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Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Get involved in Optimist Junior Golf

The Optimist International Junior Golf Championships - PNW District Qualifying Tournaments are being held this year in Oregon and British Columbia. There is still time to participate in the US division, to be held at Meriwether Golf Course, Hillsboro, Oregon, on June 12, 2011.

This picture is really what it is all about; a young man, dressed for success on the golf course, displaying concentration and control and a determination to win.

This picture tells the story just a little more as the junior golfers line up, waiting their turn to tee off. Last year 48 golfers came from Oregon, Washington and Idaho to participate. 

They weren't all boys - young ladies showed up as well and proved just as formidable as the young men. 

But in the end, first place is awarded to one outstanding golfer in each category: Boys 10-11, 12-13, 14-15, 16-18 and Girls 10-12, 13-14, 15-18. 


Don't you want to be involved? 
There are different ways that Optimist Clubs or individual golfers may choose to participate.
  1. Optimist Clubs can sponsor junior golfers by paying their registration fees. Only $75! 
  2. Optimist Clubs can hold pre-qualifying club-level tournaments and offer as a prize the opportunity to receive paid or partially paid trips to the district tournament.
  3. Individual golfers may choose to participate on their own, without sponsorship.
All golfers must complete the official entry form found at this link: http://goo.gl/8zUL8. Entries must be received by June 6.

More information is available from Chairman and Tournament Director Chris Hill  - 503-780-2570 or 503-640-5363. The Tournament website: https://sites.google.com/site/pnwusoptimistgolf/home

Get involved! Get your Optimist Club involved! 
The qualifying district tournaments feed into the coveted Optimist International Junior Golf Championships held from July 20-31 at PGA National Resort and Spa, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Find out more about this awesome opportunity at http://www.optimist.org/golf.

Photos taken by Tournament Director Chris Hill at the 2010 PNW District Optimist Junior Golf Championships Qualifying Tournament. 

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Hillsboro Optimists recognize middle school students

Tammi Hilp hosted the Hillsboro Optimist Club Youth Appreciation Breakfast on April 19 where sixteen middle school students were recognized for their outstanding achievements.


A full list of honorees:
Poynter Middle School: Leeanna Weislogel, Michael Nield, Shelby Lewis, Mark Hopper
Brown Middle School: Marissa Edgmont, Francisco Toledo-Chavez, Amanda Dostert, Trever Hennigan
Evergreen Middle School: Taylor Gerst, Stuart Tierney, Ashley Hoff, Joseph Snell
JB Thomas Middle School: Rachel Fullman, Henry Hernandez-Flores, Yvonee Backlud, Luis Godinez

Monday, April 25, 2011

Invite someone to join your circle of Friends today

Have you been thinking about membership in your Optimist Club? Last week we learned that the Optimist Club of Roseburg is making a concerted effort to bring in new members so that they can do even more in their community.

This week, we want to hear from you! What is your club doing to attract, recruit and retain members and what have you personally done to help them?
  • Have you taken a morning or afternoon to Walk 'n Talk about your Optimist Club in your community? 
  • Are you actively seeking leads? 
  • Have you joined your Chamber of Commerce or other networking resource in your community? 
  • Are you hosting a New Optimists Welcome (NOW) activity? 
  • Were volunteers from outside the organization invited to participate in your latest program? 
  • Have you added a Friend of Optimist to your club's roster?
We can be passive, do good projects, and hope that others like what they see enough to get involved. Or we can be more proactive, more inviting. To help you extend the invitation to even more people, Optimist International has created the Friends of Optimist category.

Friday, April 22, 2011

The Three Rs of Membership: It's not what you think!

The Optimist Club of Roseburg, Oregon marks the southernmost boundary of our very large Pacific Northwest District. Because of the distance, we don't often see members from the Roseburg Optimist Club at our gatherings.

Too bad - they have some great ideas they could share with other Optimist Clubs like the Santa Hotline, the Halloween Closet where children can borrow a costume, and the newest program, found hidden on the back page of their most recent bulletin:

The Roseburg Optimist Club Referral Rewards Program.

It's self explanatory.  Please click on the picture to enlarge and after you've read it, please tell us what you think by using the comment section below.

Do you need new members in your Optimist Club? Would a Referral Rewards Program work for you?

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Senior project to benefit children with cancer

Meet Mike Steinlight.

Hint: he's the oldest one in the picture and a member of the Tri-Cities Optimist Club in Pasco-Tri-Cities, Washington. He is also the adviser to the  students in the picture (right to left) Terra Olson, Cynthia Diaz and Israel Rios at Pasco High School.

