President Rebecca Butler Mona covers Optimists in Action Month, spring project ideas and more. Follow Rebecca's year as International President on her official Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Welcome to our May 2019 Leadership Hotline, highlighting recent and upcoming activities for Optimist leaders and Club Members!

Optimists in Action Logo
May is Optimists in Action Month!

 This month, Optimist Clubs will create a spirit of unity bringing together Optimist Members and other volunteers for activities, fundraisers and special events. Optimist Clubs can conduct any program or special event that meets the needs of their community and should contact local media outlets in hopes of receiving publicity. 

Take photos and videos and share your Club’s event on social media by including the hashtag #OptimistsInAction. Learn more  here   . 
Proposed Bylaws Amendments

Optimist Clubs and Members will have the opportunity vote on several proposed amendments to the International Bylaws at the upcoming International Convention in Louisville.

To read the 2019-20 Proposed Bylaws Amendments, click here .
Election News

Recently, we sought nominations for Optimist International's elected offices. Nominations closed on March 1 and there are no contested elections. Per Bylaws, International elections shall run for 30 days after nominations. May 1 to May 30 was selected as the voting period for this term. 

On May 31, the slate of nominated officers shall be announced as officially elected to office. 
 
See you in Louisville!

Our 2019 International Convention is June 30 to July 3, which is sooner than you think!

Visit www.optimist.org/convention for details including agenda, travel information, housing updates, Louisville Attractions and who is registered.

For more information, contact us at convention@optimist.org .
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 will help attendees plan for training that will meet their needs while still offering flexibility if they would like to choose new sessions once they arrive at Convention.

Pre-registration for training is available when you register for Convention at www.optimist.org/convention.


RAFFLE FOR FREE 2020 REGISTRATION
Make sure to 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.

Optimist Junior Golf

2019 Hugh Cranford All-Scholastic Team
We received an impressive number of applications for the Hugh Cranford All-Scholastic Team. The Hugh Cranford Committee selected the following exceptional student athletes.

Academic Award
Ashley Au (Westerville, Ohio)
Charlie Baker (Wayne, Pennsylvania)
Blake Brantley (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)
Max Farley (Orland Park, Illinois)

Community Service Award
Lindsey Thiele (Wahoo, Nebraska)

This team exemplified an impressive balance of academics, golf and community service and will receive an automatic exemption into the championship, complimentary registration which includes tournament entry, hotel accommodations and meals plus a $1,000 scholarship.

The All-Scholastic Team is named for Hugh Cranford, who served as executive director of Optimist International from 1967 to 1986. He was instrumental in starting the Optimist Junior Golf program, and in 1978 led the efforts to co-sponsor the Optimist Junior World Golf Championship in San Diego, the forerunner to today's Optimist International Junior Golf Championship. Cranford passed away in August 2014.


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. 
  • Golfers must qualify through an Optimist qualifier unless they are eligible through an exemption.
  • A junior golfer can play in more than one qualifier.
  • At each qualifier, a limited number of golfers in each division will advance provided they shoot the minimum qualifying score. Please check with the District Chair for details.

Optimist Districts and Clubs may provide financial support to the winners. 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 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 golf@optimist.org.

To find your District qualifier, click here.
Map of all qualifiers click here.

Membership Recruitment

The 2018-19 International Membership Committee is encouraging all Optimist Clubs to participate in “targeted recruitment” each month of this Optimist year. While all Members are valuable; this calendar   will hopefully encourage Clubs to seek new Members in areas that they may have overlooked. May ' s group to recruit is: Law Enforcement, Active-Duty Military and Veterans. One focus of Optimist is to promote respect for law, patriotism and work for international accord among all people. This group of people can help to promote those goals.
Upcoming Webinars
The Leadership Development Committee will be having the following webinars over the next few months:
  

May 13, 2019         Forms: Why Waste Your Time   Venus Sanford/Nicole Paquette
We will explore some of the known & unknown forms, reporting, tracking, etc. 8 causes of procrastination and how not to waste your time.
Some things to ponder and ask yourself to find out if your task is getting accomplished……
  1. Fear of the Unknown
  2. *I’ll do it later
  3. *I’m working on small tasks because they’re easier
  4. *You experience a lack of motivation
  5. *You are unclear about how to get started or where to find what’s needed
  6. *You often get distracted. You know the task will require effort and work
We will cover the understanding of what forms are needed to complete your task (via online or mail) and find in the most efficient way to accomplish it all. The Registration Link is:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3333040150004953859 


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  

Webinars begin at 7 p.m. Central time. If you have any questions, please contact leadership@optimist.org
Don't forget to order your Centennial Coin
The Optimist International Foundation has launched the 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin to celebrate OI's Centennial. This keepsake coin will be a special addition to any Optimist’s collection. This high-quality memento will be a 1.5-inch bronze coin featuring our Centennial logo, resting in a blue velour box, available for a donation of $100 (USD).

The proceeds from the 100th anniversary coin will be dedicated to help launch a new Optimist International effort: the Childhood Health & Wellness program.

Field Representative Refresher and Training Course

Brush up on your field-representative skills or to learn how to become a New Club Building field representative with an online class at 6:30 p.m. U.S. Central Time, May 22 via Zoom.

We will walk through the forms used by field reps, take suggestions for improving the forms, and make sure everybody is on the same page when it comes to acting on behalf of Optimist International at the organizational meeting for a new club.

The class should last 30 to 45 minutes.

Please express your interest to attend the class by contacting Jim.Boyd@optimist.org.
Canadian Children's Optimist Fund

It’s Spring at the Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation, with the season of the Oratorical, Essay and Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in full bloom. We are delighted to contribute to this new growth of talent by completely financing the winning scholarships. That said, scholarships don’t grow on trees.

Make an online donation to the Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation. Cultivate your Foundation for a flourishing youth!

 
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.

Scholarship Deadlines
This is Scholarship Season! Make sure your District submits winners on time. Here are deadlines for Districts to submit winners to Optimist International:
Oratorical: May 15, 2019
CCDHH: June 15, 2019
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.
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.
Contact the International Board of Directors 

If you have comments, concerns or suggestions for the International Board of Directors, please send to  board@optimist.org