Promise Yourself!
Optimist Club of Coronado
Post Office Box 180251
Coronado, CA 92178-0251
May 24, 2007January 11, 2007
Now wasn’t that a kick? Sometimes we have a
meeting that no one wants to have end. This was
one of those. Sixty of us joined a couple of guests
to listen to a fascinating story of how a poor Mor-
mon boy from Salt Lake City became a successful
business man and then went on to become presid-
ent. No wait! Wrong Mormon! Our guy has a differ-
ent story. More in a minute.
Following our message of despair over the fate of
the planet last week, Jack Chilton decided to toss
in the towel and give up his bicycle and increase
his carbon footprint. But John Porter drank the
koolade and came on two wheels. John will be
able to sell a Global Warming Warrant to some
driver, for example, Jack Couture who arrived in
his Monster Truck. We will start trading those War-
rants on the floor of the Optimist Dutch Auction Ex-
change with Tom Meadows and John Bowen hand-
ling the trades ‘cause they know about how much
things should cost.
Dick Madouse was focused on the end of the
Sports Fiesta Ads Sales, and he gave some rather
strong guidance to all of us. He was taking in ad
copy in the form of 3 ½ inch floppy disks, CDs,
rough sketches and promises. Dick doesn’t want
the promises; he wants the real thing. And next
week he wants to see all your cards. CAMERA
READY COPY, folks. That will make Dick a happy
man.
Ann Boyd and Jack Couture put on a very funny
skit about life in a trailer park. Two lonely people
meet, make eye contact and bingo—that spark!
Makes me want to head straight for the Senior
Center, but I forget why.
The Prez told us that we will draw next week for a
shot at the Camp Able Party. But we need a few
more entries. Bring your check for $25 to support
this worthy cause.
The Dingmaster was back with fire in his eyes from
two weeks of French fries and mayo. Lee’s elves
had deciphered all the ribbons and addresses from
the home front judging, so Lee just started rattling
off names, we stood quietly, like sheep for the
slaughter, and paid.
Two fines of note: Bill Jepson, who pays his entry
fee in small change, was twenty cents short. So he
paid a dollar. That works for me. And Kirk Henry
had all that space in the Coronado Lifestyles to tell
about his Murphy bed and office, but he didn’t
mention that Optimism is his middle name.
Fred Hauck was welcomed back, but not fined. I
don’t understand that. Fred always paid a fine for
his jackass pants and socks combos.
Meetings at 7AM on Thursdays at Coronado Yacht
Club
<www.sportsfiesta.nett> Lance MasseyJack Larison, Presid-
Ledge Hakes won $41 ent
in the drawing. As an Jack LarisonDiana Drummey, Jim Al-
ley Pres. 20007-08
aside, next week the Pres.-elect Leslie Crawford6-07
new police chief will be Joan Gillem Art Jones, External VP
Ledge HakesLeslie Crawford, Intern-
with us. Will he en- al VP
force statutes against Jack DavisStu Powell, Secretary
illegal lotteries? Have John Freeman, Treas.
Rosania, Sloan & McClure,USNA ’45
the lawyers ready. Publishers McCrary and Gowan
Bob Sheridan, Editor
Pat Kelly introduced Kevin Burns who is a historian
of note with the AIAA which converts to American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Kevin
was accompanied by his daughter Kelly, and also
on hand was Navy Chief Petty Officer Scott Quinn
who is the grandson of the man whose story Kevin
was to tell.
Noel Davis was that poor boy from Salt Lake City
who talked himself into the Naval Academy and
went to sea. A port of call was Vera Cruz where the
non-drinking, well behaved Mormon avoided the
cantinas and walked the city examining its battle-
ments, and planning how he would take the city if
he had to.
Wonder of wonders, in 1914 the navy squadron
was called on to do that very thing, and Davis’
notebooks and drawings were crucial to the suc-
cessful taking of the citadel. Davis was a rising star
who after the Armistice that ended WWI was put in
charge of clearing the North Sea Mine Barrage.
He decided that the future was in the aviation side
of the Navy and went to Pensacola. While getting
his wings he became chief of ground training. Dav-
is, who doesn’t seem to have let any moss grow
under him, left the Navy to get a law degree from
Harvard, but started the Naval Air Reserve in his
spare time.
In the 1920 all the world was fascinated by the
birdmen, and the race to become the first to fly
across the Atlantic was a natural for competition. A
hotelier offered a prize of $10,000 for the first
crossing. The Orteig prize was sought after by sev-
eral teams including Richard Byrd’s and one of
Naval Reservists Noel Davis and Stanton Wooster.
Charles Lindberg had his own little group in San
Diego at Ryan Aeronautics.
The story of the competition and the cooperation,
the American Legion connection, the Beechnut
Baby Food connections, and the maneuvering by
the infant aircraft manufacturing companies was
laid out for us by Kevin Burns.
The burning question is why didn’t they cut down
the damn tree. If you weren’t at the meeting get a
hold of Kevin Burns’ paper which he provided to
us. It is titled “The Story of the American Legion
and the Great Transatlantic Race—New York to
Paris—1927”. You are in for a good read.
Next week---It’s the FUZZ. Our new police chief.
CAMERA READY COPY CAMERA READY COPY
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
with Mr. Cargill, and so they all stood up and gave
back some of that flight pay. Lee wasn’t through
yet because he he fined Chris Massy for being a
realator and Paul Dudley for playing golf with
someone who dragged him into the winner’s circle.
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
colonial America. Does anyone know where I can
find a bleep on my keyboard?
Joe Petrucci redeemed this part of the meeting by
playing a foot stomping version of “Sugar Blues” or
“Azul Asucar” in our new national language. Joe is
our star on these cold winter mornings when he
unwraps his harmonica to get our blood moving.
We had birthdays of Joe Huber, Wynn Fester, and
Ann Eades to celebrate and the “Sugar Blues” was
just the number.
Jim Cooper celebrates thirty-one glorious years as
an Optimist this week, and Bill Parry, who we don’t
see too much of these days, has nineteen years
with us.
Jack Larison reminded us to keep the evening of
December 21 free for our Christmas party. It will be
at the Yacht Club at 7PM.
The traveling midshipmen choral group gathered
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
white hats. Saturday is the 107th rematch of the
game and the results have been an amazing 50-
49 edge for Navy with seven tied games. Barry
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.
The Dingmaster was disappointed that Charlie
Ahern was not with us. But he took money from
his own wife who contributes to Lamb’s Players.
Jim Cartwright left before paying his fine, and
Ledge had to give a dingpass back for a letter to
the editor in the spirit of dear departed Carol
Cahill.
Lance Massey recovered from his joke to an-
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
more pickers.
Tomorrow night the elves of the club will hand out
cookies and cider to those who mill around Christ-
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-
wrecked in Bermuda. Hopkins came with wife and
several children.
The talk was quite fascinating and brought to our
minds the hardships that were overcome by those
who settled this wonderful land for us. I think we
could have listened to Frank for hours, but his
story about the unfortunate Thomas Granger who
was discovered to be engaging in unhealthy prac-
tices with a wide range of farm animal needs a
special filter.
Frank promised help for any folks who are inter-
ested in genealogy. Sounds like a great offer.
Next week you can get See’s Candy from Mrs.
Gooch. The program will be from the Virtual Real-
ity Medical Center of San Diego. We will hear
about using virtual reality technology to treat pho-
bias and post traumatic stress disorders. Would
this have helped poor Thomas Granger back in
Plymouth?