After a visit to the Sacred Heart Children's Hospital in Spokane, the students decided to take on a senior project to benefit the children in the pediatric cancer unit. During their visit, they learned that chemotherapy strains vision and hearing and since children are often in-patient for treatment, sometimes for months at a time, the students decided there should be larger televisions in the patients rooms.

The project, playfully dubbed the "Bigger Picture" has the students reaching out to the community to help raise $13,000 - the amount needed for twenty-five 32" televisions. The big fundraising event is a dinner dance and auction, to be held at the Red Lion Hotel in Pasco on April 29.

Auction donations are welcome, and tickets are available from the students or members of the Tri-Cities Optimist Club who, according to Charlie Kissler, are helping the students get this project done.  Contact Charlie Kissler to learn more.

Many thanks to the students - Terra, Cynthia and Israel - for caring and especially for their drive to complete such an ambitious project.

Thanks to Lareena Roberson for forwarding the story.  Please read more in the Tri-City Herald.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

We need you to lead

Students were asked this year what issue they would address first if they were leader of the free world. We've heard about human rights, nuclear energy, wind power, diversity, the economy, civil unrest and more. The fresh perspectives offered by the students provide hope and let us imagine what life may be like in the future.

What if we were to ask our Optimist Club leaders and members to answer similar questions about the future of the organization? 

I would hope that our members would speak of new programs, new connections, new media and progress.   Consider:
  • What new project would you start if you were the president of your Optimist Club? 
  • How would you bring Optimist Club leaders together in your zone if you were lieutenant governor? 
  • Where would you focus your attention if you were the governor of the Pacific Northwest District? 

It is that time of year when we actively recruit new leaders. If you have a new, better, or different way to conduct business that you want to recommend to your peers, don't be shy. Step up and offer to lead. 

Club officer-elections should be held in the next thirty days and the club offer-elect report should be completed online by May 20 at www.optimistleaders.org.  
We will elect lieutenant governors for each of our ten zones at the District Meeting, April 29-30, Salem, Oregon. Register now.

The position of governor-elect is filled during the PNW District Convention. The convention will be held in Bellevue, Washington,  August 26-27. The time to announce your candidacy for governor-elect is now. 

For more information about District office, to place your name into consideration, or to nominate a potential candidate, please contact Candidates Qualifications Chair Linda Jackson, 208.861.2310.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Hillsboro Optimist honor police officers

Officers in the Hillsboro Police Department's Training Team were honored last week by the Optimist Club of Hillsboro, Oregon as part of the Annual Respect for Law week. 

The officers recognized at the morning ceremony were Officer Robert DiGiulio, Officer Mike Done, Officer Jeff Branson, Sgt. Craig Allen, Sgt. Stephen Beaver, Officer Paul Hess, and Officer Brian Hallin. They are shown in this picture with Optimist Club member Mark Chapman (left). 

Each year, the club honors police. According to police spokesman Lt. Mike Rouches, the training division was chosen this year for its "thoughtful and comprehensive training in tactics, application of force, and officer safety." 

Among their purposes, Optimist Clubs seek to promote good citizenship and respect for law. The Hillsboro Optimist Club has continued to support police programs, such as the DARE program and to volunteer with projects such as graffiti removal. 

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Chilliwack Optimist Club shows off their winning essay contestants

Glenda Standeven presented medallions and prize money to the first, second and third place winners for the Chilliwack Optimist Club Essay Contest at a dinner recognition ceremony at Dakota's Restaurant on Saturday, April 2.

Standeven, chairperson for this event and a writer as well, said that it was difficult for the judges to choose a winner because all of the entries were excellent. The first place essay moves forward to the District Level competition where it will be judged with entries from other Optimist Clubs in British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The winner at that level earns a $2,500 scholarship.

Shown in the picture: Glenda Standeven, Elizabeth Ogunrinola, Cody Moore and Thomas Davies


Please send a snapshot of  your scholarship contest winners to the District Blog. We want to include everyone in a photo album.  Thank you.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Essay, Oratorical and CCDHH contests, oh my!

It's that time of year! With Essay, Oratorical and Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Contests in full-swing, Optimist Club members have the opportunity to hear from students about current affairs. They never fail to impress.

There is one question that is often asked of our leaders: Can we award cash prizes at the club level?

The answer is yes, but not every club is comfortable with that, so some opt for savings bonds instead. The Beaverton Optimist Club came up with yet a different solution. The first, second and third place students in the Beaverton Optimist Club Essay Contest are asked to choose an organization at their school for the prize money to be donated to. What an excellent way to teach civic responsibility in a pay-it-forward manner.




Shown here are the winners of the Beaverton Optimist Club Essay Contest. Please share your pictures with us and we'll compile a photo album of our club scholarship contests and share them here.

Mail them here. Thanks.

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