Optimist Club helps new residents connect to their community

Reprinted with permission from Experience Optimism.

The Middleton Area Optimist Club has created
and is selling a community calendar

The Middleton Area Optimist Club is only three years old, but it's made quite an impact on its hometown in Idaho. Most of the club's members are new to the community so they've come with fresh ideas about how to make their city a great place to live. Of course being a newcomer in a small town of less than 5,000 people can also be difficult because long-time residents "just know" when things happen and community events can pass by without the new resident's knowledge.

In order to overcome this problem, the members of the Middleton Area Optimist Club decided to create a community calendar for 2014. Members sought out dates for annual activities like craft bazaars, church socials, sports league sign-ups, among other things, and then added in their own events that include their popular Free Movies in the Park series in the summer and charity bingo throughout the year. The calendar also includes phone numbers to city services and other organizations so that a newcomer or a long-time resident can be plugged in to the events and activities year-round.

The calendar includes photos from events and activities in Middleton in 2013 and all money raised goes towards the Middleton Area Optimist Club's next big project. They are raising $150,000 for playground equipment in Foote Park, home to their signature movie in the park program.

The Middleton Area Optimist Club has become a point of pride for the community. According to one member, Victor Islas, who is shown holding the calendar in the above picture, a lot of groups start in Middleton with good intentions, but they somehow fail to follow through.The Optimist Club isn't like that, he says. They do more than talk about projects. They get things done.

Learn more about the Middleton Area Optimist Club at this link. 

Buy a Middleton Area Community Calender by sending an email here. 

A governor's work is never done

Who said that being governor of an Optimist International district was all work and no play?

First Lady Flo Blackburn yelled bingo and was awarded cash! 

On Saturday, March 2, 2013, Governor Larry Blackburn and first lady Flo proved that wasn't the case when they joined the Middleton Area Optimist Club for "Lucky Leprechaun Bingo."

Held once a month during the school year, bingo is the major fundraiser for the Middleton Area Optimist Club. It features a different theme every month and many dress up for the occasion. The money raised at bingo helps fund Free Movies in the Park, held in the summer months. The club has also been exploring additional projects for their community and purchasing a building is high on its list of priorities. According to member Stacy Nelson, a building would help the club do even more.

The Optimist Club has found great partners in the Middleton Parks and Recreation District and Middleton Rural Fire District. All are engaged in making the community a better place to live and they have formed friendships in service. Following their parents' lead, some kids of Optimist Club members have come together to form a Junior Optimist Club. We promise, you'll hear more from them in a future post. And we know, the Middleton community will continue to hear more from their Optimist Club.

Click here to keep up with the Middleton Area Optimist Club on Facebook. 

Optimist elves at work

Last weekend, Optimist Club member and GMPRD Director Tim O'Meara invited the Middleton Area Optimist Club to assist the Greater Middleton Parks and Recreation District at Santa's Workshop.

Santa's Workshop was an opportunity for children to build toys with the volunteers from the community. It took place right before the holiday parade and helped get everyone in the spirit of the season.

Shown here are some of the Optimist Club elves and their little helpers at work. 

Top: Tim O'Meara

Middle: Peter Cabrera

Bottom: Steve Thompson

Thanks to Becky O'Meara for the pictures. 

Like the Middleton Area Optimist Club on Facebook and see even more photos! 

Middleton Area Optimist Club finds vital partnership

At a recent meeting, the Middleton Area Optimist Club learned that partnerships can be the key to finding what services your community needs most.

When the Middleton Gazette newspaper publisher and Optimist Club member Becky O'Meara brought her husband, Tim, with her to a meeting to discuss his role as chairman of the Greater Middleton Parks and Recreation District, the idea of movies in the park evolved. Twenty minutes later, a plan was conceived to raise the funds needed to purchase the equipment, including an outdoor screen, projector and PA system, and the Middleton Area Optimist Club was committed to staffing the event on an ongoing basis.

It's a partnership that is still being developed and molded, but one that will bring the Optimist Club greater exposure in the community which they hope will lead to more projects and people that want to work together to do great things for the Middleton area.

Already identified as potential assistants in the project are the area school students, including the Vision Charter School where a JOOI Club is being established. Since the partnership was announced earlier this month, two new members have joined.

According to President Russ Nelson, finding a direction  was  an important step in the club's progress. "Without a clear purpose, we were losing interest. We're headed in the right direction now with a project that the community will enjoy, and a way to pay for it that will lead to more projects in the future," explained Nelson. He promised to share more information soon.

Serving Schwans and Tennis in Middleton

The Middleton Area Optimist Club is working with the Middle School to start up a brand new school tennis program. The club has volunteered to purchase equipment and help with coaching or travel expenses, depending on what is needed most. A summer camp is planned to introduce students to the game. It will coincide with the completion of the new tennis courts at the school in August of this year.

With the help of Schwans, depot manager Russ Nelson and "the Schwans Guys," the Middleton Area Optimist Club held their first successful fundraiser for the program today. Fifteen percent of all items purchased at the truckload sale will go directly to the Optimist Club program.

Another sale is planned for the first Saturday in August.

Middleton Area Optimist Club: Wii Charter Banquet a Success

Estela Cabrera, Secretary/Treasurer, Middleton Area Optimist Club has written a great article about the Wii Charter Party held on December 11. Please click on the link to read all about it on the club's blog:

Middleton Area Optimist Club: Wii Charter Banquet a Success

It's a Wii Charter Party!

The Middleton Area Optimist Club is celebrating their affiliation with Optimist International and the Pacific Northwest District with a Wii Charter Party.  Everyone is invited to attend for dinner, a motivational presentation form international speaker Vincent Kituku and lots of fun with karaoke and a Wii Tournament.

Please make your plans to attend today.
Saturday, December 11, 2010, 6:00 p.m.
Middleton, Idaho

Please click on the flyer for complete details.  You can register online at www.middletonoptimistclub.blogspot.com.