NEXT CLUB MEETING:
Tuesday, August 29, 2023 • Noon At Little York Pizza • 4120 Little York Road, 45414 • See MENU |
Club schedule, news, and updates.
All photos property of Northridge Optimist Club. All rights reserved. |
2022-2023 Optimist Year, October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023
Club Bulletin Board Resets for the New Optimist Year as of Oct. 1, 2022:
• As established by Optimist International, the Optimist year begins on October 1 of each year, and ends on September 30 of the following year. The Northridge Optimist Club welcomes viewers of the Bulletin Board for club news and events. The club bulletin board keeps a running account of postings for the year, with previous posts for the year visible by scrolling down the page.
• The page thus contains postings for the new Optimist year that began on Oct. 1, 2022 and will continue on this page until Sept. 30, 2023.
• As established by Optimist International, the Optimist year begins on October 1 of each year, and ends on September 30 of the following year. The Northridge Optimist Club welcomes viewers of the Bulletin Board for club news and events. The club bulletin board keeps a running account of postings for the year, with previous posts for the year visible by scrolling down the page.
• The page thus contains postings for the new Optimist year that began on Oct. 1, 2022 and will continue on this page until Sept. 30, 2023.
See Bulletin Board Archives for Past Years:
This page contains postings for the current Optimist year which goes from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022. See the Bulletin Board Archives page for links to archives of bulletin board postings covering previous years..
This page contains postings for the current Optimist year which goes from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022. See the Bulletin Board Archives page for links to archives of bulletin board postings covering previous years..
Upcoming Meetings:
Tuesday Meetings dates and locations may vary*. (*see posted schedule below)
Please check club website Bulletin Board weekly for updates. After the May 30 meeting, the club will be on Summer break until August 29
• NEXT CLUB MEETING: Tuesday Noon, August 29, 2023 (Meetings will be at Little York Pizza, 4120 Little York Rd. 45414, unless posted otherwise) Projected Club Meeting Dates, every other Tuesday (unless noted otherwise*): * Regular meetings will resume on Tuesday, August 29, 2023 *(Watch this Bulletin Board for news and updates) Update of May 17, 2023:
Northridge Optimist Club in the News:
• "The Dividends of Learning in Northridge Schools" is a publication by the Northridge Board of Education. The "Dividends" is mailed to homes and businesses in the Northridge area to give updates and stories on school district activities. The Optimist Essay Contest that was sponsored by the Northridge Optimist Club is featured on page 2 of the May 2023 issue.
• The issue can be seen on this link: www.northridgeoptimist.org/uploads/2/4/9/1/24916292/may_2023.pdf Issues of "Dividends" may also be downloaded from the Northridge Schools website. |
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Update of May 2, 2023:
Meeting of May 2, 2023:
At the May 2 club meeting Northridge High School computer science teacher Joe Miller and three of his sophomore students provided a demonstration of "Go One Quadra Pet", or Robodog. The robot, which was purchased with STEM funding, has three computers and twelve motors. It broadcasts through WiFi and is pre-programmed by the students. It has a speaker and it can recognize human form. It can be used for security purposes or life saving purposes by a fire department. Many thanks to Mr. Miller and his students for the outstanding demonstration. The lunch and presentation was enjoyed by all.
At the May 2 club meeting Northridge High School computer science teacher Joe Miller and three of his sophomore students provided a demonstration of "Go One Quadra Pet", or Robodog. The robot, which was purchased with STEM funding, has three computers and twelve motors. It broadcasts through WiFi and is pre-programmed by the students. It has a speaker and it can recognize human form. It can be used for security purposes or life saving purposes by a fire department. Many thanks to Mr. Miller and his students for the outstanding demonstration. The lunch and presentation was enjoyed by all.
