Optimist Meeting - Tuesday, December 16

Hello Friends and Optimist,

This Tuesday, Dec 16, 0700 at the Pancake House, Susan Buescher , Payette Lakes Middle School Principal, will be our guest speaker. Susan is originally from Shelley, Id, has a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Idaho, and over 35 years of teaching. She has been an educator here in McCall and a big positive influence on our youth since 1993. Susan will update us on all the latest happenings and coming events at the Middle School. Here is the Payette Lakes Middle School Mission and Vision:

Our Mission Developing lifelong learners today.

Our Vision Provide a safe environment which affords opportunities to:

· Explore, create, and achieve

· Be challenged

· Become independent

· Develop a sense of community, stewardship, and belonging

Come join us for breakfast and bring a friend. We will also has some updates for our Bingo event. Dean Martins has another chance to take advantage of a free Pancake House breakfast. I hope you can make it Dean!


Tom Crawford,

McCall Optimist President

Promise Yourself: To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

Optimist Club meeting - December 2

Free breakfast this week is for Dean Martins (a little bird told me you have been wanting to come join us, so why not do it for free, I would love to meet you).

Please come join us for breakfast Dec 2nd and help welcome Michele Hughes, Executive Director for the Yellow Couch teen center. Michele has a passion for youth and is a great fit for our local teen center. In addition, Michele has started the Yellow Lantern which works with the local disability community. Michele has a lot of great ideas and she would love to share them.

In addition, we with be joined by Trina Wade, local resident of McCall. She is looking for local support for a trip to South Africa in January 2015 to volunteer on the Kariega Game Reserve as a Wildlife Conservation Assistant. She is trying to raise the money to fund her Program Fees and travel expenses.

We will have a full program this week, so try to join us and welcome these ladies to the McCall Optimist Club.


Belinda Provancher
McCall Optimist Secretary

Promise Yourself: To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

Optimist Meeting - November 25

Hello Everyone,

This is late, however wanted everyone to know that the Chief of Police for McCall, Justin Williams will be our guest speaker tomorrow morning. I do not know much about Mr. Williams, but I know he moved he about a year ago from Texas. Please join us in meeting Justin Williams, Tuesday, November 25th at the Pancake House at 7:00 am.

Thank you,
Belinda
Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

Optimist Meeting: The Payette Children's Forest

This Tuesday, Nov 18, 0700 at the Pancake House, Gina Bonaminio, Fishery Biologist for the Payette National Forest will present a slide show about the Payette Children’s Forest.  Here is what Gina wrote about the organization and what she will talk about: 

 

“Our mission is to provide meaningful and affordable outdoor education, recreation, stewardship and work experience activities for youth in Adams and Valley counties.  The board is comprised of representatives from the Payette NF, Wild Science Explorers, McCall Donnelly school district, Ponderosa State Park, Little Ski Hill and Brundage Mtn.  Our primary focus is hosting two main events a year, one summer and one winter event.  These events are geared toward families and youths of all ages and encourages getting outside and learning about the land and water surrounding us.  The Payette Children’s Forest also co-sponsors programs like the Jr. Ranger Program at Ponderosa State Park, Wild Rockies Youth Triathlon, and the Council summer work crew.  We also help other organizations write grants to help support their programs that get kids outside and learning in experiential ways.  We most recently held a Middle School Day event on the New Meadows and Council Ranger Districts that brought area 7th grade students together to learn about ecological restoration activities happening in their communities.  That was a partnership with all the local school districts and the McCall Outdoor Science School.  As the Children’s Forest representative I look forward to sharing all that we’ve accomplished and what we have to look forward to.”

Come join us for breakfast on Tuesday.  Don’t miss out.  Gina is a very good speaker and doing great things for our young people.

