Somewhat concerning to me, however, is the front, back and inside cover display persons who appear to be under 30 years old. I am a bit confused; are these students that we are providing services for or are they members? I'm not so sure that I want to be in an organization made up primarily of 20-somethings. I'm not sure that millenials, persons born after 1983, care to be in an organization made up of people their parents and grandparents age.
For years we have bemoaned the graying of our service clubs. We have worried that succeeding generations will not step to carry on our legacy. I'm going to say something here that may sound harsh; maybe they won't carry on our legacy and that is okay.
Millenial aged individuals are a unique breed. This generation, one that has never known a world without the internet is emerging, graduating from high school and college and going to work to become productive citizens of society. These persons are creating their own jobs and their own service opportunities. They are finding their own way, with more tools and resources than older generations could ever have imagined. The millenials are on their way to creating their own legacy.
Service clubs are not going to be saved by an influx of young people who want to carry on business as usual nor are they going to find many who care to spend the time it would take to adapt standard operating procedures to make them more in line with their frame of reference. Therefore, service clubs must embrace their responsibility to educate the public about their role and how an active service club community enhances the quality of life for its people.
While this education and awareness process takes, place we must also be cognizant of what it takes for individual clubs to stay alive. What should Optimist Clubs do to ensure their survival?
- Be relevant to existing members. To borrow an idea from Seth Godin, existing members are your true fans; they will buy what you sell every time you sell it.
- Be approachable and open to new ideas and people. Individuals have to be personable in their own right; however, the success of the Optimist Club lies in its collective ability to collaborate and innovate. One person can shake hands and make introductions, but it takes more than one person to make new ideas thrive within a group setting.
- Be authentic. Many have become tired of the overused term 'transparent' where everything that happens within an organization, company, agency or government is bared for all to see. Can anything run efficiently when it is that open? I'm not going to weigh in on that debate here, but rather opt for authenticity. Be what you say you are and don't hold yourself out to be something that you are not. Your honesty will allow new people to choose to be associated with your club.
- Be positive. Optimist Clubs must live up to their name; they must consistently deliver a positive experience. That does not mean that they can't tackle difficult issues, it only suggests they should do so with a can-do attitude.
Optimist Clubs are no different, in order to be relevant to existing and potential members, we must stop trying to reinvent ourselves to fit into what we perceive to be someone else's ideal. We must promote and protect the purposes of Optimist International before they are lost in an attempt to deliver the unknown. We must be positive that our way of life will lead to a better world.
