Live the Optimist Creed

Sharing the Optimist Creed is one of my favorite things to do. And it is oh-so easy with social media, from Facebook to Pinterest and beyond, to spread its message far and wide.

The Optimist Creed was written by Christian D. Larson in 1912. In 1922, Optimist International adopted the Optimist Creed as a statement of self-responsibility to make our world a better place to live. It has been adopted by other causes, but none other are as far-reaching as the Optimist Club's ability to do good things in local communities around the world. Every Optimist Club meeting begins or ends by its members reciting the Creed together as they share its promises with one another. Shared promises become more than a dream, they become a responsibility and in time, a reality.

Many individuals choose particular lines from the Optimist Creed as their favorite. As for me, I like them all and depending on the day, one may have more meaning. Today, for instance, I'm finding motivation in, "Press on to the greater achievements of the future."

You see, the summer is almost over and as children return to school, the fall begins with a zest for new beginnings. At work, the summer lull is blossoming into a full schedule of autumn events, events that will nurture the participants. I will take care to share the tenet, "To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others," as I coordinate professional development activities for my employer and as I work with my Optimist Club and District, I will give special attention to, "Make all your friends feel that there is something in them."

There's something in the Optimist Creed for everybody. Read it. Enjoy it. Share it. Most of all, live it. Live the Optimist Creed.

Ten resolutions: Live the Optimist Creed

I know that I should probably say that what I like most about belonging to an Optimist Club are the people. Working together with others who share similar goals and ideas for our communities is special and I do appreciate the friendships that I have made in my club and throughout the Optimist International organization. 

However, what I like most about belonging to an Optimist Club is the Optimist Creed. The Optimist Creed, written by Christian D. Larson and adopted by Optimist International in 1922, provides ten simple resolutions that will lead the reader to happiness. As we make our resolutions for the new year, one would be wise to keep the tenets of the Optimist Creed in mind. Adopt the words, and actions, as the way you choose to live each day:

Promise Yourself
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

 Download a printable copy of the Optimist Creed. 

As you might imagine, one can read and live by the Optimist Creed without belonging to an Optimist Club and while that is a good start, your purpose is not complete until you share your commitment with others.

Optimist Club members promise to share a positive way of life with others. They support one another, and their communities, with this dream and draw strength from one another in order to fulfill it. You, and those around you, will draw the same strength by sharing optimism with others. Join an Optimist Club and be a positive force for good in your home and community.

Optimism relies on personal responsibility

Recited at every gathering of Optimist Club members, the Optimist Creed spreads a positive message that inspires us to live well each day.

Optimist Club members know the Optimist Creed to be 10 tenets that propel us to think optimistically and live a positive lifestyle. However, when Christian D. Larson first penned the Optimist Creed in 1912 he wrote 12 tenets.  The last two are published here for your consideration:

• To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.
• To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

I like the last two lines for they ask you to do more than recite inspirational words.  The 11th line asks you to go into the world and demonstrate your positive nature through "great deeds;" hence, the projects that Optimist Clubs do in their communities.

The final statement, the 12th line of the original Optimist Creed, insists on personal responsibility.  When we accept that we are in charge of our own destiny and when we rise above worry and move forward to action, we will find positive energy and support from those around us, those who wish us well and those who want us to succeed.  You will find that support from your friends and colleagues in your local Optimist Club.

The Optimist Creed has been adopted by other groups, some who are using its message as a law of attraction: that good things come to those who will them to come to them.  That's okay.  If we all willed good things to come to us and then took the responsibility and action to make them happen, what a wonderful world this would be.

Promise yourself

Optimist International posted a poll on Facebook today asking their friends to tell them which line of the Optimist Creed they try to follow. Well every true Optimist Club member tries to follow each one. We're kind of geared that way.