Tom Crawford,

McCall Optimist President
Promise Yourself:   To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

Central District Health Department, Stephanie Noble

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Tuesday, Nov 4th, at the Pancake House 0700: Stephanie Noble, RN, MA, from the Central District Health Department will be our speaker.  The Central District Health Department (CDHD), Public Health District IV, is one of seven public health districts within the state of Idaho, serving the counties of Ada, Boise, Elmore, and Valley.  The health districts were established in 1970 under Idaho Code to ensure essential public health services are made available to protect the health of all citizens of the state – no matter how large or small their county population.  CDHD is governed by a seven-member board of health, which is appointed by the county commissioners of the district’s four counties.  With a vision of Healthy People in Healthy Communities, CDHD’s emphasis is on decreasing risk factors for chronic disease, improving quality of life and increasing the years of healthy life among residents.   Come meet Stephanie and learn about the many programs and services the CDHD offers.  Here is their website:  http://cdhd.idaho.gov/index.htm

Tom Crawford,

McCall Optimist President
Promise Yourself:   To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

Optimist Meeting - October 28 - INL

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Tuesday, Oct 28, at the Pancake House 0700:  Our guest this week is Amy Lientz, the Communications Director, for the Idaho National Laboratory.  Amy will have a very interesting slide presentation and will discuss the latest developments at the Laboratory.  In operation since 1949, INL is a science-based, applied engineering national laboratory dedicated to supporting the U.S. Department of Energy's missions in nuclear and energy research, science, and national defense.  The INL is located near Idaho Falls and is the third largest employer in the state.
·       INL’s mission:  Proving the principle of national energy and security solutions using world-class capabilities.
·       INL’s Vision: To sustain core technical capabilities and develop innovative solutions that secure and advance nuclear and other clean energy choices for our future.
Come join us for breakfast and bring a friend.  Don’t miss a chance to ask questions about the National Laboratory and learn about its important role in energy research and many other things.  Here is INL’s web link: https://inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt/community/home/255

Tom Crawford,
McCall Optimist President
Promise Yourself:   To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

Optimist meeting - October 21

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Tuesday, Oct 21, at the Pancake House 0700:  Although we will not have a speaker or presentation this week, everyone is encourage to attend our club business meeting and a good fellowship breakfast.  We be discussing club activities such as our fund-raiser (bingo), an updated speaker list, the Pacific Northwest 1st quarter meeting, upcoming events, and most of all - new ideas.  There will be enough board members present so this meeting will serve as our once a month board meeting.  Come join us and participate in planning a new Optimist year.

Here is something from the PNW website:  “The First Quarter Meeting is in Hood River starting this Friday, October 24-25.  Your Optimist Club president and others will benefit from attending the motivational start of the new Optimist Club administrative year. It's the best way to learn the dates for the International programs and share promotional tools for all activities that your Optimist Club does throughout the year.  If you haven't already, please register now.”  http://www.pnwdistrictoptimist.com/

Mike Vineyard was drawn for a free breakfast.  I hope you can make it, Mike.

Tom Crawford,
McCall Optimist President
Promise Yourself:   To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

Optimist Club Meeting October 4 - McCall College

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Tuesday, Oct 14, at the Pancake House 0700:  This week our presenter is Dr. Bryan Williams of McCall College.  Dr. Williams will update us on the new classes and the development of the College.  

Here is a his and example of Dr. William passion from latest blog on http://www.mccallcollege.org/ :“Thank goodness there is a college in McCall!  As I walk through our community, I am often thanked for working toward a successful college in McCall. People seem to realize why we need a center of higher education in Valley County.  They know of post-high school students with a limited future.  They talk to parents who are concerned about the high cost of university education.  They see the anemic business corridor. They understand the price of not have higher educational opportunities close to our community.  They know of a young person trapped in the cycle of poverty that often means time in the juvenile detention facility or the jail.  The problems are profound; the options are elusive.  McCall College has begun.  The problems are still challenging; however, a center of solutions is available.  I hope you discover how a college makes our community so much better.    Discover McCall College and help us make all of our lives stronger and healthier.”

Nathan Hess was drawn for a free breakfast.  I hope you can make it, Nathan.

Tom Crawford,
McCall Optimist President
Promise Yourself:   To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

Installation Dinner - 7:00 p.m., October 7

Hello McCall Optimist,  

Tomorrow is our Installation Dinner, therefore we will not have our regular breakfast meeting. At 6:00pm at the Anchor Restaurant we have a social hour with Rick Matkin, Optimist Lt. Gov. Zone 2 (Idaho). He would like to have a discussion with us about our Club’s vision and goals for the year. Come early and join in the discussion with Rick. Dinner will start at 7pm. We got a lot of RSVP’s so it should be a good turnout. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone. I hope you can make it.

