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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Welcome to 2014


Hello Optimist Club Members and Friends, 

Welcome to 2014. We're looking forward to seeing you at a district event soon. Register now to attend a regional meeting in Oregon, Washington or Idaho.  

Thank you for all that you do to make your community a great place to live. And remember, talk health happiness and prosperity in the new year and always. 

Sincerely, 
Your PNW District Leadership Team

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Join an Optimist Club in 2014

I found this invitation and challenge on the Hillsboro Optimist Club Facebook page and I thought, this is something that every Optimist Club should say. Often.

We make resolutions for the new year and promise ourselves to be more active, more inspired, and more caring, among other things. Joining an Optimist Club will serve those purposes and so much more. It will provide motivation when you are tempted to hide away from challenges. It creates a social circle with caring friends who look out for one another. It provides opportunities to give back to the community in thanks for all that the community gives to you. And the service projects that you choose to be a part of will serve kids, community and you.

Click on the links in the left hand column of this page to find an Optimist Club in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington or British Columbia and join. Don't wait. Do it today.




Sunday, December 22, 2013

Meridian Optimist Club donates to the CCDHH scholarship program

The Meridian Optimist Club announced the results of its iPad drawing today, just in time for Christmas giving or receiving.Andrea Shaul was named the winner. Congratulations Andrea!

But another winner is the PNW District's CCDHH Scholarship program. The Meridian Optimist Club also announced that $700 raised in the drawing was earmarked for this special program, the only contest in Optimist International that supports both deaf and hard of hearing students who sign and those who speak with $2,500 awards.

Thank you Meridian Optimist Club!



Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Calling Santa's Helpers in the Tri-Cities

According to Charlie Kissler, President, Tri-Cities Optimist Club and Lt. Governor extraordinaire, Zone 10, there's a right way and a wrong way to invite members to an Optimist Club meeting. You see, you always have to make it sound like fun; and then, of course, you have to deliver on your promise.

So for this week's meeting, the members of the Tri-Cities Optimist Club received this little poem from Santa's Chief Helper:

‘Twas the week before Christmas and some people in our city,
Could not afford gifts, isn’t that a pity?

The Tri-City Optimists, while pursuing the Sunny Side,
Chose to give back to their town, some gifts they’d provide.

Wrapped they must be, those presents willy-nilly,
So the entire group went to Hopwood’s for Chili.

Some wrapping they’d do, and all have great fun,
While ensuring a Merry Christmas for ten families, every one.

We’re halfway to our goal of a Christmas so cheery,
If we all help on this, no one will be weary.

The Kennewick place to be is 1500 S. Taft,
Where all the “wrappers” will display their craft.

Being an Optimist, I am sure I will see,
EVERYONE there, and happy, like me.

It starts at 6:30, to be early, feel free,
But if you get thirsty, it’s BYOB.

I hope my little poem doesn’t give you a fright,
Forward I’m looking to seeing everyone tonight!

Merry Christmas
YIO

Charles Kissler


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

North Okanagan Optimist Club helps coordinate Children's Christmas Workshop

The 8th Annual Children's Christmas Workshop in Vernon, BC began in November when the North Okanagan Optimist Club began collecting donations. They asked the community to look into their hearts, closets and cupboards to give away their new and gently used items that would be suitable for re-gifting.


Re-giftable suggestions for men included wallets, tools, gadgets, gloves, novelty ties, cologne. For ladies, they suggested trinkets, jewelry, spa items, lotions, soaps, candles, kitchenware, hats and bags, among other things. What they were really looking for were items that children might give to a parent.


On December 14, 2013, the Vernon Christmas Workshop opened their doors to to the community and children who "were low on funds but big on heart" came forward to do their shopping.

The North Okanagan Optimist Club, along with a number of other civic-minded individuals were there to help the kiddos with their selections, wrap the presents, and share wishes of good holiday cheer. And from the looks of the pictures, they shared some Christmas brownies and cookies, too.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Salem Optimist Club continues its Youth Appreciation Program

youth appreciation optimist club salem
Shea White-Toney and Larry Young
While Optimist Clubs shared holiday cheer throughout the Pacific Northwest District and around the world, the Salem Optimist Club continued to do what Optimist Clubs do best: celebrate the accomplishments of children.

