Optimist Club of Salem, Oregon appreciates kids every month

I always look forward to seeing the Youth Appreciation events at the Optimist Club of Salem, Oregon. When they come across my Facebook feed, I click and enjoy the stories about the students that they have honored during the month. 

You see, almost two years ago, the members decided that if they were indeed friends of youth as the Optimist International motto says, then they needed to interact more with children. That led them to reach out to the schools in search of students who deserve a little recognition. The criteria is different for every recipient, based on what the teachers would like to emphasize. Sometimes it's most improved in a particular subject, other times it's recognition for arts or music acumen or sports ability. They are especially aware of students who improve their attendance record and give community service to others.

One of the best things about the recognition is that the Optimist Club of Salem shares the stories on their Facebook page and gives a little boost for the kids that they serve while at the same time making a clear statement of why its important and rewarding to belong to an Optimist Club.

This month's honorees come from several different schools. With permission, I've reprinted their stories here. Enjoy!

There were many students with a plethora of reasons to be acknowledged during our Youth Appreciation event on April 10. The picture shows you the students, here are their stories: 

The students are (from left to right): 

Tomah Linwood from Chemawa Indian School honored for his significant improvement in academics. Tomah follows in his grandfather's footsteps, his grandpa was the first member of the family to attend Chemawa.Tomah started his school time as an underachiever, liking to fight and carrying a . 1.7 GPA. During this last year he wanted to graduate with a 3.75 GPA and he made it happen. He changed his attitude and his life. Tomah served as the school librarian among other leadership roles. Tomah plans to go to Portland Community College in the fall. 

Idallis Riggs from Chemawa Indian School was selected as that school's Youth of the Year (Chemawa graduation is on April 25th so we had to present this award today). A Navaho from Arizona, Idalis chose Chemawa for the social programs offered there. She has spent four years in the AVID program. She was Miss Chemawa in the Pow Wow events for two years. She played volleyball and basketball. She will attend PSU after she graduates and will play basketball there. 

Nicholas Becker from Blanchet Catholic School selected as Most Improved in Academics. Nicholas has managed his school years with a great balance of all topics. Whether it was math, Drama or Science, he was always at the top of his class. Nicholas plans to attend Chemeketa Community College for two years, then will move on to OSU. 

Adriana Bernard from McNary High School selected as Most Involved in Community Affairs (last month's category). Adriana has been a true leader in community service projects and a role model for other students. She plans to go to OSU to study Athletic Training. 

Eduardo Rangel from McNary High School selected as Most Improved in Academics. Eduardo had trouble in his freshman year and "iffy" attendance as a sophomore and was expelled. He knew that he needed to come back to McNary and when he did he turned his life around. He was even given an awarding T-shirt at a CE2 luncheon. He is now considered a role model for his two younger brothers. 

Kymmery Simmons From Sprague High School selected as Most Improved in Academics. Kymmery is an awesome champion of the AVID program and has served students so well that Sprague even gets appreciative phone calls. Not surprisingly, she will be going into college to allow her to teach children!

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.

A sample of youth appreciation awards

The Optimist Club of Alexandria, Louisiana is just one of many Optimist Clubs who are honoring students this month. November is the traditional month for Optimist International Youth Appreciation although many clubs carry on youth appreciation activities throughout the year as they recognize students for academics, citizenship, and leadership, among other things.

This brief video from the awards presentation explains more about the program.

KALB-TV News Channel 5

You can also learn more at Optimist International or find an Optimist Club near you to experience optimism in action.

Alamogordo Optimists learn about the White Sands

As part of the annual Youth Appreciation Celebration, the Optimist Club of Alamogordo, New Mexico welcomed the JOOI Club from the Academy del Sol to a meeting. In return for their hospitality, the students entertained the group with puppets. That's right, puppets.

The JOOI Club is developing a production that uses puppets as characters, "The Invasion of the White Sands Critters."

The White Sands National Monument is approximately 16 miles from Alamagordo. It's pristine white sands make it a natural wonder. Even more so, according to the national parks website, there is no water source for animals that live on the White Sands. All of their water must come from the foods they eat and that makes me wonder, how do plants grow without water? There would be much to learn about this unusual habitat. 

