30 years ago, Jack Towns was recognized as the Governor of the Distinguished PNW District

For those of us who spend waste time on Facebook, we know that TBT stands for Throwback Thursday. Traditionally, on this day, people and pages will often share an old picture of a significant, funny, or memorable event. 

Today, Past Distinguished Governor Jack Towns shared such an awesome memory that I couldn't wait until Thursday to share it here so that it will reach more than our Facebook fans. 

Check out this newspaper article shown on the right (click to enlarge) and you'll see that three members of the Albany Optimist Club were recognized for their service and achievement in optimism in 1987. 

That's right! In 1987, the Pacific Northwest District was named a Distinguished District with Jack Towns as its Governor. The Lt. Governor for his club's zone, Gordon Vogt, earned Distinguished Lt. Governor and the Albany Optimist Club was designated an Honor Club with Charles Stoakes as President. 

Please let this memory serve as encouragement for all to always strive to be your best and help your Optimist Club be its best, too.

Thanks for your many years as an Optimist Club member, Jack, Gordon and Charles.

Photo credit: Jack Towns

Prepare your Optimist Club's legacy with Honor Club

For more years than I can remember, Optimist International has measured the success of an Optimist Club based on one recognition:
Honor Club.

The Honor Club criteria has been adjusted over time, but its award has always meant that an Optimist Club is managing itself in a way that will help it succeed far into the future.

Earning Honor Club helps your Optimist Club create its legacy. 

The Honor Club criteria are set forth by the Optimist International Board of Directors in Policy ICD-135.  They are:

1. Complete three or more service projects each year 
2. Complete the President’s Pride Report and Club Officer-Elect Form 
3. Recognize a Club member or local community individual 
4. Grow Club by Net of +3 in membership
5. Appoint a Club Foundation Representative and make a non-restricted contribution to the OIF or CCOF 
6. Conduct a Membership Recruitment/Drive (i.e. NOW) Program 
7. Club President or Club President-Elect (or two Designees) attend District Convention (or two other District meetings/conferences) 
8. Be current on District and OI Dues and Fees

Optimist Clubs that demonstrate a further commitment to growth are called Distinguished Optimist Clubs. 

Earning Distinguished Optimist Club helps Optimist International create its legacy.

The Distinguished Club criteria are set forth by the Optimist International Board of Directors in Policy ICD-135. In addition to earning an Honor Club recognition, they must also:

1. Meet Honor Club requirements
2. Add Net + 15 in membership OR Build one or more new Clubs OR Increase by Net + 8 and build two or more JOOI Clubs

Many Optimist Club members say they do not do what they do for an award. They appreciate the smiles on the faces of the children they serve and enjoy the cameraderie of their fellow members in service. I get it; that in itself is a reward. However, it is selfish to think that way for it serves only those who can participate today. 

We must rid ourselves of that selfish thinking so that Optimist Clubs will be able to serve others well into the future. It's up to you to ensure that your Optimist Club is providing the best service to its community and members by demonstrating excellence in administration, service and growth through the Honor Club Recognition Program. Don't wait - start today. 

Optimist Clubs are recognized for 2015-2016 achievement

Optimist Clubs are recognized each year by Optimist International based on one measurement: Honor Club. Some clubs achieve Honor Club and thenk do just a little bit more; they are called Distinguished Clubs.

The Special Recognition Awards Hotline for the 2015-2016 administrative year (October 1, 2015-September 30, 2016) was released today.

We salute those clubs in the PNW District for that earned Distinguished and Honor recognition.

Distinguished Club
Lebanon, OR
Tacoma-West, WA

Honor Club
SFU, BC 

Hillsboro, OR 

Meridian, ID 

McCall, ID  

Portland-Northeast, OR 

Roseburg, OR 

Vancouver, BC 

Vancouver-North Shore, BC 

Nampa, ID 

Issaquah, WA

Please click here to read the Awards and Recognition Hotline. 

Lebanon Optimist Club celebrates the completion of the Academy Gazebo

Today is a relaxing day for the engineer of the Academy Gazebo in Lebanon, Oregon. According to Shawn Turrentine, it will be the first day that one of his first thoughts is not the completion of the Lebanon Optimist Club project because after four years .... drum roll, please ... the Gazebo is completed!

More than 300 community members gathered with the Lebanon Optimist Club and Mayor Paul Aziz for the dedication ceremony on September 13, 2016. There was free cake and lemonade and a classic rock concert from Fate 55. Most of all there was optimism brought to you by the 116 members of the Lebanon Optimist Club.

