Dec 17, 2025 - OptiCast

The OptiCast Recap provides an overview of the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club's final meeting in December 2025. The meeting highlighted the club's dedication to community service, including events like the Santa House and Salvation Army bell ringing. Members also discussed upcoming contests for youth, long-term planning for 2026 events, and changes to the club roster. The meeting featured guest speakers and ended with preparations for the White Elephant Auction in January 2026, emphasizing the importance of fundraising for club operations. Hello, and welcome to the OptiCast Recap. Hey there. We're jumping right in today. This is the audio companion for the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club, one of the most active clubs in the entire country. That's right, and we're going back to December 2025. We're looking at the end-of-year momentum, the people, the projects, everything. This is basically your audio OptiBalance. Exactly. We're focusing on one meeting in particular, the final gathering before the holiday break on December 17th. Right. So if you're a member or maybe a guest or just a supporter, this is for you. We'll get you all caught up. In December meetings, they just have a different feel, don't they? They really do. The calendar is just chaos for everyone, but the commitment to show up at 7 a.m. at the Shrine Building, that stays the same. It does. So let's set the scene. Wednesday, December 17th, 7.00 a.m. sharp. It's the Kosciuszko County Fairgrounds. And it's in Vienna in December. It's pitch black and freezing. Oh, for sure. But inside, you know, the coffee is hot and the energy is high. And running the show, leading this pre-holiday meeting was Brooke Hamstra. Which is no small task, right? Trying to keep a room full of optimists focused when everyone has that holiday brain going on. It takes a steady hand. And she did a fantastic job. The notes say Steve Block led the invocation to really ground the room. I always love that moment. It just quiets everything down. It does. It kind of shifts the gear from just chatting to, you know, purpose. And right after that, we dove into the traditions. The pledge, the optimist creed, the song. Yeah, the foundation. That creed is so powerful, especially that line about promising yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. A very useful thought. A few days before Christmas shopping wraps up. Absolutely. A necessary reminder. And after the song, you have the bell ringing and the shake hands with a friend or neighbor. It seems simple, but that's really the heartbeat of the club. Speaking of heart, let's talk about the people at the door. The greeters. Yes. For this meeting, our welcome committee was Brad Johnson and Jim Smith. Two club stalwarts. If you walked in that morning, those are the faces you saw. And they had some important people to greet. We had guests. We did. The bulletin specifically welcomes Jonathan Holler and Peyton. And this is so key for all our members listening. If you saw Jonathan or Peyton or you see them again, just make it a point to go over and say hello. That's how the club grows, right, when a guest feels like they've actually found a home. Exactly. So, Jonathan and Peyton, if you're listening, we were so glad to have you. And we also had a birthday to celebrate. Jim's was on December 19th. Happy belated birthday to Jim. It's great the club took a moment for that. Now, let's pivot a little to the work of the club. Because even with the festive mood, that machine was running at full tilt. It really was. The bulletin from that week was packed with some major logistical stuff. Let's start with a big one. The Santa House. A true Warsaw tradition. It is. And the notes pointed out that the final weekend was right on their doorstep, December 19th, 20th, and 21st. So, the volunteers in that room were heading into the final stretch, like, immediately. And think about what that means. You're managing lines of families. You're dealing with the weather. It's a huge gift to the community. It really is. But that wasn't the only iron in the fire. Not at all. The Salvation Army was a huge focus. This was a critical update. The bell ringing was scheduled for that Saturday, December 20th. At the Walmart and Kroger entrances. But there was a really important detail about that specific day. The match day. Yes. A $5,000 match was on the table. And this is where the club's strategy is just, well, it's brilliant. They didn't just volunteer on a random day. No. They targeted a day where their effort would be literally doubled. Every single dollar a member helped collect became $2. It turns a volunteer shift into a high-impact fundraiser. It really does. And another project was wrapping up right there in the meeting itself. The holiday food sale. The cheese and sausage. The bulletin's note was pretty funny. It said the final pickup was right now. I love that. It means while the meeting was going on, there was a whole logistics operation happening somewhere in the room. Multitasking at its finest. You're raising money, you're learning, and you're distributing cheese and sausage all before 8 a.m. And all that money is so vital. Now I want to shift to a narrative thread that was kind of quietly running through the bulletin. It's something that really defines the spring for us. But the work starts in December. You're talking about the contests? I am. The essay contest and the oratorical contest. The crown jewels of Optimist International for sure. Now the source material, the bulletin, it didn't list specific dates yet, but the fact that they're on the letterhead in December, that's a signal. It's a flare going up. It means get ready. For any newer