Recognition for students or adults?

The headline said, "Big awards given, students recognized" and this was the photo that accompanied the story.

I thought, oh my, those two gentlemen don't look like students. And then I read the rest of the story.

It is worth certainly worth noting that Wayne Bruch, left, received the Optimist of the Year Award for 2013 and Doug Godin received the Key Man Award for 2013. The presentations were made at during the student recognition program for the Fort Morgan Middle School students. I would imagine that the audience included students, parents and educators along with Optimist Club members and their guests.

The good news is that the club got to brag a little about its members and projects to a receptive audience. The bad news is that the Fort Morgan Times kind of short-changed the students with their coverage.

It appears that the paper responded to a press release from the Optimist Club for this article. "'The Evening Optimist Club is glad to fund an amazing program such as this,' the release says," writes the news staff as it describes how students were nominated to receive recognition. But sadly, there's no picture of students and not even a listing of their names.

This is an example of how we can cross purposes with a press release. I would imagine that the reporter assigned to the story wasn't sure which idea to promote and made the best decision they could given their knowledge of the subject. For me, I'd rather see pictures of the students; and this makes it look like the Optimist Club recognizes their own first.

Free advice: When sending out a press release, be sure that you are promoting one idea, not many. And make darn sure that you want the picture included with the story that is written.

Congratulations to all, the adults and the students, honored by the Fort Morgan Evening Optimist Club.

Diaper drive helps families help themselves at Christmas

This just in from the Pueblo Optimist Club, serving the Pueblo, Colorado community:

"It is time again for the diaper drive. Last year the Optimists delivered a whopping 8,728 diapers to Joe Mahoney for the Pueblo Catholic Charities. Summit Brick collected 3,120 and challenged other businesses. ENT Credit Unions, Pueblo Wintronics, many local businesses, anonymous donors, Optimist's friends, family and coworkers all dug deep to make this event a grand success.

As was done last year, all items will be dispersed thru Pueblo Catholic Charities - please contact Shannon to arrange for your donations. Help keep our babies healthy and reduce family stress during the holidays!"

Now that is a lot of diapers! I'm sure they could use your help to complete their mission or perhaps your Optimist Club might want to reach out to your community in a similar way.

Great ideas should be shared. Share your optimism today. Use the form below to tell us about one of your favorite service projects now.

Eerie or cute, it's Halloween

It's Halloween time, with ghouls, goblins and zombies appearing all about town and many are with an Optimist Club. I've seen parties, trunk or treat, and many more activities that are worthy of mention like the absolutely adorable pumpkin races that are taking place in Princeton, Illinois.

News and Weather For The Quad Cities -

However, I've only seen one activity where the name truly fits: Eerie Erie. Yes, that's right, the Optimist Club of Erie, Colorado encourages the community to come out in costume for a 5k or 10k Goblin run or walk about town. They make the town eerie, if only for a few hours, just in time for Halloween. Some photos of the event, courtesy of the Erie Optimist Club are shown here. To learn more, please visit the Erie Optimist Club website. 

Hello there, trout

Four-year old James McCoy caught his first fish over the weekend. It was a 14-inch trout and the occasion was made possible by an Optimist Club.

The Optimist Club members of Buena Vista, Colorado were the hosts of the Annual Fun in the Park event that included the fishing derby. Local angler groups and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife helped sponsor the event and served as mentors for the young fishermen and women.

According to the Optimist Club, significant numbers to know from the event are:

• 122 kids went fishing
• 76 fish were caught
• 196 bags of chips were consumed
• 10 gallons of lemonaid were drank
• 220 hot dogs and buns were enjoyed by all

And at least one young man saw up close and personal just how scary a 14-inch trout can be. 

Story and picture courtesy of the Buena Vista Optimist Club.

Oratorical contest gives hope for the future

The Optimist Club of Windsor, Colorado recently hosted its Annual Oratorical Contest. In promoting the contest, it focused on the activity being the oldest and most well-known program for Optimist International. This year's topic, "Why My Voice is Important," allows students to think, write, and share their ideas in a critical way.

I was touched by some of the remarks made by the judges after witnessing the Windsor Optimist Oratorical Contest and thought I would share them here: 

• “I am thankful for the Optimist Club investing in the young people in our community, we have some incredibly talented teenagers in Windsor.” — Reza Zadeh
• “I was very impressed to see so many kids who are obviously both gifted and highly motivated. It gives me hope for the future.” — Trish Rand
• “I was very impressed with the students and how they interpreted the meaning of ‘using their voice’ and how important it was to them.” — Susan Vanderen

These are common  impressions of our young participants after one witnesses an Optimist Oratorical Contest. Communication is so important and today, when so much communicating takes place online and in writing, it is important that the art of delivering a speech and connecting with people in a live forum does not disappear. As Optimist Club members, we must work to ensure that doesn't happen.

