THE OAKLINE
The Optimist Club of Oakridge Acres, Inc
Volume 3, Issue #7 June 2002
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
v KEVIN HESLOP
We’re heading to Indy! A group is heading to the International Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 8th. We’ll be doing a little fund raising for the club while we’re down there by selling six dozen club shirts. We’ll have a full report for you when we get back.
On May 26th, about a dozen of us took on the London Blizzards Sledge Hockey team at the Western Fair Sports Centre. A good time was had by all! After the game, we presented the Blizzards with a cheque for $1,000 on behalf of our club and North London. Our top fund-raiser was Vice-President Elect Andy Friyia. Andy also blessed us with his version of “O’ Canada”
Before making the cheque presentation. Of special note was the contribution of one of our members. Jim Coleman hasn’t been able to make the last few dinner meetings so, thinking he normally spends about twenty dollars at each meeting; he donated $100 to the cause. Nice touch Jim!
Don Draper worked his usual magic on June 8th when he ran a bike rodeo at Oakridge Mall in conjunction with Safe Kids Week. I’m sure there will be a report elsewhere in The Oakline on that event. Thanks again Don.
Although we don’t traditionally have dinner meetings in the summer, Lisa and I would once again like to play host to a pool party. The date is yet to be set but we’ll give you plenty of notice. Vince Giannantonio has a three trick performance all ready to go – he assures us he’ll use plastic this year.
Have a great summer.
Kevin Heslop
v Scott Fickling – Sledge Goalie
OAKOGRAPHY
v SIL BRECEVIC
Sil Brecevic has been
a 
member of the club since 1994 when his brother-in-law, Ted
Requina, sponsored him. Sil has
participated in Optimism by coaching and being a member of the hockey and
baseball committees. He has been the
Treasurer of baseball for three years and has looked after the hockey players’
photos for two years. He has a total of
three years coaching his kids T-ball teams and one year coaching soccer. On top of all of that he has always been a
cheerful bingo worker and made many dinner meetings more enjoyable for those
around him.
Sil has been married
to Candace for 13 years and they have two children, Jeremy is 12 years old and
Jenelle is 8 1/2 years old. Jeremy was
a member of the Oakridge Alternate Entry hockey team and currently plays
competitive baseball on the Oakridge Pee Wee team. Jenelle plays Devilettes hockey and Oakridge soccer.
Sil has worked for 3M
for 15 years and is currently a Sales Supervisor. He rose through the ranks from engineering to technical services
to sales to marketing and is now back in sales. I guess he finally found something he is good at. The bad news (for us) is that he has been
working from the Mississagua office for six months and is in the process of moving
his home closer to work. He has sold
his home and will be moving in August.
The family’s new home will be in Kitchener but it will not be ready
until October. I guess a pessimist
would say that he can’t keep a steady job and he is soon to be homeless.
When asked to recall
a favourite Optimist memory his reply came quickly with “so many”. When pressed he recalled staying after
bingo in the clubhouse talking (more likely listening) to Doug McMaster about
his accounts of Optimist conventions or old 3M alumni. I know that Sil was Doug’s and Don Draper’s
connection for tape for bingo and bike rodeos.
I asked if he was making arrangements for a new supplier in his absence. His response was “I’m only a phone call
away”.
Although Sil is
moving, he is already looking for a club to join in Kitchener. With any luck at all we hope to see Sil and
his family back in Oakridge some day.
Thanks for all your hard work and companionship Sil, and good luck in
your new job and community.
Rick Gillespie
Carling Heights
Golf Tournament
Carling Heights Optimist Club held their 13th
annual golf tournament on June 8th.
Our club sent 8 representatives to help raise funds for CPRI.
Bruce Pope, Ron Fisher, Randy Brewe and past member Ron Brewe
received an award for Best Optimist Team with a score of ‘par’. It sounds like they were the best of a bad
lot. Ron Brewe also won the closest to
the pin prize for his drive on the second hole.
The other team consisted of Max Davis, Doug MacKay, Pat
Moffatt and his friend Darryl. They
didn’t win anything. In fact the night
was almost over before their names were called to get their prizes. I know that Pat was disappointed because he
told me that his driving and his putting were very good all day. Everything else must have been very bad.