Tom Crawford,
McCall Optimist Secretary

Promise Yourself: To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

Optimist Meeting - Sept. 30

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Tuesday, Sept 30, at the Pancake House 0700: This week our presenter is Susan Busche, Executive Director for Pilgrim Cove Camp and Conference Center. Pilgrim Cove has recently upgraded their facilities and has expanded their capabilities for events and services. Susan will show slide presentation and talk about their direction and the role they play in the community. Pilgrim Cove recently hosted a Team River Runner event and our Boy Scout Troop activates. They have great website you can see here: http://pilgrimcovecamp.org/ Come for breakfast, meet Susan, and please invite a friend.

Also, don’t forget to RSVP to Belinda belindap1994@gmail.com for our Installation Dinner Tuesday, October 7th, @ 6:00 at the Anchor Restaurant. We will have cocktails at 6:00 and dinner at 7:00. We will have a beef, chicken or fish option for approx. $20 per plate. We need to have a final count to them by, Friday, October 3rd. Please RSVP to me no later than Friday at 12:00 pm.


Tom Crawford,
McCall Optimist Secretary

Promise Yourself: To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

Installation Dinner Invitation - October 7

Hey Friends and Optimist,

Belinda found a great new location for our Installation Dinner. Please RSVP by next Friday. Here is her message:

“Hello to the group!
Ok, unfortunately Jug Mountain and Rupert's are both closed on Tuesdays, so I have arranged our installation dinner for Tuesday, October 7th, @ 6:00 at the Anchor Restaurant. We will have cocktails at 6:00 and dinner at 7:00. We will have a beef, chicken or fish option for approx. $20 per plate.

I need to have a final count to them by, Friday, October 3rd. Please RSVP to me no later than Friday at 12:00 pm. belindap1994@gmail.com
Hope to see all of you there! Belinda”

Tom Crawford,
McCall Optimist Secretary

Promise Yourself: To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

Optimist Meeting - Sept 23 - Mayor Aymon to visit

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Tuesday, Sept 23, at the Pancake House 0700: we will have breakfast with our Mayor Jackie Aymon and City Manager, Gene Drabinski. This is a great opportunity for our Optimist Club to get to know and communicate directly with our City Officials. Mayor Aymon and Mr. Drabinski have information to share about the proposed sales tax among many other things. Don’t miss a chance to ask some questions about the future of McCall! Come for breakfast and invite a friend.


Tom Crawford,
McCall Optimist Secretary

Promise Yourself: To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

McCall Optimist Club - Tuesday, Sept 16, 0700 at Subway

Hello Friends and Optimists,

Tuesday, Sept 16, 0700 at Subway  

The Pancake House will be closed this Tuesday.  However, we will be holding a Board meeting at Subway.  They have a meeting room and an excellent breakfast sandwich by the way.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  We have lots of club business to discuss like our intstallation dinner, our line up of speakers, our budget, and membership drive.   

Tom Crawford, Secretary

Promise Yourself....... To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

McCall Optimist Club meetings resume on September 9

Hello to the group!!

I have been remiss in getting this email out to everyone. We are starting up our meetings for the 2014/2015 season tomorrow morning at 7:00 am at the Pancake House. Sylvia Ryan will be our guest tomorrow to talk with us about a new grant that the Youth Advisory Committee worked on this summer. McCall was awarded $90K/yr for 4 years. This is exciting stuff.

Lets kick off our new year with as much participation as possible. I would love to see all of our regular smiling faces, but lets get some more of our members participating this year. Our community has a number of exciting things happening this coming year and I believe we are touching lots of kids lives, so lets continue the Optimist tradition of making an impact in Valley County!

Remember, "Many Hands Make Light Work"!

See you all in the morning,
Belinda

Dutch Oven Cookout for Optimist Scouts and Veterans

Hello Friends and Optimist,

I hope everyone is having a great summer!  This Saturday, our Optimist Boy Scout Troup 246 and Cub Scout Pack 246 is cooking for the Wounded Veterans Team River Runners.    If you recall, Marnie Sell presentation’s mentioned Team River Runners is a non-profit organization for to help the recovery of wounded military personnel.  You can check out their website here:  http://www.teamriverrunner.org/?q=node/212   

The cookout is this Saturday at Pilgrim’s Cove starting about noon and dinner around 6pm.  There will be 21 veterans and 10 Scouts.  Call me if you would like to help with the event.

We are in need of a few more Dutch Oven’s that our Scouts can use for the event.  If you have any that you are willing to loan, please let me know before Saturday.  We are teaching our Scouts not only how to cook with Dutch Oven’s but also how to clean and care for them.  We promise to take good care of them.

