Belated Happy New Year to all our friends and family from us!  Our good wishes are late but no less sincere due to shoulder surgery on my behalf and I was unable to get my article out.  
December was very busy for us as we participated in our Optimist Festival of Trees, which was a huge success.  It’s heartwarming to see our members and our La Mesa JOOI Club participating to create these beautiful trees that have proven to generate funds for our Optimist Youth Home.  Santa’s Magic at Wayside Honor Ranch was indeed a magic day not only for the many children we served by providing them with presents but also for the spirit of the day.  Somebody must have been watching over and I’d like to think it was Mike who was guiding us and also helped give us the perfect weather.  A special thank you to two wonderful gentlemen – Barry Smith and Steve Duben – who stepped in to assume the role of Santa Claus.  Mike would have been very proud!
Now we look forward to 2012 as a year of new beginnings and hopes for our club and its membership.  We will be eagerly recruiting new members in hopes that we can continue with successes that we have known in the past.  We invite you to join us at our meetings which are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at Caruso’s Restaurant in Canyon Country.  If you are interested, please call 661-252-7313.
Upcoming events are the Optimist Essay and Oratorical Contest.  The essay theme this year is “How My Positive Outlook Benefits My Community” and the oratorical theme is “How My Optimism Helps Me Overcome Obstacles.”  Each of these contests provide the winner with scholarship funds so if interested please call 661-252-7313 or refer to our website www.scv-optimist.org for further information.
We are looking forward to celebrating our 25th anniversary as a club in June of this year and plans are now underway for a big celebration.  Since we were the first Optimist Club composed of women to ever be chartered after Optimist International revised the bylaws, this is a very special event for us.  Of course, we now have and welcome men as part of our membership!  Watch for upcoming information regarding this event.  
Until next month.