The successes of the prior Optimist year were recently announced in the Awards and Recognitions special issue and hopefully, those listed have been and will be celebrated at awards banquets and meetings throughout our organization.  The issue lists Clubs which successfully stepped up to the challenge of achieving the requirements necessary to be bestowed the status of Honor Club, Distinguished Club, Honor District, Distinguished District, etc.  The individuals involved in these accomplishments should all be congratulated for their efforts, sacrifices and successes.

As a Club President, I remember attending the awards ceremonies for the previous year and watching as other Clubs were recognized for their accomplishments.  Our Club, which I consider the BEST Optimist Club, did not receive the same amount of recognition that evening.  As the elected leader of our Club that year, I felt it was my duty to inspire and lead our volunteer group to achieve the recognition for their work in our community.

That duty still sits with me today - to do all that I can to not only ensure that the world knows of the good things Optimist Members and Clubs do, but that our Optimism spreads.  I hope that sense of duty sits with you as well.   If you are currently an officer or have held an officer title in the past, fellow Optimists have put their trust in you to help in our movement.

So I encourage you to find motivation and patterns of success from past years and accomplishments, and press on to the greater achievements ahead!  Let your leadership not only change the lives of the children and communities directly affected today, but let us set a course for the future of other great Optimists and children to come.

Take advantage of the "Season of Giving" while there is still time and let us make history!

All the BEST,

Ken Garner

The 2015 Leadership Summits begin February 21 in Anaheim, California. Optimists are encouraged to attend and invite non-Optimists from the business community to participate in this one-day training experience to provide you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to lead a relevant and thriving organization. There are nine summits planned for the second and third quarters of this Optimist year in major cities, geographically located to accommodate a majority of Optimist members.

• February 21 - Anaheim, CA
• February 28 - San Antonio, TX
• March 7 - Tampa, FL
• March 21 - Nashville, TN
• March 28 - Virginia Beach, VA
• April 18 - Trois-Rivi�res, QC
• April 25 - Kansas City, MO
• May 16 - Minneapolis, MN
• June 13 - Detroit, MI

For more information about the Summits, topics and descriptions, trainer biographies, and online registration, click here.

A webinar will take place on Wednesday, February 18 at 7:30 pm Central time. "The Purpose/Mission Driven Optimist Club" webinar will be presented by Membership Chair, Mark Weinsoff. The webinar focuses on the reason Members join Optimist Clubs to "Bring Out the Best in Kids" and it concludes with a powerful message reminding Members about the many personal and professional benefits of being an Optimist. Please register for the webinar by clicking here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. For Members who cannot join the live webinar, it will be recorded and can be found on www.optimist.org at a later date.

Nominations for individuals to attend the third Leadership Academy class are being accepted until February 15. Candidates selected will be invited to attend a one-day training program to share their leadership knowledge and participate in an advanced leadership program held on Sunday, July 12, 2015 immediately following the International Convention in New Orleans at the Hilton Riverside Hotel. As a member of the Leadership Academy, individuals are being recognized for their exceptional leadership skills and as future leaders of the Optimist International organization. There are no other commitments or obligations. If you are one of "the best of the best," or know someone who is, please make a recommendation. Nominations can be sent to the Leadership Development Committee at [email protected].

Your Optimist Club will once again have the ability to participate in the election of Optimist International officers by casting its vote online.  Officers include the next Optimist International President, two At-Large Board Directors and your Regional Vice President. Voting begins on June 1 and ends June 30.  To be eligible to vote, your Club must have a valid email address for your Club President on file with Optimist International.  Your Club will also need to have all of its financial obligations paid by April 30.

Dates to Remember:

• April 30 - Club voting strength is determined per International Bylaws.
• May - Email is sent to every Club President outlining online voting procedure.
• June 1 - Online election voting will open for 30 days.
• July 1 - Results of elections posted on the Optimist website.

Make sure your Club President's email address is correct in the Optimist membership database to ensure that your Club receives the voting procedures.  The Club President or Secretary should:

• Go to www.optimistleaders.org.
• Login with your credentials.
• If you do not know your credentials, click on the "Password Recovery" link.
• Click on your name and confirm email is correct or enter correct address.

The deadline for self-nominations for the positions of International President, International Board Member and International Vice President is Wednesday, April 1, end of the business day. The following requirements must be met:

• International Vice President nominees must be nominated by at least two Clubs each from different Districts within the Region.
• International Board Member nominees must have completed a full term as a District Governor.
• International President nominee must have served a full term as a District Governor and a Vice President.
• International President nominees must be nominated by at least two Clubs, each from a different Region.
• Clubs must submit a letter on Club letterhead signed by the Club President.