As an example of the type of bad luck Pat’s team had,
Bruce’s team was called to the prize table a second time – by mistake – before
Pat’s team was called up for the first time.
I hope that Randy, Ron and Ron like their prizes. Bruce was the only member of that foursome
that was at the dinner so I have a feeling that his prize will be quite
nice. I’m sure the rest of the team
will like their water bottles.
I should point out that the biggest winners of the day were
the kids and families that benefit from the proceeds raised by the Carling
Heights Optimists.
Rick Gillespie
Bicycle Safety
Rodeo
The June 8th Bike Rodeo at Oakridge Mall featured
the following:
q Funding
from Safe Kids Canada ($300), Johnson&Johnson ($506 to purchase helmets for
“needy” children and Wal-Mart ($50 gift certificate)
q About 50
children took part. Parents accompanied many.
q 25
volunteers which included members, family and friends of members and 2 Police
Bike Patrollers and 2 retired police officers who brought a refurbished Paddy
Wagon – a big hit!
q Instruction
on the proper way of wearing a helmet
q Inspection
and minor repairs to bicycles
q 5 skills
courses and a “slow race”
q Draw
prizes (Bike equipment) and refreshments (Pop, chips and candy)
We appreciate the fine efforts of the following people who
helped make the event a great success:
Ø Registration:
Mary Anne Gillespie and Chris O’Quinn
Ø Helmet
Instruction and Bike Inspections: Rick Harris, Rick Gillespie, Gary Shawyer,
Hugh Newman, Dave Kelday, Dave Fawcett
Ø Course
Supervision: Brenda Giannantonio, Joanne Abel, Ross MacDonald, Norm Smith,
Jamie Draper, Scott Fickling, Shawn Flick, Heather Gillespie, Pam Chantler,
Bill Chantler
Ø Refreshments:
Pat Draper
Ø Police
Bike Patrollers: Pat Corcoran, Ryan Million
Ø Heritage
Vehicle Officers: Bob Merriman and Roger Bumstead
Special
thanks to Kevin Heslop for helping with bookings and funding applications, Rick
Gillespie for assigning workers and Scott Fickling for transporting tables and
chairs.
Don Draper
Norm Smith
offers instruction to a young cyclist.
v
Steve Cochrane and Dave Kelday really had to do a job
on this bike! Heather Gillespie supervises in the background.
July 06 – July 10
Good to see that we have several members and spouses
attending the convention this year What may be in store for them, is summed up
in the OI promotional “blurb”
“Your paid convention registration entitles you to many
unbeatable events. You’ll get fund raising and program ideas in the House of
Optimism, celebrate Optimism at the Opening Ceremonies, and vote on issues
crucial to the organization’s future. You’ll relax to a star-filled performance
during the Evening of Entertainment, gain invaluable knowledge attending Back-to-School
Workshops and officer training sessions, and dance the night away at the
President’s ball.”
Schedule of Events is
Ø Saturday,
July 6
Ø Sunday,
July 7
Registration, House of Optimism, (Expo)
Governors Conference, First Timers' Welcome,
Youth Activities, Opening Ceremony
Ø 
Monday,
July 8
Registration, House of Optimism, (Expo),
Youth Tour, First Business Session,
Officers-elect Workshops,Governors-elect
Conference, Evening of Entertainment
Ø Tuesday,
July 9
Registration, Officers-elect Breakfast
Educational Workshops,Youth Tour
Governors Conference, Appreciation Luncheon, Second Business
Session
Ø Wednesday,
July 10
Old Timers' Breakfast, Closing Business Session,
Governors-elect Conference,
Educational Workshops, Youth Activities,
President's Banquet & Ball
Got a Daughter or
Son Graduating from Secondary School ????
Optimist member sons and daughters qualify for the Optimist
Youth in Education Scholarship as well as our club’s scholarships at Oakridge
and St. Thomas Aquinas.
If you have an outstanding child that has the qualities
outlined in the scholarship overview you should call your school's Guidance Counselors
to make sure that your child gets considered by the school's selection
committee.
Be Healthy! Be
Optimistic!
