Inspire, teach, reach and share

Inspiration comes from many sources. Some wake up to watch the sunrise while others cling to their pillow hoping to bring their nocturnal dreams to life. Some rise ready to sing life's praises, and others read the newspaper, watch the news stations, or log on to their computer to see what is worth their attention that day. We check into Facebook and update our friends on our activities and look to Twitter for a snapshot of the world.  As the day progresses, we write our own stories in our hearts and minds of the many ways we have made our life a little better and when we are very fortunate, how we helped others.

Words and deeds, thoughts and actions - all are important. All are inspirational. As an Optimist Club leader, I encourage my fellow service club members to share their stories of service with others, and I encourage every Optimist Club to start a blog so they can tell their stories in their own words and with their own passion. That  is what will bring the most attention to our mission of service and the 65,000 projects we perform every year. 

Gordon "Optimist Gord" Welling

Now an online friend has made the blogging experience even easier for those who were afraid to get started on their own. Meet Gordon Welling - or Optimist Gord as he refers to himself.

Optimist Gord is the Web Services Chair and online voice for the AMS&NW District 13 - Optimist International and the co-creator of the Edmonton Dinner Optimist Club website. He's taken my dream of every Optimist Club having their own blog and started making it a reality with a series of online tutorials at Put Your Club Online With Blogger.

The idea to create tutorials came to him as he was working on the Edmonton Dinner Optimist Club website. By his account, he has been working on the project for more than four months. There are currently four modules that take a novice blogger through the Getting Started stages to the Add your First Content. More modules are planned that will help the blogger create a website from their blog.

He has also created a useful list of free and easy-to-use resources and a privacy/terms of use policy that can be adapted to fit your website or blog.

With these step-by-step guidelines, Optimist Club members and others can share their stories with confidence, knowing help and encouragement is only a click away.

Quite an endeavor. And quite an inspiration. Thank you Optimist Gord for sharing your optimism by helping others share theirs.