NOW Meetings really, really work

The Albany Optimist Club is planning a NOW meeting. For a month or so, they've placed a notice in their newsletter that says,

NOW means New Optimists Welcome 

We need  you to give us names of folks you think would be good Optimist members. We will write a letter to them and invite them to a special meeting. 

This week, the message was amended to read,

This promo must be working. We have 3 new members and haven't even had the meeting yet. 

It's true. Just talking about about adding members to our Optimist Clubs puts us in the mindset to share what we do with others and invite them to join in on the experience.

A NOW meeting is an organized way to look at the community, see what sector of business people are missing from the roster, and formally invite them to join.

I'm inclined to believe that the real reason NOW meetings work is because we feel less inhibited to ask people to join because everybody's doing it!

Find out how your Optimist Club can benefit from the everybody's doing it mentality:
Learn more about NOW meetings here.
See a sample NOW meeting presentation here.

Would you like some optimism with your coffee?

Albany Optimist Club Coffee Stop

Perhaps you have seen them as you have traveled down HWY 5 at the Santiam Rest Area. Located between Albany and Salem along the Santiam River, sometimes they are on the northbound side of the freeway. Sometimes they are on the southbound.

"Who might I have seen?" you ask.

The members of the Albany Optimist Club!

They have been providing coffee for travelers for many years and sharing with them the Optimist Creed and membership applications. According to Jack Towns, it is unknown if the applications do any good since the cars are mainly passing through, but I think awareness of Optimist Club programs is always a good thing.

Our district and our organization owes a hearty thanks to the Albany Optimist Club for sharing the Optimist story with others.

Thanks to Jack Towns for the picture.

Albany Optimist Club salutes veterans with a community breakfast

One week ago, the Optimist Club of Albany, Oregon coordinated one of their major community outreach efforts: The Veterans Day Pancake Breakfast. Today there were pictures posted on Facebook commemorating the event.  I pulled out a couple that made me smile.

Thank you Albany Optimists for your service and especially for recognizing our veterans.  Click here to be a friend of the Albany Optimist Club on Facebook and see more photos.