A woman to lead

I hope that I don't offend you with a general observation that I am going to make: service clubs are famous for promoting old men. Similar to when you look at corporate organizational structures, when you look at the boards of directors and officers at club and international levels, the men far outnumber the women.

Nonetheless, I am still surprised when I run across an Optimist Club that has just installed its first female president. Kudos this morning to the Morning Optimist Club of Yankton, South Dakota and president Lisa Berry.

Lisa is shown here making a donation to the Yankton Baseball Association. The club is an active supporter of youth sports and education in the community and in the past year has donated almost $25,000 to academic and athletic programs. It also contributes to leadership programs including Boy Scouts and the Boys & Girls Club, among others.

Working on leadership within its core has been on the club members' minds. According to member Jacob Hoffner, the club has been encouraging Lisa to take the reins for many years. Her accepting this new role has been accompanied by a younger set joining the Optimist Club. Boasting ten new members thus far, the Morning Optimist Club of Yankton now has 99 members.

Good luck in your growth, Optimists. Thank you for your service. And best wishes to Lisa and the many more women that will follow in her footsteps.

Photo credit: www.yankton.net