Kudos to the JOOI students on their production. 

Thanks to the Optimist Club of Alamogordo for sharing their pictures with us.

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.

Royal Oak Optimist Club celebrates Youth Appreciation Awards

The Optimist Club of Royal Oak, Michigan celebrated twelve outstanding students at their annual Youth Appreciation Awards Breakfast. Chosen from Royal Oak High School, Berkley High School and Shrine Catholic High School, the students spoke of their goals and ambitions as they conversed with Optimist Club members.

The students received praise from the Optimist Club, certificates of achievement and gift cards to Barnes & Noble.

  The Youth Appreciation program is conducted by Optimist Clubs around the world as a way to recognize students for a variety of reasons including scholarship, citizenship, courtesy, and athletics. The main purpose is to say thanks for being a good kid.

Thanks Royal Oak Optimist Club for sharing your picture with us.

Knoxville Optimist Club appreciates youth

Recognizing exceptional students is a favorite project of many Optimist Clubs. In fact, there is a whole international program created for the that purpose: Youth Appreciation Week.

Although it can be and is done at different times throughout the year,  Youth Appreciation Week has traditionally taken place in November. The Optimist Club of Knoxville, Tennessee has been around a long time and they still celebrate the November tradition. Watch a video here of one of their recipients, Andrea Goldman. She's a remarkable young lady that champions recycling, among many other things. It's less than two minutes. Find out more.

Father's Day in Omaha: A baseball player's dream

Photo via @flashesbaseball on Twitter

Updated 6/23/2012

Here is a story that brings my alma mater together with my interest in Optimist Clubs.

The Kent State University Golden Flashes made its first appearance at the College World Series. In honor of their achievement, the Optimist Club of Papillion, a suburb of Omaha, Nebraska, treated the team to a steak dinner and barbecue on Father's Day.

The team got to meet local children and their families and relax in a family-style setting to ready themselves for the next game. The coaches were honored with gifts and the team held an autograph session for the children.

According to event organizer and Optimist Club member Fred Uhe, the Optimist Club has been hosting a reception each year for one College World Series team and their families since 2004.

Kent State coach Scott Stricklin remarked, "Father's Day in Omaha, it doesn't get any better than that. It's every player's dream; it's every dad's dream; it's every coach's dream to spend Father's Day in Omaha. But that's where we are and we are thrilled to be here." Watch some of Coach Stricklin's address to the Optimist Club on YouTube.



Kent State opened with a loss to Arkansas and came back to defeat the No. 1 seed Florida. They fell in the final game to South Carolina.

See photos of the Pappillion Optimist Club and the Kent State Flashes on Flickr.
See more about the Optimist Club reception at Omaha.com.

Most improved students recognized in Salem

Wrapping up the year with the annual Youth Appreciation Awards, the Optimist Club of Salem, Oregon made its final choices for most improved students last week, just in time for the end of the school year.

The 10 students receiving awards were - Front row left to right: Lily Emerson - McNary, Megan Angstrom - Blanchet, Rachel Wright - Salem Academy, Courtney Johnson - McNary, Nathan Smith - Salem Academy; Back row left to right: Kate Rosen - Sprague, Edgar Jimenez - McNary, Victor Sosa - McNary, Keri Bonn - McNary, Floyd Thomas - West Salem. 

The Salem Optimist Club recognized students each month during the 2011-2012 school year bringing youthful ideas and dreams to share with the club members. 

Optimists recognize improvement

I like simple stories of how Optimist Clubs honor and recognize the youths in our communities and knew I had to share this quick note with you that I received from the Optimist Club of Salem, Oregon. 

The Salem Optimist Club has been working with the schools in their community to honor students for different reasons: community service, perfect attendance, attitude, grades, special honors the students have received at school and now for most improved in grades, attitude and involvement. Great job everyone!

The note from the Salem Optimist Club follows:

The Optmists awards this week were for students who have made great improvements in their grades and attitude toward school over the years and one student was honored for involvement in the community. 

