The newsletter summarizes events of the St. Petersburg Downtown Optimist Club. Scott Kaplan won the $600 raffle basket drawing. The next Bunco party fundraiser for scholarships will be January 21st. The Youth Appreciation Banquet is January 11th. The club provided dinner for the Ronald McDonald House on various dates. The Christmas dinner was held and gifts were collected for Brookwood Home for Girls.

1. Downtown Optimist Club
A periodic newsletter of the
A periodic newsletter of the
St. Petersburg -- Downtown Optimist Club
St. Petersburg Downtown Optimist Club
North Florida District, Zone 9, Club #60447
North Florida District, Zone 9, Club #60447
December 24, 2011
Editor: Sharon Dennany, telephone 919-274-1311 or email: shar1558denn@yahoo.com
Scott Kaplan – President
7360 Ulmerton Rd. #21D, Largo, FL 33771
Zone 9 Lt. Governor – Ric Carvalis
North Florida District Governor – Craig Blethen
Raffle Drawing
We held the drawing tonight at the Downtown Club’s
meeting for the $600+ raffle basket. We had our server,
Jackie, mix up the tickets and draw one for us. The winner
was SCOTT KAPLAN. A special thank you to all who bought tickets
and a very big thank you to Jim Ridings for selling a total of $265.00 in
tickets. You are a great salesman, Jim, and we appreciate your support!!!
The raffle brought in $585 toward our $4,000 district goal. As chairpersons
of this district scholarship fund, Chuck & Vi truly appreciate all who bought
tickets.
Bunco
Put this date on your calendar right now, Saturday, January, 21, 2012!!
This is the date of the next big BUNCO PARTY. It’s at the same place (Lee
& Judy Warnock’s Club House). You don’t want to miss this one. It will be
just as much fun as the last one, maybe even more!! This one will be hosted
by Chuck & Vi as a fund raiser for the District OI Scholarship Program.
Optimist International has appointed Chuck & Vi as Chairs of this District
Fund Raiser. As Optimists, we all are aware of the OI Scholarship program.
Hopefully, all of us will support this most worthwhile project, while having a
lot of fun and meeting new and old friends. The price will be the same;
$10.00 per person, with nice prizes going to the winners, plus some neat
door prizes. Vi will be sending out more information as we draw closer to the
date.

2. Youth Appreciation
The zone 9 Youth
Appreciation Banquet will be
held again at Piccadilly
Cafeteria on Wednesday,
January 11, 2012.
Optimist International no longer requires us to do certain projects on
specific dates. I talked with them and they feel that each zone
should do whatever works best for them.
We have had so many things going on here in the zone that we
opted to have it in January. It will be in the big room in the rear
where we always have it. We are suggesting that everyone go
through the line and try to be seated by 6:00 PM, if possible.
I will need all of the information for the program no later than
January 6th so that the programs can be printed. This information
should include the name of the club, the name of the recipient, and
the name of the person making the presentation. I will be out of
town from 12/30/11 until 1/3/12, so please get the info in to me as
quickly as possible. If you have questions, please contact me.
Thanks, Vi

3. Ronald McDonald House
I hope each of you will mark your calendars for the following
dates:
January 16, 2012
May 21, 2012
October 15, 2012
The Downtown Optimist Club will supply a brought-in dinner (not
home cooked) on the third Tuesday of the month.
It’
It’s My
It’
It’s My
Anniversary!
Birthday!
Elaine Mullen Victoria Pena
December 7 December 13
8 years
Jean Rutan
December 13 Sue Foster
December 21
1 year

4. Christmas Dinner
The Downtown Club had their
Christmas Dinner at Gigi’s
in Pasadena on December 20th.
We had a pretty good turn out.
Everyone had a nice time. In lieu of exchanging
gifts, everyone was asked to bring an unwrapped
gift for the girls at Brookwood Home for Girls. This is an
annual event, and very much appreciated by the girls as
well as the staff. Diane Sunden, the GPC Research &
Development Manager at Brookwood Florida was our guest
for the evening.
50/50 was done differently at this dinner. Instead of 50% of
the proceeds going to the club it was donated to
Brookwood. CJ Morris was the winner of the other 50%.
He was very generous and donated his winnings to
Brookwood. Thanks CJ for your generosity!
Three poinsettias plants were also raffled off and everyone
was in the giving spirit and followed CJ’s lead. The winners
of the plants donated them to Brookwood. We’ve got some
great Optimists with big hearts!

5. A Note from Brookwood
Diane Sunden sent the following email to Gardner
Harshman…
Good morning to you Gardner, I delivered all the wonderful
Christmas gifts to Brookwood this morning, including gift
cards, $110 cash and the three lovely Poinsettia plants. I
will prepare and mail thank you letters to the Downtown
Optimists c/o you, and to C. J. Morris, Sue Foster for
donating fabric, and Sharon Dennany for making the
pillowcases (I have her address). Thank you so much. I
really enjoyed the dinner last night! I wish you and
Moonie, and your family, a very Happy Christmas!

6. Humor…
Some Christmas Humor…

7. Humor…
Some Christmas Humor…

9. The Optimist Creed
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.
CLUB OFFICERS DIRECTORS
President Scott Kaplan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .535-6939 Jean Rutan (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522-6143
7360 Ulmerton Rd. #21D, Largo, FL 33771 Rick Rutan (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522-6143
1st Vice Pres. Vi Hayworth . . . . . . . . . . . . 527-2656 Judy Warnock (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458-8278
2nd Vice Pres. Viki Pena. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421-3721 Sharon Dennany (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . ..919-274-1311
Sec/Treas. Lee Warnock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577-7159 Gardner Harshman (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .592-0243
Sgt-At-Arms/Gardner Harshman. . . . . . . . 592-0243 Moonyeene Harshman (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . 592-0243
Chaplain Rick Rutan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .522-6143
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Oratorical Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lee Warnock
Essay Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jean Rutan
Programs/Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rick Rutan
Fellowship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vi Hayworth/Viki Pena
Poster Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jean Rutan
O.I. Foundation Rep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jane Ridings
Respect for Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gardner Harshman
Youth Appreciation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lee Warnock
New Community Dev. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vi Hayworth
Raffles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lee Warnock
Easter Egg Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Viki Pena
Bell Ringing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vi Hayworth
First Friday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lee Warnock