Share 100 years of pride with #ReelOptimism

For 100 years, Optimist Clubs have been performing remarkable programs in their communities designed to bring out the best in youth and themselves. 

Optimist Clubs are known for scholarship contests to improve communication skills, sports programs that develop sportsmanship and teamwork skills, and recognition programs for students of all abilities. 

Perhaps most important, Optimist Clubs help individuals develop their leadership skills. When one joins an Optimist Club, they have the opportunity to lead a project, market a program, speak publicly on topics that make a difference to them and others, and in time, serve as the president of their Optimist Club.

All of these activities create a sense of pride and belonging and many want to share that feeling of optimism with others. That's one of the reasons Optimist International has created the #ReelOptimism Video Contest. An Optimist Club can share its achievements and be possibly be rewarded by entering the contest.

Here are the details:

2019 Reel Optimism Video Contest

The sixth annual Reel Optimism video contest will allow adult Optimist Clubs and Junior Optimist Clubs to submit videos with the chance to win a $1,500 Club Grant. Using the creativity of Club Members, partners, and community resources. Clubs are asked to create a short video that illustrates the topic: "100 Years of Optimism"

Contest Categories:

• "100 Years of Optimism - Adult" - a video(3:00 minutes or less) that visually illustrates the topic of the Optimist Creed. Submissions by adult Clubs only.
• "100 Years of Optimism - Youth" - a video(3:00 minutes or less) that visually illustrates the topic of the Optimist Creed. Submissions by Junior Optimist Clubs only.

Club grants will be awarded in each of the categories with funding courtesy of Optimist International, the Optimist International Foundation and the Canadian Children's Optimist Foundation!

Contest Dates:
February 16 - April 20, 2019
Members and Clubs submit videos following the submission guidelines.

May 11, 2019
Finalists in each category will be announced and voting will be opened to the public.

May 31, 2019
Public voting ends.

June 1, 2019
The videos receiving the most votes in each category will be announced. All Reel Optimism video submissions will be shown at the 2019 Optimist International Convention in Louisville. Winning Clubs and individuals will be invited on stage to receive their awards.

Entries will be judged and nominated as finalists based on:

• Club, Organization, or group name included in the video
• Explanation and utilization of theme
• Use of visuals and effects
• Creativity

Keep updated on the contest by visiting https://optimist.org/member/reeloptimism.cfm.

Vote for #ReelOptimism

Do you see the smiling faces in the photo?

That's Coralee Lord Holmes and Nancy Guitar of the Chilliwack Optimist Club and they are smiling because they are living the Optimist Creed.

They are also smiling because they are finalists in the Optimist International #ReelOptimism contest.

We're pretty excited for them and encourage you to vote for them - every day - between now and May 31.

Here's how you do it:

• Go to this link:    http://www.optimist.org/ReelOptimism
• Scroll down until you see the smiley faces
• Hover over their picture and the "vote" option will appear
• VOTE
• Return every day to cast your vote for the Chilliwack Optimist Club

Coralee says, "You can vote once per day, per IP address, which means you can vote once at home, vote again at work, vote again at the library..... wherever. Please vote! Every day until the end of May!"

The award is $1,500 US and the Chilliwack Optimist Club has dedicated its award to its newest project, bringing the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to the Fraser Valley in British Columbia.

Won't you share optimism and help them achieve their dream? Just vote.  

Thank you. 

Turn your Optimist Club projects into a video and maybe some cash!

Optimist Clubs in the Pacific Northwest, and around the world, have been especially busy this
holiday season. We've tried to highlight a story every day in December and are especially thankful for the club spokespersons who have shared their news. Today we want to encourage them, and their clubs, to do just a little bit more.

What do we want you to do?

We would love to see your club enter the Reel Optimism Video Contest! 

All of the projects that we've just heard about would make great videos highlighting how your Optimist Club makes a difference in youth, community and its members.

The theme for the 2018 Reel Optimism Video Contest is "Living the Creed."

Youth Clubs and Adult Clubs are eligible to participate.

Each category will be awarded one $1,500 prize.

Find out the complete details for writing, producing and submitting your Reel Optimism entry by clicking here. 

Please share your entry with us because the final awards are done by fan voting and we'll help your Optimist Club get the word out. But for now, directors, get busy ... Quiet on the set! Action!

Vote for #ReelOptimism with the Chilliwack Optimist Club

The Optimist Club of Chilliwack, British Columbia has made the finals of the 2017 #ReelOptimism video contest. You can help them win by voting for their 30-second video here.

Optimist Clubs and individuals have until May 31, 2017 to vote for their favorite videos in the following categories:

• Optimists in Action – Adult – a video (3:00 minutes or less) that visually illustrates the topic of optimism. Submissions by adult Clubs only.
• Optimists in Action – Youth – a video (3:00 minutes or less) that visually illustrates the topic of optimism. Submissions by Junior Optimist (youth) Clubs only.
• Make Optimism Go Viral – Adult – a video (45 seconds or less) that visually illustrates the topic of optimism in a humorous way. Submissions by adult Clubs only.
• Make Optimism Go Viral – Youth – a video (45 seconds or less) that visually illustrates the topic of optimism in a humorous way. Submissions by Junior Optimist Clubs only.
• Optimism – Public – a video (3:00 minutes or less) that visually illustrates the topic of optimism. Submissions by the public only.

Chilliwack Optimists entered in the Make Optimism Go Viral category. Watch the video below or click here to watch and vote. 

Show your Reel Optimism in 2017

For the fourth year, Optimist International and the Optimist International Foundation are asking Optimist Clubs, Junior Optimist Clubs and the public to submit video entries for the Reel Optimism Contest.