For a refresher, the Optimist Creed follows:

Promise Yourself 

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true
To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future
To were a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Written by Christian Larson, the Optimist Creed was adopted by Optimist International in 1922 and is the single most unifying force for Optimist Clubs around the world. While the leaders often speak of finding a flagship program in order to engage others, I wonder why. Spreading optimism around the world seems like a flagship program to me. In fact, others like journalist Gretchen Rubin and Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com are doing something similar by sharing happiness. In England, a national movement was launched just last year to promote Action for Happiness. They say, "Doing good feels good." I agree.

Are optimism and happiness the same thing? Not exactly, but optimism - the act of thinking positive thoughts  - will lead to happiness. Thinking of good things will make you happier; and when  you are happy, it's easy to look at the sunny side of everything. That's optimism; what a great way to live!

Go ahead, take just a moment and read the Optimist Creed aloud and tell me if you don't agree.

Recite the Optimist Creed; wake up on the bright side

It's always interesting to see if my weekly thought about joining an Optimist Club has legs. In other words, which one of my pithy little statements will be shared and shared again on Facebook?

I posted this particular thought (Wake up on the bright side of life: Join an Optimist Club)during  the Optimist International Convention and sure enough, it went from coast to coast as Optimist Club members from North America shared it with their own Optimist Clubs.

Most know that the Optimist Creed tells us to "Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true." If you are striving to do so, it is inevitable that you will wake up with a sunny disposition. I also believe that if you know you have friends who are striving to do the same, you'll try even harder to make your collaborative promise come true.

One of my favorite things about being an Optimist Club member is reciting the Optimist Creed with others. It's a powerful promise when we say the ten resolutions to ourselves each day, and when we say it together, it rings with action.

If you enjoy having a positive nature, and who doesn't, I encourage you to share optimism and join an Optimist Club today.  Click here to find an Optimist Club near you or contact me. I would be happy to help you start a new Optimist Club in your community. 

#BeAnOptimist

It's pretty easy to talk smack. It's sad when the President of the United States does so frequently
without batting an eye. From "Crooked Hillary" to "Sleepy Joe," another election season is enveloping the US, and the world, and pushing through just like a tornado.

That's why it is important to be an optimist. We must divert our attention from the Twitter feed and the 24-hour news cycle that often shares negative stories or negative angles to what might otherwise be just news - something that happened - and nothing else.

One way to be an optimist is to read, recite, and share the Optimist Creed. Shown to the right is the second tenet of the Optimist Creed: "Promise yourself to talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet."

If everyone would just do that, the world would be a much more pleasant place to live. It's a good place to be already. Don't you want to make it better?

• Download a printable copy of the Optimist Creed here. 
• Enjoy the Optimist Creed online here.  

Do your part. #BeAnOptimist

#ShareOptimism with #FacesofOptimism

If you are like me, you find that different lines of the Optimist Creed inspire you at different times.

For keeping an open mind, I like "To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best." There is a tendancy to interpret words and actions differently, expecially across cultural lines. For excellent communication to happen, we have to keep an open mind and be ready to understand others meanings.

For overcoming challenges, I like "To press on to the greater achievements of the future." There will always be roadblocks in our lives, and it is important that they not stop us from achieving our final destination or calling. We must persevere.

For keeping a positive tone, I like "To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person that you meet." Growing up, I would frequent a local restaurant with my parents. The clientele was older than them and much older than me. The talk would circle around those who were in the hospital or who had gotten bad news, be it a divorce or  job displacement, among other things. I would tell myself that positive words were so much nicer to hear.

I think, however, there is something overwhelmingly special about "To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile." You see, when you act out the emotion, you begin to feel the emotion and smiles, being the contagious reflexes that they are, spread to others and all of those smiles make the world a more pleasant place to live.

Optimist International is encouraging others to share their favorite line of the Optimist Creed through a program called #FacesofOptimism. If you want to #shareoptimism, post your professional head shot with the hashtag #FacesofOptimism on your social media channels. I look forward to learning your favorite line of the Optimist Creed!