Update of April 7, 2023:
Each year the club selects recipients of scholarship awards from the Optimist Club of Dayton-Northridge Scholarship Fund, a component fund of The Dayton Foundation. At the April 4 club meeting a list of applicants for 2023 was received from school representatives for evaluation by the club Scholarship Committee. Awards will be presented to the recipients in May. The Northridge Optimist Club has awarded over 300 scholarships to Northridge students over the past thirty 30 plus years, totaling well over $200,000. The club has raised money over these years, to invest in the fund and the endowment has grown over the years to the point where it will sustain the annual scholarships on a continual basis. The Dayton Foundation administers the dispersal of the funds to the scholarship recipients, who are selected by the club's scholarship committee, in conjunction with school counselors. The students are selected based on a combination of academic ability and financial need.
Update of March 22, 2023:
Optimist Essay Contest Club Level Awards Presentation:
Students from Northridge Middle School English classes recently completed entries in the Optimist International Essay Contest, sponsored by Northridge Optimist Club. The topic of this year’s contest was "Who is an Everyday Hero that Brings Out the Optimism in You?” The club level award ceremony was held at the club's March 21 meeting at Little York Pizza. Congratulations to the students for their fine work! And many thanks to the Northridge Schools staff and teachers and the volunteer judges who made this possible. The club level winning essay has been submitted to the Ohio District Optimist level for competition at the state level. See the Essay Contest page for a full story and photos.
Update of February 21, 2023:
Follow up report to the post of February 9:
Optimist Essay Contest:
March 21, 2023 has been set for the essay contest awards presentation at the club meeting of that date. The regular club meeting place, Little York Pizza, will be the location.
March 21, 2023 has been set for the essay contest awards presentation at the club meeting of that date. The regular club meeting place, Little York Pizza, will be the location.
Northridge Polar Bear Foundation Fund grants:
The school received the $1612.95 approved amount of Winter cycle grants from The Dayton Foundation. The school is in the process of completing the required purchase orders so the funded projects can proceed.
The school received the $1612.95 approved amount of Winter cycle grants from The Dayton Foundation. The school is in the process of completing the required purchase orders so the funded projects can proceed.
Update of February 9, 2023:
Optimist Essay Contest:
The judging at the club level has been completed, and the winning essay will be forwarded to the Ohio District Essay Chair for competition at the state level. Plans are being made for a club level awards presentation but a date has not been set as of yet.
Northridge Polar Bear Foundation Fund grants:
• Four grant requests were submitted for the Winter cycle of the Northridge Polar Bear Foundation for the club to consider. Awards totaling $1612.95 were approved for the requests.
• The Northridge Polar Bear Foundation Fund, administered by The Dayton Foundation, provides grants supporting educational enhancements for Northridge students (K-12) that are not covered by the school district budget. Members of the Northridge Optimist Club serve on the advisory committee that evaluates applications for funds. See the Polar Bear Fund page for more about this fund and a list of some of the projects that are covered.
• The Northridge Polar Bear Foundation Fund, administered by The Dayton Foundation, provides grants supporting educational enhancements for Northridge students (K-12) that are not covered by the school district budget. Members of the Northridge Optimist Club serve on the advisory committee that evaluates applications for funds. See the Polar Bear Fund page for more about this fund and a list of some of the projects that are covered.
Update of January 27, 2023:
• Essays have been submitted to club level judging for the 2022-2023 Optimist International Essay Contest being hosted at Northridge Schools by Northridge Optimist Club. The club level winning essay will be submitted to Ohio District Optimist for judging at the state level in February. (See more about the contest in the November 30 posting below).
• At the end of January the club will be evaluating grant requests for the Northridge Polar Bear Foundation Fund, administered by The Dayton Foundation. This will be the second and last cycle of grants for this school year. Learn more about this fund on the Polar Bear Donation page on this website.
Update of January 11, 2022:
2022 Denny Mantel Christmas Sharing Program Report:
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The 2022 Denny Mantel Christmas Sharing Program was carried out in December with a total of $1860 distributed among 15 families (with a total of 36 children). The Northridge School System had selected the families who are particularly needy due to economic circumstances. Distribution of the gifts was handled by the school, with recipients picking up the gifts at the board of education building. This was the 39th year that the club has held this program.