Tom Crawford, secretary  

Promise Yourself....... To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

Optimist Meeting - June 9 - Idaho Power

Hello Friends and Optimist,

We have one more meeting before our summer break. We will resume regular breakfast meetings in September. Our guest speaker this week is Blake Watson, a representative from Idaho Power. A month ago, Blake presented a $500 donation from Idaho Power for our Sober Graduation Party. Blake will update us on Idaho Power’s committed to community involvement. Here is a excerpt from their website: “Discover how we contribute to the quality of life in the communities we serve, including IDACORP's Employee Community Fund which collects and distributes funds exclusively for charitable purposes to health and human services organizations and 501(c)(3) organizations.”

There will be a brief board meeting right after our regular meeting. We will discuss the club’s summer activities and our involvement with “Jazz on the Green”. Also, don’t forget we are having a club bar-bq at my house on June 28th. It will be fun!

Tom Crawford, secretary

Promise Yourself....... To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

Optimist Meeting June 2 - Tamarack Resort

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Thanks to everyone for a very successful Graduation Party. We will have some follow-up discussion at our meeting tomorrow. We will also have our scholarship recipient, Bryn Kennel, as a special guest. Our guest speaker is Rick Carr from Donnelly Idaho Realty. He will share with us his perspective on how things are developing at Tamarack Resort. Here is an excerpt from his website:

“Donnelly Idaho Realty is owned and operated by Rick and Sandy Carr. Rick is an Architect/Broker and Sandy a co-owner. They are life time Idaho residents and realtors who enjoy their Donnelly, Idaho home, just 7 minutes from the slopes at TAMARACK RESORT! They specialize in real estate services for Central Idaho properties in Boise, McCall, Donnelly (specifically TAMARACK RESORT), Lake Fork, Cascade, and surrounding areas. Their expertise includes new home construction, commercial and residential property development, as well as home buyer and home seller services.”

I hope everyone can make it. We will only have one more meeting before the summer break. McCall Optimist Bar BQ will be at my house on June 28th.

Tom Crawford, secretary

Promise Yourself....... To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

Optimist Meeting - "AWESOME Program" - May 20

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Have you heard about “AWESOME!”? Their motto is “Empowering people of all abilities through high quality outdoor experiences.” Marnie Sell and Jill Marolf will present a slide show on the program this Tuesday, May 20th, 0700 at the Pancake House. AWESOME stands for Adaptive Wilderness Sports of McCall (AWeSOMe!). The non-profit organization is a chapter of Disabled Sports USA. They had a great winter ski season with lots of returning participates and volunteers. This year their goals are to provide a summer program , increase the quality and quantity of the activities, and provide a scholarship opportunity for local kids.

Marnie Sell has just moved here for Portland. Marnie has volunteered with many different organizations and brings with her experience great energy to this established program. Jill Marolf is also involved in many different youth programs here in McCall and is our Den Leader for our Cub Scout Pack 246. Come and enjoy breakfast with us and learn about this AWESOME program.

I hope you can make it.

Tom Crawford, secretary

Promise Yourself....... To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

Optimist Meeting, Tuesday May 6

Hello Friends and Optimist,
 Tuesday, May 6th, 0700 at the Pancake House: The meeting this week will focus on the details of the Senior Sober Graduation Party. I believe this year's party will be different because we have made an extra effort to reach out and advertise the party to the Graduating students, parents, and faculty. This year there are 63 Graduates and we expect more attendance to the party than previous years. With that said, it will require and deserves a little more effort on our part. The good news is, that Belinda Provancher has done an outstanding job planning and organizing the event. The biggest task at the moment is to hand out letters to the Merchants, promoting the party, and gathering gifts by the 23rd.. We have an agenda for the party to finalize, letters to distribute, and a "to do list" to review. Please join us for Tuesday breakfast and lend a hand for this important and worthwhile event. Attached is a letter that we will be distributing to all the local business. We will have copies to hand out at the meeting. If you can't make this meeting and want to help in some way, you can contact Belinda at 440-5163 or Mike Gurney at 369-3387, or Tom at 315-2714. If you know any graduating seniors or local merchants, tell them about the party!

 I hope to see everyone there on Tuesday. Dave Kristner won the free breakfast drawing. Congratulatations Dave!