Governor-elect Bruce Gilbertson, Lt. Governor-elect Fran Bounds, Immediate Past Governor Dick Disney and West Coast Region Vice President Linda Vaught Disney joined the festivies.

Click to watch as the ribbon is cut and the community cheers.

Make llama happy - be an Honor Club

It's that time of year: crunch time!

Between now and September 30 all Optimist Clubs should be working hard to ensure that they finish as an Honor Club or better.

The Optimist Honor Club is a time-tested method of proving the viability of your Optimist Club today and into the future.

For the 2015-2016 administrative year, the requirements for Honor Club are:

• Complete at least three service projects a year (submit President's Pride Report)
• Recognize a Club member or local community individual
• Award Certification Document
• Grow Club by net plus 1
• Be current on District and OI dues

For those Optimist Clubs that want to do a little bit more, the Distinguished Club recognition includes:

• Meet Honor Club requirements
• Charter a new Optimist Club OR
• Add net 15 new members to your Optimist Club

I've heard it said that less than 25% of all Optimist Clubs are Honor Clubs. If  Optimist International is to reach 100,000 members by its 100th anniversary, we must do better than that. Each  Optimist Club and each Optimist Club member must take it upon themselves to complete the minimum requirements. 

Following the trend, 25% of the Optimist Clubs in the PNW District are on track for Honor Club through membership growth at this time. They are:

1. SFU, BC +2
2. Vancouver, BC +1
3. Vancouver-North Shore, BC +1
4. Meridian, ID +1
5. McCall, ID +2
6. Nampa, ID +1
7. Albany, OR +4
8. Lebanon, OR (Distinguished) +15
9. Portland-Northeast, OR +2
10. Portland-Peninsula, OR +6
11. Roseburg, OR +6
12. Issaquah, WA +1

So let's do it. Let's make the llama happy. Make your Optimist Club an HONOR CLUB. 

PNW Optimist District named Distinguished District for 2014-2015

Optimist International released the Special Awards & Recognition Hotline for 2014-2015 on January 15, 2016.

Celebrations are in order as the PNW District led by Dick Disney, Governor 2014-2015 was named a Distinguished District. 

While Governor, Dick promoted the importance of Honor Club. Twenty-three Optimist Clubs, representing 50% of all PNW Optimist Clubs, responded earning the special Honor Club recognition for their communities and members.

Five Optimist Clubs did much more and added 15 or more net new members or built a new Optimist Club to earn the outstanding recognition of Distinguished Optimist Club.

All clubs receiving recognition follow:

Distinguished Optimist Club

32002 Middleton Area, Idaho
32069 Gresham, Oregon
32082 Lebanon, Oregon
32105 Portland Northeast, Oregon
32328 Gresham Scouters, Oregon

Honor Optimist Club

32000 Albany, Oregon

32001 Abbotsford, British Columbia 

32006 Beaverton, Oregon 

32015 Boise, Idaho 

32028 Caldwell, Idaho 

32029 Chehalis-Centralia, Washington 

32062 Fairbanks, Alaska 

32073 Hillsboro, Oregon 

32077 Jerome, Idaho 

32086 Meridian, Idaho 

32115 Oregon City, Oregon  

32178 Twin Falls, Idaho 

32185 Vancouver, Washington  

32200 Tacoma-West, Washington 

32205 Vancouver-North Shore, British Columbia 

32211 Newport-Yaquina Bay, Oregon  

32214 Nampa, Idaho 

32229 Issaquah, Washington 

Bill French, Lt. Governor, Zone 3 earned the Distinguished Lt. Governor recognition. The requirements for Lt. Governor recognition are that all clubs in the zone are Honor Club or net plus one in membership and charter one new club. 

Congratulations to all honorees. You have shown how awesome the PNW District can be when it sets its sight on achievement and service to our communities as F R I E N D of Y O U T H. 

Thank you Distinguished Governor Dick Disney for your commitment to HONOR CLUB. 

Lebanon Optimist Club named Distinguished Club

Ron Huxley, International President 2013-2014 and Optimist International have released the Special Awards Hotline for recognition of service during the immediate past administrative year. Optimist Clubs earning recognition in the Pacific Northwest District follow.

Distinguished Optimist Club

• 32082 Lebanon, OR

Honor Optimist Club

• 32000 Albany, OR
• 32028 Caldwell, ID
• 32086 Meridian, ID
• 32105 Portland-Northeast, OR
• 32115 Oregon City, OR
• 32214 Nampa, ID

Honor Club recognition is earned by those clubs that finish three service projects and report them on the president's pride report, complete all financial obligations to Optimist International and the District, and end the year with net +1 in membership growth. 

