President Rebecca Butler Mona offers a look back at #OptimistsinAction Month and a look forward to #OIConv2019 in Louisville. Follow Rebecca's year as International President on her official
Facebook
and
Twitter
accounts.
Welcome to our June 2019 Leadership Hotline, highlighting recent and upcoming activities for Optimist leaders and Club Members!
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Congratulations to our new International Officers
Under our bylaws, we can announce the formal election of our 2019-2020 International Officers. Congratulations to all who have volunteered their service.
President-Elect:
Mark Weinsoff (PSW)
Vice Presidents-Elect:
Region 1 Northeast & Great Lakes - Tracy Huxley (SWONT)
Region 2 Southeast – Patrick Prendergast (CAR)
Region 3 Mid-Atlantic – Terry Corle (CAPVA and NCE)
Region 4 Middle America – Theresa Evans (WMO)
Region 5 Great Plains – Terry Gorman (DMM)
Region 6 Southwest – Carol Hodges (STX)
Region 7 West Coast – Pat Thomas (OK)
Region 8 St. Lawrence – Ilze Epners (QS)
Board Director at Large (listed in alphabetical order)
Luc Dubois (QS)
Sandy Williams (AZ)
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Book release!
We are thrilled to announce the publication of
Bringing Out the Best--The First Century of Optimist International (1919-2019) by Past International President David Bruns. This 600-page work chronicles the origins and accomplishments of Optimist International, and will be available at our International Convention in Louisville and through Amazon.
Buy the book at Convention for the discounted rate of $20 and get it signed by the author! Outside of Convention, paperback copies will be available for $25, plus shipping and handling from Amazon.
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2019 Louisville Centennial Celebration Convention
T
hank you to those that have registered for the Centennial Optimist International Convention in Louisville! We will see you in just a few short weeks. If you have not registered yet, there is still time. Click
here
for the registration form, up-to-date schedule of events, proposed bylaws amendments, what to see and do in Louisville, look who is registered, among other details.
You will find a link to the information on the 2019 Junior Optimist Convention there as well!
Cabbage Patch Settlement House Project
For this year's on-site community service project we will be collecting art supplies for The Cabbage Patch Settlement House. The list of items needed are as follows: Acrylic Paint, Pencils, Markers, Pastels, Crayons, Paintbrushes , Tape , Painters’ tape, Masking tape, Glue , Craft glue, Hot glue, Glue sticks, Drawing Paper, Watercolor Paper, Sewing Supplies, Needles and pins, Yarn, Spools of thread, Canvases, and Construction Paper. For more information on the Cabbage Patch Settlement House please visit their website at
https://www.cabbagepatch.org/
. These items will be collected at a booth in the Expo at the Galt House Hotel.
You can also join attendees from both the Junior Optimist and Adult Optimist International conventions attendees as they work with children from the Cabbage Patch Settlement House from 9-11 a.m., Monday, July 1
at the Galt House Hotel.
Ronald McDonald House of Kentuckiana Project
Our JOI members have committed to making 100 fleece blankets for children at the Ronald McDonald House of Kentuckiana. Adults are welcome to assist JOI participants in the blanket project from 9-11 a.m., Monday, July 1. The blankets will be presented to Ronald McDonald House leaders during the Tuesday business session.
Live from Louisville
All the action at the 2019 International Centennial Celebration Convention will be streamed live. The Board of Directors meeting, the Opening Ceremonies, and the Business sessions will be streaming live on the Optimist channel at
optimist.org/stream
.
Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed to distribute registration packets on Saturday, June 30, Sunday, July 1 and Monday, July 2. To volunteer, contact
[email protected]
.
Help show the public what being an Optimist Member is all about and sign up to help in the Community Involvement Expo (formerly known as the House of Optimism). David Osborne and Michelle Turner are looking for people to help staff tables, make announcements, among other things – you will have fun doing it. Clubs can also display projects. Reach out to
[email protected]
for more information.
Are you a sergeant-of-arms for the District and would like to be one at the international convention? You will get a stipend. Contact
[email protected]
.
Roommate Wanted?
If you would like to share expenses with another Optimist Member, send us an email and we will put you in touch with each other. Contact
[email protected]
.
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Leadership Development at Convention
PRE-REGISTRATION FOR ALL TRAINING SESSIONS
We have brought back pre-registration for all training sessions offered at the Convention. Pre-registration for training is available when you register for Convention at
www.optimist.org/convention.
RAFFLE FOR FREE 2020 REGISTRATION
If you evaluate your training and workshop sessions at Convention, you could win free registration to our 2020 Convention in Chicagoland! We are offering two drawings to help you maximize your chances of winning.
The first drawing is for those who complete an online evaluation on a smart device. Participants will receive a confirmation code and one raffle ticket. The second drawing allows those who pre-register for training and workshops to receive a raffle ticket. Participants will receive one ticket per preregistered session in their registration packet.
