Newsday Tuesday

Back in Balance

The program encourages Clubs and Districts that have dropped below their October 1 membership numbers to replace lost Optimists and thereby get Back in Balance.

This was a very active month for Districts and Clubs getting Back in Balance. Congratulations to each of you.

We began the month of July with 618 clubs that had fewer members than they started with this Optimist Year. Congratulations to the 23 Clubs that added a total of 57 new members and attained a July 31^st balance of Net Zero or more members. Nine of those clubs added just one new Optimist to get Back in Balance! See the list of Clubs and Presidents below. Each of these Clubs have received a personal letter of congratulations and a digital badge to post on their socials or website.

Thirty-seven Districts began July with fewer members than they had when they began the Optimist Year. By the end of the month, we had four Districts get Back In Balance with a total net increase of fifty members. North Carolina West added 6 new members to end the month with a Net zero. Wisconsin North Upper Michigan went from Net -1 to Net+ 1 by adding two members. Illinois added nine members to end at Net+ 4 and Iowa added thirty-three members to end at Net+ 4. Congratulations Governors Betty Parker, Vanessa Rueth, Nancy Roach-Wilder and Jane Schmidt respectively. You will receive your digital badge soon. 

Thank you to each of the Clubs and Districts that have worked so hard during the month to add members. To everyone that did not get back to the break-even point, do not despair as we will be publishing results every month until the end of the year. 

Here is a bit of additional information to put our membership position in perspective. At the end of July, we had 650 clubs in a negative position, 769 in balance with their October 1^st numbers and 405 clubs that have grown since the first of our year. Of the clubs in a negative position, more than half are down only one or two members. Have a look at the chart below to see the breakdown.

Remember – the Optimist International Growth Committee is here to help any Club or District with information or resources to aid in your growth plan.

You can do it! Be the change.

Strengthen Your Club with C.A.R.E.

Recruiting members gets them through the front door. The C.A.R.E. (Celebrate. Address. Recognize. Excel.) program helps make sure they don't quietly leave through the back door.

C.A.R.E. Facilitator Training

Tuesday, August 25, 7-8 p.m. CDT

The C.A.R.E. facilitator training prepares Optimist members to guide clubs through meaningful conversations, collect and organize feedback, and communicate results in ways that celebrate successes, address challenges, and inspire growth. You'll leave with the confidence and resources needed to serve as an effective facilitator.

Please register for the session prior in order to get the information to access the call. Here is the registration link: https://optimist-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/XiTtSy6LSo--j7RJwdNnSQ

Find More membership engagement resources, visit Optimistinfo.org, log in using your Optimist Institute credentials, and select Membership Engagement from the left-hand menu to access:


• Club Guide
• C.A.R.E. Program Sample Agenda
• Member Review Survey
• Sample Invitation
• Directory of CARE Facilitators



You'll also find the complete Membership Engagement Toolbox and Membership Engagement Guides for Clubs, featuring resources for:

• New Members
• Engaged Members
• Non-Engaged Members



Every member matters. C.A.R.E. gives clubs the opportunity to celebrate successes, listen to one another, and create an even stronger Optimist experience for everyone!