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Thursday, October 22, 2020

Special Convention to be held at First Quarter Meeting 2020-21 for the PNW District Optimist Clubs

The first quarter meeting for the PNW District - Optimist International will be held on October 30-31,
2020 via Zoom. 

Governor Eddie Solorzano was looking forward to welcoming Optimist Club members in person; however, due to ongoing limitations from the COVID-19 restrictions, it was determined that an online meeting would be more inclusive for members in Canada who are not allowed across the border and others who do not yet feel comfortable about travel. 

In addition to welcoming new faces to their new roles in the new administrative year, the governor and his team have requested and been granted a special convention to cover administrative tasks that were not handled by the previous administration at the annual convention. 

Those tasks include completing financial obligations including changing signatories on the district bank accounts and adjusting the district policies to be in line with Optimist International suggested district policies, among other things. The suggested changes may be seen by clicking on this link. 

The Zoom meeting is free for all to participate, but registration is required. Click on this link to register. Club presidents or their designates are considered delegates and only delegates may cast their club's vote on convention business. 

There will be online training provided for Optimist Club presidents, secretary/treasurers, and others wishing to participate following the special convention. More information will be shared on Facebook as received. 

Thursday, October 8, 2020

Choose optimism: Optimists are resilient leaders

October 8, 2020... We're going to be wearing masks for the foreseeable future. 

pnw optimist clubs communication

Communication is more difficult when we are wearing a mask because the mask hides our facial expressions. How do we convey friendliness and sincerity when our smiles are hidden behind cloth? How do we build rapport, indicate confusion, or convey good - or bad - intentions when nonverbal cues are not visible? 

Because Optimists are resilient, we have some mask-wearing communication tips to share: 

1) Use your mask voice. We mentioned that cloth is covering your smile and it is also muffling your voice. Individuals must speak louder than they normally would just to be heard. They must use different inflections to convey emotions including, but not limited to delight, confusion, and agreement. 

2) Be an active listener. When mouths are hidden, speakers can't tell if their audience is listening. It's up to the listener to nod and give verbal cues, like "Mm-hmm," or "Go on," to their partners and teammates. 

3) Smile anyway. The act of smiling can be seen in your eyes and that will convey sincerity and friendliness. Practice smiling with your eyes so the crinkling feels more natural. 

While wearing a mask may make us feel closed off, adding these communication tips will help both speakers and listeners be more open, available, and communicative. 

Choose optimism: Optimists are resilient leaders and know how to communicate.

Reference: "How to build rapport while wearing a mask, " by Dustin York

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Plan today to be an Honor Club

What is the single best idea you can have for your Optimist Club this year? As the new administrative year gets underway, we think of all the ways we may serve our community, increase our fundraising, and share fellowship. We even think about how we can change our outlook so that we will always #chooseoptimism. The best idea that we can have is to plan today to be an Honor Club. 

An Optimist Club that achieves Honor Club status is doing all that it can do to build a legacy that will make an impact in its community today and for years to come. By performing service projects, adding members, and reporting its progress to Optimist International, an Optimist Club becomes an integral and uplifting part of its members' lives. Optimist International encourages every club to take the steps to be an Honor Club. 

Please watch the video to see what an Optimist Club should do every year to be its best. 

Saturday, October 3, 2020

The California flag is raised in St. Louis

The new administrative year began on October 1. This year, as every year, a flag ceremony was held at the Optimist International office in St. Louis, Missouri to raise the state flag of the newly installed International President. Attending virtually was the Immediate Past International President Adrian Elcock of Barbados. Attending in person was the 2020-2021 International President Mark Weinsoff as the flag for California was raised at 4495 Lindell Blvd.

This video samples the day plus a little bit more.

   

President Mark asks us to #ChooseOptimism and help our organization become a group of optimistic clubs that serves the youth and our communities. 

If you are new to this page, please visit Optimist.org to find an Optimist Club near you and join today. 
 

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Happy New Year, Optimist Clubs!


 It's a new year for Optimist Clubs in the Pacific Northwest District and around the globe. 

Optimist International President Mark WeinsoffToday, we are happy to announce the new theme for the 2020-2021 administrative year. Optimist International President Mark Weinsoff asks us to Choose Optimism. It is a personal decision that we must make for ourselves each and every day. When we choose optimism, we'll find that we are more grateful, more resilient, and happier. 

When President Mark visited the PNW District in August 2019, he discussed positive psychology and what he believes are the five elements of well-being:

Optimism
Purpose
Engagement
Relationships
Accomplishment

Watch for the fall edition of The Optimist to learn more about President Mark Weinsoff and OPERA, among other things. 

PNW Optimist Clubs Governor Eddie

In the Pacific Northwest, we welcome Eddie Solorzano to the role of Governor. We're looking forward to sharing more of Eddie's plans in the coming weeks. For now, he asks that you plan for a district quarterly on October 31 with more details (will it be virtual or live?) to be given soon.

Best wishes to President Mark, Governor Eddie, and all Optimist Club Presidents assuming their new responsibilities today. Choose Optimism and let your resilience lead us through the challenging times ahead. 

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