Optimist Club meetings are more fun with Friends!

Optimist Club meetings are more fun with friends! That's only one of the reasons that Optimist International invites you to add more Friends to your Optimist Club with the Friend of Optimist Community Impact Bundle.

For only $300, you or your Optimist Club may add six new Friends of Optimists to your Optimist Club. It's a great bargain and a way for your club to honor a community member, outstanding teacher or coach, business or other deserving individual and give them the opportunity to experience optimism.  The cost per Friend of Optimist membership purchased with the Bundle is $50. There are no District dues.

There are a few rules:

1. For bundles purchased during the 2014-15 Optimist year, each Friend must be activated by December 31, 2015. Clubs will not be refunded or credited for any Friends that are not activated by 12/31/15.
2. For bundles purchased during the 2015-16 Optimist year, each Friend must be activated by September 30, 2016. Clubs will not be refunded or credited for any Friends that are not activated by 9/30/16.
3. Friends count toward membership in the Optimist year in which they are activated.
4. Clubs will not receive any reimbursement for Friends in the Community Impact Bundle.
5. Once activated, the Friend Membership is valid for one calendar year from the date it was activated.
6. If a Friend decides to renew after one year, it will cost the regular $100, and the Club will receive $40.

Share optimism today by adding a Friend - or six - to your Optimist Club.

Read the flyer and learn how to purchase the bundle here.

Download the activation form here. 

Bundle up your Friends

Your Optimist Club makes an impact in its community every year. What if someone told you that you could make an even bigger impact this year? Would you want to?

Every Optimist Club and member should say YES! to that proposition.

How do you make the biggest impact? 
You make the biggest impact when you ask people to join your Optimist Club because you share friendship and fellowship through service. However, not everyone will accept your invitation. Optimist International has devised a plan to help you get around that challenge.

With the Community Impact Bundle, you can give or award a Friend of Optimist membership for only $50 per person. The only catch is that you must buy 6 at a time and activate by September 30, 2016.

I'm sure you know a deserving person in your family, circle of friends, or your community. Make the first move and GIVE the honor of being a Friend of Optimist to someone today.

This offer is available for clubs or individuals.

Download the Community Impact Bundle flyer here.
Download the Community Impact Activation form here.

Salem Optimists honor Youth of the Year

Several years ago, the Salem Optimist Club began recognizing students of the month. Each month during the school year, they would ask different schools to help determine youth who were doing exceptional things including scholarship, community service, artistic flair, entrepreneurship,
technology achievements and more.

This month, they brought the 2014-2015 school year to a close by recognizing the Youth of the Year. According the club's post on Facebook, West Salem High School's Keelana Meyer was chosen because:

The student pictured here has a story of triumph and courage. Very little was shared, but it was clear that she has overcome obstacles that most of us would avoid.

Keelana Meyer has attended nine different schools because her life has been so fraught with change, yet she will graduate with a 3.7 GPA. This is a woman to watch. We were honored to meet her.

Keelana is shown here with Mike Barbour of the Salem Optimist Club.  We congratulate her for her achievements!

Click here to see more students recognized by the Salem Optimist Club. 

Make an impact through your Optimist Club's Friends

This year, Governor Dick Disney has asked Optimist Clubs in the Pacific Northwest District to achieve one goal: Honor Club.

To be an Honor Club means that an Optimist Club is doing all that it can to serve its community today and in the future because Honor Club focuses on the four key issues for succession planning:

1. Community Service
2. Financial Stability
3. Membership 
4. Community Awareness

Community service can take a variety of forms from the popular scholarship programs offered through Optimist International to local events like youth sports programs, literacy programs, Easter egg hunts, fishing derbies, beautification programs and so much more. The programs or projects that a club conducts is limited only by the members' creativity and enthusiasm. 

Financial stability is demonstrated through timely dues payments to Optimist International and the District where the Optimist Club resides. Dues are necessary because they unite clubs from around the world with a single purpose and provide club resources through an international office. 

Membership must be retained and new members must be recruited to help today's youth achieve tomorrow's dreams. We must replenish ourselves to avoid natural attrition. 

Community awareness takes many forms, but mainly, in a civic-social-service club, it comes from word of mouth marketing. You share your experience of being involved and others want to know more so they can be involved too. 

Optimist International has released a program that takes the last two steps in hand and makes it possible for your Optimist Club to grow and be recognized for its impact in your community. The Community Impact Bundle makes it affordable to add new Friends of Optimists by giving recognition to movers and shakers in your community. The recipients of the Friend of Optimist membership will learn about your Optimist Club and with positive public relations, they will mention it to others.

For only $300, your Optimist Club can purchase six Friends of Optimists and bestow the recognition upon deserving people in your community. Think of the mayor, a minister, teacher, fireman, or police officer, among others, who would be honored to be your Friend. Your club has until September 30, 2015 to purchase the bundle and until December 31, 2015 to activate new Friends of Optimists in your club.

