Breakfast Optimist Club of Kalamazoo

03/25/2025

BOCK members - tonight at 7 is the Oratorical Contest. Please come to the Portage Police Community Room to show your support.

Send a message to learn more

03/20/2025

It certainly doesn't look like spring outside, so we brought it inside with Spring Pictionary hosted by Katie Congrats to team one on the win today. We have some very artistic BOCK members!

---🚨 New/updated announcements---

🌼Daisy dollars $340 left (we can always get more) let Julie know how many you would like.

🗣Oratorical - Wendy needs volunteers for next Tuesday evening

🏃‍♀️Darcy is looking for someone to lead participation for Girls on the Run this run

--- 📢Past announcements - ongoing/future events---

🗣March 25, 7 pm. Oratorical @ Portage Police Department

📚 April 1 - The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugon. May 6 - the Paper Palace by Miranda Crowley Heller

May 7 - Power Up, email Lyn if you would like to sign up

🌼Daisy Dollars are available, we make 25% of what is sold. Sold in $10 and $20 increments

🪙we are about 10 people away for the goal we set for Dime A Day. Please get your contributions to Lyn.

03/19/2025

Join us this Thursday morning as Katie leads us in a fellowship activity that will have us jumping into spring!

03/17/2025

Happy St Patrick’s Day!!

03/13/2025

We had a special treat this morning. Our 1st and 3rd place essay winners joined us to read their essays. Julie stepped in and read the 2nd place essay.

Congratulations to:
Astha - 1st place, Portage Central HS
Ellorie - 2nd place, Gull Lake Virtual Partnership
Claire - 3rd place, Portage Central HS

This year's topic was "How optimisim has paved my road to success"

We also had a special guest and former speaker Dr. Kelly Schultz, Director of the Academically Talented Youth Program (ATYP) at WMU join us. Many of this year's essay applicants came from the ATYP program.

---🚨 New/updated announcements---

🥫May 7 - Power Up, email Lyn if you would like to sign up

🪙we are about 10 people away for the goal we set for Dime A Day. Please get your contributions to Lyn.

--- 📢Past announcements - ongoing/future events---

🗣March 25, 7 pm. Oratorical @ Portage Police Department

📚 April 1 - The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugon. May 6 - the Paper Palace by Miranda Crowley Heller

🌼Daisy Dollars are available, we make 25% of what is sold. Sold in $10 and $20 increments

03/06/2025

Today's speaker was Kristen Potts, CEO, SLD Center
(Specialized Language Development Center)

Topic- SLD Read - Strengthening Community Through Literacy

Some take aways:
*SLD Serve 15 counties
*Started in 1974
*only 25% of 4th graders are proficient in reading
*Serve 300 students more than 6 mths behind. Mostly kindergarten through 5th grade
*40-50 people on wait list
*40 hour training for tutors
* tutor sessions are 45-60 mins, 2 times a week
*Average students stay for 100 hours

---🚨 New/updated announcements---

Next week we will have 2 of our essay contests in attendance to rea their essays

--- 📢Past announcements - ongoing/future events---

🗣March 25, 7 pm. Oratorical @ Portage Police Department

📚 April 1 - The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugon. May 6 - the Paper Palace by Miranda Crowley Heller

🌼Daisy Dollars are available, we make 25% of what is sold.

02/28/2025

Special thank you to our very own, Lyn L. who spoke about Rare Diseases this evening. Tomorrow (2/28) is Rare Diesease Day, please be sure to check out the last slide which lists some ways we can spread awareness. (NOTE- I missed a photo of one of the slides shared)

---🚨 New/updated announcements---

🗣March 25, 7 pm. Oratorical @ Portage Police Department

🌼Daisy Dollars will be available starting next week.

🦉Sign up going around for OWL:

Literacy Night: Read to children and assist with book-themed activities.
Thursday, March 6 from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Book Fair: Greet families, provide directions, assist with book selection, checkout, etc
Tuesday, March 11 from 4 pm - 6 pm or 6 pm - 8 pm
Thursday, March 13 from 4 pm - 6 pm or 6 pm - 8 pm

--- 📢Past announcements - ongoing/future events---

📚 March 4 - The Measure, by Nikki Erlick. April 1 - The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugon

02/13/2025

Thanks to the snow, we had a small but fun gathering this morning. We all fit at one table.

02/08/2025

It was a great afternoon participating in a great cause. Thank you to those that bowled on our two BOCK teams. And thank you to those that donated! We raised $1150 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan. This year's theme was Bowling with Bookworms. We choose a Dr. Seuss theme.

02/06/2025

Happy Optimist Day to all out members and friends!

From Optimist International's website:
The History of Optimist Day
Early in 2013, Sylvain Levesque, a member of the National Assembly of Quebec and of the Optimist Club of Lorretteville, introduced the resolution to recognize Optimist Day in Quebec. Later that year at the Optimist International Convention, delegates in Cincinnati passed a resolution adopting the first Thursday of every February as Optimist Day. The date corresponded with Optimist Day in Quebec. At the time, Levesque was a member of the Optimist Club of Duberger and was asked by fellow Optimist Michel Lamothe to consider introducing the resolution. Levesque agreed, and the resolution unanimously passed.
When asked why the first Thursday in February was selected, Levesque said that it was because we normally start our work at the National Assembly in the 1st week of February and we could pass the resolution at that moment.
Regardless of the reason, Optimists throughout the world are thankful to him for taking the initiative to present the resolution, and they continue to celebrate Optimist Day on the first Thursday of February each year.

