Optimist International is divided into eight regions and forty-nine districts for administrative purposes. This year, for the first time ever, the organization encouraged the districts to combine their first quarter conferences into regional events. Seven of the eight regions did so and with only one more to go after this weekend passes, we can say that it has been more of a success in some regions than in others. Attendance has ranged in the US from 65 to 400 members. In Quebec, there were 750 members registered. Much to his credit, Danny Rodgers, President, Optimist International, has been at every event to motivate and teach Optimist Club members.Although my region is the one that chose not to have a regional conference, I am friends with many of the district leaders on Facebook and I have seen their overwhelmingly positive reactions to the conference they attended. (I've also noticed that more than a few attended more than one conference.) Today I found a quick little notice in an Optimist Club newsletter about their impression of the event.
According to the Opti-mill News, the official publication of the Milton, Ontario Optimist Club, five of their members attended the "Parallel District Conference in Niagara Falls." Attendees included the president and president-elect, a member of the club's board of directors and two members at large. While there, they saw presentations from Optimist International leaders previously only seen at the International Convention. "So look out," the newsletter editor says, "your members that were present came away with a lot of ideas that can be done by your club. You will hear more about these ideas in the coming months."
I wonder what those ideas were? I wonder if that was a boilerplate statement given to all bulletin editors to use? I wonder if there was a similar experience at each event; that is, I wonder if the same message was given across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean? I wonder if those who did not attend will ever receive the message? I hope so.