Share optimism with the Optimist Creed

The year of 2017 has left us and now, as we move forward in 2018, we must always promise ourselves to do so with optimism.

To help maintain your positive thoughts this year, we propose a daily reading of the Optimist Creed. To help others maintain their positive thoughts, we encourage you to share optimism by sharing the Optimist Creed.

Please click to download a copy and then share with your friends and colleagues both online and offline. Please keep the optimist movement going throughout the year! Thank you.

The club model is not dead, but it does need some help

I've recently heard of an idea generated by the Optimist International Board of Directors that will create a
"member at large" category of membership. It has been suggested as an amendment to the organization's bylaws to be reviewed and voted on by members who attend the Optimist International Convention in July, 2013.

As written, the member at large option would allow an individual to bypass an Optimist Club and associate directly with Optimist International. It has been pointed out that this might violate its charter within the constraints of Missouri law, where the organization is officially incorporated and headquartered. Knowing that this option has been proposed and rejected before, I immediately assumed that this conflict with regulation has conceivably  been resolved. From my viewpoint, however, the legal process is not the issue.

The issue is that those in leadership positions would even consider abandoning the club model in order to focus on individual memberships. I've said it before and I will say it again, individuals belong to Optimist Clubs and Optimist Clubs belong to Optimist International.

The traditional service club model may seem old-fashioned to the millennial generation. It may even seem old-fashioned to baby boomers and those outside or in-between, but that does not mean that the club model is dead. It simply means that Optimist Clubs and our perception of Optimist Clubs needs to evolve. But in order to evolve, there must be a foundation that does not tilt with every passing wind. Optimist International must first and foremost establish its unique value proposition and that includes making the case to individuals of the importance of being involved with a local club. Optimist Clubs can then run with the theme to do remarkable things in their communities.

Over the past ten years or so, the organization has struggled to determine what it stands for. Some thought it might be the eradication of childhood cancers and the Cure Childhood Cancer Campaign was established. Some thought it might be Optimist Junior Golf Championships and the golf tournament broke away from the Junior World of Golf and grew in its own right. Still even others thought it was simply to bring out the best in kids and they began promoting a mission so broad that nothing differentiates it from other organizations, schools, groups, and countless others who work for children's causes.

I posit that Optimist International's UVP should instead be similar to the following statement:

"Using the philosophy of the Optimist Creed, Optimist Clubs make positive changes in their communities. Optimist International provides resources to help Optimist Clubs effectively manage their time and the impact of their community service projects." 

Optimist International needs to get out of the leadership business and make itself a resource to its clubs instead of individual people.

With more resources, like grant opportunities, event planning ideas and marketing and promotional tools, among others, clubs would have the opportunity to evolve in a meaningful way. As Optimist Clubs evolve, Optimist International will prosper, but it is incumbent upon the organization to lift its clubs up. It must ask its clubs what they need and then do their best to respond.

Most of all, I believe that Optimist International must stop trying to recruit members for themselves. I can't think of a bigger competitor for Optimist Clubs than the umbrella organization to which they all belong.

The Optimist Creed, always

Over the years, I've discovered that Optimist Club meetings vary in style in substance. Some offer informative speakers so that Optimist Club members can learn about what's happening in their communities, among other things. Others focus on business and the Optimist Club members make plans for how they will serve more people and more causes. A few focus on fun and tell jokes and share social time with their community of friends.

However, one thing remains constant. No matter where you travel, an Optimist Club meeting will always begin or end with the Optimist Creed. In the following video, the Optimist Club of Apple Valley, CA shares its rendition of the Optimist Creed featuring the most important part of any club: its people. Enjoy. 

Talk health, happiness and prosperity

I stumbled upon a community website for Salem, Oregon where groups and organizations were asked to write about their clubs goals and purpose.  The Optimist Club of Salem, Oregon wrote that their goal was to  talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

Optimist Club members know that is the second line of our Optimist Creed.  We say it every time we meet, but has anyone ever simplified the mission of their club into one line? Think of how remarkable your club meetings would be if talking health, happiness and prosperity was your purpose for meeting.  Think about the positive actions you would have in your community if this was your purpose for serving.

