Promise Yourself!
Optimist Club of Coronado
Post Office Box 180251
Coronado, CA 92178-0251
January 11April 12, 2007, 2007
Meetings at 7AM on Thursdays at
Coronado Yacht Club
First up today—a book review by our resident
vetran graduate rolling reader, Paul Kreit.
If you would like to try a thriller that covers some
familiar ground look for "Conspiracy Within" by
Scott Goodfellow. There is a copy in the Coron-
ado library and Amazon has it. An interesting twist
is the discovery of a clean draft in Scott's com-
puter. He left us a good story with a heroic lead,
naturally a TV anchor , and a villain, naturally the
vice-president. There are admirals mentioned and
reference to the Mexican Village. Those who knew
Scott can follow the sources of some of his inspira-
tion. A quick read and the action interesting, prov-
ing good things come from old computers. Just
don't expect to profit from back copies of the
Greensheet, the editor gets any royalties!
Paul passed on the book to me and I liked it as
much as he did. Of note is the name of the Presid-
ent’s wife—Ann, of course. Get a copy of this good
read by our friendwho had more on his plate than
cookbooks.
morning sixty of us showed up for our Thursday
morning feast. The breakfast comment sheet at
the front table has disappeared so I guess we are
all happy. Or maybe we are just tired.
BJ and his fellow Glorietta Bay traffic monitor Bill
Jepson counted all the money. Jack struck the bell
at 7AM. Off again into the adventure of another
Optimist meeting. Carla Fargo tickled the heart of
the Greensheet editor by using a recent page two
as a prayer. It was pretty good. Then Jerry Thum-
mel lead the pledge,
We introduced Carl Boyd as a guest, but really he
said he was with us in memory of his good friend
(and ours) Ted Stearns. Toni McCabe came with
Marilyn Schaefer, but she is member although an
infrequent attender. She has found a better break-
fast somewhere.
Stu Powell got to tell the joke of the day, and it
was a reminder to be polite to the counter people
at the airport, because they hold the fate of your
luggage in their power.
Joe Petrucci had a double treat for birthday kids
Leslie Crawford and Roy Mantz, but only Roy was
here to enjoy the harmonica and the singing. Joe
has figured us out. The smaller part the club has in
the production the better things sound. That is
something that former songmeister Fred Hauck.
Speaking of Fred, he returned his Greensheet to
me complaining that the flag postage stamp was
affixed upside down indicating either trouble in the
club or carelessness. Would it be appropriate to
ask Fred to forget the mistakes of the past.
And speaking of those mistakes of the past, the
Dingmaster was back from foreign shores and
ready to help us make our Optimism come true.
First he got Jack Couture for wandering into the
meeting after the bell. Then Lee saw a resemb-
lance to Gooch in an ad for a new play at the Old
Globe about old aviators. When he propose fining
Gooch John Freeman upped the ante and sugges-
ted that all old aviators be fined. That seemed ok
<www.sportsfiesta.net>
Lance MasseyJack Larison,
with Mr. Cargill, and so President
they all stood up and Jack LarisonDiana Drummey,
gave back some of Pres. 20007-086-07
that flight pay. Lee Joan Gillem Art Jones, Extern-
wasn’t through yet be- al VP
Ledge HakesLeslie Crawford,
cause he he fined Internal VP
Chris Massy for being Jack DavisStu Powell, Secret-
a realator and Paul ary
Dudley for playing golf John Freeman, Treas.
Rosania, Sloan & Mc-
with someone who Clure,USNA ’45 Publishers
dragged him into the McCrary and Gowan
winner’s circle. Bob Sheridan, Editor
Jerry Thummel won $47 in the 50-50 drawing, and
he gave it all to the Youth Fund. Jerry is making it
hard on those whose children need new shoes if
we ever win.
We had significant Optimist Anniversaries this
morning. Leading the pack was Jake Sloan who
has 34 years in the club this week. Next was Barry
Mitchell with thirty years. Then comes Roy Mantz
with 26 years. Al Aegerter has 13 years, and Ann
Boyd has eleven. Let’s see. In that group we have
one District Secretary Treasurer, one Governor,
one Lt. Governor, three past presidents (one dis-
tinguished). Of particular note was the collection of
over 9,000 aluminum can pull tabs during the “Yes
We Can” effort to help provide a dialysis machine
to a young man in Vallejo. That was Jake Sloan’s
work. Ah, remember the day of correcting dump-
sters full of aluminum. The smell of stale beer and
deciding which Optimist got to climb up on top to
keep the cans moving to the back of the container.
Someday we should have a program on that old
program. Does anyone have slides?
Did you know that if you can’t change the batter-
ies in your smoke detector the Coronado Fire De-
partment will dispatch somebody to do it for you?
Talk about service. In 2005 the fire department re-
sponded to 1085 calls in medical emergencies.
There were 170 structural fires or desmoking calls.
The department responded to 158 vehicle acci-
dents. There were 306 “other” type responses. I
guess the cat in the tree is in this category. Our
Fire Chief Kim Raddatz told us all about his de-
partment including the good fact that the goal is to
get a first unit to the scene in under 6 minutes
90% of the time. They do it.
