President: Steve Hambley

OSHAWA, Jan 19th -  Incoming Optimist Club of Oshawa president Stephen Hambley informed his first membership meeting members he’s creating a new beginning for his  revamped service club.  Our outlook remains the same helping the YOUTH & COMMUNITY by lending a helping hand when required.

Coming off a successful 8 month car raffle and the 26th annual Christmas Food Hamper and Toy Drive the new membership are riding the strings of success. Back in May of 2009 the club almost folding with only $2.86 in the bank. ‘The reward is new members have jumped on the Hambley Express’

At the first meeting, the new exeutive comprised of President Stephen Hambley, president elect Sybil Dewhurst, secretary Jim Shaw and treasurer Marjorie Ogden now have a future ahead. Other joining in at the first meeting included Eric Goodwin, Greg Bamber, Ron Hele, Peter Pniauskas, Elizabeth Crosbie and Sandy Crosbie.

Future plans to complete the 2010 Optimist calender years which ends on September 30th, 2010 includes the announcement of committee chair positions including Durham College Athletic Scholarships Awards under the direction of chair Sybil Dewhurst, the CCDHH  will be handled by Greg Bamber, the NASC “T”-Mush Ball tourament goes to co-chairs Peter Pniauskas and Ron Hele, Family”Spring Break” Family Skate – Jim Shaw, new bingo chairs – Elizabeth Crosbie, Euchre Chair – Margaret Ross and theatre chairperson – Sandy Crosbie.

It should be another exciting Optimist year  under expert direction of Stephen Hambley

HAMPER/TOY UPDATE.

December 20th is “D” day for the 26th annual Chrstmas Food Hamper and Toy deliveries for needy Oshawa families as selected and screened by the Salvation Army. The “Armys” staff head have supplied us with the official list of families who be receiving the Hampers/Toys.  Sales where conducted at Sobey’s Food (Wilson & Taunton Rd) on Dec. 5 & 6th. A profit of $1,042.00 was banked. Optimist volunteers included Eric Goodwin, Brian Tremblay, Marg Ross, Neil Metcalf, Elizabeth and Sandy Crosbie, Cybil Dewhurst, Brian Tremblay and raffle coordinator Jim Shaw..

MONDAY NITE OPTIMIST EUCHRE

Peter Pniuskas captured week 12 recording the most points accumulated with 83. He just returned from a well deserved two week golfing vacation in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Newcomer Andrew Wood placed second with 80 points. Jimmy Duval was third – 78 points. He and his lovely wife Sandi will be enjoying a spiral ham for the top prize reward. Gloria Logan won the official coin flip for the most lone hands for the evening outdwelling Optiist Jim Shaw. Logan took home the bottle of Opti-Napa Valley wine.

Bob ‘Dirt’ Burtinsky continues to dominate all percentage players with a nifty 70:18% mark. He’s immedately folowed by James Brooks at 69:80

DURHAM COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP BURSARY

A huge crowd attended the 9th annual Optimist/Durham College atheltic scholarships buseries in memory of deceased Thomas A. Scero and Sydney H. Breland . Students receiving this presitigious  honour was Courtney Small )Varsity Basetball) and Courtney Small (Varsity Soccer). Both the players, their families and close friends where in attendance.  Soccer coaching legend at the college Stan Bombino received a special award for his longivity and dedication to the sport of soccer.

INDUCTIONS CERMONIES

Former Cenon Zone 8 Lt. Governor James ‘Jimmy D’ Dimitroff sworm in the 2010 Oshawa executive. Stephen Hambley will be our new president, president elect is Cybil Dewhurst. Treasurer will be Marjorie Ogden and veteran Jim Shaw takes over as secretary and special events. Ken “Story’ Ferrill did a superb job as MC.

OPTIMIST BREAKFAST WITH SANTA.

A last minute decison to the host a Optimist Breakfast with Santa Claus for 108 youths was a tremendous success. Working with Brenda Danson – pancakes, juice boxes, fruit, was served and enjoyed by the hungry kids from the North Oshawa area. It was a a special days for the youngsters. Jim Shaw was the liassion official for this event.

OPTIMIST WADO KAI KARATE TOURNAMENT

The largest attended crowd in the 19 year history of the Optimist Club of Oshawa-wado Kai Karate attended at the Y.W.C.A. Auditorum Dec. 5. Sixty four indiviudal trophies where donated by the Optimist Club plus bargian value Opti- hot-dogs and soda.

Special acknowledgement were presented by the Optiimist to Theresa Virgin, susan Kucakowaki, Kim Ellias and John ‘Janusz’ Galant for their longivity and loyal service to the Wado Kai Club.

Ronald ‘Batman’ Hele, Lori Hambley, Peter Pniauska, and Jim Shaw represented the Optimist club.

OSHAWA, Dec 6th:

The Oshawa nearly folded this past spring due to lack of funds to operate. Their main fund raiser weekly Bingo’s ceased on January 31st in Whitby when the business went into receivership. The Oshawa club was the mainstay for Zone 8 (Durham Region) with clubs operating in Ajax, Brooklin, Uxbridge and Whitby. When the local ecomony suffering a severe downfall from the closures of the GM giant auto plant closures, layoffs and forced retirements the future was bleak at best for a Optimist recovery.