Turn tickets in to Leadership Development Service Desk on the Conservatory/Skywalk on the third floor of the Galt House. Make sure tickets are completed with name and address. Winners will be announced during Wednesday's business session.
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Global Spotlight
Optimists are busy around the world!
The May issue of Global Spotlight covers updates from Nepal, Thailand, China, Haiti and a spotlight on Ghana.
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Announcing our Reel Optimism winners
We are pleased to announce the winners in this year's Reel Optimism contest. The
Optimist Club of Riverside, Ontario
, won the adult category, while the
Pony Scouts of Bonita, California
, won the JOI category. Voters were asked to select the video that best fit the theme "100 Years of Optimism." Each Club will receive a $1,500 grant, and will be recognized at the International Convention in Louisville.
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Upcoming Webinars
The Leadership Development Committee will be having the following webinars over the next few months:
Jun 10, 2019 B2B Transitioning Leadership/Continuing Success Mark Weinsoff/Claire Labreche
Healthy Optimist Clubs change leadership on a regular basis. As detailed in the book Good to Great, great organizations thrive even with changes in leadership. This webinar will describe how a club can transition to new leadership every year while sustaining success. You will find that even if present leadership is strong, change will keep your club vibrant and the community will benefit as well. The Registration Link is:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7572557975104617219
Sep 9, 2019 B2B September Checklist: Are You Really Done? Daniel Rich/Sylvain Menard
The end of the Optimist year is just a few weeks away – have you done everything you set out to do? How will you know? This webinar will help you to review the goals you had for the year and evaluate your progress toward them and the goals set for the whole organization. Once you know where you stand, remember – “You are never really done until October 1”. The Registration Link is:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3322500231541158147
Webinars begin at 7 p.m. Central time. If you have any questions, please contact
[email protected]
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Childhood Cancer Campaign Matching Grants
The Childhood Cancer Campaign has been a significant endeavor for the OI family for many years. Many children and organizations have benefited from the caring support of Optimist to fund research at Johns Hopkins plus much-needed local projects.
Optimist International Foundation is proud to announce the re-launch of the CCC Matching Grant Program. Clubs can get a matching grant up to $1,000 to fund a local childhood cancer project. New to the effort, the scope of the matching-grant program has been broadened to include health and wellness projects that relate to childhood cancer.
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World Oratorical Championships
Optimist International Oratorical World Championships will take place July 18-20 in St. Louis, Missouri. For detailed information please visit
www.optimist.org/oratorical.
We can't wait to see what these young orators will achieve this year!
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Canadian Children's Optimist Fund
Does the warmer season inspire you help your community’s youth bloom? Apply for the CCOF Spread Relief program before
June 30.
Your club could receive up to $3,000 for setting up a Childhood Health and Wellness project.
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Junior Optimist International
Are you thinking of joining us in Lousiville?
Please visit
www.junioroptimist.org
and click on joiCON to see the latest Convention schedule.
Rooms are filling up fast so make your reservations at the Galt House as soon as possible.
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Membership Recruitment
June's
group to focus on recruiting is: Graduating Junior Optimists.
Don't forget! Graduating Junior Optimists can receive one year of free membership in an Adult Club.
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Centennial Videos and Photos
Many Optimist Clubs have celebrated the Centennial in numerous ways. Some have ordered cakes, some have flown flags in their communities, and more. We are producing a brief video of Optimist Centennial events to be shown at Convention. For possible inclusion, send any photos or videos of Centennial events to
[email protected] by June 10. Send all items as attachments or transfer quickly and easily at
WeTransfer.com.
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Optimist Junior Golf
Optimist Junior Golf District Qualifiers
Junior Golfers are looking to play in qualifiers with dreams of playing in the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship in July.
Optimist Districts and Clubs may provide financial support to the winners of these district qualifiers. The financial support provided and the age divisions covered varies by District.
We need help from the Districts and Clubs to make it affordable for these Junior Golfers to attend. For more information about the Optimist Junior Golf Event and information on District qualifiers, visit
www.optimist.org/golf. Volunteers, donations and sponsorship are needed. Contact Optimist Junior Golf at (800) 500-8130 ext. 207 or email
[email protected].
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Our Centennial - Let's Celebrate
Each Optimist has a story to tell - it could be how you got involved, why you are still an Optimist, or an inspirational moment you had at an Optimist event. We want to hear your story! Submit an Optimist Story
here
. Video and written stories will be shared throughout the year on social media.
Centennial merchandise may be purchased at our official suppliers.
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Official Optimist International Suppliers
United States and the Caribbean:
Shumsky
Canada:
Ansell's Awards and Specialties
Members outside of the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean may order from either vendor.
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Contact the International Board of Directors
If you have comments, concerns or suggestions for the International Board of Directors, please send to
[email protected]
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See what's happening on our social sites
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