 Tom Crawford, secretary
Promise Yourself....... To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

Optimist Club meeting on April 29 - Les Bock

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Tuesday, April 29nd, 0700 at the Pancake House: We have a very special guest speaker this week, State Senator Les Bock of Boise (Retired). Les Bock will run for a judicial seat in southwestern Idaho in May. He has served four terms, one as representative and three as a senator. Bock has been a lawyer since graduating from the University of California Hastings College of Law in 1979 and says he wants to bring his civil law experience to the bench. Les is running for District Judge because he is convinced that judicial elections play a critical role in maintaining a balanced and independent judiciary.

While he was in office, he influenced many worthwhile legislation programs and that supports the youth. He was a member of Legislative Committees: Health and Welfare, Judiciary and Rules, Legislative Oversight, and Transportation. In recognition of his work and his contributions to the legal profession and the underserved, Les has been awarded the Idaho State Bar Outstanding Service Award and the Idaho State Bar Pro Bono Award. Les is also a Lifetime Fellow of the Idaho Law Foundation. Les’ law practice in Idaho has spanned three decades. The depth and breadth of his experience have included, among many other things, complex litigation, sophisticated tax controversies, real estate transactions and for-profit and nonprofit corporate law.

Come join us for breakfast and bring a friend. Eric Watson won the free breakfast drawing.

Tom Crawford, secretary
Promise Yourself....... To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

Optimist Meeting, April 22

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Tuesday, April 22nd, 0700 at the Pancake House: Our guest speaker this week is Mark Pernell from McCall Parks and Rec. Mark does a fantastic job coordinating all kinds of City programs for the community youth. He will fill us in on how things are going what’s in store for this spring and summer. Come join us for breakfast tomorrow and bring a friend.

Jim Thackeray won the free breakfast drawing.

Tom Crawford, secretary
Promise Yourself....... To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

Optimist meeting, April 15

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Tuesday, April 15th, 0700 at the Pancake House: Although we don’t have a guest speaker this week, we have plenty to talk about. Come join a good fellowship meeting tomorrow at breakfast. We have some feedback and ideas we should discuss for the Graduation Sober Party. It’s a great opportunity to bring a friend to breakfast. I hope you can make it.

Next week Mark Pernell from McCall Parks and Rec will be our guest.

Tom Crawford, secretary
Promise Yourself....... To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

Optimist Meeting, April 8 - McCall Pony Club

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Tuesday, April 8th, 0700 at the Pancake House: This week, Holly Becker will give us a slide presentation on the McCall Pony Club. The McCall Club is affiliated with The United States Pony Club, Inc. that is a non-profit national organization. There are Pony Clubs world-wide. McCall has had an active club since 1994. They are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. Holly Becker is from New Meadows and she is the Regional Supervisor of the Intermountain Regional Pony Clubs.

The mission of Pony Club is to "develop character, leadership, confidence and a sense of community in youth through a program that teaches the care of horses and ponies, riding and mounted sports.” USPC is unique because its educational programs place equal emphasis on the teaching of riding skills, horse-care fundamentals, and team participation with sportsmanship. From the moment youth join USPC until they graduate, they are part of a broad network of activities and educational programs that promote the health and safety of both horse and rider. USPC is dedicated to developing knowledgeable, competent, responsible, and caring horsemen.

You can check out the website by clicking on the logo below:

Tom Crawford, secretary
Promise Yourself....... To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

McCall wrestlers win national title

Hello Friends and Optimist,

OK…so maybe it’s April Fool’s day and there is no national title for our youth wrestling program. However, they would be competitive due to the great coaching we have here in McCall! Tommy Lowen to be our featured guest at tomorrow’s breakfast meeting. As you may know, he's been doing most of the work with Optimist Youth Wrestling, which is going quite well. We will hear the details tomorrow. We should some have time to discuss the upcoming Graduation Party and getting the letters to the businesses in town. Also we need to have the Nominating Committee meet after the meeting to nominate a new slate of officers.

The winner for the free breakfast drawing was Dave Byars. Dave will not be able to attend because he at home recovering from a recent heart attack and stroke. We will deliver a Pancake House breakfast to him after our meeting. If you would like to send Dave a card, his address is Po Box 1044.

