Happy August fellow Optimists, 

It’s easy to feel exhausted this time of year in the Optimist World. We were go, go, go up until the international convention in early July. The enthusiasm generated by that gathering can last a few weeks or even a month, but it is often followed by a slump.

A great way to break out of that slump? Attend your district convention! District conventions are great way to recharge your batteries, rejuvenate your mind and refresh your spirit. First Lady Penny and I encourage you to attend those conventions and wish you a convention filled with fun, fellowship, learning, entertainment and inspiration. We certainly experienced all of this and more at the international convention this year in Arlington. 

Fun fact: Member deletions as a percentage of starting membership are exactly where they have been over the past 7 years. This means we’ve not seen a rise in deletions because of the dues increase. Rather, what we are seeing and have been seeing since the beginning of COVID, is a significant drop in the number of new members joining our organization. 

Fellow Optimists, only we – you and me – can save our clubs. Nobody is going to recruit members into our clubs unless we do it. If we neglect to replace the members we lose each year, our organization will soon only be a memory. 

During the month of July, Penny and I had the privilege to attend two of our signature youth programs. We attended the Junior Golf Program in Doral where 615 young golfers, ages 10 to 18, from 37 different countries played in three different tournaments. What an awesome experience for these young golfers to compete with golfers from around the world!

We were also honored to attend the World Oratorical Contest in St. Louis where all of the district champions gathered to compete to be Regional champions. The Regional champions, all winning scholarships of $5,000 (in addition to their $2,500 District scholarship winnings) competed again for the World Oratorical Championship.

Sarah-Claude Simard from the Optimistes Francophone Canadienes was crowned World Oratorical Champion, winning a total of $22,500 in scholarships.

Are these programs worth saving? Do the youth in our communities still need the services of an Optimist Club? If you believe the answer to these questions is yes, then WE have to make that happen!

To assist us, Optimist International has a 4^th quarter membership incentive that every club should participate in. If your club opts in AND adds at least one new member in the 4^th quarter, your club will have an opportunity to win $300 or more.

A 1^st place prize of $1,000 will go to the club that adds the most new members and the club that adds the highest percentage of new members in the 4^th quarter.

A 2^nd place prize of $750 will go to the two clubs in second place in each category.

A 3^rd place prize of $500 will go to the two clubs in third place in each category. 

There will also be 2 random draws of $300 each from the participating clubs who did not qualify for one of the top three prizes. 

We must continue to choose to pave our own road full of optimism and service in our communities. Full speed ahead Optimists!

“Every choice gives you a chance to pave your own road. Keep moving. Full speed ahead.” — Oprah Winfrey

Bob McFadyen

2022-2023 President

Spotlight

Celebrate Community, a joint initiative of Optimist International and three other major volunteer service organizations, continues this year with a focus on local community service. Events are scheduled for the week of September 10-17, 2023. The organizations — Kiwanis, Lions Clubs International, Optimist International, and Rotary International — continue to encourage local clubs to reach out to one another for collaboration on projects that improve and benefit their communities. A joint project allows community members who are serving in different clubs to learn more about each other, their organizations, and their combined efforts to help children and adults with environmental or financial difficulties. Be sure to share any photos taken on social media and use the hashtag #CelebrateCommunity.