Want to Be Happier?
Just Do This:
By Cathryn Conroy, Netscape News Editor Be optimistic. People who are optimistic
tend to develop better coping skills and a more supportive social network than
those whose outlook is more pessimistic and these both serve to shelter them
from stress and depression, reports Reuters of a study done at Rutgers
University. "The role that our personality
plays in generating responses from others can go a long ways towards our own
mental well-being," lead author Dr. Ian Brissette, an assistant professor
of psychology at Rutgers, told Reuters. It's long been known that people who
have a positive outlook about their future also tend to have better mental
health when compared to those with a darker outlook. Why? Optimists are more likely to develop strong
ties with other person, which helps us to better handle stress.
You don't have to be a born optimist. You can learn this
behavior. Find out more in the book
"Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind & Your Life" by Martin
E. Seligman.
"Because optimistic people may be more skilled
interpersonally and are better to be around, they may develop these social
networks more easily," Brissette noted. The Rutgers study involved 89 undergraduate students who were
assessed at the beginning and end of the semester. The students self reported their level of optimism and perceived
levels of stress and depressed moods. The optimists more friends and maintained a superior state of
mental health throughout the semester when compared with those who were more
pessimistic. Reuters notes that Brissette credits this with strong friendships
and superior coping skills.
Optimists are more successful AND live longer. WebMD offers advice for the optimist and the pessimist!
Submitted
by Don McLeod
Chair
Optimist YIEP
Rookie
Ball – What happens when the Pitching Machine Breaks?
Rookie
Ball has great potential as an intermediate step between T-Ball and regular baseball.
Selling points have to do with developing confidence, safety and appropriate
competition. The website for “All Canadian Sport” indicates: “because the
players learn to hit a consistently pitched ball, there is a faster paced,
exciting game in the field”.
Rookie Ball relies on a well functioning pitching machine to
throw strikes to pint-sized batters. They get 5 pitches to hit the ball and the
game moves along at a fast pace (Maybe MLB should look at it – might see a
decrease in rosters and maybe ticket prices! )
However! What does happen when the machine goes kaput? Apparently that has happened occasionally in the Oakridge Optimist Rookie Ball program.
Vice President – Youth, Steve Cochrane described this
situation to the Board of Directors on June 20th. He said, quite
bluntly, some parents are getting “ticked off”
THE SOLUTION: THEY
NEED A BULLPEN
Directors approved the purchase of a new pitching machine
(About $2000) to be available as a backup.
Optimist Club of Oakridge Acres Board of
Directors 2001/2002
President - Kevin Heslop (472-2627)
V.P. (Youth) - Steve Cochrane (657-8865)
V.P. (Ways & Means) Craig Rath
673-6403)
Sec.- treasurer - Doug Mackay
(473-5885)
Past President - Jim Easton
(641-0798)
Director (1 yr.) - Michael Hoy
(471-2712)
Director (1 yr.) - Fred Fickling
(472-1062)
Director (1 yr.) - Vince
Giannantonio (672-6038)
Director (2 yr.) - Bill Chantler
(641-6483)
Director (2 yr.) -Andy Friyia
-474-3877
Director (2 yr.) - Pat Moffatt -
(657-1147)
The Optimist Club of Oakridge
Acres, Inc. is a member of Zone 9 in the Midwestern Ontario District.
IMPORTANT
NOTICE ABOUT MEETINGS v
The Anniversary Celebration with our founding
club – Byron, has been postponed to a date, to be announced, in September. Fish Farm prices were higher than
anticipated and dates to use Fanshawe Park were not suitable to our needs. v Tentative
date for next dinner meeting is June 26th at Thames Valley. Call
Captains will confirm
THE OPTIMIST CREED
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
Oakridge Communicates!
1.) Newsletter Staff
Editor - Don Draper (471-1925)
Email articles to
“don.draper@sympatico.ca”
Oakography - Rick Gillespie,
President- Kevin Heslop,
Sports - Steve Cochrane.
2.) Check out the website for the
Oakridge Optimists.
Web address - http://www.execulink.com/~oakridge/optimist.htm
Email address -
oakridge@execulink.com