Following their ongoing commitment to recognize students at its regular meetings, on Thursday, the Salem Optimist Club honored Shea White-Toney and Heather Kramer with the Optimist Youth Appreciation Award.

Shea is drama student at Blanchett High School. According to his high school counselor, he is hard-working and committed, with a wonderful work ethic. "He gets it," said Tom Hewitt. "He understands the focus and passion it takes to create a strong character and build a great performance. He also understands 'ensemble', that it takes all parts, large and small, to achieve something meaningful." He concluded his praise by saying that Shea is a joy to work with.

Shea is a senior at Blanchett and although he knows that theater arts will always be a part of his life, he considering physical therapy as a college major.
salem optimist club honors youth
Heather Kramer and Joe Miller

Heather Kramer is also a senior. She attends Sprague High School and was honored for achievement in fine
arts and performing arts. Jay Crystal, Assistant Principal, lists Heather's talents in her involvement in Concert Choir, Musical Theater (acting AND singing), Framework (Acapella choir) and other great contributions to Sprague's fine arts programs.

Heather is considering Stanford and Seattle Pacific to complete her education.

Thanks to the Salem Optimist Club for the stories and pictures. To see other students honored by the Optimist Club this year, please visit Optimist Club of Salem on Facebook.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Holiday projects in the PNW District - Optimist International

Over the weekend, Optimist Clubs throughout the Pacific Northwest District continued their Christmas and holiday celebrations.




In Coquitlam, BC, the Optimist Club held its annual Breakfast with Santa. According to Annette Smith, they served pancakes to more than 150 Brownies, Sparks and Cubs and collected seven boxes of food for Christmas hampers.






In Hillsboro, Oregon, the Optimist Club was working with the Boys and Girls Club to sell Christmas trees. The tree lot is located at Murphy's Furniture in Cornelius and it's open 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

On Black Friday, the Hillsboro Optimists took to the streets of Portland to work in the Macy's Holiday Parade.

The Hillsboro Optimist Club will also be ringing the bell for the Salvation Army on December 21 at Albertson's in Hillsboro.








The Optimist Club of Chilliwack has been busy decorating its float for the Christmas Parade in Chilliwack. It's not only a dragon boat float - it's a fire breathing dragon boat float!

The Chilliwack Optimists also held a Christmas Fundraiser Dance and raised money for youth projects and to fill the Christmas hampers.



In Gresham, Oregon, the Optimist Club held its annual Shop with a Cop program on Saturday, December 7.

What's your Optimist Club doing for the holiday season? Send us a picture and we'll highlight it here.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Optimist Club helps new residents connect to their community

Reprinted with permission from Experience Optimism.

middleton idaho optimist club
The Middleton Area Optimist Club has created
and is selling a community calendar

The Middleton Area Optimist Club is only three years old, but it's made quite an impact on its hometown in Idaho. Most of the club's members are new to the community so they've come with fresh ideas about how to make their city a great place to live. Of course being a newcomer in a small town of less than 5,000 people can also be difficult because long-time residents "just know" when things happen and community events can pass by without the new resident's knowledge.

In order to overcome this problem, the members of the Middleton Area Optimist Club decided to create a community calendar for 2014. Members sought out dates for annual activities like craft bazaars, church socials, sports league sign-ups, among other things, and then added in their own events that include their popular Free Movies in the Park series in the summer and charity bingo throughout the year. The calendar also includes phone numbers to city services and other organizations so that a newcomer or a long-time resident can be plugged in to the events and activities year-round.

The calendar includes photos from events and activities in Middleton in 2013 and all money raised goes towards the Middleton Area Optimist Club's next big project. They are raising $150,000 for playground equipment in Foote Park, home to their signature movie in the park program.

The Middleton Area Optimist Club has become a point of pride for the community. According to one member, Victor Islas, who is shown holding the calendar in the above picture, a lot of groups start in Middleton with good intentions, but they somehow fail to follow through.The Optimist Club isn't like that, he says. They do more than talk about projects. They get things done.

Learn more about the Middleton Area Optimist Club at this link. 

Buy a Middleton Area Community Calender by sending an email here. 

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