New Mexico/West Texas District

Sun, Sand and Sage __________________________________________________________________________________________

Volume 72, Number 1 Second Quarter 2016—2017

Around the District

Sunrise—Roswell As usual Roswell Sunrise has been very busy. They

recently held their

Oratorical contest

which was won by

Emilee Glen.

Pictured is Club

President Cheryl

Martinez

presenting Emilee

with a certificate

of participation. The Club also

hosted the 61st Poe Corn

Basketball Tournament,

December 28th, 29th, and

30th. They have put the

tournament on for the last 16

years, the year they were

chartered. The Sunrise

Optimist Poe Corn Basketball

Tournament is the longest

running basketball tournament in the state of New

Mexico. Eight teams are invited to participate over

a three-day period at the

two local high school gyms.

Teams came from as far

way as Farmington this

year. In past years, teams

from Dallas, Phoenix, even

Mexico and many other

prominent cities have

participated. This year's

participants were Belen

high school, Farmington high school, Aztec high

school, Bloomfield high school, Los Alamos high

school, Artesia high school, and the two local

Roswell teams Goddard high and Roswell high.

Roswell High School was the tournament

champion. The tournament is a major fundraiser for

the club. 95% of the members participate in the

project. Pictured are club members manning the

food line at the tournament’s luncheon banquet.

Country Club

Country Club Optimist Club held their Christmas

party in December.

Camino Real Camino Real

Optimist

Club held two

events in

Sunland Park,

NM; one

being an “I

Can’t Be

Home for Christmas for the First Responders at the

Santa Teresa Fire Department. The other was a

presentation of books to the school children at the

Sunland Park library.

Alamogordo The Otero County Sheriff’s

Department and the

Holloman AFB Fire

Department will hold a

rematch of their first

Donkey Ball game held in

March 2016. In that game,

Holloman won with a walk

off homer and the Sheriff’s

Department has been

anxious to settle the score. The game will be played

at the Otero County Fairgrounds Rodeo Arena on

Friday, March 17 at 6:30 pm. It is presented by the

Alamogordo Optimist Club as part of their Law

Enforcement Appreciation Program.

Other civic organizations are invited to set up

booths to present their programs to the public and to

ask for volunteers and donations. Food vendors are

invited to participate. The Optimist Club is currently

seeking corporate sponsors to help defray some of

the expenses. Tickets, when they are available, may

be purchased from members of the Optimist Club,

the Junior Optimist Club at Academy del Sol, and at

Books Revisited at White Sands Mall.

Profits from the game will be used to finance the

Optimist Club’s community service projects.

Route 66 (From the Optimist Magazine)

The Route 66 Optimist Club of Albuquerque has

an extremely impressive list of projects to keep them

busy 24/7! They provide monthly entertainment at

the Harper Nursing Home. They continue their

ongoing support for the multiple homeless shelters in

Albuquerque (Newborns in Need, The Barrett

Foundation’s Safe House and Shelters, St. Martin’s

Hospitality Center, The Rock at Noon Day) and the

Optimist International Foundation Dime a Day

initiative. They prepare Thanksgiving and Christmas

baskets for the needy and collect aluminum can pop

tops for Ronald McDonald House (10 lbs. allows a

family with a child to stay one night at the UNMH

Cancer Center at no charge). These active Optimist

Members also work hard every day at improving the

lives of the teen-aged members of their homeless

community by partnering with the Atrisco Heritage,

Cibola and Rio Grande High Schools. The schools

have the necessary facilities to allow homeless

students to come to school early every day to take a

shower and the Club maintains the closets of

clothing.

Evening Optimist Club (From the Optimist Magazine)

Evening Optimist Club of Albuquerque pairs

with the YMCA in the Camp Shaver Area to host a

one-week camp for sixth graders. The week-long

activities focus on belonging, leadership skills, and

character building. The Evening Optimist Club raises

funds to cover the cost of the camp. They also receive

donations from local businesses, schools, other

Optimist Clubs, families, and friends.

The camp is staffed by college-age men and

women chosen for their desire to be positive role

models. The camp provides a counselor to camper

ratio of 1:4. A registered nurse is on site 24 hours a

day. The camp provides three hot meals a day.

Campers engage in a large variety of activities,

including: archery, drama, arts and crafts, climbing,

hiking, fishing, air riflery, high ropes, sports,

overnight campouts, and cooking. The campers have

a daily opportunity to relax, socialize, share a snack,

and buy a souvenir at the camp store.

The Club also hosts a Christmas Travel Depot

Program. As most people prepare to give and receive

gifts, and fill their bellies with food and drink, a

forgotten segment of our population is passing

through each city unnoticed - the families without a

Christmas. If you are a child traveling through

Albuquerque by bus or train, you’ll hear the

conductor or bus driver announce that there are elves

inside the depot waiting to lift your spirit with

Christmas gifts. Gift bags, customized for boys and

girls ranging from babies to teens, are filled with

games, blankets, toys, and more for these young

travelers to enjoy as they continue their journey.

Special care is taken to provide toys, games and

activities that will not be a distraction to other

passengers or the bus driver. The Club created this

unique program, provides the elves, and funds the

effort for about 150 kids every Christmas. The

delight of the young travelers is obvious, and

appreciative parents often say the gifts are the only

ones their kids will receive.

Send me your photos and

copy, and I’ll publish them

here. John Cowart, bent.tree@yahoo.com

Texas Dictionary of the English Language

by Jim Everhart

kaint—contraction for “cannot.” “Stop it! Yew kaint

do it that way.”

