year, which commences in October. If you are interested, in participation on the calling committee, or seeking a place on the board. please call Joe at 304-847-7844.
Member News
Editors Note: Due to technical difficulties the meetup with John Young at Perkins was not reported in the last issue. Here is report from Tom Glazier:
Eleven Members showed up for lunch with John Young, every one of them a pioneer of the meetings in person movement within our Optimists Club. They were John Young, Joe Marci, Gary Strowbridge, Kent Gloor, Ed Luety, Ed Collins, Don Thomson, Phil Perrington Allan Malask, Tom Kramis, and Tom Glazier.
The Perkins restaurant let us have one of its back rooms all to ourselves. It was good to be with everyone again!
Paul is a Denver native who has been happily married for over 30 years and has 6 children and 9 grandchildren. He has worked in the trades since he was 12 years old including the carpentry, concrete, masonry, roofing and electrical disciplines.
He has been a football coach and been heavily involved in youth boxing. He currently serves as the President of the Colorado Golden Gloves Charities ( since 2002) and enjoys being a part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
His passion for contributing to the community and helping today's youth find themselves a great career, combined with his varied experience and street sense pays off for all parties involved in The Master's Apprentice program.
The Master’s Apprentice program is a faith-based organization that is all about changing lives for the better. Since 2013, this 501(c)(3) non-profit – pre-apprenticeship program, improves the lives of young adults by offering a bridge to a career in construction. It also helps fulfill the huge demand for additional workers in the skilled trades. The program provides training in most crafts, including carpenter, electrician, HVAC/Sheet Metal, Plumbing/Pipefitter and Mason.
The program is at no cost to the student, the only fee the drug test, which is $25 dollars. Upon acceptance into the class, students may earn up to $100 per week stipend based on being on time and active participation. The student may also earn a $50.00 incentive stipend bonus for just doing the right thing (showing up on time, turning classroom work in on time, and classroom participation). In order to participate, students must have a GED or high school diploma and be drug free.
The programs is seven weeks, Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Monday – Thursday are active classes, Fridays are held open for individual tutoring and makeup days as needed. There is a half day of classroom curriculum that consists of Construction Math, Work Ethics, Financial Literacy, Career Counseling, along with lab class in Wood Shop! Over the 8 weeks there will also be 6-8 field trips visiting various trades and construction sites for hands on experience.
The program works with the Department of Corrections to give previously incarcerated people an opportunity to gain skills necessary to earn a living wage and a valuable skill set. The program includes both male and female students and is always looking for volunteers from the community to share their expertise. If you are interested in volunteering or want some more information on this worthwhile project, visit their website at: http://themastersapprentice.org/ or call Paul at 720 422 3025 (home) or 303 842 5847 (work).
I talked with a homeless man this morning and asked him how he ended up this way.He said, "Up until last week, I still had it all. I had plenty to eat, my clothes were washed and pressed, I had a roof over my head, I had HDTV and Internet, and I went to the gym, the pool, and the library. I was working on my MBA on-line. I had no bills and no debt. I even had full medical benefits coverage." I felt sorry for him, so I asked, "What happened? Drugs? Alcohol? Divorce?" "Oh no, nothing like that," he said. "Because of Coronavirus, I was unexpectedly paroled.
“You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you were a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.”
Yes, this is a time-honored Opening Day quote.
He was born – the sixth of seven children – Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio in 1914, and his Italian immigrant parents later changed it to the more Americanized Joseph Paul DiMaggio. The middle name was after his father Giuseppe’s favorite saint.
In his native Italy, Giuseppe Sr. was a fisherman by trade. Convinced by a family member that he could have a better life in America (not the first, nor the last), he migrated here. He eventually landed in the Bay Area, near a relative, and where he could fish. He expected his sons to follow him to the sea, but young Joe was nauseated by the smell of fish, and hated the whole business. His frustrated father told him he was ‘lazy’ and ‘good for nothing’…
Joe would drop out of high school and work odd jobs to help the family.
His older brother Vince played pro ball with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. Late in the 1932 season, when the team was short a player he convinced his manager to give kid brother Joe, then 18, a try. Joe’s tryout went well enough that the Seals signed him for the 1933 season. Early in that season, the kid went off on a 61-game hitting streak. Said Joe later, "Baseball didn't really get into my blood until I knocked off that hitting streak. Getting a daily hit became more important to me than eating, drinking or sleeping."
Joe would refine his baseball skills for three seasons with the Seals before being signed by the Yankees for the 1936 season. And seasoned he was, as the rookie hit .323 with 29 HR, 125 RBI, 44 doubles, and 15 triples. It may not have hurt to hit in the lineup that year ahead of Lou Gehrig.