Tom Crawford, secretary

Promise Yourself....... To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

Optimist Meeting Mar 25 - at the Pancake House

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Tomorrow we will hold a board meeting during our normal breakfast meeting at the Pancake House at 0700. Everyone is encourage to attend. We will not be a speaker but we have much to discuss such as planning the Graduation Party and Optimist Football among other things. I will also give a briefing on the all the discussion and upcoming events I heard at the Pacific Northwest District Meeting.

Mike Vineyard was the winner of the free breakfast drawing. If you see Mike tell him to cash in on a free breakfast and a good discussions.

Tom Crawford, secretary

Promise Yourself....... To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

Optimist Meeting - March 18

Hello Friends and Optimist,

We will have our breakfast meeting at the Pancake House tomorrow morning, 0700. Midas Gold representatives Jeff Root and Belinda Provancher will update us on the current status of the Golden Meadows Project. Here is a link to their presentation: http://www.midasgoldcorp.com/i/pdf/ppt/2014-02-18_Midas_Gold_Presentation.pdf It should be very interesting. Bring your questions and your appetite.


Tom Crawford, secretary
Promise Yourself....... To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

Optimist Meeting March 11 - Sylvia Ryan, Sr. Sober Party

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Tomorrow morning we will be discussing the Graduation Senior Sober party. Sylvia Ryan from Valley County Court Service will be our guest. Sylvia has some ideas and support for the party she would like to share. She can use some input from the McCall Optimist. Sylvia is also involved in many other youth programs and events. She will give the Club an update on various opportunities for the club to provide support.

Attached is last year’s, 2013, letter and list we used for the Party. Eric Watson is the winner for the free breakfast drawing. We hope you can make it Eric. So join us tomorrow, March 11th, 7am at the Alpine Pantry.

One last thing. Did you know we have a blog? If you don’t have access to your email you can check it out all of our messages here: http://mccalloptimistclub.blogspot.com/

Tom Crawford, secretary
Promise Yourself....... To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

Optimist Meeting - March 4

Hello Friends and Optimist,

I’m pleased to announce, Treone Cooley will be our guest speaker for our breakfast meeting tomorrow. Treone is a volunteer with Project Welcome Home Troops. Project Welcome Home Troops aims to address the intense distress some returning veterans experience. Many of these brave men and women have been repeatedly exposed to traumatic events and life-threatening situations on multiple deployments to combat zones. International Association for Human Values (IAHV) has developed Project Welcome Home Troops as a resilience-building program specifically designed to address the needs of returning combat veterans. Their mission statement:

“Our mission is to improve the quality of life for returning veterans and their families. We provide safe and effective techniques for stress relief, greater health and well-being, and empowerment.”

You can read about the project at this website: www.pwht.org

Join us tomorrow, March 4th, 7am at the Alpine Pantry.

There will be a brief board meeting after the presentation to discuss some important club business: Sr. party, upcoming district meeting, and meeting location.

Tom Crawford, secretary
Promise Yourself....... To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

Optimist Meeting Feb 25

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Have you every wonder how Smoky knows where to point to the fire danger on the Forest? There is actually quite a bit of science that goes into it. Tomorrow morning at the Alpine Pantry, Francis Russo will speak about the science of determining wildfire danger and will give us a current synopsis on the seasonal outlook. Francis is the Fire Intel Coordinator at the Payette Forest Dispatch office. His perspective on the Forest's wildfire trends has developed for the past 29 years working for the Payette National Forest with 14 years as a Smokejumper. He has discovered some interesting connections between the weather and the snow packwhich he will share with us. Come check out this very informative slide show presentation, tomorrow morning, 7am. Alpine Pantry.

Tom Crawford, secretary
Promise Yourself....... To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble

Optimist meeting February 18

Hello McCall Optimist and Friends.

Tuesday's meeting at Alpine Pantry, Mallory Getto from the Shepherd’s Home will come and tell us about the Home and her job as the Administrator. Here is some history from the website:

The idea for the Shepherd’s Home was born in the home and hearts of Bill and Dottie Basye. The Basyes, working closely with the Department of Health and Welfare, sought a way to overcome the lack of adequate foster care available to children in central Idaho. To provide for the many children in crisis who needed a safe and loving home, they created a community initiative which quickly gathered support and momentum. The Shepherd’s Home was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1996 and opened its doors, fully operational, in the spring of 1998. During the brief interim between dream and reality, several donations of local money, time, and professional labor made the building of the Home possible. The local Lutheran church donated an acre of land and several large foundation grants were used to build the Home and hire the Home’s first staff. Community members provided enormous support and established fundraising events to support the new Home. Since that time the Shepherd’s Home has grown into a cherished and highly-regarded regional resource, providing not only a loving home for children in crisis but also providing additional programs for its residents and for community members to support the prevention of child abuse.