Optimist Clubs take on many wonderful projects. My tip for today is to be sure you always act with the Optimist Creed in mind. 

Click here to read more about the purpose and goals of the Optimist Club of Salem, Oregon told through an interpretation of the Optimist Creed. 

Recite the Optimist Creed

Members of the California South District - Optimist International were happy to participate in the video demonstration that I presented recently. The topic was the Optimist Creed and perhaps the best way to describe the creed is to recite it and let others feel what it is all about themselves.

Enjoy!

Zone 4 Cal South District recites the Optimist Creed. It's part of the social media exercise at the first quarterly.
Posted by Linda Vaught on Saturday, October 31, 2015

Optimist Creed

People are talking about the Optimist Creed today. The author of "The Secret" has posted it on their website and emailed their subscribers the sacred words of every Optimist Club. Optimist Clubs can be found around the thirty-six countries around the world. Whenever Optimists gather, they recite the Optimist Creed.

Please enjoy the words we choose to live by:

Promise yourself ~
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of your self that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, to noble for anger, to strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Written by Christian Larson
Adopted by Optimist International in 1922

Good government starts with the Optimist Creed

The Optimist Club of Caldwell, Idaho had a special guest today.  Senator Mike Crapo stopped by to discuss current events, the economy and what the government is doing to affect change. He said from the beginning that his talk was not optimistic and he was right. While he did not give a political stump speech that one might expect during an election year, he was tough on the lines that divide our current Congress and Senate decisions.  There are some scary economic realities that face our electorate and our leaders.

Senator Mike Crapo reads the Optimist Creed

One of our purposes as Optimist Club members is to promote good government and civic affairs so hearing from our elected leaders is the right thing to do. But it is also right to remind them that they are there to promote good policy, work to compromise and alleviate hardship. I especially enjoyed Optimist Club member Casey Crookham's final question to the senator. He asked, "What policy or policies are are you especially proud of from your time in office?"

Senator Crapo's reply was so one that is so important to Idaho. He said that he was proud of the rural economic development initiatives that have come from the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Commerce. Both have been quite effective in helping develop infrastructure in Idaho, especially in cities that are facing rural-to-urban challenges.

Yes, we are optimistic about the future in Idaho. And just to prove our point, Senator Crapo led us in the Optimist Creed.  I hope he takes the message back to Washington D.C. with him.

Optimist Club shares their story with a Squidoo lens

I was a little surprised to find a Squidoo lens focused on an Optimist Club. I don't know why it surprised me; after all, Squidoo is the platform that lets you "Publish gorgeous web pages about all your favorite things."  Optimist Clubs certainly fit that description for me!

The Optimist Club in the spotlight this time is the Optimist Club of Rock Hill, South Carolina. They started the lens back in 2009 and although it hasn't been updated frequently, it has enough information about what they do in the community to attract attention.  In fact, one of the comments from a reader is: "I didn't know what the Optimist Club was, but now I do."

The page starts out with a simple statement, "The Optimists of Rock Hill Need You!"

The author describes how you can make a difference in the lives of children through your involvement with the Optimist Club. They also give a glimpse of how you can make a difference in your own life with the Optimist Creed. Written by Christian Larson, the Optimist Creed is ten simple tenets to remind you to think, live and expect positive outcomes in your life.

One of my favorite parts of their small lens was a program that I believe is unique to their club: The Junior Optimist Art Club.

This is the ninth art club started in the Rock Hills schools and it is made up of kindergarten and first grade students. An after school art club serves kids through fifth grade. One of their service projects is to provide artwork to nursing homes.

I always enjoy a quick tour of a random Optimist Club.  Don't you?

Optimist Clubs should be about optimism

Have you ever thought or said that someone just doesn’t get it?  Have you imagined that the person you are talking to doesn’t understand you or your position or perhaps doesn’t see the grand scheme of things? 