If your club does not host the Optimist International Oratorical Contest, it should. Read up now on how to do it and be sure that the students in your community have every opportunity to participate.

Photo courtesy of Sandi Squicquero and the Windsor Optimist Club. Twelve students participated in the club contest, seven girls and 5 boys. The photo shows the girls division.

Youth Appreciation Awards in Greeley, CO

In Greeley, Colorado, the Optimist Club recognized four outstanding young people for their participation in extracurricular activities, specifically the Boys and Girls Club.

Nominated by their mentors and honored by the Optimists were Tatiana Guevara, Thomas Edmunds, Angel Arreola-Castenada and Maria Arreola-Castenada.

Shown with the students are Ron Wittow with the Optimist Club and Gus Mircos and Samantha Ruiz for the Boys and Girls Club.

The partnership between the clubs bring attention to the work that both organizations do with youth. The Optimist International Youth Appreciation Awards are given by Optimist Clubs around the world to recognize something special in kids.

Optimist Club of Monaco South, Denver, recognized for philanthropy

According to the website, National Philanthropy Day in Colorado is:

"...the special day set aside to recognize and pay tribute to the great contributions that philanthropy -- and those people active in the philanthropic community -- have made to our lives, our communities and our world. Celebrations are held annually in many states across the nation."

 On November 9, ten businesses, individuals and organizations were honored for their service to their communities. Among them were the Optimist Club of Monaco South in Denver Colorado. Randy Marcove, President, shared this video on YouTube. It describes what Optimist Clubs do to bring out the best in youth.

Congratulations to the Optimist Club of Monaco South on your recognition. Thank you for your service.

It's scholarship season for Optimist Clubs

Optimist Club of Perdido Bay submitted by Sally McKinney

The spring is one of the best times to be an Optimist Club member for during this time of year we get to hear the thoughts and dreams of the young people in our communities through their participation in the Optimist International Scholarship programs. This year the Optimist International Essay Contest, the Optimist International Oratorical Contest and the Communications Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing have similar themes around our organization's founding principles of optimism.

Shown in the picture above are members of the Optimist Club of Perdido Bay, Alabama and the winners of the club Essay Contest. The students wrote about "How my positive outlook benefits my community."

Shown below are students from the Windsor Optimist Club of Colorado. Fourteen contestants spoke on the topic, "How my optimism helps me overcome obstacles."  Deaf and hard of hearing students will present on the same topic.

Contestants in the Windsor Optimist Club Oratorical Contest photo by Tom Macy 

Scholarship programs are only one way that Optimist Clubs help children fulfill their full potential. Other programs that focus on youth sports, youth safety and community service, among others, allow students and adults to interact in ways that benefit both the kids and the adults and that interaction makes the communities with Optimist Clubs among some of the best places in the world to live.

Add your Optimist Club to your Facebook profile

Please allow me to introduce you to Bradley Craig Beck of Erie, Colorado. He too knows the value of using his Optimist Club membership as part of his business profile.

Don't be afraid to click over to see what he is doing, how he is doing it, and find out about how to create a haunted house at the same time.

Like Dr. Cram in yesterday's post, Mr. Beck is using Blogger and Facebook to interact with his customers and friends. Just think of the reach each one of his posts have as they are broadcast to nearly 600 readers. Think what that can mean for his Optimist Club...or yours.

Encourage your members to include their Optimist Club membership on all of their personal, business and professional profiles - including Facebook.

Check out those pumpkins!

The Evening Optimist Club of Fort Morgan, Colorado has a pumpkin patch and at this time of year it is a pretty popular place. Students from all of the elementary schools in Morgan County have been visiting the patch and picking a pumpkin to take home with them.

The Optimist Club also uses the pumpkin patch as a fundraiser. After the schools' visits, leftover pumpkins are sold to the public.

Thanks to the Evening Optimist Club for the picture and story.

Elementary students compete in Brain Bowl

The Sunrise Optimist Club of Fort Morgan, Colorado recently hosted more than 130 children in the 4th Annual Brain Bowl.  Students in third and fourth grades  and fifth and sixth grades competed against each other to answer questions posed by the judges.

The Brain Bowl is team play format.  The first round consisted of 30 written questions.  They were followed by four rounds of oral questions.   At the end of the evening, two teams came out on top. First, second and third places were awarded in both categories. 

Shown in the contributed photo is the first place Third and Fourth Place team: Hallee Shaver, Kelsey Shaver, Merrick Adams, Jon Gertner, Simon Graff and Brook Kaiser.

