Optimist International President Dave Bruns provides a halftime pep talk for all Optimist Clubs and Members. Halftime is a time for renewal and an opportunity to reevaluate our game plans.
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Four Optimism Summits and Regional Conferences Remaining
Optimists have been raving about the exceptional leadership training provided at the 2016 series of Optimist International Optimism Summits and Regional Conferences. There is still time to join an upcoming summit where you can meet International President Dave Bruns and share & network with fellow Optimists. Dates and locations for upcoming summits are: April 16 (Indianapolis), April 30 (Niagara Falls, Ontario), May 14 (Bloomington, Minnesota) and May 28 (Barbados). For event details and registration information, click
here.
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Optimist International Oratorical World Championships Contest
The new
Optimist International Oratorical World Championships Contest will be June 23-24 at Saint Louis University Center of Global Citizenship in St. Louis, Missouri. The event is designed to empower youth to become effective communicators and confident global citizens. The deadline to submit your District winner is May 15.
Are you looking for a simple way to give the gift of higher education and help youth reach their full potential? Donate to the Optimist International Oratorical World Championships Contest here. Share the link on your social media accounts to encourage non-Optimists to donate.
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Reel Optimism Deadline Approaching
The deadline to submit a video for the 2016 Reel Optimism contest is April 15. Adult and JOOI Clubs can submit a video, 3 minutes or less, that visually illustrates the topic "How My Best Brings Out the Best in Others." There is also a separate category that is open to the general public with submissions allowed by community groups, nonprofits and individuals. For more information and to submit your Club's video, click
here.
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 Congratulations to a number of Members for bringing in three new Members or being a Builder of Excellence since October 1. The "Bringing Out the Best" pin will be awarded to Members during the 2015-16 Optimist year. For additional incentives, click here.
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Optimist International's Board of Directors has set a goal of 100,000 Members by the organization's 100th year in 2019. Your Club is urged to do its part in setting its own goal of increasing its membership between now and our 100 Year Anniversary. Help assure that your Club will be "Bring Out the Best" well into the future.
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Upcoming Events:
February through May, 2016
June 23-24, 2016 (St. Louis, MO)
June 30-July 2, 2016 (Quebec City, QC)
July 3-5, 2016 (Quebec City, QC)
July 20-Aug 4, 2016 (Palm Beach Gardens, FL)
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Top Clubs by Membership
Each Member effectively impacts the lives of 35 children a year. How many is your Club reaching?
1. CHARLOTTE-MALLARD CREEK, NC (507)
2. GARDEN GROVE-ORANGE COAST, CA (307)
3. CENTERVILLE-NOON, OH (245)
4. MENOMONEE FALLS, WI (205)
5. BFT-WARSAW, IN (187)
6. HIGHLAND, IL (164)
7. BOYERTOWN, PA (162)
8. UPTOWN-GREAT FALLS, MT (156)
9. MECHANICSVILLE, MD (153)
10. WAUSAU, WI (144)
*Membership numbers as of Tuesday, April 5, 2016
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OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS
U
nited States & Caribbean:
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If you have any comments, concerns or suggestions for the International Board of Directors, please send to
[email protected]
.
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98th Annual Convention
The International Convention will take place at the Québec City Convention Centre in Québec City, Québec June 30 - July 2, 2016. All Optimist Members are welcome and encouraged to attend!
Québec City Tours
While visiting Québec City for the annual convention, plan on coming a day early or staying a day late to see the city! A variety of tours will be offered, including Discover Québec: A Historical City and
Whale Watching Excursion in Charlevoix. For more information, including the registration form and tour descriptions, click
here
.
La Citadelle de Québec Family Event
All Convention delegates are invited to a unique and exciting event on June 29, hosted exclusively for Optimist Members and their families and guests. The event will include a guided tour of
La Citadelle de Québec and the
Beating of the Retreat changing of the guard ceremony by the Royal 22nd "Van Doos" Régiment Band. For additional information and event registration, click
here.
Show Off Your Club's Best Project!
Optimist International is sponsoring the annual Bragger's Hall at the 2016 International Convention in Québec City.
New this year: Bragger's Hall area will be available Thursday, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm and Friday, 7:30 am - 1:30 pm. The House of Optimism will be open to the public giving our Clubs' projects the opportunity to be showcased and play a very important role in the growth of our organization. Each participating Club will be assigned a table to display information and materials about their project. Show off pictures, brochures, handouts, a CPA entry, etc. Clubs will be responsible for transporting their own materials. As attendees leave the Bragger's Hall, they will be able to vote for the best project display. The winning Club will be awarded one free registration to the 2017 International Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico!
**A representative must be present during the entire sessions. Optimist International will not be responsible for any A/V equipment or supplies.
Click
here for a registration form.