It really is a subjective phrase; one that is often used to dismiss an issue or conversation.  Perhaps the person doesn’t understand your position or perhaps they don’t agree with you; but to just move on as if an agreement has been reached helps no one.  You are dissatisfied as the person who has acquiesced and the person who has their way may or may not even realize they have secured a small victory.

Communication is much harder than it should be.  I have found this especially true in my role as governor of a district in Optimist International.   Optimist International is an umbrella organization with a set of bylaws and a board of directors to interpret policies so that being a member is fair and beneficial to all and so that the integrity of the organization is maintained.

The organization extends rights to the clubs organized under the umbrella to conduct programs in their communities using the name of the local Optimist Club.   The local Optimist Club has a board of directors that guide its mission based on their affiliation with Optimist International. There is a pecking order.  If a club says that they are conducting an Optimist International program, that program should be one that is outlined on the Optimist International website and has guidelines for how every club can participate.  If it is a program that is local and involves only your community or region, then it is an Optimist Club program. 

Some programs, as wonderful as they may be, are not recognized by the International Board of Directors as having a universal appeal.  They may not fit the purposes of Optimist International or may divert attention away from the cause that the organization has already chosen to support.  That doesn’t mean that an Optimist Club must abandon their program, but it does beg for respect and understanding. 

If your club has such a program, please ask yourself: do your club members come together to be an Optimist Club or do you come together to carry out the program? 

There is significance in this question.  In the article Choose your customers, choose your future, Seth Godin explains that your customers define you.  This is a concept that I inherently get.  I belong to an Optimist Club because I want to create and share a positive view on life with others and offer programs that help children develop into caring, positive-thinking adults.   I believe those projects may evolve and change with the times, but in the end the Optimist Creed will always be the reason that I attend an Optimist Club meeting. 

There are others who think that extending the Optimist Club umbrella to others with single-purpose programs will bring more members.  But at what cost?  I belong to an Optimist Club to share optimism.  Some people belong to a book club to read, discuss books and promote literacy.  Others belong to bowling leagues to bowl, or take cooking classes to learn to cook. There is room and need for many groups with many interests.  As Bill Cosby said, "I don't know the secret to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." 

Optimist Clubs do not need to be all things for all people, but they do need to be first and foremost an organization that promotes a positive way of life.  That’s in the charter.  It’s in the name.  I get it.  Do you?  

Optimist International is a powerful force for good

Optimist Clubs conduct community service projects on a local level with an emphasis on programs that help children live up to their full potential. That doesn't mean that a club might not focus on pets, adults, the environment, health and wellness, and the many other elements that come together to make up the community at large. Quite the contrary; everything that we do as an Optimist Club should help our members and our stakeholders have a better quality of life.

Optimist Clubs sometimes form for single purposes like sports or to complete a project in the community. When the project is completed, there may not be a need for an Optimist Club unless those who came together know what else an Optimist Club can do. That's why I believe every Optimist Club, old, new or in-between,  should follow the purposes of Optimist International:

• To develop optimism as a philosophy of life, utilizing the tenets of the Optimist Creed;
• To promote an active interest in good government and civic affairs;
• To inspire respect for the law;
• To promote patriotism and work for international accord and friendship among all people;
• To aid and encourage the development of youth, in the belief that the giving of one’s self in service to others will advance the well-being of humankind, community life and the world.

And be true to the mission statement of the organization:

• With hope and positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in children. 

I'm part of a group on LinkedIn for Optimist Club members and recently there has been discussion about a new Optimist Club that was formed to serve the American Cancer Society through fundraising and other means. The club is creating its own mission statement. According to a club spokesperson, this club will embrace some elements of Optimist International's mission statement, but it will have goals that are distinct. 

