Some of my friends, representing different Optimist Clubs around
the globe, are checking in on Facebook with their locations today as they head
to their ultimate destination: the 95th Optimist International Convention in
Cincinnati, Ohio. It will take place July 4-6, 2013.
At the convention, new international
officers will be selected during a mostly ceremonial election. According to
Optimist International bylaws, nominations are not accepted from the floor and
the International President-elect and regional Vice Presidents-elect are therefore
running unopposed.
The Board of Directors, with two seats to
fill, will be chosen from a slate of six candidates. While still no nominations
may be made from the floor, at least in this category delegates will have a
choice to make.
Delegates will also muddle their way
through 19 proposed amendments to the bylaws. Theoretically, the delegates will
have discussed all of these issues with the club that they represent because,
as I've said here many times, individuals belong to Optimist Clubs and Optimist Clubs make up Optimist International. Therefore the bylaws should apply to and
be approved by Optimist Clubs.
Somewhere in the early part of this century, that idea became skewed. The role of international board of directors
was invented and a push for individual representation was on. The challenge,
and partially why I am not attending this year's convention festivities, is
that the focus for Optimist International began moving away from providing
benefit to its member constituents (Optimist Clubs) to providing a more public
benefit. Through efforts such as the Childhood Cancer Campaign, Optimist
International began raising and giving money away to a third party.
This year, one of the amendments to be
considered allows individual memberships to Optimist International. The need to
belong to an Optimist Club will be removed by this pilot program. While I am
outraged, the crafters of the proposal say, don't worry, these members won't be
allowed to vote. Well, now, isn't that special. If successful, there will be a
large portion of members without a voice. If not successful, the organization
will have still told its member clubs, we're looking to replace you. What a lose-lose
situation for all and, in my opinion, a public relations debacle.
Optimist International posted on its
Facebook page today that 1,000 persons are registered for the convention. That
includes staff, vendors, and family members of registered delegates. That seems like a rather low
number although percentage-wise it's probably within acceptable terms. And as I mentioned earlier, I'm one of those who decided not to go.
For me, a three-day trip to Cincinnati
would have required, due to airline availability out of Boise, four days and at
least $2,000. I would have gladly made the trip if I felt that had a real need
to be there or if I believed my presence would make a difference. But as I know
that communication within the organization is top-down and informational only,
I feel shut out. I decided that it was better for me to feel shut out from afar rather than being an island amidst a sea of revelers. Those revelers, Optimist Club
members and friends that I enjoy, seem to have somehow forgotten that the
purpose of the convention is not social. Social is a benefit, a wonderful
benefit; but the purpose of the international convention is to create a forum
where member clubs can provide guidance to the organization and generate
enthusiasm behind a common purpose. That common purpose is the work of Optimist Clubs.
When they realize that, we'll take our
organization back to the Optimist Club model – a model where providing local benefit is empowered by the
international umbrella. Service clubs are not dead. Optimist Clubs are not
dying. They are just being led astray. It's up to caring members to get them
back on track. Contact me to learn more.