Take another step to Honor Club with the Community Impact Bundle. 

Today - in Twin Falls, Idaho and Beyond

today

 [tuh-dey]

1.    this present day
2.    the time to add new members and Friends of Optimists to your Optimist Club

Just in time for the 1st Annual Wings & Things Ultimate Tailgate Challenge, the Twin Falls Optimist Club issued a new challenge to their club members. They said, "Let's add 20 new Friends of Optimists to our club so President Danny will come and visit us!" 

With the excitement for their new annual fundraiser, the Twin Falls Optimist Club has already added 38 new Optimist Club members to their roster this year. Adding just a few more might be a challenge, but according to membership recruiting mavens Barry Knoblich and Danae Climes, it is doable with a little help from their friends. So while they are cooking wings and chili in the park today, I imagine the Twin Falls Optimist Club members will be talking about how great it is to share their activities with others as a member or supporter of an Optimist Club. They will be asking others to get involved and join their club.

What is your Optimist Club doing today to add Friends of Optimists and traditional members to your list of volunteers? We know that the key is to just ask, but you have to visible in your community in order to find people to ask. Where will you find your next member?  Where did you find your latest member? 

Please tell us; use the comment section to share your membership story today. Thank you!

Notes and notables from the PNW District Optimist Convention

The Pacific Northwest District Optimist Clubs came together on August 25-27 for the annual convention. This year's event was held in Bellevue, Washington with the brand new Lake Washington Optimist Club welcoming us to their community. Charter president Lisa Leo and Governor Ed Murphy made us feel right at home.

Larry Blackburn

As always, a lot of things happen at a district meeting and being there is the only way to really feel the energy. Some of the highlights were:

Larry Blackburn was elected to serve as Governor-elect for 2011-2012. He will become Governor in 2012-2013.

Bill French was sworn into office as Governor for 2011-2012, along with his lieutenant governors and two most recent past governors, to begin service on October 1, 2011.

Sue and Jack Creswell

Jack Creswell, Optimist International President-Designate performed the installation honors and gave us much to think about with the new theme of 100% and then some.

Sue Creswell, Optimist International Certified Trainer and first lady-to-be presented training to incoming officers along with Jack and the PNW Leadership Development team.

A barbecue was held at "Ed's Lake" a mere thirty minute drive from the hotel where the group was mesmerized by the young musicians, the Daus Brothers, and enjoyed boat rides, good food, and great company.

Of course, Governor Ed presided over the official business of the convention leading the shortest Board of Directors meeting in PNW District history.

Teresa and Fred Wallace

MK Mueller, author of 8 to Great led a motivational workshop inspiring participants to use the Optimist Creed to attract and retain members.

Even though the election was already in the bag, Larry Blackburn was caught politicking at the Old Timer's Breakfast where he and Flo gave us a look at what it was like to live 100 years as an Idaho potato farmer. (sometimes you just have to be there)

At the governor's awards dinner, Fred Wallace was honored with the Roy Proctor Award for Lifetime Service to the PNW District.

Bill French, Larry Krangle, Ed Murphy

Larry Krangle, member of the Vancouver BC Optimist Club was recognized for 60 years membership with perfect attendance, nonetheless.

We were honored to meet a number of first-timers to our district convention. We hope they will all return to see us often.

And the final meeting of the year would not have been complete without a missing bell and gavel. First-timer Becky Holm of the Roseburg Optimist Club proved she was part of the district family by holding "Belle" for ransom and texting the governor to prompt a donation to the Optimist International Foundation for her safe return.

"Belle"

Governor Ed turned over the bell and gavel safely to Governor-designate Bill French, but not before thanking those who were there and all others by extension for their service and dedication to their Optimist Clubs throughout the year. With 34 days (now 30) left to achieve your club's goals, he reminded us that it is possible to add more members, including Friends of Optimists, and meet the 20% new member goal set by Optimist International President Danny Rodgers for all Optimist Clubs this year.

Following are a number of photos from the event. We'd love to add your pictures to the album too.  Please mail them to the PNW District Blog. Thanks for sharing!

Certified Way Cool

Have you heard about President Danny's wish? With only 76 days to go in the 2010-2011 administrative year, he  wants to take one of those days to visit your Optimist Club. You read that right...Optimist International President Danny Rodgers wants to be local with your peeps.

Yes, there is a bit of a catch; but it's a good one, good for your club and good for Optimist International. After all, we're in this thing we call community service together, right?

To claim your visit, simply add 20 Friends of Optimists to your Optimist Club between July 1 - September 30.

What could be easier? Download the Friend of Optimist brochure  and ask your dentist, your dry cleaner, maybe your veterinarian to become a Friend of your Optimist Club today.

Danny can't wait to say thank you in person.  Now that is way cool!