The Gettysburg Optimist Club met on Wednesday, June 21, 6:00pm at the Refectory.

President Daryl Aurand opened the meeting at 6:30 pm with an invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. This was followed by a excellent dinner provided by Stacey Green and staff.

President’s Report: Daryl shared various thank you notes from groups that received donations from the club. He also said that he attended a meeting of the Gettysburg Area Recreation Association and presented them with a check for $990 to be used for purchasing helmets for the skateboarding group. The meeting was on June 19.

Speaker: David Bradshaw spoke about the recent incident involving a Philippine container ship ramming the United States destroyer USS Fitzgerald off the coast of Japan. The container ship weighs 29,000 tons the US ship weighs 8,300 tons. David described what probably was involved in this incident and the various aspects of the investigation that will take place.

Treasurer’s  Report : Tom Barako reported on Activity and General Fund. Tom said that about ten organizations remain to be funded in the future. He said that the club is in excellent financial condition currently.

Next Meeting:  The next club meeting will be Wednesday, July 26, at Wayne Hill’s home. Chicken corn soup will be served. This is the only  meeting in July. Everyone is invited to attend this gathering: friends, family, etc.

President Daryl closed the meeting at 7:30 pm with recitation of the Optimist Creed.

Submitted by Fred Darling

Board of Directors Meeting

The Board of Directors met immediately after the regular meeting.

Items discussed:

The main item of discussion was the status of the change to 501c3, non-profit organization. Sam reported that everything is proceeding well and on schedule. There are various details yet to be completed such as the name of the club and filing papers with the state. Daryl said that he will follow up on everything and all should be completed  by December.

There was some discussion about having to adjust the Oyster Feed ticket prices for the upcoming year.

Bruce said that the Golf Tourney next year will be the third Thursday of May.

The Gettysburg Optimist Club met on Wednesday, June 7, at the Lake Heritage Pavilion. President Daryl opened the meeting at 7:05 with an invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. He welcomed our guests and then everyone enjoyed a great dinner provided by Stacey Green and staff. After dinner Daryl provided a summary of the activities and philosophy of the Gettysburg Optimist Club and encouraged guests to consider joining the organization.

Daryl then introduced Jerry Cleaver from Ruth’s Harvest. This group is a free shared program with the Gettysburg Ministerium, Gettysburg Area School District, and community partners to help local families eat healthier. The club presented  Ruth’s Harvest with a check for $1000 to assist them in their efforts.

Next Daryl called upon Reading is Fundamental (RIF) representatives to inform the club about their function and goals. RIF is the largest non-profit children’s literacy organization in the United States. It is committed to a literate America by inspiring a passion for reading among all children. It empowers children to read, learn, and grow. The club presented a check for $1200 to each representative.

Treasurer’s Report: Tom Barako reported

Golf Tournament :  May 18  Bruce Bradshaw reported that the Tournament went very well and was quite successful, surpassing all expectations. Preliminary figures place us at a profit. All members agreed that it was a wonderful day. Thanks to all who participated!

High School Senior Self-Improvement Award Breakfast: May 4  Walt Jones spoke about the purpose of this breakfast. Seniors from Adams County Schools were recognized for showing great improvement and hard work. They received a monetary award which they could use for any purpose. The club contributed $1200 toward this endeavor.

Upcoming Schedule:

Next Meeting June 21 at the PAVILION.

Summer Meetings  July 26 at Wayne’s house featuring Chicken Corn Soup. This is the only July meeting.

August 2 Lake Heritage Pavilion

                                 August 16 hosting zone meeting at the Pavilion

Members Comments

Mark expressed thanks to Bruce for a very successful Golf Tourney

Daryl mentioned that the club will provide funds for the purchase of helmets to be used by the skate park kids at Rec Park. This will be at their June 19 meeting.

President Daryl closed the meeting at 7:45pm with recitation of the Optimist Creed.

Submitted by Fred

The Gettysburg Optimist Club recently held  the 2017 Annual Golf Tournament at the Links at Gettysburg on Thursday, May 18, 2017. A scramble format teed off at 1:00pm. Contests include longest drive, closest to pin, green of gold and a putting contest. A wonderful dinner followed the event catered by Biggerstaff’s Catering.

This year we exceeded all expectations. Thank you to all that sponsored, showed up and joined in the fun to support the Optimist in their efforts to bring out the best in kids.

Please check out images on our facebook page where you can share and tag yourself!

THANK YOU to this year’s Golf Tournament Sponsors and Participants!

The Annual Gettysburg Optimist Golf Tournament is set for Thursday, 18 May, 2017 with tee off scheduled for 1:00 pm at the Links at Gettysburg. The Optimist Club of Gettysburg invites the local community to join us for the afternoon. 

This annual Golf Tournament features contests including a Scramble format, Longest Drive, Closest to the Pin, Green of Gold, and Putting contests with awards to the top three finishing foursomes.

Please phone or arrive the day of the event.  Contact is Bruce Bradshaw at 717-359-7620.