Make your club approachable

The Optimist Club of Monaco South in Denver, Colorado sent me a link to another well-done club newsletter.  Take a look at GUMS. 

What do I like about it?

1. It is easy to read.  I like short bursts of information and this one tells plenty about upcoming events and includes short quips of what has happened that people want to know about like how much money was raised and did the club meet their goals. 
2. It makes you smile.  Whether it is the humorous story, the trivial facts or the smiling faces in the photos, I was happy when I finished reading it.
3. It is respectful.  With a nod to the club's past presidents, Optimist International's theme and the Optimist Creed, you know this club has a proud heritage.   
4. It is informative.  The newsletter has a calendar of coming events and a well-written article about an important issue in the community. 

However, what I like most about this newsletter is that it is clear that this club is approachable.  According to the very first paragraph there are greeters at the door welcoming members and guests.  Later on in the newsletter it reminds members to invite friends and potential new members to the meetings.  And by always including where the club meets, it ensures that guests reading online or that have been given the newsletter are able to come to a meeting too.  

I believe that approachability is the key to helping our Optimist Clubs grow and provide more service in our communities.  Make a New Year's resolution for your Optimist Club now.  Resolve to be open and inviting; resolve to be approachable.

Optimist Club holds craft show fundraiser

Brand loyalty - that's what you hope to achieve when you establish any event, but especially a fundraising event.  And that is just what has happened for the Optimist Club of Windsor, Colorado.  For thirty years, the Optimist Club and the Quality Quilters of Windsor have combined forces to coordinate the best community craft show around.  This year 88 vendors helped them attract more tha 2,500 patrons by 10 am on opening day. 

There are a lot of other craft shows to attend, but according to Paula Bjorli of neighboring Loveland this is the best one. “I clipped the information on it out of the paper a month ago and saved it so I wouldn't forget it,” she said. “I've been coming here for many, many years. I just like it.”

In addition to collecting exhibitor fees and lining up sponsors, the clubs also share in the $2 entry fee from attendees. It's a simple way for the community to donate to the nonprofit efforts of the Optimist Club.

The children need you!

Between 400 and 500 children participate in free after school programs sponsored by the Optimist Club of Summit County, Colorado.  They play volleyball and chess; participate in scholarship contests for speaking and essay writing, and are given internships at local businesses to help them make good career choices.  This Optimist Club is doing exactly what every Optimist Club strives to do. 

But as the Summit County Optimist Club has found out, it takes more than money to keep these programs going.  It takes volunteers.  Their main fundraisers - a golf tournament and ski pass raffle - generate approximately $15,000 each year.  According to the club secretary, revenues were down a little this year, but the club can still cover its obligations and even help children do a little bit more.  The real challenge according to treasurer Bill Wallace is finding the people to mentor, supervise or just be available for the kids. 

This is a universal challenge of course.  We're busy.  We donate money, not time.  We hope that others will join the cause first.  All service clubs hear similar excuses, but the bottom line is that the children need you!  They need us - caring adults - to make a difference in their lives every day.  Please don't make excuses.  Join an Optimist Club today. 

Photo submitted by the Dillon Lake Summit County Optimist Club.  To find an Optimist Club near you, please click here. 

Summit Lake Dillon Optimist Club says thanks

I have been sharing Optimist Club stories one project at a time; but since it is the beginning of a new year, I thought perhaps you would like to get a feel of what a successful year of programs sound like.  The following was written by Alastair Stone, the retiring president from the Summit Lake Optimist Club of Dillon, CO.

Stone published this thank you letter in the Summit Daily News.

I think you can see how Optimist Clubs engage people from all walks of life.  Membership and involvement can make a difference in your life.  Think about it.  Join an Optimist club today.

Please click on the letter to enlarge.

Optimist Clubs are always on the lookout for new members

In order to provide uninterrupted service in our communities, Optimist Clubs must replenish themselves. So while there are no bright young people that directly benefit from this activity, every child indirectly benefits when an Optimist Club holds a membership drive.

The Optimist Club of Steamboat Springs, CO recently had a nice article published about their membership drive. According to Rob McCarthy, a twenty year veteran member, he joined because his kids, now 21 and 25, enjoyed the club's activities. Ron Wendler has eight years of membership to his credit. He says that it is all about the kids and in order to keep their activities going, they need adults to ensure it happens.

Not every Optimist Club advertises that they are welcoming new members. I think that is such a mistake; it's almost like they forget to say they are open for business. But don't be afraid to seek out the Optimist Club in your town. I promise, they will welcome you with open arms.

Find a club near you with this directory.