Every Optimist Club is autonomous. That's a given and both a beauty and downfall of the organization. The beauty of autonomy is that it is easier to organize a club when you can adopt another's reason for being. The downside is that doing so dilutes the purposes, reputation and identity of Optimist International. 

I believe in the purposes of Optimist International and would encourage every new club builder and every member to remember what we stand for as Optimists. Spread the words, dreams, and deeds of Optimist International first and foremost. 

Affiliation with Optimist International is a powerful force for good in its own right and we should celebrate its potential and accomplishments just as we celebrate the potential and accomplishments of those we serve. Don't give away the opportunity to be an Optimist Club. It's a special feeling that can, given the chance, lead to a rewarding way of life. 

Optimist spring

Hope blossoms once a year giving rebirth to nature and promising growth and happiness to all who step outside to view its colorful canvas.

Plans are put into action to fulfill the dreams made during the cover of winter's chill. Spring has arrived.

Every day, I read, and sometimes recite, the Optimist Creed. It gives me hope year-round. I don't have to wait for the clouds to clear, the snow to melt, or the sun to shine to share my optimism with the world. The Optimist Creed inspires my optimism every day.

Thanks to the gentlemen who invited me, ever so reluctantly, to join their Optimist Club more than 25 years ago, I find that I have a dose of optimism - a dose of spring - every time I gather with others to share my optimism as part of a group that wants only to do good in their community. We make plans to host oratorical and essay scholarship contests, provide youth sports programs, host Easter egg hunts, show movies in the park and so much more. But most important, we share springtime with hope and positive vision for all.

I invite you to experience a year-round spring by being part of an Optimist Club. Share optimism. Join an Optimist Club. Click here to find an Optimist Club near you or contact me and I will help you start a new Optimist Club in your community.

The Sunshine Optimist Club recites the Optimist Creed

The Sunshine Optimist Club was developed within a developmental disability agency, Independent Living Services, in Conway, Arkansas. Its purpose is to help students and their families be better prepared for life after high school. By working through the Optimist Club, parents and children establish different relationships than that of caregiver and child and together they make informed decisions about moving forward to an independent lifestyle.

For some parents, knowing that there is a social, emotional, and professional network available to their child makes it easier for them to let go. As members of an Optimist Club, the young adults get to perform community service with peers and build relationships with others outside of the immediate circle of friends.

While this model is still new, and I'm not aware of any other groups that have tried this option, one thing is certain, Optimist Club members from all walks of life enjoy performing one act together. That act is shown in this video as the Sunshine Optimist Club recites the Optimist Creed. Please watch, and don't be afraid to join in.

Great website: Piper Creek Optimist Club of Red Deer, Alberta

Sometimes I run into websites that tell the Optimist Club story in an unique way.  Today I found one of those and I invite you to take a look at the Piper Creek Optimist Club of Red Deer, Alberta, CA with me. 

Beginning at the home page, you will know that you want to be an Optimist Club member if you want to take a positive approach to life.  They have kept an older tagline for Optimist International as their centerpiece: the Optimist difference...it's all in our name.  I like it!

Next, they have organized their site very well:

Events = fundraising activities that you will want to attend.  Click on the more buttons to find out why.

Projects = the activities the Piper Creek Optimist Club conducts or supports in their community.  Again, the more button will let you find out all about them individually.

About = shares the purposes of an Optimist Club and links you to more information about Optimist International, the formation of the Piper Creek Optimist Club and the Alberta, Montana, Saskatchewan , and N. Wyoming District and the Optimist Creed.  Again, click the more button to learn more about each topic.

Members = You guessed it!  Information for members, but such information is relevant to the community at large.  Kudos to the web designer for not password protecting it and allowing everyone who cares to know what the Optimist Club of Piper Creeek is doing.
Contact = Yes, contact information seems pretty simple, but they have even included instructions for how to request funds as well as how to join. 

Yes, this is an approachable club. If you live near Red Deer, Alberta, please join, for the Piper Creek Optimist Club looks like an engaged, well-organized, professional asset to the community.