Students honored were Joseph Cromwell - Most Involved in Community Affairs - Chemawa Indian School 

Joseph Lenoir - Most Improved in Academics - Chemawa Indian School 

With Frank Milton two students from North Salem both as Most Improved in Academics - Diana Mendoza and Darrick Utley 

With Wes from Sprague as Most Improved in Academics - Simone Antkowiak

Inspire commitment: teach values

Ryan Algate, Caitlin Slette
and Barry Knoblich

I'm grateful for Optimist Club members who inspire others and one of my inspirational favorites is Barry Knoblich of the Optimist Club of Twin Falls, Idaho.

When I first met Barry, he told me about the Membership Mafia program that he organized many years ago to recruit new members into the club. It was based on the idea that they really wanted the people to whom they extended invitations to join the club because they liked them and could see them as part of the extended family that our Optimist Clubs become. To ensure their commitment, recruiters and friends would visit the prospective member at work and at home until they said yes. High pressure? Yes. Great fun? Emphatically.

So it came as only a little surprise to me when last year the president of the club, Kayleigh Godfrey, recruited Barry to chair a membership drive, the first large scale effort in many years, and the club succeeded in adding 52 net new members to their roster. (net = members added - members deleted) The Twin Falls Optimist Club closed the 2010-2011 administrative year with 126 members and the new president, Richard Craddock, has set his goal for 30 net new members in 2011-2012.

After such a great effort, keeping the momentum going is essential and one of the ways to do that is to always have a project taking place. The Twin Falls Optimist Club does just that; and with so many members, they can perform traditional, new and ongoing projects while having lots of fun at the same time. This month alone found the club holding three fundraisers, apple sales, a turkey shoot and an over-21 dance; Coats for Kids, an ongoing club program; Every 15 Minutes, a new substance abuse awareness program in coordination with police and schools; and the traditional Optimist International program for Youth Appreciation.

Kable Barnhart, Ashley Tomlinson
and Barry Knoblich

As chairperson for Youth Appreciation, and a mentor to all of those new members, Barry explained,

"Youth Appreciation is the perfect opportunity for Optimists to make a difference in their community and demonstrate the Optimists’ commitment to young people. The Youth Appreciation projects are intended to make children feel important and highlight their positive contributions to society. Since 1956, this program has given Optimist Clubs the occasion to work with youth toward the common goals of education, career development, physical well-being and community service. A Club’s Youth Appreciation program can be more than an awards ceremony or a dinner for a few top students.

It is designed to encourage a greater exchange of ideas between young people and adults. Youth Appreciation offers Optimist Clubs the opportunity to make a community impact by holding one or more worthwhile, fun events that involve both adults and children. 

This is one of Optimist International’s most popular programs, with more than 2,000 clubs participating last year."

Helping our new members become a part of the culture of a club is the key to keeping them involved. Take every opportunity to explain what you do and why you do it. That way your new members will feel empowered to participate and your veteran members will be motivated to action too.

Service clubs honor students

Veterans were honored throughout the United States and Canada today and thanked for the service they gave our countries. However in a forward looking ceremony, service clubs in Kettering, Ohio came together to honor future leaders in the annual Optimist Youth Appreciation ceremony.

The Kettering Noon Optimist Club coordinates the activity and all service clubs are asked to seek nominations from their members through the schools where they provide services. Twenty-four students were recognized and one lucky student won a $1,000 prize.

Thanks to WDTNTV channel 2 for being a part of the ceremony and posting the video. Congratulations to the students who were honored and many thanks to the caring adults who made it happen.

Students honored for perfect attendance

I love getting emails from Optimist Clubs that want to spread the word about the remarkable students in their communities. Today I received a note from the Optimist Club of Camdenton, Missouri about their Perfect Attendance Awards at Hawthorn Elementary School.

The school sets the criteria and to them, perfect attendance means the students have been in school every minute of the school year. Eight third grade students and six fourth grade students met that requirement this year and received their honors during the school assembly on June1. Congratulations to every one!