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The Election is Near 
Optimist International has partnered with Survey & Ballot Systems (SBS) to administer the 2016 International officer election. To assure your Club's election specific broadcast email arrives safely in your inbox on June 1, simply add the following email address as an approved sender:
[email protected]
Your Club's dues must be paid in full prior to be being allowed to vote. Elections open online at 8:00 a.m. (CST) on Wednesday, June 1. Delegates attending the International Convention in Québec City will be able to vote at a kiosk during regular convention office hours until election balloting closes at 11:00 a.m. (CST) on Friday, July 1.
If you have questions, contact Tom Carver at (800) 500-8310 ext. 243 or (314) 881-1343, or email
[email protected].
For additional information about the
2016-17 International Officer Elections and nominees, click here.
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Club Officer-Elect Reports
To keep the momentum of your Club rolling into 2016-17, it is important to have your Club leadership team in place early. Elect your Club President and Club Secretary Treasurer by May 20 and make sure you enter them at
www.optimistleaders.org
. They will receive important information regarding Club related issues and training starting October 1. This is also a good time to identify future leaders within your Club or District for the upcoming year. If you have questions or need help, contact the Club Fitness Advisor in your District. Advisors can be found
here
.
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Order Your Optimists in Action T-Shirts Now
 With May only one month away, now is the time to finalize your Club's plans for
Optimists in Action Month. During
#OptimistsInAction Month, Optimist Members from around the world will come together to create meaningful and powerful Club projects and events that bring out THE BEST in kids, their communities and themselves.
In an effort to increase community awareness, a limited edition Optimists in Action T-shirt has been designed. Order T-shirts for your Club now and put your Optimism on display! For ordering details, click
here.
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Message from 2015-16 JOOI President
The JOOI Convention in Québec is fast approaching. I hope you are as excited as myself and the JOOI Board! We are planning great activities and workshops for all JOOI Members. But, we all know that behind that fun there is a cost associated with attending the convention.
So, we have decided to run a promotion for JOOI Members. We are giving away two prizes of one free night at the
Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, the host site of the convention. If you visit
our
Facebook page or our
Twitter page, you will see a post about the giveaway. You can enter the contest on Facebook, Twitter, or both!
To enter on Facebook:
- Like the JOOI Facebook page,
- Like the giveaway post, AND
- Share the giveaway post
To enter on Twitter:
- Follow @JOOIClubs
- Favorite the giveaway tweet, AND
- Retweet the giveaway tweet
It is that easy! The contest will end April 30 - a winner from each platform will be chosen randomly. May the odds be ever in your favor!
Yours in Optimism,
Logan Clemente
2015-16 JOOI International President
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Spring is here and that means Optimist Clubs everywhere are ramping up activities. This is a great time to add Members to your Club's roster to help with upcoming service projects and fundraisers. You can accomplish this by participating in the "Honoring Our Heroes" incentive, scheduling a NOW meeting, or both! These programs can easily be combined by having a special "Heroes" NOW event. Contact schools, police/fire departments and your local Veterans Affairs office to invite your community's heroes to a NOW meeting.
For more information about the "Honoring Our Heroes" incentive, click here.
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Nominate Your Optimist Hero on Social Media
In the past month, dozens of Optimists have nominated their Optimist Hero on social media. Take a few minutes to recognize a teacher, public safety officer, veteran or active duty military personnel as your Optimist Hero by posting a photo, video or memory on your social media channels with the hashtag
#OptimistHero.
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Recruitment Opportunities
Individuals who have already been exposed to the efforts of Optimist Clubs and Districts are great prospects for Membership. Keeping track of past Members and contest winners can be very helpful for both Member recruitment and New Club Building.
Here are some groups whom your Club or District should consider tracking for new Membership opportunities:
- Optimists moving to other Districts
- Optimist International and District scholarship winners
- Junior Golf contestants
- JOOI International and District Officers
- International Directors and Officers
- Graduating College Club Members
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District Chairs need to submit all completed required paperwork for their District Essay winner by April 15, 2016. Scholarships cannot be awarded to winners until paperwork is completed and submitted to Optimist International. If you do not want your winner notified and sent their redemption procedures until after your third quarter meeting, notify
[email protected].
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Optimist Junior Golf Tour Events
For the results of the Greg Norman Champions Golf Academy Open, click
here.
For the results of the Waterchase Golf Club event, click
here.
A big thank you to all Optimist volunteers that came out and helped with the tournaments!
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Optimist Championship Qualifiers Are Set!
Golfers are allowed to play in multiple District qualifiers in order to attempt to advance to the
Junior Golf Championships
. To see where the nearest District qualifier is located click
here
. For a map of all qualifiers click
here
.
Does your Club want to be involved in the Junior Golf Championships? Join in on the fun by sponsoring a golfer in your area to attend the Championships!
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© 2015 Optimist International
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