A definite nip was in the air this morning. Hallelu-
jah!! Food again and
Sixty-One of us filed by Buck Rogers and Dick
Madouse reading the guest list, taking our badges,
and looking over the breakfast comment sheet.
Someone, remembering the mistakes of the past
had written, “You call this a breakfast!”. Yes, Vir-
ginia, the mean-spirited do live among us.
President Jack invited Carla Fargo to lead us in
prayer, and she did so in rhyme. Captain Stark led
the pledge. Our lone guest was Mark Rogers, son
of Buck.
Immediate Past President Lance Massey told a
joke about men’s underthings that will in the in-
terest of taste be omitted. I thought that I only had
to omit one item per meeting to pass the censors,
but then, later in the meeting, our program speak-
er finished that hope off with a tale of bestiality in wrecked in Bermuda. Hopkins came with wife and
colonial America. Does anyone know where I can several children.
find a bleep on my keyboard? The talk was quite fascinating and brought to our
Joe Petrucci redeemed this part of the meeting by minds the hardships that were overcome by those
playing a foot stomping version of “Sugar Blues” or who settled this wonderful land for us. I think we
“Azul Asucar” in our new national language. Joe is could have listened to Frank for hours, but his
our star on these cold winter mornings when he story about the unfortunate Thomas Granger who
unwraps his harmonica to get our blood moving. was discovered to be engaging in unhealthy prac-
We had birthdays of Joe Huber, Wynn Fester, and tices with a wide range of farm animal needs a
Ann Eades to celebrate and the “Sugar Blues” was special filter.
just the number. Frank promised help for any folks who are inter-
Jim Cooper celebrates thirty-one glorious years as ested in genealogy. Sounds like a great offer.
an Optimist this week, and Bill Parry, who we don’t Next week you can get See’s Candy from Mrs.
see too much of these days, has nineteen years Gooch. The program will be from the Virtual Real-
with us. ity Medical Center of San Diego. We will hear
Jack Larison reminded us to keep the evening of about using virtual reality technology to treat pho-
December 21 free for our Christmas party. It will be bias and post traumatic stress disorders. Would
at the Yacht Club at 7PM. this have helped poor Thomas Granger back in
The traveling midshipmen choral group gathered Plymouth?
as they do each year at this time to salute the
Army Mule. Yes, it is that time of year when the .
Black Knights of the Hudson under our own Bobby
Ross face off against the Midship-persons in their Tom Meadows told us a bit about the early days of
white hats. Saturday is the 107th rematch of the the club when fines were a quarter and a full break-
game and the results have been an amazing 50- fast was ninety nine pennies. Tom was the Charter
49 edge for Navy with seven tied games. Barry
President. More about this next week.
Mitchell (or someone posing as Colonel Mitchell)
called the editor to say that he and Bruce Williams
are covering all bets and giving no points. They .
want all the Navy money that you can wager.
Speaking of money, Stu Powell won the 50-50
drawing with a white ticket. Next week we have a little culture on the program
The Dingmaster was disappointed that Charlie with a real poet to mark the Coronado Celebration
Ahern was not with us. But he took money from of National Poetry Month. Eileen Hannega-Panek
his own wife who contributes to Lamb’s Players. will be our guest. Bring a friend and bring your own
Jim Cartwright left before paying his fine, and poem or favorite poem.The following week on April
Ledge had to give a dingpass back for a letter to 19 we will get some information on protecting your-
the editor in the spirit of dear departed Carol self from identity theft. California Bureau of Invest-
Cahill. igation Agent Supervisor Richard Negrete will speak
Lance Massey recovered from his joke to an-
to us.
nounce that the Silver Strand will be picked up and
restored to its beautiful pristine state by the Optim-
ist Club on Saturday, December 9. He needs a few Have a wonderful Easter or a Passover filled with
more pickers. those remembrances and traditions that make our
Tomorrow night the elves of the club will hand out families, communities, and country such a blessed
cookies and cider to those who mill around Christ- place.
mas in Coronado. Come see John McKechnie and
Chris Massey with their cute little pointy elf shoes.
Frank Osgood found out when in his fifties that he
had roots on the Mayflower. One great- great -…-
great grandfather was a church elder while anoth-
er was a non-pilgrim member of the party with a
troubled, but adventure-heavy past. Frank told us
about his research into the lives of these two men
and of their roles in the first English settlement in
the New World that had self government.
Frank’s tale was fascinating. The hardships of the
first year, when the little band of 102 people lost
47 to death, tried the hearts of all. They sailed in a
leaky “Mayflower” in September 1620 and arrived
on Cape Cod in December in the dead of Winter.
After exploring the area by small boat the group
came ashore at Plymouth on Christmas Day,
kneeling to give thanks.
Franks told us about William Brewster, his church
leader ancestor who, even when the people were
dying from starvation, preached with power of
God’s gift of new Jerusalem they had come to.
Franks other ancestor was Steven Hopkins, A
“stranger’ recruited by the London company man-
aging the colony for his savvy and experience. He
had been in Jamestown earlier and been ship-