The club thanks those who have donated to this fund to help make this program possible. |
Update of December 20, 2022:
Update of December 14, 2022:
Denny Mantel Christmas Sharing Program Planned for 2022:
Each holiday season (since 1984) Optimist members have provided some local families with financial help for a good holiday meal. This year the Northridge School System had selected 15 families who are particularly needy due to economic circumstances to be recipients of the 2022 program. At the November 29 meeting the club established a budget of at least $1500 for distribution to these families (about $100 per family). With the help of recent donations the amount for the program was increased to a total of $1860 by the December 13 meeting. The total is allocated among the families in varying amounts based on the number of children in each recipient family. At this time distribution of the gifts is being be handled by the school, and the school will be contacting each recipient to make arrangements for picking up the gifts at the board of education building. The club thanks those who have donated to this fund to help make this program possible.
Update of November 30, 2022:
Meeting of November 29, 2022:
Speaker:
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The speaker at the meeting was Jeff Lisath, Director of Operations and Assistant to the Superintendent for Northridge Schools. He is also the men's basketball coach for Northridge High School.
He spoke to club members about a mentoring program that he and the school have implemented for improving achievement for at-risk students in grades K-5. The program includes training and certification for mentors who will support the students. The mentor relationship will support the student in making better decisions, improving self confidence and attendance and eventually leading to a better student who is prepared for increased academic achievement. Mentors will meet with students once or more per week to build self confidence, provide guidance and support the student in areas of need. Mentors will document their process and progress and communicate with school staff and parents. This mentoring program will be receiving a $400 grant for from the Polar Bear Foundation Fund as approved by the club committee at the November 1 club meeting (one of four grants provided for the fall cycle). The program will be eligible for consideration for further grants in the winter cycle in January. Thanks to Jeff for his presentation. (Photo at right) |
President Rick Snider (right) presented Jeff Lisath (left) with a certificate of thanks for his presentation
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Visit from Zone 6 Lt. Governor:
Brenda Moore, Lt. Governor for Zone 6 of Ohio District Optimist, visited our club at the November 29 meeting. As shown In the photo club president Rick Snider presented an Optimist bell and gavel to Brenda in case other clubs in her zone needed them. Our club had an extra of each of these items. (Thanks to past president Mike Gorman for finding these items in storage. And thanks to Brenda for visiting and supporting our club. |
Update on Northridge Polar Bear Foundation Fund:
As mentioned in the update of Nov. 1 below, a total of $2420 was approved for the fall cycle of grants, covering four different projects (the first of which is discussed in more detail in the speaker's report above). This fund is administered by The Dayton Foundation for providing grants that support educational enhancements for Northridge students (K-12). These allotments were:
- $400 to support a mentoring program for improving achievement for at-risk students in grades K-5. The program includes training and certification for mentors who will support the students.
- $800 for purchasing a kit of basic tools and supplies for repair of band instruments to avoid high cost and lost time in sending instruments out for repair.
- $600 to help fund an “Exploring Our Future Day” event which will provide workshops to spark interest by middle school students in careers, hobbies, and opportunities.
- $620 to support adding an embroidery project to the arts & craft curriculum to expand the students’ creative skills. The amount will be used to purchase embroidery looms and materials for four classes of 20 to 25 students each.
Optimist International Essay Contest:
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The Essay Contest is sponsored by Optimist International to give young people the opportunity to write about their own opinions regarding the world in which they live. Optimist International assigns a new topic each year and provides the rules and guidelines for holding this essay contest for students. The Northridge Optimist Club club is sponsoring a local level of the contest in conjunction with Northridge Schools for the 2022-2023 school year. The contest will conclude in February of 2023. The topic for this year is "Who is an Everyday Hero that Brings Out the Optimism in You?" The winning contestant’s essay in the club level contest is then eligible to compete for scholarship awards with other student essays at the Optimist District (state) level. |
Thanks to Riverdale Optimist Club:
Many thanks to Riverdale Optimist Club for hosting the Thanksgiving week meeting on Tuesday, November 22 at the new Dayton Metro Library - Southeast Branch at 21 Watervliet Ave., Dayton, OH 45420. Barb Layne did a great job in organizing such a nice meeting to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday week.