I believe Paul was the winner of the free breakfast this week.


Tom Crawford, secretary

Promise Yourself....... To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble

Women in the military at Optimist Meeting - Feb 11

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Tomorrow's meeting, Alpine Pantry, 0700, Retired Colonel Cece Tyler will speak about women in the military. Colonel Tyler is a decorated veteran with over 30 years of active duty in the Army. She will share her unique perspective on how our military has evolved with diversity.

Remember the new venue at Alpine Pantry just east of the bridge near Shore Lodge and across the street from Rotary Park. It will work best if you order your breakfast or get a coffee mug before the meeting starts. They make a delicious omelet, but also offer breakfast burritos and sandwiches among many other tasty things.

Mike Kohout was the winner of a the free breakfast drawing. Congratulations Mike.

Tom Crawford, Optimist Secretary
Promise Yourself,
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

Meeting Reminder, Tomorrow, New Location! - Wilderness Talk, Sally Fergusoon

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Tomorrow's Optimist meeting will be held at the Alpine Pantry at 7:00 a.m. The Alpine Pantry is located at 324 Lake Street, immediately to the east of the bridge next to Shore Lodge and across the street from Rotary Park. Come try out an"Optimist breakfast" deal.

Sally Ferguson, the Executive Director of the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation, SBFCF, will give us a slide presentation about the organization. The foundation's motto is: "No Politics, No Advocacy, Just Boots-On-The-Ground Work".

Sally Ferguson just was recently name Executive Director of the Foundation. Sally brings over 15 years of experience in non-profit management, conservation advocacy, and organizational development to the SBFC. Sally is coming to SBFC from several years with the Student Conservation Association, where she worked closely with wilderness and trails managers on forests across USFS Regions 1, 2, 3 and 4 to create conservation internships. She was the founding president of the Idaho Trails Association and remains an active board member.

The SBFC Foundation raises private money and employs crews and volunteers to provide maintenance for trails and bridges. It recently replaced the boat ramp at Indian Creek on the Middle Fork, which was rapidly becoming a hazard for boaters. The Foundation has contributed nearly a million dollars in improvements and maintenance; noxious weed abatement; plus keeping public sites open, such as the Lochsa Historical Ranger Station near Wilderness Gateway Campground, which was slated to close due to lack of funding. Information about the Foundation can be found at the Foundation website: http://www.selwaybitterroot.org/

Jim Thackeray was the winner of our free breakfast drawing this week. Check out Alpine Pantry’s website, http://alpinepantry.com/ and come try Alpine’s fresh, delicious breakfast and cozy atmosphere. Invite a friend!

Tom Crawford, secretary
Promise Yourself....... To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

Meeting February 4 - change of locations that day

Hello Friends and Optimist,

We are changing the venue for the next Tuesday's McCall Optimist Club meeting to the Alpine Pantry at 7:00 a.m. The Alpine Pantry is located immediately to the east of the bridge next to Shore Lodge. Attached is part of the breakfast menu. This coming Tuesday, Sally Ferguson, the Executive Director of the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation, SBFCF, will give us a slide presentation about the organization. The foundation's motto is: "No Politics, No Advocacy, Just Boots-On-The-Ground Work".

Sally Ferguson just was recently name Executive Director of the Foundation. Sally brings over 15 years of experience in non-profit management, conservation advocacy, and organizational development to the SBFC. Sally is coming to SBFC from several years with the Student Conservation Association, where she worked closely with wilderness and trails managers on forests across USFS Regions 1, 2, 3 and 4 to create conservation internships. She was the founding president of the Idaho Trails Association and remains an active board member.

The SBFC Foundation raises private money and employs crews and volunteers to provide maintenance for trails and bridges. It recently replaced the boat ramp at Indian Creek on the Middle Fork, which was rapidly becoming a hazard for boaters. The Foundation has contributed nearly a million dollars in improvements and maintenance; noxious weed abatement; plus keeping public sites open, such as the Lochsa Historical Ranger Station near Wilderness Gateway Campground, which was slated to close due to lack of funding. Information about the Foundation can be found at the Foundation website:http://www.selwaybitterroot.org/

Jim Thackeray was the winner of our free breakfast drawing this week. Check out Alpine Pantry’s website, http://alpinepantry.com/ and come try Alpine’s fresh, delicious breakfast and cozy atmosphere. Invite a friend!