Joe was with the Yankees for 13 MLB opening days. And usually when he took the field, something wonderful happened.
For his career he hit .325 with a .398 OBP, 361 HR and 1,537 RBI. An All Star all 13 seasons, and MVP in 3 seasons. Won World Series in 1936 and 1937 against the NY Giants, 1938 against the Cubs, 1939 against the Reds, 1941, 1947, and 1949 all against the Brooklyn Dodgers, 1950 against the Phillies, and 1951 against the NY Giants. Lost the 1942 Series against the Cardinals. So, summarizing: 13 seasons, 10 World Series appearances, 9 titles.
And imagine if he hadn’t taken three years off in the prime of his career – from age 28 – 30 – to serve his country in WWII.
And as for that obsession with ‘getting a hit every day’? Joe got 2,214 hits in 1,736 career games, an average of 1.28 hits per game.
There’s an interesting post-career, Hall of Fame-related story about Joe, brought to my attention by a subscriber…
He retired after the 1951 season. Then, players were eligible for the Hall immediately after retirement. But the only player to that point whom had been elected in his first year of eligibility was Mr. Gehrig, and that was considered by many voters a special case, as Lou – certainly one of the great baseball players ever – was dying of ALS.
In his first year on the ballot, DiMaggio garnered just 44% of the ballots. In his second year, he was named on 69% of the ballots. In his third year of eligibility, DiMaggio was successful, being named on 88% of the ballots. How could it have taken three ballots to get Mr. DiMaggio into the Baseball Hall of Fame? Read on: https://www.sportscasting.com/why-wasnt-joe-dimaggio-a-first-ballot-hall-of-famer/
Optimist Club of Monaco South 2020-2021 45th Year — Chartered in 1976
2020 - 2021 Officers 2020 - 2021 Board of Directors
President Dan Rodriguez 303-521-512 Perry Allen 303-521-3453
Vice President Tom Kramis 303-917-5299 Stephen Avery 720-775-7700
Vice President Chris Dunphy 720-297-3111 George Buzick 303-803-2268
Secretary Bill Morgan 303-868-4384 Allen Malask 303-726-3700
Asst. Secretary Phil Perington 303-832-4578 David Peck 925-890-2531
Treasurer Pat Bush 720-747-5482 Larry Pulaski 303-956-1202
Asst. Treasurer Greg Young 303-759-3921 Bob Meyer 303-919-4532
Past Presidents
Bob Rhue 1976-77
Jerry Whitlow 1977-78
Bill Kosena 1978-79
Duane Wehrer 1979-80
Curt Jefferies 1980-81
Frank Middleton 1981-82
John Young 1982-83
Pat Bush 1983-84
Bob Hugo 1984-85
Tom Mauro 1985-86
Curt Lorenzen 1986-87
Oscar Sorensen 1987-88
Lupe Salinas 1988-89
Mark Metevia 1988-89
Bob Avery 1989-90
Bill Litchfield 1990-91
Bill Walters 1991-92
Kent Gloor 1992-93
Gary Strowbridge94-95
Bob Safe 1995-96
Tom Overton 1996-97
Peter Dimond 1997-98
Ralph Symalla 1998-99
Cy Regan 1999-00
Stan Cohen 2000-01
Don St. John 2001-02
Jack Reif 2002-03
Karl Geil 2003-04
Bryce Slaby 2004-05
Donlie Smith 2005-06
Paul Bernard 2006-07
Greg Young 2007-08
Phil Perington 2008-09
Ron Cisco 2009-10
Ed Collins 2010-11
Randy Marcove 2011-12
Paul Simon 2012-13
Jon Wachter 2013-14
John Oss 2014-15
Michael Chavez 2015-16
Craig Eley 2016-17
Jim Easton 2017-18
Everett Gardner 2018-19
Bob Meyer 2019-20
T H E O P T I M I S T C R E E D — Promise Yourself . . . To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel that there is something in them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for
anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
I talked with a homeless man this morning and asked him how he ended up this way.He said, "Up until last week, I still had it all. I had plenty to eat, my clothes were washed and pressed, I had a roof over my head, I had HDTV and Internet, and I went to the gym, the pool, and the library. I was working on my MBA on-line. I had no bills and no debt. I even had full medical benefits coverage." I felt sorry for him, so I asked, "What happened? Drugs? Alcohol? Divorce?" "Oh no, nothing like that," he said. "Because of Coronavirus, I was unexpectedly paroled.
“You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you were a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.”