Send a message to learn more

02/06/2025

Due to weather, there will be no meeting this morning.

02/06/2025

Here is just shy of a minute bagging at 4x speed. Thank you to all that joined us tonight. It was a nice mix of experienced packers and new faces.

02/06/2025

What better way to spend the evening before Optimist Day then by participating in a volunteer opportunity with Power Up Packs? Tonight we packed 477 lunches for students in the community to take home for the weekend. And we did it in an astonishing 29 minutes, 39 seconds. BOCK rocks!

02/03/2025

Happy Optimist week! Take a few seconds this morning to smile in a mirror and compliment yourself. You’re doing amazing things.

Comment a picture of something that makes you smile below! Don’t forget to tag and

01/24/2025

Tonight we had fellowship time, led by Julie. ❄️. And a special guest stopped in.

---🚨 New/updated announcements---
🤝Welcome to our newest member - Linda, sponsored by Jennifer

🏈🏒We have raised nearly $2900 from ushering - thank you to all who have volunteered

--- Past announcements - ongoing/future events---

✍️Essay contest deadline is January 31

📚Feb 4 - Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, March 4 - The Measure, by Nikki Erlick

🎳We will be passing an envelope for Bowling for Kids’ Sake at the meetings for our 2 teams bowling on Feb 8. We will be dressing up as Dr Suess characters.

🏒There are some WMU hockey dates in need of volunteers - check the BOCK Talk for dates, let Bob Klose know if you can help

01/16/2025

This week's speaker: Carla Baublis, Director, Partners in Housing Transition
Topic: Use for Your Used Furniture and Household Items for People in Need
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 247 W Lovell St, Kalamazoo

Carla brought some useful handouts, so please see photos. Here are some key take-aways
• They work with families with children
• They will pick up furniture – pick-up is scheduled weeks out, so no last minute pick-ups
• In 2024 they gave out 500 beds
• Most needed items: Pillows, silverware (knives especially), throw blankets, towels, monetary donations
• Carla is on-site for drop off Monday – Thursday, 9 am – 2 pm, every 2nd Saturday 9:30 am - 11 am

---🚨 New/updated announcements---

✍️Essay contest deadline is January 31 (If you’d like more details, please contact Julie H). Thank you to Jeanette, Jennifer and Ally for being judges.

📩We will be passing an envelope for Bowling for Kids’ Sake at the meetings for our 2 teams bowling on Feb 8. Back in the day, BOCK used to run the event, so we have quite the history of support.

👩‍💻Feb 8 - District Zoom, please watch out for you Michigan District Optimists emails for registration.

👀Watch BOCK Talk for updates from the recent Board Meeting. There have been updates/changes to things such as attendance and weather policy. Also from the board meeting, there are committees being formed for Back-to-School shopping, fundraising, OWLS and board nominations. Just a reminder, there is a membership committee that always welcome participation (see Dave M).

🧸Alma is looking for used beanie babies. She makes blankets to wrap them in (see photo) to provide children when they are being examined for sexual assault

📢--- Past announcements - ongoing/future events---

🤡We are looking to participate in the Do-Dah parade in June. Bruce is looking for someone with a flatbed trailer to build a float. Let Bruce know.

✂The next night meeting on January 23 will be a Fellowship meeting. Julie asks that everyone brings a pair of scissors.

📚Feb 4 - Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, March 4 - The Measure, by Nikki Erlick

🥫There are still some spots for Power Up on February 5 – let Lyn know if you’ll be there.

🎳Bowl for Kids’ Sake - Feb 8 at 2 pm, Bowling with Bookworms is the theme.

🏒There are some WMU hockey dates in need of volunteers - check the BOCK Talk for dates, let Bob Klose know if you can help

01/09/2025

Today's speaker was Lauren Mroczek,
Governors Services Award Winner, 2024
Miss Greater Kalamazoo, 2025

Miss Greater Kalamazoo is a scholarship competition and part of the Miss Michigan Program. Lauren will be competing for Miss Michigan in June. Good luck!

Lauren’s project that she received the Governors Services Award for is called "Growing Gardens for Growing Minds". Along with volunteers, Lauren creates fun and free gardening kit for students. The kit increases knowledge, consumption, and access to nutritious fruits and vegetables with the goal of lowering the risk of developing life threatening chronic diseases. This project is just about to start its 5th year.

---🚨 New/updated announcements---
🤡We are looking to participate in the Do-Dah parade in June. Bruce is looking for someone with a flatbed trailer to build a float. Let Bruce know.

🎳Bowl for Kids’ Sake - Feb 8 at 2 pm, Bowling with Bookworms is the theme. Spots available, please let Bruce know. $75 a person (through fundraising or personal gift)

🥫There are still some spots for Power Up on February 5 – let Lyn know if you’ll be there.

✂The next evening meeting, on January 23 will be a Fellowship meeting. Julie asks that everyone bring a pair of scissors.

🧴Carmen is taking personal care items to the Gospel Mission - feel free to bring items to next meeting.

--- 📢 Past announcements - ongoing/future events---

📚 Feb - Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, March - The Measure, by Nikki Erlick

🏒There are some WMU hockey dates in need of volunteers - check the BOCK Talk for dates, let Bob Klose know if you can help

📘There are still a few Super Books available for $40. Let Bruce know if you are interested

01/08/2025

Some location, different name. If you want to plan ahead - here is the new menu for Mark's Diner (formally Michelle's). Hope to see you at our meeting tomorrow morning!