Togetherness
It’s an interesting word, ‘Togetherness.’ For so many it means family or a party or Christmastime dinner. For me, it’s a room of happy-joy with people I like. I don’t have any siblings, and I don’t know what it is like to sit around a Christmas tree with lots of family and kids running around. My family is tiny. At most there are six of us in one place at one time.
A Paragon meeting looks like every holiday in a silly movie. We get together, we gab, play games, help each other, help others, help ourselves (to wine...) Sometimes I look around and I can’t help but smile when I look at our gaggle of smart, funny, creative, beautiful women. We are such a group, such a manifestation of togetherness. I can feel the hope we have the world and each other. There’s a real sense the other members hope and support you in whatever you’re doing this week or next.
At this annual installation dinner, we remember a year of good times, funny activities, silliness, hard work, and volunteering. I can’t help but remember a year of feeling togetherness. It’s a beautiful thing, this ‘togetherness’ thing.
Learning to be a Stand-Byer Not a Bystanders
Learning not to be a bystander but a stand-byer is just one of the lessons the girls learn while in Girls on the Run. Girls on the Run, is an organization that inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident with a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. We were fortunate the other night to have had the chance to meet and hang out with our local Girls on the Run teams; and support them with a monetary donation over $600!
Three of the girls (Maya, Kenslely & Claire–who couldn’t be present but still shared her thoughts and gratitude) displayed their confidence by preparing a speech that told us a little about who they are and how Girls on the Run has affected their life. As we heard each girl we were inspired and awestruck – to have the strength and composure at their age to get in front of a group of people and speak from their heart…
The girls said that being part of Girls on the Run has changed the way they feel, encouraged them and helped prepare them for the trying situations of adolescence and adulthood.
We would like to thank everyone who attended our Zone 15 meeting and participated in the quarter action fundraiser that allowed for this night to happen. We are blessed to get to help our local girls make a difference while they exercise.
Pretending to Be a Bunny…
Because NO CHILD should be LEFT OUT of the chance to celebrate the season! Every year we gather and assemble at least 150 baskets that are distributed by Mercy Health - St. Raphael's food pantry and Sojourner. Every basket contains a stuffed animal, book, toy and of course candy.
On Our Way to Heaven
This post's title is a bit of an inside joke because of everything else we've done this month, but we are so happy to donate to a local women's shelter, Hope House! Tonight was the beginning of our newest committee, Paragon Pals, where we assembled 100 care bags for the women's shelter. The bags included toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, conditioner, razors, combs, tissues, and other miscellaneous items. We also enclosed a little note of encouragement for each bag. Everyone needs a kind thought to make their day!
The Power of a Zone!
Our Club has been hosting a St. Patty's themed meeting for our OI Zone (Zone 15) for as long as I can remember. One great aspect of being a charter member of Optimist International is having the support of fellow clubs near you. This past week the Fairfield Optimist, Lakota Optimist, Monroe Optimist and Paragon Optimist clubs gathered at the Fairfield Optimist clubhouse. We caught up on what activities/donations each club has completed this year, and briefly talked about what activities/donations we would be doing or may need assistance with.
During this even we also host a quarter auction where we raise money for a local charity. This year we raised money for Girls on the Run serving greater Cincinnati! The auction consisted of 14 different items and 2 raffle baskets. As the winning paddles were called we all had to keep repeating ‘To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own” – one line of the Optimist Creed.
Game Night
Game Night started off with Telestrations, overall I would say we did pretty good and stayed within the same category of the original object. However, there were a couple that went rather askew. Like “tree” ended up as "Wizard of Oz" or "satellite dish” ending as “people.” At first we laughed and harassed each other, but then I realized this just proves how wonderfully imaginative and optimistic we really are. When you think about it, we took souls, single, cold objects like a tree and a satellite dish, and transformed them into a major motion picture where 'there’s no place like home’ and/or a warm gathering of people. Together we create better and happier outcomes!
A Little R&R and a Lot of Chocolate!
Tuesday's night meeting was some time for us to for us to relax and caught up with each other. Thanks to Brenda & Becky Taylor we were able to dine on some tasty chocolate infused foods!
