Optimist International President Dave Bruns thanks all Optimists and encourages Clubs and Members to finish the year strong!
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Recruit a Teacher Incentive
Some of the most successful
Optimist Clubs are those who maintain positive relationships with the schools and teachers in their communities. In order to nurture these relationships, Optimist International is pleased to offer reduced dues for teachers for the month of September. Add as many teachers as possible to your Club this month and they will pay only $30.00* in International dues for their first year as an Optimist! For more information, click
here.
*$15.00 administrative fee still applies
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Has your Club completed successful programs and activities this year? Make sure to note them on the President's Pride Report for 2015-16. The report is available on the Optimist Leaders website. Go to
www.optimistleaders.org, log in and click on "Reports" on the right side of the screen. On the next screen, select the President's Pride Report. Hard copies can be printed from the Forms page of the Optimist website,
www.optimist.org, and faxed or mailed to Optimist
International. The form is due online by September 30, but hard copies sent or faxed to Optimist International headquarters will be accepted after September 30. If you have any questions, please contact the Programs Department at (800) 500-8130 or via e-mail at
programs@optimist.org
.
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 A great goal for the upcoming Optimist year is achieving Honor Club status. Honor Club criteria represent the basic level of service any Optimist Club should strive to provide every year - the Honor Club concept promotes service to children, service to community, and service to ourselves through personal growth and development. Click
here for the
Honor Club Tracking Form. Beginning October 1, the Honor Club Tracking Form will replace the Annual Club Planning Conference Form.
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Seeking Recommendations for International Leaders
 The International Candidate Qualifications Committee is seeking recommendations for officers at the International level. Officers include President-Elect, Board Directors at Large, and Vice Presidents.
Click
here to complete the Recommendation Form.
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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 "Bring Out the Best" well into the future.
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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 (540)
2. GARDEN GROVE-ORANGE COAST, CA (297)
3. CENTERVILLE-NOON, OH (246)
4. ARLINGTON, TX (241)
5. MENOMONEE FALLS, WI (218)
6. BFT-WARSAW, IN (189)
7. BOYERTOWN, PA (182)
8. UPTOWN-GREAT FALLS, MT (176)
9. HIGHLAND, IL (170)
10. LAKE LOTAWANA, MO (143)
*Membership numbers as of Tuesday, September 13, 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
board@optimist.org
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Club President-Elect Mailing
 A Club President-Elect packet has been sent to each 2016-17 Club President that submitted a Club Officer Elect Form to Optimist International. The packet includes useful information regarding events, programs, and membership incentives to help guide Club President-Elects in the upcoming Optimist year. Submit the
Club Officer Elect Form as soon as possible if your Club has not done so. If you have questions or need assistance, contact Charlotte in the Member Services Department at
charlotte.baker@optimist.org.
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Optimist Tournament of Champions
The Optimist Tournament of Champions is for the best of the best! It will be held November 5-6,
2016 at PGA National Resort and Spa. This event is an invitational junior golf championship for previous participants of Optimist Junior Golf events and other top junior golfers. Golfers must apply for the event
here
by September 30, 2016. For detailed information on exemptions and eligibility, click
here
. The Tournament of Champions is 36-hole event for golfers ages 14-18 with the top finishers being exempt for the 2017 Optimist International Junior Golf Championships. The event is highly ranked with JuniorGolf Scoreboard, Golfweek and received performance based stars through AJGA.
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Optimist Junior Tour Event
 Optimist Junior Tour Event at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver, Colorado is October 15-16, 2016. Competition is 36-hole stroke play. The top five finishers meeting a target score in each age division qualify for the summer 2017 Optimist International Junior Golf Championships. The registration fee for the tournament is $195.00 and includes two tournament rounds, range balls prior to play, golfer's lunch on both tournament round days, and an Optimist Golf gift package. For more information, click
here.
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Past Junior Golfers in Rio
Did you follow the 2016 Olympics in Rio? Past Optimist International Junior Golf Championship top finishers Lexi Thompson (USA), Brooke Henderson (Canada) and Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand) competed for their chance at gold. Brooke Henderson finished tied in 7th with a score of 276. Also in the Men's golf was Emiliano Grillo from Argentina who finished tied in 8th.
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Important IRS Information for New Optimist Clubs
The Internal Revenue Service has issued a new policy regarding 501 (c) (4) organizations. Optimist Clubs fall into this category. Effective July 8, 2016, any new Club must file IRS form 8976. The filing fee for the form is $50.
For more information and a link to the form, click
here.
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Junior Optimist Advisors
The start of a new Optimist year is right around the corner! If you are an Advisor or your Club sponsors a Junior Optimist Club, please update the Club roster for the new year using the Optimist Leaders site as soon as you receive the current list.
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Bringing Out the Best
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
.
*List as of Tuesday, September 13
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HOBY Opens Registration for 2017 State Leadership Seminars
Each spring, 10,000 high school sophomores from across the country join one of HOBY's 70 State Leadership Seminars for 3-4 fun days of life-changing leadership training. School counselors select and register students for the seminar where students explore their leadership talents and cultivate them to become school and community leaders.
Optimist International is one of HOBY's largest supporters by sponsoring students for the seminar. Please inform your local high schools that registration opened on September 7, and that your Club can sponsor students at $350 each. Please visit
HOBY.org
for more information or contact Sunshine Navarro Shively at
shivelys@hoby.org
or 818-851-3980 x400.
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Canadian Children's Optimist Foundation
Congratulations to the Regina Optimist Club for their $500 grant to buy school supplies for thirty children!
Does your Club have a project idea? Apply through the CCOF Club Grant program before September 30. Click
here to apply.
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 The Optimist International Global Spotlight was created to provide another means of communication between Optimist International and the Optimist Club Presidents outside of the United States and Canada. The newsletter will be sent monthly.
To view the August Global Spotlight, click
here.
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OptiDist - Software for District Secretary-Treasurer has been updated!
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© 2016 Optimist International
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