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Saturday, September 25, 2010

A year of favorite things

Linda Jackson, Governor
It’s that time of year when we cross T-s and dot I-s and make sure that our Optimist Clubs receive the proper acknowledgement for the work they have done to make our communities a better place to live. That means we should complete the steps to Honor Club before September 30:

  • Pay all of your club’s outstanding financial obligations to Optimist International –As Leadership Development Chair Gay Enyeart said at the very beginning of the year, “You know you have to pay it; just do it.”
  • Complete and turn in your Community Projects Awards (CPA) book – This is a great opportunity to share your favorite project with other clubs so they can follow your steps to success. District Membership and Activities Chair Lorraine Coots has provided an excellent outline to help you get started. Click here.
  • Submit your President’s Pride report online – This report lets you brag about all the great things your club has done. It’s a summary/Annual Report that you might want to share with your club members and the businesses and individuals who have helped your Optimist Club throughout the year.
  • Add those last few members to help you do even more in the coming year – It’s more fun to belong to an Optimist Club when we have friends and family serving with us. Add at least one more Optimist Volunteer to your club’s roster before this administrative year comes to a close. 
It is such an honor to be able to serve in a leadership capacity for our Optimist Clubs. I hope that your year has been all that you hoped for.

As governor, I have had the great opportunity to learn more about the exciting projects that our clubs do and share your passion for service. I’ve enjoyed writing about them on the District blog and hope that you have enjoyed the new informative format at www.pnwdistrictoptimist.com. We will continue to expand this site in the coming year and I would love your help to write even more articles about Optimist Clubs in the Pacific Northwest.

Over the past twelve months our district has grown and that is such a marvelous thing. As of this writing, there are approximately 100 more Optimist Club members volunteering in our communities than there were at this time in 2009. Thanks so much to every club who has cared enough to retain and replace your members. Without members, we can’t do the projects that we hold so dear.

We have also added two new clubs to our family. The Middleton Area Optimist Club and Eagle Optimist Club are proudly serving in Idaho. And I am cautiously optimistic that new clubs will be serving in Olympia, Washington and Hillsboro, Oregon very soon.

As we head into the season of installation banquets and transition to new leaders, please do so with the upbeat, positive attitude that sets Optimist Clubs apart from all other organizations. Helen Keller said, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” I know from personal observation, Optimist Club members live by that example.

Thank you for all that you have done this year. Thank you for making your Optimist Club one of your favorite things.
- Linda Jackson, Governor, 2009-2010

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