Update of November 23, 2022:
Many thanks to Riverdale Optimist club for hosting the Thanksgiving week meeting on Tuesday, November 22. It was an excellent program and Thanksgiving style meal, with a big turnout of members from various clubs.
Update of November 1, 2022:
Polar Bear Fund Grants:
At the November 1 club meeting selections were made for amounts from the Northridge Polar Bear Foundation Fund, administered by The Dayton Foundation, to provide grants supporting educational enhancements for Northridge students (K-12). A total of $2420 was approved, covering four different projects. Learn more about this fund on the Polar Bear Donation page on this website.
At the November 1 club meeting selections were made for amounts from the Northridge Polar Bear Foundation Fund, administered by The Dayton Foundation, to provide grants supporting educational enhancements for Northridge students (K-12). A total of $2420 was approved, covering four different projects. Learn more about this fund on the Polar Bear Donation page on this website.
Denny Mantel Christmas Sharing Program:
• This traditional program will be continued for the 2022 holiday season.
• Each holiday season (since 1984) Optimist members have provided some local families with financial help for a good holiday meal. The Northridge School System provides us with names of families who are particularly needy due to economic circumstances. The program serves an average of 15 to 20 families each year, with a budget of approximately $1500 to $2000. Distribution of the gifts is handled by the school, and recipients are contacted by the school when the gifts are ready for pick up. Donations are an important source of funds to keep the program at its usual level. For more information on the program and for an address for donating, see the Christmas Sharing page.
• Each holiday season (since 1984) Optimist members have provided some local families with financial help for a good holiday meal. The Northridge School System provides us with names of families who are particularly needy due to economic circumstances. The program serves an average of 15 to 20 families each year, with a budget of approximately $1500 to $2000. Distribution of the gifts is handled by the school, and recipients are contacted by the school when the gifts are ready for pick up. Donations are an important source of funds to keep the program at its usual level. For more information on the program and for an address for donating, see the Christmas Sharing page.
Update of October 20, 2022:
Next Meeting on November 1, 2022 at Little York Pizza:
At this meeting club members will be reviewing and making selections for the Fall cycle of the Northridge Polar Bear Foundation Fund. Grant amounts are expected to total about $2500 for this cycle to provide funds to support educational enhancements for Northridge students (K-12). The Northridge Polar Bear Foundation Fund is a fund administered by The Dayton Foundation. See the Polar Bear Donation page to learn more about the fund, and to see how you can help.
Update of October 4, 2022:
Speakers Scheduled for Upcoming Meetings:
• On October 18 Shane Allison will discuss Northridge School's future Parks and Rec Class
• On November 29 Coach Jeff Lisath will report on the Polar Bear Funded basketball project
• On November 29 Coach Jeff Lisath will report on the Polar Bear Funded basketball project
Other Meeting Notes:
• On Tuesday, November 22 the club will visit with the Riverdale Optimist Club. For our traditional meeting with Riverdale for Thanksgiving week their club is hosting a special lunch at the new Dayton Metro Library - Southeast Branch at 21 Watervliet Ave, Dayton, OH 45420.
• Since the Riverdale meeting does not coincide with our usual "every other week" routine, this Nov. 22 meeting will take the place of our November 15 meeting. So there will not be a club meeting on Nov. 15.
• A guest at the October 4 meeting was former member and past president Bob Leibold. Bob now lives in Florida, but comes back to Dayton this time of year as co-chairman of the Presidents Club's Legion of Honor Luncheon, which is being held this week on October 6. (See more about this event in the post of Oct. 1 below). We thank Bob for remembering to visit our club when he is in town.
Update of October 1, 2022:
Presidents Club Honors 2022 Citizen Legion of Honor:
The Presidents Club of Dayton will be honoring the 2022 Citizen Legion of Honor recipient at their annual luncheon scheduled for Thursday, October 6, 2022 at the Dayton Convention Center. The 71st recipient of the award is Bing Davis, nationally recognized educator, teacher, professor, artist and curator. (See more at https://presidentsclubdayton.org/index.php/component/users/?view=reset&Itemid=101 ).
