⭐ Optimist Club members will receive top-notch training and motivation from the Optimist International Representative Mark Weinsoff. Mark is familiar with the PNW District having served as the Optimist International Vice President for the West Region in 2009-2010. Mark's career with Optimist International has led him to various International Committee roles and an elected seat on the Optimist International Board of Directors. This year he was elected to become the Optimist International President for 2020-2021.Additionally, Mark is a Certified International Trainer (CIT) and is passionate about teaching optimism from a scholarly point of view and then putting that knowledge into action at the Optimist Club level. Convention attendees will have the opportunity to interact with Optimist International President-elect Mark Weinsoff and take their new-found optimistic goals and ideas back to their clubs.
⭐ There are two policy amendments to be considered. The first seeks to bring PNW District policies in line with Optimist International bylaws. The second seeks to add an elected position to the executive committee and increase the succession line to becoming a district governor.
To provide a little history on the district policies, at the November 2018 PNW District Quarterly (Fall Board Meeting), club representatives were asked to approve a rather lengthy NEW set of policies. As policies are typically reviewed and adopted at the annual convention, the attendance at the first quarter board meeting was small. The lead time on receiving the completely revised policy manual was short. The notice that there was to be a special convention met the required timeline of 20-days; however, the need for a special convention was not well conveyed resulting in less than 40 registered individuals, not all of whom were eligible to vote, making decisions without the knowledge or counsel of their Optimist Clubs. These poorly informed individuals passed the policies in total that increased district dues and gerrymandered voting processes. The revised voting processes allow some individuals the ability to vote as many as four times and reduced the number of votes that a registered club president or designee could cast on behalf of their Optimist Club at the district convention.
The first policy amendment seeks to rectify the voting procedures by following the Optimist International bylaws and thereby removing the extra votes that were allowed. It is simple and straightforward. As Districts in Optimist International are administrative arms of the organization, it is not conceivable that they are allowed to change voting procedures that have been vetted and approved by the entire organization in order to maintain fairness to all Optimist Clubs.
The second policy amendment is not a bad idea. It seeks to add the position of governor-in-training to the executive committee by having a person elected to serve in such a position in the first year, become governor-elect in the second year, and rise to the position of governor in the third year. In the fourth year, this person would remain on the executive committee as the immediate past governor resulting in a 4-year commitment.
The problem with this policy amendment, however, is it ignores Optimist International bylaws. Optimist International does not have the position of governor-in-training, therefore the individual holding that title will not be included in Optimist International correspondence for their first year of service and will ultimately rely on the governor for their information source. That could, unfortunately, result in a biased or narrow point of view which would do nothing to improve the district or the Optimist Clubs in the Pacific Northwest.
It is our belief that every year there are between 4 and 15 governors-in-training. They are called lieutenant governors. It is incumbent upon the governor to ensure these leaders are learning all they need to know so they may move up the ladder and one day become the governor of the district.
⭐ The tentative agenda calls for a golf tournament Thursday morning, August 15, 2019, and the executive committee meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, evening, August 15, 2019.The opening session will be held Friday morning, August 16, 2019, at 8:30 a.m. There is training on Friday and Saturday with the Convention Session slated for 9:00 a.m. Saturday, August 17, 2019. A banquet will be held Saturday evening.
The Victoria Optimist Clubs encourage attendees to spend some time in Victoria to enjoy the city and its sights.
⭐ Links are provided for some materials that you may find helpful or interesting. We encourage you to read them and come prepared to make good decisions on behalf of your Optimist Club and the PNW District. Thank you.
- Policy amendments to be considered at the 2019 PNW District Optimist Convention
- Executive Committee Minutes
- Board of Directors Minutes