Give the Gift of Optimism The Season of Giving has been extended through

February 29. The $15 fee to add new members is

waived until then. Let’s all try to take this

opportunity to add new members to our clubs.

Optimist Day February 2nd

February 2nd has been designated Optimist Day.

Spend the day spreading the philosophy of

Optimism. Show your colors to show that you are an

Optimist.

IRS Form 990 Due Club Secretaries/Treasurers please note that the

Form 990 is due on February 20. Failure to file

could cost your club its tax exemption.

Wisdom “If any two people could ever really get inside each

other’s head, it would scare the pee out of them.”

Mystery writer John D. MacDonald

Our Governor Wants

to Hear from You Governor Ceci wants your input.

Please share with her your

expectations, hopes, ideas, gripes.

Contact her at

mymedina5@gmail.com or call

or text her at 915 855 6864.

Optimist Creed Promise Yourself:

• To be so strong that nothing can disturb your

peace of mind.

• To take health, happiness and prosperity to every

person you meet.

• To make all your friends feel that there is

something in them.

• To look at the sunny side of everything and

make your optimism come true.

• To think only of the fest, to work only for the

best and to expect only the best.

• To be just as enthusiastic about the success of

others as you are about your own.

• To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to

the greater achievements of the future.

• To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and

give every living creature you meet a smile.

• To give so much time to the improvement of

yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

• To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too

strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence

of trouble.

Purposes of an Optimist Club • To develop Optimism as a philosophy of life

utilizing the tenets of the Optimist Creed;

• To promote an active interest in good government

and civic affairs;

• To inspire respect for law;

• To promote patriotism and work for international

accord and friendship among all people;

• To aid and encourage the development of youth in

the belief that the giving of one's self in service to

others will advance the well-being of humankind,

community life and the world.

February Conference Plan to attend the 2nd Quarter Conference, February

10—12 at the Country Inns and Suites at 900

Sunland Park Dr. in El Paso. The Oratorical contest

will be Saturday, the 11th followed by the Awards

Banquet that evening. It’s not too late to register.

Optimist International Convention

July 6—8, 2017

Plan to come and volunteer. Plan to attend.

Dime-a-Day A new year, a new effort. The Optimist International

Foundation supports our Oratorical and Essay

Scholarships and helps to fund club projects. It needs

our support. Every member should try to

contribute $36.50 to the Optimist Foundation. This is just $0.10 a day. Most of us spend $36.50 on

a night out. So, look deep into your heart and find a

way to bring a check for the OI Foundation for

$36.50 to your next meeting.

Optimist International Convention

in Albuquerque By Jim White AOC

An Optimist International Convention is an

opportunity to grow as an Optimist. There will

be lots of training on such a wide range of topics

that you will not be able to take all the classes

you would like. You will learn more about

being an Optimist and how your Club can serve

your community.

There will be business sessions where you

have a chance to shape the future of Optimist

International. There will be a Town Hall

meeting where you have a chance to present

ideas and complaints to the International Board

of Directors.

There will be lots of entertainment and great

meals. There will be time for fun. There will be

time to get to know Optimists from all over the

world.

Take full advantage and attend everything you

can. Attend the Appreciation Luncheon, the Old

Timers Breakfast, and the Banquet. Join us for the

Evening of Entertainment. Fiesta en la Plaza, una

Noche de Entreteniminto. There will be time for

fun, fellowship and enlightenment.

Plan now to attend the 99th Optimist

International Convention in Albuquerque, New

Mexico, July 6, 7, 8, 2017. Register now at: http://www.optimist.org/e/Member/convention1.cfm

District Officers Venus Sanford, International Regional Vice

President 505 917 8585

Ceci Ann Medina, Governor 915 855 6864

Lynne Martin, Governor-Elect 505 980 4107

Gary Williams, Immediate Past Governor 915 471

7220

Melody Moon, Secretary/Treasurer 915 474 7776

Joe Loya, Assistant Governor 915 275 8373

Optimist International Awards and

Recognition 2015—2016

Distinguished Lieutenant Governor

Zone 03 James White

Distinguished Club

19626 Optimist Leaders of Far West Texas

Honor Clubs

19010 Albuquerque, NM

19030 El Paso-Bel Air, TX

19075 Albuquerque-Eve, NM

19131 Northwest-Albuquerque, NM

19175 El Paso-Skyline, TX

19195 Albuquerque-Sunport, NM

19201 Clovis-Sunrise, NM

19217 El Paso-Vista Hills, TX

19623 Coronado-Bernalillo, NM

19624 Rio Grande, TX

Congratulations and thank you for your hard work.

John L. Cowart, Editor

Sun, Sand & Sage

910 8th Street

Tularosa, NM 88352

Club within a Club The Club within a Club concept, is for an

existing Club to form a “new group” within the

existing Club (same EIN number, 990 filings,

leadership officers) but the new group would meet

at a different time and place. The new group could

be chartered around a single focus (service project)

or a youth group, social group, professional unit,

combination of all, or other. The true intent is to

offer Clubs creative methods to expand their reach

within the community, evolve in its structure and

ability to attract individuals to become more

involved in the community.

The new builders of the group (the Club within

a Club) can receive 2 Builders of Excellence

medallions, and the Club, Zone and District can be

awarded new Club building credit.

The intent is to allow our Clubs to be creative in

structure, single focus, service orientated, youth,

professional and geographic……the hope is we help

our Clubs stay sound, open to all, relevant to the

communities.