The Northridge Optimist club will be supporting this event with a table of 8. See the link above for more information about the Presidents Club and this event.
Community Links:
Some links of interest to the Northridge area are posted in the panel at the right (see the red buttons under "Community Links"). One of these is for the Northridge Alumni Bear Facts website published by the Northridge Alumni Association. One good way to show support of the community is to patronize the alumni businesses listed on their website: www.northridgealumni.org/id11.html The alumni website also offers an interesting history of the Northridge Community called "From Ebenezer to Northridge" by Richard D. Allen on this link: http://www.northridgealumni.org/id68.html
Be sure to visit the Northridge Alumni Bear Facts website to keep up with Northridge alumni news and events in the community.
Be sure to visit the Northridge Alumni Bear Facts website to keep up with Northridge alumni news and events in the community.
The Northridge Polar Bear Foundation Fund:
• As the new school year begins the club will be evaluating requests for Northridge Polar Bear Foundation Fund grants for the fall cycle of the 2022-2023 school year. There will be two grant cycles during the year, with a total of $4500 to $5000 to be granted for programs that enhance the educational opportunities for Northridge students. An amount of $5408 was awarded during the 2021-2022 school year.
• The Northridge Polar Bear Foundation Fund is a fund administered by The Dayton Foundation for providing grants that support educational enhancements for Northridge students (K-12). The Northridge Optimist Club donated money to help start this fund, and has continued to support the fund. In an effort to keep the program funded, the Northridge Optimist Club and The Dayton Foundation are seeking donors to help sustain the kind of support that enriches the educational experience for the students. We are reaching out to friends of the Northridge Optimist Club, Northridge alumni, area businesses, and community members to help support these efforts for the coming school year, and beyond. See the Polar Bear Donation page to learn how you can help.
Summary of 2022-2023 Meeting dates:
• Meeting on October 4 (first meeting of the 2022-2023 Optimist year)
• Meeting on October 18 - Speaker: Shane Allison of Northridge HS
• Meeting on November 1
• (the meeting that would normally be on Nov. 15 is cancelled)
• Nov. 22 - offsite Meeting with Riverdale Optimist Club at Dayton Metro Library SE branch
• Meeting on November 29 - Speaker: Jeff Lisath of Northridge HS
• Meeting on December 13 - finalize Christmas Sharing plans
• Holiday break - No Meeting on December 27
• Meeting on January 10
• Meeting on January 24
• Meeting on February 7
• Meeting on February 21
• Meeting on March 7
• Meeting on March 21 - Optimist Essay Contest awards presentations
• Meeting on April 4 - Scholarship preparation
• Meeting on April 18 - Scholarship Committee
• Meeting on May 2 - Demonstration of "Robodog" by Northridge computer science students
• Meeting on May 16
• Meeting on May 30
• Summer Break - no meetings until August - date to be announced)
• Meeting on October 18 - Speaker: Shane Allison of Northridge HS
• Meeting on November 1
• (the meeting that would normally be on Nov. 15 is cancelled)
• Nov. 22 - offsite Meeting with Riverdale Optimist Club at Dayton Metro Library SE branch
• Meeting on November 29 - Speaker: Jeff Lisath of Northridge HS
• Meeting on December 13 - finalize Christmas Sharing plans
• Holiday break - No Meeting on December 27
• Meeting on January 10
• Meeting on January 24
• Meeting on February 7
• Meeting on February 21
• Meeting on March 7
• Meeting on March 21 - Optimist Essay Contest awards presentations
• Meeting on April 4 - Scholarship preparation
• Meeting on April 18 - Scholarship Committee
• Meeting on May 2 - Demonstration of "Robodog" by Northridge computer science students
• Meeting on May 16
• Meeting on May 30
• Summer Break - no meetings until August - date to be announced)
Previous Years - Bulletin Board Archives:
This page contains postings for the current Optimist year which goes from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023. See the Bulletin Board Archives page for archives of bulletin board postings for previous.
This page contains postings for the current Optimist year which goes from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023. See the Bulletin Board Archives page for archives of bulletin board postings for previous.