Tom Crawford, secretary

Promise Yourself....... To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

Optimist Meeting - January 28

Hello McCall Friends and Optimist,

There is a movement for Community Radio for the McCall/Donnelly area! Wheels are in motion to be broadcasting in the near future. Tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan 28th, Katherine Lanspery will present a slide show on the concepts and goals of Long Valley Community Radio and discuss where they are in the process. Community Radio can be a great opportunity for our community businesses, non-profit organizations, education, and other public services. I’ve known Katherine for many years. Her background is in Environmental Science and has a very diverse and interesting work experience. However her passion is in community organizing and event planning especially for music and arts. Katherine has organized many events that successful blended environmental awareness and music. Community Radio is one of her newest projects. Come see what it is all about at breakfast tomorrow.

The schedule for this month:

• Feb 4th, Selway-Bitteroot-Frank Church foundation, Sally Ferguson
• Feb 11th, Women in the Military, Retired Col. Tyler
• Feb 18th, Snowpack trends and fire weather forecasting, Francis Russo

Also, The will be a free breakfast for whoever won the drawing from the roster last week. Come and see if you won.


Tom Crawford, secretary
Promise Yourself....... To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

Optimist Meeting - January 21, 2014

Hello Friends and Optimist,

This week, George Pool will talk to us about the Senior Center. George is dedicated volunteer for many of our community youth programs, but he is also the Chairman of the Senior Center. George will give us an update on the status of the Center and what might be in store for the future.

Also, Winter Carnival is already here! We need to coordinate the Parade this coming Saturday and the fund raiser for next Saturday.

We started a lottery program for a free breakfast. The name drawn from our club roster this week is Hank Boomer. We hope you can take advantage of the free breakfast, Hank.

Tom Crawford, secretary
Promise Yourself....... To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Optimist Meeting - January 14

Hello Friends and Optimist,

Jodi Lee just got back from Mexico and will be presenting a slide show of her adventures. Come for breakfast to enjoy her beautiful photography and interesting discussion on the different cultures.

We will also hold a board meeting shortly after the presentation. Topics will include: winter carnival activities and the budget.

We started a lottery program for a free breakfast. A name from our club roster will be drawn each week and the club will buy their breakfast at the next meeting. This week's winner is John Leedom. We hope you can make it John.


Tom Crawford, secretary
Promise Yourself....... To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Optimist Meeting January 7, 2014

Hello McCall Optimist and Friends.

Happy New Year! Tomorrow morning at our breakfast meeting, Mallory Getto from the Shepherd’s Home will come and tell us about the Home and her job as the Administrator. Here is some history from the website:

The idea for the Shepherd’s Home was born in the home and hearts of Bill and Dottie Basye. The Basyes, working closely with the Department of Health and Welfare, sought a way to overcome the lack of adequate foster care available to children in central Idaho. To provide for the many children in crisis who needed a safe and loving home, they created a community initiative which quickly gathered support and momentum. The Shepherd’s Home was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1996 and opened its doors, fully operational, in the spring of 1998. During the brief interim between dream and reality, several donations of local money, time, and professional labor made the building of the Home possible. The local Lutheran church donated an acre of land and several large foundation grants were used to build the Home and hire the Home’s first staff. Community members provided enormous support and established fundraising events to support the new Home. Since that time the Shepherd’s Home has grown into a cherished and highly-regarded regional resource, providing not only a loving home for children in crisis but also providing additional programs for its residents and for community members to support the prevention of child abuse.

We should also have some planning discussion about Winter Carnival Activities that is coming up very soon.

Help Needed: Come join us on Saturday, Jan 11th; our Boy Scout Troop 246 is hosting an Ice Fishing day for Boise Troop 1. There should be about 30 boys and 12 leaders fishing between the Downtown Marina and Brown’s Park starting about 11am. We can use some help and instruction from experience fisherman and any ice augers. There will be a lot of holes to drill! Call me if you think you can make it or have an ice auger to loan. Thanks.


Tom Crawford, secretary
Promise Yourself....... To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.