That will be a quarter, sir

Optimist Clubs and Districts will generally appoint one member to serve as Sergeant at Arms. This position is a social role that goes to work anytime a group of Optimist Club members gather. Its purpose is to increase fellowship by poking innocent fun at members for innocent infractions. Its goal is to collect fines in the name of fun.  Examples of times that a fine that might be levied include:

• Being late to the Optimist Club meeting
• Talking out of turn 
• Not wearing your Optimist Club pin when your picture is in the paper
• Telling a bad joke
• Forgetting to shake hands with the other members when you arrive
• Being the first person to receive their meal 
• Getting a haircut 
• Dressing too casual or too formal for the average Optimist Club meeting 
• Wearing a cap or other apparel from a rival sports team

Or anything that will make others, and the person being fined, giggle. Such infractions will typically cost the miscreant a quarter; however, a very grievous infraction might call for a silent fine indicating that the person being charged is expected to put in a dollar.

Again, it's all done in fun and never is anyone meant to feel that they are being punished. Instead, they should know that the fun being shared with them builds comaraderie in the group and the fines are being donated to a worthy cause.

Of course, the Optimist Club members pick the cause each year, and at twenty-five cents a charge, it takes a while to accumulate enough to donate.

In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the Riverside Optimist Club just made their fine pot donation, just in time for Christmas. They gave over $100 to Santa's Sporting Christmas fund, a project that raises money for the Salvation Army's Christmas hamper program.

This is just one creative way that Optimist Clubs encourage giving and fellowship.

Fit in with the Optimist Club

The Lake Orion Optimist Club is made up of "motivated people who want to make a difference in the lives of children in their community" and they went on-air and YouTube with Ontario Neighborhood Television to tell their story.

Chris Barnett and Katherine Baumann explained to Orion Outreach that they have added to their mission this year in an effort to reach out in service to everyone in the community. Nonprofits are encouraged to partner with the Optimist Club for both fundraising and volunteer service.




The video explains some of the programs of the Lake Orion Optimist Club and it's easy to understand how Optimist Clubs are encouraged to be autonomous and to do the projects that are most needed in their communities. According to Barnett, the Optimist Club is a great place to find yourself. If you think you want to volunteer, but not sure where to start, the Optimist Club has projects that will inspire community service and foster friendships.

Do you have a project that needs helping hands? Connect with the Optimist Club in your community or work together with your friends to start a new Optimist Club. You'll enjoy the fellowship in service. I promise.

The Lake Orion Optimist Club can be found in Lake Orion, MI. 

Why should I attend an Optimist Club meeting?

Being part of an Optimist Club means that once a week, or at a regularly defined schedule, one has the opportunity to get together with friends and have a little fun while serving their community.

I often hear, and see, that attendance is down at club meetings. "We want to do projects, not get together to  eat," say rushed volunteers who contribute their time while keeping in balance with their other obligations like families and careers.

However, meetings are important for many reasons including:

• Optimist Club meetings provide a venue to hear presentations from others in your community so that your club members can make informed decisions about where to donate your time and make contributions

• Optimist Club meetings allow you to work together and make plans for solving problems that arise in a manner that is fair to all involved

• Optimist Club meetings allow you to celebrate the good work that you have done to make your community a healthy, happy and prosperous place to live

• Optimist Club meetings are forums to celebrate the good work of others and to give recognition to outstanding community leaders, members, nonmembers, children and adults

• Optimist Club meetings are fun

I admit, it can be boring when an Optimist Club, or any service club, gets together only to eat; but even the "slurp and burp" club has its positive attributes and even the most active clubs will take a day off from a busy schedule so that members may enjoy each other's fellowship. That's when it is important that club members like each other for in the end, no matter the cause, we aren't going to hang out regularly with people that make us uncomfortable.

What is your Optimist Club doing to make everyone feel like they are part of the group? As we head into a new year, we'll begin to explore some ideas to make your club fun for all. Cheers.

Photo courtesy of Walt Callahan, Boise Noon Optimist Club. 

Fellowship before 1955

While they share the mission of bringing out the best in children, all Optimist Clubs have their own unique cultures. Attending a club meeting in Boise or Meridian, ID will feel familiar, but not quite the same as a club meeting in St. Louis, MO or Granite City, IL.

Those differences have much to do with the individuals who make up the club. Face it, we all have our own idiosyncrasies. Some are more formal and organized and others are more flexible and carefree. Clubs are no different so a group made up of predominately 50-something bankers and businessmen are expected to act differently than a group of predominately 30-something ladies. And as service clubs have a median age of 62, you can imagine that the retired set will act differently from those still in the workforce. 

One thing is for sure, no matter what Optimist Club meeting you might attend, they will have at least one inside joke that would take you months if not years to fully acclimate to. I think that is what is going on in this picture. 

I've seen it before and wondered what they were doing. The Optimist Club banners clearly indicate there is an Optimist Club meeting in action, but I wonder if it is a weekly meeting or special gathering? And are the gentlemen in the center table the only ones afforded gas masks and will they share?

Optimist Clubs do great things for children and our communities and those special you-had-to-be-there moments are a bonus that comes from fellowship. 

Thanks to potoman.tumbler for bringing the curiosity to my attention again. Create your own special moments by attending an Optimist Club meeting soon. 

Find an Optimist Club near you today.