The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Optimist Club celebrates 50 years in village
Members serve village through community activities, volunteers
By Ed Patino, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: February 28, 2008
Over the past five decades, the Manchester Optimist Club has played a key role in the lives of area youths. And as the club celebrates a milestone this month, its members are still willing to lead their support to many activities in the community.
Advertisement
February marks the 50th anniversary of the Manchester Optimist Club's founding. While there are currently no plans for a major celebration, according to Club President Jim Mann, the State of Michigan will honor the Manchester group at a convention later this year.
"We might tie in the anniversary with our couples night dinner," Mann said.
The annual Optimist Club Couples Night is scheduled for April 28 at Dan's River Grill.
The Manchester Optimist Club had its beginnings in the years following World War II. It began as the Manchester Exchange Club and was part of the national Exchange organization (similar to Kiwanis). Ted Tapping, who served as the Optimist Club's state officer and former governor, said that disagreements in policy between the national Exchange Club and its Manchester branch caused the entities to go their separate ways.
The club was renamed the Manchester Civic Club and ran on a local level. It stayed in operation until its members wanted to regain a national affiliation. While searching for a national organization, the club members discovered the Optimist Club.
"Instead of having national clubs come to them, they went looking for a national affiliation," Tapping said. "The Optimists had the policies that the members felt best fit the Manchester club."
Ann Arbor's Optimist Club became the sponsor for the Manchester branch, and the club was established with 46 charter members Feb. 9, 1958.
According to Optimist Club Secretary John Korican, only three of the charter members are still alive: Lyle Weidmayer, Dan Boutell and Allie Lukehardt. Mann's father was also a member of the Civic and Exchange clubs.
The club has never had a set system of recruiting new membership in the village.
"It's mainly word of mouth, and people who are new to the community and want to get involved hear about us," Mann said. "We welcome new members with open arms and get them involved in committees right away."
There are 19 different committees within the Optimist Club, focusing on various duties such as membership and community activities.
One of the most well known activities that the Optimists sponsor is Manchester High School's Student of the Month Award. Students are nominated for the award, then one is selected each month and honored by the Optimist Club.
"We have a dinner meeting with the students and their parents," Mann said. "They give a talk about themselves and are honored with the award. It's a nice thing for them to put on their resumes. Some students have come back as members of the club."
According to Korican, the Student of the Month honor goes on all student transcripts.
"We've honored over 400 students along with their parents and children who worked through the school system," Korican said.
The Optimists also sponsor the Luther C. Klager Award, a $500 scholarship that goes to the salutatorian of the high school senior class. They are also involved with the T.E.A.M program at Klager Elementary school, which is similar to the former D.A.R.E. drug awareness program, by sponsoring an essay contest.
"We present eight to 10 of the essay winners at a dinner," Mann said.
Members of the Optimist Club can also be seen working the ticket booths at Manchester High School football games during the fall, something the club has been doing since the Exchange Club days.
The Optimists also sponsor other activities within the community, including its Christmas program for the less fortunate. Club members, along with Manchester Family Services and community volunteers, meet with needy families and take them shopping for gifts in Manchester.
"One of the kids last year said that it was the most fun he's ever had," Mann said. "That was an eye opener for us."
In all, 18 needy families participated in the event during the 2007 holiday season.
"We bought toys for all the family members," Tapping said.
The Optimists were also part of the nucleus that ran the Manchester Chicken Broil before the event developed its own organization. Last month, the club hosted a "Farmer's Night" to honor the community's agricultural heritage.
One of the new ventures taken on by the Optimists is the Halloween caramel apple dipping during the downtown Halloween festivities.
"There were a thousand apples dipped this year," Korican said.
The club used to only admit men until pressure was put on all national organizations to admit women in the 1970s and 80s. In 1988, former Manchester High School Band Director Margaret Hurbis became the first female member of the Manchester Optimist Club.
Membership reached its highest peak in 2000 when the club had 72 members on its roster. That number has declined in recent years to 29 current members.
"Today's economy has made it tough on all clubs," Korican said. "There's more competition from clubs in town, but everyone has their own role in Manchester."
While the number of clubs in town has jumped, the Optimists insist that it has no negative impact on them.
"We all do our thing and there's no jealousy," Tapping said.
And when an activity or other organization needs a helping hand, the Optimists are willing to jump in.
"We're a very Manchester and school-oriented club," Korican said.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
TOP JOBS