Please contact the International Office or send a letter to:

St. Louis, MO 63108

Optimist Clubs can now register their 2015-2016 officers online effective February 1, 2015. A current Club officer will need to login to the Optimist Leaders website and click "Reports" on the right-hand side of the screen. Then click on "Club Officer Elect Report" and you will be able to select the names of the Club Members who will be filling leadership roles during the upcoming Optimist year. If you have questions or need assistance, please call Charlotte in the Member Services Department at (800) 500-8130 ext. 247.

If you do not file your e-Postcard on time, the IRS will send you a reminder notice. There is no penalty assessment for late filing the e-Postcard, but an organization that fails to file required e-Postcards (or information returns - Forms 990 or 990-EZ) for three consecutive years will automatically lose its tax-exempt status. The revocation of the organization's tax-exempt status will not take place until the filing due date of the third year.

How to File:

Access the filing site directly by typing or pasting the following address into your Internet browser: http://epostcard.form990.org. When you access the system, you will leave the IRS site and file the e-Postcard with the IRS through our trusted partner, Urban Institute. The form must be completed and filed electronically. There is no paper form.
 

Information Needed to File e-Postcard

Completing the e-Postcard requires the eight items listed below:

1. Employer identification number (EIN), also known as a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
2. Tax year
3. Legal name and mailing address
4. Any other names the organization uses
5. Name and address of a principal officer
6. Web site address if the organization has one
7. Confirmation that the organization's annual gross receipts are $50,000 or less
8. If applicable, a statement that the organization has terminated or is terminating (going out of business)

Resolutions will take place at the morning business session on Friday, July 10 and bylaws voting will take place at the afternoon business session on Saturday, July 11 in New Orleans at the International Convention. Make plans now to attend!  For additional information, including a detailed schedule, how to make housing reservations and travel discounts, click here. 

We are excited to announce that since the first of October, 13 new Optimist Clubs have joined our organization! Hundreds, if not thousands, of children will directly benefit from these new Clubs. Thank you to both our new Charter Members, as well as our Members who were active in building these Clubs, for making this possible. 

Due to current incentives created by International President Ken Garner, there has never been a better time to give the gift of Optimism to a new community. For all new Members added between December 1, 2014 and February 28, 2015, the $15 new Member fee is waived. All Sponsor Clubs will receive their choice of a free standing Optimist Purposes or Creed banner. All Clubs built through the end of February qualify for a rebate to go towards their Club's first project. Clubs built with 15-24 Charter Members are entitled to $100, while Clubs built with 25+ Members can receive $200. Together, we can reach our goal of 100 new Clubs in 2014-15 and on our way to 100,000 Members by the organization's 100th year in 2019.

Since the beginning of October, JOOI has added 22 new Charters and 354 new Charter Members. Congratulations to JOOI's new additions and keep up the good work!

Nominations for the Optimist International Foundation Board Member election are in and the election is right around the corner!  Board voting for the Foundation will start online on February 1 and will end March 1.  To cast your ballot, visit oifoundation.org. Optimist Member donors who gave at least $36.50 to the Foundation during the 2013-2014 fiscal year are eligible to vote.  A $365 or more unrestricted donation from a Club, not individuals in a Club, can qualify the Club for one vote to be cast by the Club's Foundation Representative.  

Alexa Pano competed in and won the girls 11-13 division of the Optimist International Tournament of Champions this past November. At ten years old, she is a five-time world champion and a winner of more than 40 national and regional competitions. She was featured in CNN's Living Golf, which was aired worldwide. To watch the video, click here. Congratulations to Alexa and other successful Optimist Junior golfers!

Junior golfers (ages 16-18) can apply now to be considered for entry into the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships based on their academic and community service experience.  Please spread the word to any junior golfers you might know. Junior golfers selected to the Hugh Cranford All Scholastic team will receive an automatic exemption into the 2015 Optimist International Junior Golf Championships and complimentary registration (the selected participant's registration fee-which is inclusive of tournament entry, hotel accommodations and meals-will be waived).  The exemption includes an invitation to participate in the Championships without having to play in a qualifying tournament.  The deadline for applications is April 4, 2015. For application instructions and more information about this great opportunity, click here.  

During the month of May, you are encouraged to conduct a newsworthy Club project, event, program or fundraiser that demonstrates how your Club is Bringing Out the Best in Kids in its community.  One way to demonstrate your Club's commitment to service is to order limited edition Optimists in Action T-shirts for your Club Members, youth participants and other volunteers.  Optimists in Action T-shirts will be available in adult and youth sizes and two colors will be offered: ash gray and lemon yellow.  Shirts may be ordered only through Optimist International's official US/Caribbean and Canadian suppliers.  Visit the action page for details.  

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 "Bringing Out the Best in Kids" well into the future.

To learn more about submitting stories and photographs for consideration, please click here. 

Did you meet your significant other through your Optimist endeavors or know someone who has? 

If so, please reach out to [email protected] to be featured in a future issue of The Optimist magazine!