Starting with a lowly bank balance of $2.86 and a commented budgeted items the membership decided to roll the dice for a comeback. Using the recycled fund raiser the group decided to raffle off a 2009 General Motors produced Pontiac Vibe commencing sales last spring in mid-May during Victoria Day weekend as first prize. Wal*Mart SuperCentre added to the first price take donating $1,500.00 in groceries to the winning ticket holder. Despite unwanted problems and growing pains this project has seen a new attitude develop, has incourage new members in supporting the Optimist mandate of being a “Friend Of Youth and our Community”

Devoted volunteers and members have logged over 9,000 hours in making this turn-a-about possible. Certainly a Cinderella Story” with a anticipated happy ending. Newly elected Optimist president Stephen Hambley said “our volunteers have been remarkable, when we originally printed 10,000 tickets it seemed receiving that figure was only a dream”. Local citizens have responded to the marketing strategy making believers  in purchasing of tickets at $5.00 each or the bargin basement price of 5 tickets for $20.00. Many business firms and fellow Ontario Optimist Club purchased $100.00 packages in boosting  ticket sold to  12,000.With two weeks remaining to the December 20th draw date 15,000 tickets seemed to be a reachable amount. This weekend our raffle gang are selling tickets in Bowmanville at the Metro Food Store on Dec 11,12,13 from 11:00 am to 06:00 pm The final sales weekend will be held at the Wal*Mart SuperCentre on Dec 17,18,19 from 11:00 am to 06:00 pm.

Optimist ticket sellers have been pro-active with in high traffic chain stores plus the Oshawa Centre, Auto Fest, Downtown Oshawa Sidewalk sale and the Five Points Mall.  The bulk of sales conducted every weekend for the past 31 weeks. The largest ever one day sale was conducted in Cobourg during the summer securing $1,700.00 in sales.

On Dec. 20th after the hampers/toys have been delivered a special cermony will be conducted within the R.S.McLaughlin Oshawa Armouries located at 53 Simcoe St. N. To-date over 9,000 volunteer hours have been accumulated by the Optimist and volunteers.  The volunteers are deeply committed. On numerous occassions tickets have been sold at three different locations on the same day. No one is paid for their efforts with all profits going to help the needy families and other Oshawa Optimist Youth events during the calendar year.

GENERALS SHUTOUT THE OPTIMIST

Originally it was felt – the announcement of winning ticket holder would be conducted at the multi-million GM Centre build by citizen of Oshawa. The Optimist where in contract with OHL club in early June and their management seemed very interesting in out suggestion in our face to face meeting. After 18 telephone calls/emails with no reply’s afterwards the anticipated love affair never happened. The “GO turn into a NO GO” for this no-brainer community project. The OHL Generals rent the GM Centre from the City of Oshawa. High profile individuals including elected City of Oshawa elected officials, Chambers and Commerce, GM Centre management and even super fan himself Terry Kelly a mainstay in the errection of the Civic Auditorium couldn’t convince the Generals Management team permitting the announcment. Plans called for a local soldier who served in Afghanistan to draw the winning ticket. The Optimist club wanted to saluate our armforces serving to protect our freedom for Canada. The Optimist membership offered to fill the unsold GM Centre  tickets and donating them to Oshawa’s youth for the Owen Sound vs Oshawa Generals game on Dec. 20th. Again the Generals never responded.

Jim Shaw – Car Raffle coordinator is disappointed with Oshawa Generals. A noted sports broadcaster, reporter he has aided the Generals for over 40 years however with new management they seemed non-interested in local community efforts.

As it now stands, the Optimist will employ the R.S.McLaughlin Armouries located at 53 Simcoe St. North for their Dec. 20th showcase.

Upwards to 150 volunteers will meet within the north parking lot north of armouries (off Richmond St) at 12 noon for  deliver for the 26th consecutive year of Food Hampers/Toys. Each vehicle are requested to deliver to two families each.

Each family will be supplied for two weeks (14 days) of groceries containing two boxes of staple food, one box of meats including a 15 pound average festive turkey with the fourth box jammed full or produce products Family members will be allotted three new toys each for children ages 14 and under. Toys are supplied by the Martin Chiropractic Clinic (19th year) and the Nursing Staff located on the 4th main floor at Lakeridge Health at OGH. The toys are sorted by gender and age for Optimist delivery. Last year the outlets collected 1,208 toys including 108 build a bears.

Kasey McBride 19 a Oshawa Cadet graduate will make the draw. He joined the arm forces this past spring . Prior he trained under deceased Jerry Kehoe whose wife is a super active volunteer with the Optimist Club. He be escorted by the Oshawa 1933 Cadet Band to make the official announcement.

The winning ticket holder name will be published in the local media, advise via telephone or email and his/her name will be published on the Optimist web site www.oshawaoptimist.ca

Anyone wishing to help delivery can contact Optimist event coordinator Jim Shaw at 905-576-6919 or via email at jimshaw15@rogers.com

Joining the “Hambley Team” will be president elect Sybil Dewhurst,new treasurer Marjorie Ogden and secretary Jim Shaw.

In asccepting another engagement as president he stated ‘Our club was on the verge of  folding as  the lack of funds was drying up to  support our community and youth projects. The Oshawa’s club  main fundraiser since they where  founded on July 22nd, 1982  was Bingo . The Whitby based bingo hall closed it’s doors on January 31st,2009 going into receivership.  Hambley continued to say, with no revenue in-coming in  and with prior committment expenses directed towards  to our youth and  community plus a reduced membership to  seven the outlook forcast looked glime at best.

Our city suffering from finanical woes due to General Motors and their feeder plants occuring heavy layof eliminations of jobs, early retirements The outlook seemed impossible to repair.

Employing an  Optimistic outlook,  Hambley using strong support from our Monday Nite euchre volunteer support group started with  $2.86 in their bank account. It  now appears the Hambley group are on thr rack track to recovery. His new 2010 executive members will include president elect Sybil Dewhurst a Optimist veteran who has joined the Oshawa organization serving for years in the Caribean, treasurer Marjorie Ogden and secretary Jim Shaw.

James Dimitroff a former Cenon Lt. Governor will officially welcome the new exeuctive on board.