Curt Lawson – President
Bill Matlock – Vice President
Lilly Moore – Secretary
Alan LaDuke – Treasurer
Cherie Van Vliet – Past President
Greg Flynn – Board Member
Brittany Trout – Board Member
Chris White – Board Member
By providing hope and positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in youth, our communities, and ourselves.
The Optimist Club of West Bloomfield is one of over 2,600 clubs that make up Optimist International. We are a 100-plus member service organization serving West Bloomfield and the surrounding areas. We fund raise throughout the year to offer the kids in our community opportunities to be recognized, to win scholarships, to learn how to be good community citizens and to respect law.
We meet each Tuesday morning from 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. at the Stage Deli restaurant on Orchard Lake Road, south of Maple in West Bloomfield.
We welcome guests each week for a fee of $10 which includes eggs, bacon, oatmeal, bagels with cream cheese, coffee, tea and juices. Each meeting features a different guest speaker.
I get up in the morning, ready to start a new day,
And then I remember, oh yeah, home I must stay.
This is our life now throughout every nation,
No country’s immune in God’s whole creation.
COVID 19 has altered the lives we once lived,
This virus is brutal, it does not forgive.
New cases daily, the death count gets higher,
Now face masks, gloves, social distancing is required.
We miss our loved ones, our family’s, our friends,
It seems like forever—will it ever end?
No clear- cut answers to count on for guidance,
It’s a vicious virus, a world crisis that widens.
People are frightened, feel helpless, alone,
Stuck in their homes in a stir-crazy zone.
They want to be active, live their lives, go to work,
Get out of their houses before going beserk!
But the truth is whether you believe it or not, nature wins,
COVID will take more lives if too soon we give in.
But if we look to the sunny side to make our optimism come true,
We can see many positives shiny right through.
Traffic is lighter – fewer cars on the road,
Day are much slower, no need for “hurry up” mode.
Look out your windows-you’ll see kids playing outside,
Neighbors walking their dogs, or on their bikes for a ride.
More time with your family, talking, playing games, watching TV,
No more rushing out the door – we all had “Somewhere’” to be.
So for now, though its hard, stay home and stay safe,
Be patient, be kind, love one another and have faith.
Take care of yourselves and your loved ones, do the best that you can,
Check on neighbors, call a friend, lend a helping hand.
And at the end of the day when you lay down for the night,
Thank God for your blessings, close your eyes and sleep tight.
-Lilly Moore