In 2017, the topics are:
Optimists in Action (adult and youth categories) - video must be 3 minutes or less
Make Optimism Go Viral (adult and youth categories) - video must be 45 seconds or less
Optimism (public category) - video must be 3 minutes or less

Clubs should begin working on their entries now. Submission dates are February 17 to April 14, 2017. Finalists will be announced on May 12, 2017 and public voting will begin, ending on May 31, 2017. Winners will be announced on June 2, 2107. See the full Reel Optimism Contest rules here.

Need some inspiration? Here are the entries from 2016 to get your creative juices flowing.

Reel Optimism returns

In 2015, the Chilliwack Optimist Club was a finalist for the Reel Optimism video contest. We certainly hope the members will be giving it a go again this year in the 2016 Reel Optimism video contest sponsored by Optimist International and the Optimist International Foundation. We hope your Optimist Club will enter too!

The topic is "How my best brings out the best in others." The first place winner will be granted $1,000. 

Find out more about Reel Optimism here. 

Submissions are now being accepted for the 2016 #ReelOptimism video contest! Contest is open to adult & junior #Optimist...
Posted by Optimist International on Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Chilliwack Optimist Club is full of Reel Optimism

The Optimist International Foundation and Optimist International are encouraging Optimist Clubs to share their sense of purpose with the Reel Optimism Video Contest. This contest asks clubs to submit a video based on a common theme in order to win a cash prize ranging from $250 to $1000.

In 2015, the adult and youth clubs could choose to record a 30 second challenge video or a 3 minute showcase video on the topic "Optimists bring out the best..."

The Optimist Club of Chilliwack responded to the 30 second challenge with the following video.

The Optimist Club of Chilliwack are "REEL" optimists.
Posted by PNW Optimist District on Tuesday, April 14, 2015

The entry deadline was April 15, 2015. Finalists will be announced on May 1, 2015 and voting will be opened to the public through May 15, 2015. Winners will be notified by June 1, 2015 and shown during the Optimist International Convention where they will receive their club grant awards.

Reel Optimism returns

The Reel Optimism contest returns in 2015 with an expanded entry pool. Junior Optimists will now be competing against the adult Optimist Clubs to produce a 3-minute video about the joys of belonging to a club under the Optimist International umbrella. 

In a release on November 26, 2014, the Optimist International Foundation shared the following information:

The third annual Club video contest asks Members to finish the following sentence "Optimists bring out the best..." 

The Reel Optimism Video Contest is expanding to include adult and youth (JOOI) Clubs. In each category, there will be a 30 Second Challenge and a Club Showcase contest (3:00 minutes or less). Videos can be submitted between February 15th and April 15th. Be on the lookout for more details about the contest in our December newsletter and the winter Optimist Magazine.

Club grants will be awarded to the winners of the contest, courtesy of Optimist International Foundation, Optimist International and the Canadian Children's Optimist Foundation.

Now is the time to create a task force made up of your most creative members. Ask them to put on their writer, director and producer hats and share just what it means to bring out the best. 

In Boise, the greatest thing about being an optimist is not football

The Boise Noon Optimist Club is well known for its football program. It's not as widely known that its members also provide a support system to the Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI) at St. Luke's Children's Hospital where they meet needs as requested by the nurses and social workers for the children being treated for life-threatening illnesses and their families. One such need is a summer picnic. In her thoughts about what the greatest thing about being an optimist is, Dyan Graybeal recalls her first MSTI picnic.

Sue Oliver, Dyan Graybeal and friends
Sue and Dyan were co-presidents
of the Boise Noon Optimist Club
Photo courtesy of Walt Callahan

The first day we had a picnic for St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital MSTI, the child life specialists, nurses and doctors had an opportunity to mingle and not serve and lead games. The Boise Noon Optimist Club was there to provide food and serve, lead games and crafts an d provide assistance. The families got to meet and greet, play and visit. It was heartwarming to us all. That was 2007 and we still do it today.

        ~Dyan Graybeal, Boise Noon Optimist Club

What's the greatest thing about being an optimist?

Recently, we collected thoughts from some Idaho Optimist Club members about what the greatest thing about being an Optimist was to them. Today's thought comes from Robin Stanhope, Twin Falls Optimist Club.

Always one to make others smile,
Robin photobombs her friends
Julie and Sarah Stadelman.
Photo courtesy of Traci Hine Brandebourg

I enjoy the fellowship and activities we do in the community. Most important is the smile of the child when you give them a coat to wear or gloves for their tiny cold hands or a gift at a Christmas party with Santa and they have never had Christmas before. But best of all is the hug and thank you from parents of the child for making them smile – which they don’t see much.                               

~Robin Stanhope, Twin Falls Optimist Club

Find more thoughts at Reel Optimism: What is the greatest thing about being an optimist? 

And share your thoughts here.  Tell us what you think the greatest thing about being an optimist is.

#Reeloptimism: What is the greatest thing about being an optimist?

As far as we know, the Middleton Area Optimist Club is the only club in the PNW District that responded to the call of #reeloptimism. This video contest sponsored by Optimist International asked you to finish the statement, "The greatest thing about being an Optimist is..."

The Middleton Area Optimist Club used responses that were given at the Idaho regional meeting on March 8, 2014 to produce the following video.


According to a spokesperson for the Middleton Area Optimist Club, they don't expect to win any awards for their video skills; however, they do hope to win hearts with their stories.

They've also promised to share more stories with us here on the PNW District Optimist Clubs blog. There were 20 or so turned in and in selecting the ones that would make the video, they had to be mindful of the 3-minute limit. "Some of our Optimist Club members were so passionate about their projects, their stories could have taken up three minutes on their own," explained Linda Vaught Jackson.

Did your Optimist Club participate in the Reel Optimism contest? Please share your links with us if so.