members listening, can you unpack why these are so important? Absolutely. I mean, these aren't just school assignments. They're scholarship opportunities that give young people a real platform. The oratorical contest especially, it helps kids find their voice, build confidence. And it takes a village to pull them off. It does. The message to the members is clear, even without dates. We need chairs, we need judges, timekeepers, outreach to the schools. So if you're listening, consider this your pre-notification. The contest season is coming. Don't wait to be asked. If you have a passion for this, keep your eyes open for those sign-up sheets. It's where the mission of bringing out the best in youth becomes so tangible. It's the core of the mission. And this club, they aren't just planning for the spring. They are looking way, way down the road into 2026. The long-range planning is just so impressive. So if you have a calendar handy, you might want to jot these down. Okay, first up, the City of Lakes Car Show. That's set for May 17, 2026. A massive downtown event. Huge community touchpoint. Then just a month later, you have the triathlon. June 27, 2026. Which requires so much manpower, road safety, registration. Right, and then looking to late summer, the bulletin mentioned fall displays. Sales for those kick off August 1. And finally, the big one, the golf outing. September 8, 2026. It's just incredible. We're recapping a cold December morning, and we have the roadmap for the entire next year laid out. That's how you keep momentum. You always give people something to look forward to. Which brings us to the quote of the week from the bulletin. It's from Nelson Randella. It always seems impossible until it's done. It fits perfectly. When you look at that list, car show, triathlon, all of it, it can seem impossible. But this club, well, it gets it done. It gets it done because of the members. Which brings us to the sergeant's program. The entertainment portion of the meeting. And the sergeants for this meeting were Jim Smith, Jeff Owens, and Abby Smith. That's a strong trio. And the notes mention Jim was acting the part of a sergeant with Harry. I wish we knew what that meant. Sounds like a classic you-had-to-be-there moment. It does, but that humor is just so important. And, of course, they kept the tradition of the one round of applause. We also had a 50-50 winner. Yes, a shout-out to Chad Goon. Chad walked away with a pot that morning. Always a nice bonus. Definitely pays to attend. Now, on a slightly more serious note, there were a couple of changes to the roster noted in the bulletin. Right, George Brennan and Jennifer Dorman. They resigned effective at the end of the year. And we just want to wish them both the absolute best. Absolutely. Life changes, schedules shift. We appreciate all the time and energy they gave to the club. Agreed. So now let's look at the financial impact section. I'm looking under check presentations in the bulletin. And you see one very short word. None. None. Right, none. So does that mean the club just took the week off from giving? Not at all. This is so important to understand. A service club's flow is cyclical. December is an accumulation phase. You're ringing bells, selling cheese, running the Santa House, you're gathering resources. So none just means the bucket is being filled. Exactly. The disbursements, the grants, they happen because of the work done in weeks just like this one. That's a great way to look at it. The program for the day also reflected that community connection. It did. We had guest speakers introduced by Lois Borkholder, Sherry Binyewski, and Team Luke Becknell. And bringing in those local voices keeps the membership connected to the broader community to make sure we're not just talking to ourselves. So we've covered the meeting. Let's talk about what was next on the horizon at that moment, the immediate future. The White Elephant Auction. The bulletin was very specific. This was the headline event for the first meeting back in January. January 7th, 2026. And the instructions were simple but critical. Every member needed to bring two things. Thing one, a gift to auction off. And thing number two. Your wallet. They were not subtle about it. And they shouldn't be. The White Elephant is a fundraiser, but it's a specific kind. The money raised goes into the administrative fund. And that distinction is important because it keeps the charity money pure. Exactly. Money from the community goes back to the community. This is for operations. So that was the marching order. Bring a gift, bring a wallet. And it was the perfect way to kick off the new year, especially since the bulletin reminded everyone there were no meetings on December 24th or 31st. A well-deserved break. For sure. So the White Elephant was the reunion, the first chance to get back into that rhythm. So as we wrap this recap up, what's the big takeaway for a member listening to this? I think it's forward momentum. 2025 closed out strong with the Santa House and the bell ringing. We recognized our people. But we also planted the seeds for 2026. With the essay and oratorical contest. Exactly. Those are the next big steps. Start thinking about how you can support them. Can you judge? Can you help organize? And keep those long-term dates in mind. May 17th for the car show. June 27th for the triathlon. And never forget, the magic happens every Wednesday at 7 a.m. That's right. And, hey, if you see Jonathan or Peyton, make sure you welcome them back. Let's keep growing the family. Absolutely. Thank you so much for listening to the OptiCast recap. We hope this has you caught up, fired up, and ready to serve. It's going to be a great year. Indeed it is. See you at the next meeting.