Distinguished Club status is given to those clubs that complete all requirements for Honor Club and finish the year with a net +15 in membership growth or sponsor a new Optimist Club. 

Congratulations to all! 

The Awards Hotline is here!

Congratulations to Ed Murphy III, Immediate Past Governor, for earning the Distinguished Governor award for leadership in the Pacific Northwest District for 2010-2011.

With the release of the special Awards Hotline from Optimist International, the announcement is now official and we are proud to announce that joining him and the District with distinction are the following Optimist Clubs: 

(Front Page) Please click to read the full report.

Distinguished

Coquitlam, BC

Hillsboro, OR

Issaquah, WA

Honor 

Burnaby, BC

Caldwell, ID

Emmett, ID 

McCall, ID

Meadows Valley, ID

Meridian, ID 

Nampa, ID

Twin Falls, ID

Portland-Central, OR

Chehalis-Centralia, WA

Vancouver, WA

Tri-Cities, WA

Rocky Jackson, Immediate Past Vice President of the West Region - Optimist International, earned Vice President Honors for highest percentage of Distinguished Districts. 

Congratulations to all for the outstanding achievements earned on behalf of our members and clubs. Because of your dedication we are able to share our vision for "bringing out the best in kids" throughout our communities. 

PIP Danny Rodgers declares the PNWD Distinguished

He continues to do things his own way. Who? Past International President (PIP) Danny Rodgers, that's who!

Usually, Optimist International does not announce district award recipients until the Board of Directors Meeting in December. However, Danny decided that was too long to wait. No reason to look too long into the past he says, time to move forward. Hear the award recipients here along with a message only this PIP can deliver.



Congratulations to Ed Murphy, Governor 2010-2011 and the Pacific Northwest District for being named a Distinguished District.

PNW District named Distinguished District

The Optimist International Board of Directors met December 10-11, 2010 in St. Louis, MO. For the first time, the meeting minutes; officer, committee and staff reports; and financial documents have been published online.

In his year-end report, Immediate Past International President Mark Shriver reported on the recognition earned by Districts and their leaders in the 2009-2010 administrative year.  Six districts earned Honor District recognition and eight districts earned Distinguished District recognition.

• The Pacific Northwest District was recognized by the Optimist International Board of Directors as a Distinguished District. 
• Linda Jackson, PNW District Governor 2009-2010 earned the Outstanding Governor award for leading the West Region.
• Mark Weinsoff, Vice President 2009-2010 earned the Vice President recognition for overall percentage membership growth. 

The special awards edition of the Leadership Hotline will be released in January 2011. In addition to the awards announced in this notice, it will contain the full report of Optimist Clubs earning Honor and Distinguished recognition.

The PNW District will recognize all recipients at the 2nd Quarter District Meeting. Please register to attend today.

Old news is Good News

Immediate past governor Gay Enyeart was successful in inspiring others in the PNW District of Optimist International to achieve great things in their own communities. For her leadership, the District was recognized as Distinguished for the 2006-2007 administrative year and Gay earned the title of Distinguished Governor. According to Gay, it is a humbling experience.

We are often reluctant to beat our own drum. That is why so much of what Optimist Clubs do falls off of the radar screen. However, the achievements of our members allow us to tell the Optimist Story in a different way, through additional outlets. Gay's local and regional newspapers both chose to run a story that explained how one person can make a difference through their affiliation with an Optimist Club. Read the article from the Hillsboro Argus here.

The next time your club president or another member of your club earns an award for being an Optimist or puts forth extra effort for an Optimist project, try making him or her the story. It takes caring adults to conduct and promote Optimist Club activities. Such a story will not only show your appreciation, but will also quietly remind others that it takes volunteers - real people, just like them - to coordinate the projects that make a difference in the lives of others.

PNW Optimist District Declared Distinguished

Optimist International has announced top honors for outstanding service and Gay Enyeart has received the highest award for Optimist leadership by being named Distinguished Governor for 2006-2007. The award recognizes growth in service and membership in Optimist International’s Pacific Northwest District. The District is made up of Optimist Clubs in British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

Ken Johnson, Optimist International Vice President, made the award presentation at the second quarter district meeting in Vancouver, Washington. According to Gay, the honor can be attributed to every Optimist Club. “Twenty-three clubs received the Honor Club award. Thank you for giving the highest level of service to the kids in your communities,” Gay told her colleagues as she accepted the award. “This has happened because of all of you,” she concluded.

• In the picture, Gay's husband Steve Enyeart is shown placing the Distinguished Governor ring on her finger.
• Congratulations Gay and the 2006-2007 Optimist team including all clubs and all members!
• Read the complete press release here.