I just thought I would let everyone know about The Optimist Club of the Greater Copperas Cove Area #06341 Spring Cove BBQ cook off and Car Show Fundraiser. The event will be held at Ogletree Gap on Hwy 190 West in Copperas Cove, TX on Saturday May 3, 2008 from 7 AM till 10 PM. Our President Willie Goode is not one to let the grass grow under his feet. He decided to plan this event and make it a Texas wide event Car Show and Lone Star sanctioned BBQ Cook off. The car show classes included antiques, classics, low riders, customs, professional, modified, and motorcycles. The event will include area dealerships displaying their new cars, motorcycles, and boats. There will be a motorcycle event which will included the Veteran Riders from Texas, etc. It will involve a state wide BBQ cook off sanctioned by Lone Star. The city donated the park at no charge. The big event will be serving BBQ plates with trimmings and the BBQ briskets are donated to us by the cookers because they will be cooking an extra brisket for us. With the hundreds of pounds of meat cooked by the cookers, our teams of people will be serving the area people a generous portioned plate with trimmings for just a donation. It was decided by our club that there are families that do have many in their family but they may not have a lot of money, but are hungry. We will feed them because we decided if they can give a small donation of any type, it balances out as others give larger donations. Willie and other members got sponsors from the area to help fund this event. Entertainment provided to us generously donated by Cove Opry, a Central Texas troupe that provides local Central Texas Talent to the area and member President Elect, Sandy Vegh, procured this entertainment. Also, other local Central Texas Talent will be featured from the area including a Fort Hood Army medic's wife strumming her autoharp and singing folk music and gospel. Another volunteer from a large church in the area will be singing solo as well as with her group singing all types of wonderful music. A DJ donated his services and will be playing music throughout the day giving more life to the Texas big party. Everyone just bring the lawn chairs and come out and enjoy this big event. We are charging $1 at gate for adults; children under 12 are free and seniors 65 and over are free. All money raised goes to Childhood Cancer, childhood cancer research, and children with disabilities. Everyone come if you can or if you would like to participate, just contact President Willie Goode- 254-371-7175 or e-mail at willcarlgoode@ aol.com. Thanks, Linda Goode Optimist Club of the Greater Copperas Cove Area #06341

Download the May 1st Press release for the Junior Golf Tournament in Austin.
The South Texas District will hold two Qualifiers, one in Houston on June 2,2008 at the High Meadow Ranch Golf Club in Magnolia. Tx and the second in Austin on June 5th at Onion Creek Club. Golfers who qualify will advance to the 2008 Optimist International Junior Golf Championships to be held at the PGA National Resort & Spa Palm Beach Gardens, Florida July 24-August 3, 2008.  Applications and information on the Qualifiers will be available at  on this web site or  www.optimist.org/golf.  Bobby Melia is contact for Huston and Paul Greenwood for Austin. 2/2/2008

October 12 & 13, 2007 Waco

February 22 & 23, 2008 San Antonio

May 9 & 10, 2008 Austin

August 14, 15 & 16, 2008
Houston

The Ambassador Advocate is taking on a New Name and Look. The convention planner is designed to help promote the International Convention in Grapevine, Texas. Please help by passing this on to all your club members. Don't forget the Earlybird registration deadline is April 15. Go to the Optimist Website www.optimist.org to register for the convention, book your hotel room, receive discounts on travel and car rental, print a tentative agenda and to read up on previous newsletters.Click here for the first issue.

NEW

Read the O.I. Board's comments regarding financial issues to be voted on in Grapevine.

Optimist IncentivesRead about the Optimist Spring 2008 "Baseball Tournament" - a growth contest for Districts.
Also, read how your club's growth can win registrations to the 2009 convention in Orlando