Ashland Optimist Bulletin April 27, 2024.
Breakfast: May 4-Brenda Austin, John Dougan, and Bonita Lenger
Program- Ashland Optimist Essay winner, Ava Canlas
Bingo on May 3rd. Please let Barrett or me know if you usually help on the first week and won't be available.
Since President Leigh Kottwitz and Vice-President Ken Bishop were both out of town, Bernie Bartel stepped up and led the meeting this morning while Barrett Glascock, Shawn Steelman, and Ernie Stewart prepared us a delicious breakfast.
Our speakers this morning were Kathy Kiely, Lee Hills Chair in Free Press Studies, and her assistant Camden McConaughey, a Senior from the University of Missouri School of Journalism
Kathy has a background in newspapers, including the USA Today, but came today in her role as a professor looking at the 2024 presidential elections. She and Cam brought up the fact that because of the Electoral College, the actual election will be decided on January 1st of 2025 after all of the states have turned in their final tallies from the November elections. In the past, there were eighteen states that were swing states that could affect this final decision, but that number will be down to six states this election: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Because other states will vote primarily Republican or Democrat, most of them will be ignored by the Presidential candidates. This includes Missouri, which votes mainly Republican.
Which brings us to the reason that Kathy and Cam came to our Optimist meeting. Boone County is one of four counties in Missouri that is still representative of a cross-section of the electorate. Kathy and Cam would appreciate speaking with voters on what subjects are important, beyond the hot-button topics that dominate the headlines. If you are interested in being one of those voters, please contact them by email at news@columbiamissourian.com or call 573-882-4879 and ask for them. You will not be asked how you plan to vote, but they will need to use your name to improve credibility with their audience. This will help them to create a model for a new brand of political journalism, focused on the people and needs of Missouri instead of candidates.
When they were finished speaking, Cam drew for the Attendance drawing. Will Blue, Megan Morris, and Chris Felmlee had their chance at riches, but with their absence, The pot will have a chance to grow. Kathy was impressed enough with our club and all that they do that she gave Barrett a cash donation.
Since it was the final breakfast meeting of the month, Barrett figured the Poker pot, based on a ten that Reese Slinker drew to finish out the hand. There were several people with pairs of tens, but Bernie Bartel won with a pair of tens and an Ace.
2024 SPRING WALKING SCHOOL BUS PROGRAM.docx
Letitia DenHartog
ashlandoptimist.org