South Texas District of Optimist International

Don't be Tired

Teamwork is a great thing to watch. I have been watching very closely the building of a new Club in the Canyon Lake area. IT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT. But lets go back several weeks.

Why is there now a Club in Canyon Lake? The first fact is that someone realized that the area needed the Optimist touch. That someone is new to us. He is Glenn Erikson.

Glenn lives in the Canyon Lake area, and is a member of the San Marcos Club. He was Governor of the Florida District in 1984-1985 and has built dozens of Clubs.

Glenn built a team which included Gil Ortiz, Norbert Flores, many who are now in the Canyon Lake Club, Hank Hollyday, Ron Graves, Jerry Eschberger, Fay Hopkins, and others. And seeing that team in action last night was GREAT.

But all of us are on the team. I know that every one of will do all we can to assist this new Club, and we all will help our Club Builders (see the article in the right hand column) in their endeavors. But be prepared! Glenn promises more Clubs in more areas!

And now about that TIRE. Yes, I had a flat tire on the way to the Club Building activities last night. With help from Ron Graves, who came and found Fay and I on the side of the road, we were there when the festivities started. And yes, I had to leave half way through when the road service folks arrived, and special thanks to Jerry Eschberger who facilitated my return to the scene of the flat. I was able to return at the conclusion of the installation.

And the team persevered!

Be a part of the team. Lets see how many Clubs we can build berfore September 30th. The kids need us.

Continue the Excellence…

------Governor Jack Hopkins

Optimist International and the Optimist International Foundation announce that the scholarships for Essay, Oratorical (1-boy, 1-girl), and CCDHH will be $2,500 for each scholarship beginning with the 2010 contests. In order to assist OIF, which funds the scholarships, OI has agreed to allow donors to name scholarship(s) they fund.

Naming a scholarship may happen in two ways:

1) An agreement to fund the $2,500 scholarship annually for a five-year period. The donor signs a contract specifying payment for the upcoming year no later than December 31 of the previous year.
2) An agreement to fund an endowment of $50,000 to permanently fund one $2,500 scholarship. Again, the donor signs a contractual agreement.

Scholarships for the STX district may be in the name of an individual or couple or business, maybe for the person who has been a longtime chair of a district program. Someone may want to give a scholarship in the name of a loved one or give a scholarship in their own name. A donor has agreed and signed a contract to fund two (2) Oratorical scholarships beginning in 2010 for the STX district and will continue the scholarships for an additional four (4) years.

The STX district is looking for another person or a club or a business to fund the additional two (2) scholarships. If you have an interest in being a donor or have a suggestion of a person to honor by naming a scholarship or have comments in general about the scholarships contact Ron Graves at gravesronn@cs.com or call him at 210 860 2323. Or, contact the OIF at 800 500 8130 and ask for Judi Smith, Executive Director, OIF.