The third grade students are:

• Madison Diehl
• Ethan Harris
• Clare Holmes
• Aeryn Kennedy
• Spencer Melville
• Conner Morgan
• Tryvor Watson
• Damian Yates

The fourth grade students are:

• Natalie Basham
• Jenna Carey
• Reynaldo Cortes
• Adaberto Gonzalez
• CJ Rogers
• Allison Varner

Thanks to the Optimist Club of Camdenton for the story and photos.

Junior Citizens recognized for the good things they do

With the help of the Boys and Girls Club, the Jamestown Optimist Club presented the 63rd Annual Junior Citizen Award to students from 28 schools in Chautauqua County. The students were nominated by teachers, mentors, other service organizations and their peers for their outstanding efforts in academics and community involvement. Just another example of students being honored for being good citizens. Nicely done; kudos to all.

It's okay to be an outsider

Popular kids - they aren't always the nicest ones in school. We've seen the story told over and over in teen movies and if we give ourselves permission to remember, we'll know that it happened when we went to school too.  

Optimist Clubs are great at recognizing students for doing remarkable things and many think it is especially important to find those that excel in areas other than athletics and grades. Every child is different; every person has individual strengths and weaknesses and some will inevitably be outsiders. According to Alexandra Robbins, that's okay. What a great message to send to students everywhere.



What is your Optimist Club doing to help students fit in, or to be comfortable in just being themselves? Please leave a comment ant tell us all about it.

Optimist Club honors students with an Angel Award

One hundred and thirty students were recognized by the Optimist Club of Hartland, Michigan during their recent Youth Appreciation Week.  At least once a year, most Optimist Clubs will take time out of their schedule to honor special children for many different things, but most of all for being good role models and acting with kindness.

This group was given the Angel Award. The Angel Award is given to students who demonstrate care and respect for others.

Students ranged from kindergarten through high school. The program included the presentations to the students and a keynote address by Gabrielle Ford that encouraged the students and all in attendance to see the good in everyone and be the best you can be.

Optimist Clubs are unique in their mission to bring out the best in others. Events like Youth Appreciation Week do just that. Congratulations to all, students, parents, teachers and Optimist Club members in Hartland, MI. Please click here to see more photos from the evening.

Photo credit: Sherri Yezbick-Taylor with the Hartland Patch. 

Optimists reinforce good behaviors

For an organization whose original motto was "Friend of the Delinquent Boy," Optimist Clubs do a lot of recognizing of good children.

Could it be that Optimist Clubs believe in positive reinforcement of good behaviors? I would say so, yes.

Optimist International has five driving purposes. (Purposes of Optimist International) All are aimed at making our society a better place to live by developing responsible, caring citizens and fostering a positive outlook on life. To that end, the founders of the organization created social programs to address the needs they saw in their communities and adopted a framework that would be flexible as time passed and needs changed.

Since its adoption in 1922, the motto has changed from "Friend of the Delinquent Boy," to "Friend of Boy," to "Friend of Youth," and has now largely been forsaken in favor of the last clause of the mission/vision statement "Bringing out the Best in Children." Over the years, the needs have changed and Optimist Clubs have evolved to meet specific needs in their own communities.

One constant has remained: Optimist Clubs help children reach their full potential by honoring them, recognizing them, working with them, and encouraging them to be better citizens. One might even say that  Optimist Clubs hold Youth Appreciation Week year-round, fifty-two weeks a year and by showing their appreciation, they encourage others to try harder and do more to contribute to their families, schools and communities.

Such positive reinforcement is a model for a positive, optimistic life.

Thanks to the Optimist Club of Bixby, Oklahoma for the photo of Susan Bevard, Club President presenting honor cords to student members of the National Honor Society. 

Good people are often "unsung heroes"

Something that Optimist Clubs do exceedingly well is recognize children and young adults for being good people. Please notice I did not say good students or athletes - I said good people. The Noon Optimist Club of Bay City, Michigan calls their young honorees "Unsung Heroes" and this year they are recognizing eighteen of those good people from eighteen different nominating organizations.

Please click here to see a list of the Bay City Optimist Club's Unsung Heroes for 2011.

What does one have to do to be nominated? According to club president Jo Ellen Strieter it's pretty simple: the student must make a positive impact in their own way.

Making a positive impact is the goal of every Optimist Club.

The beauty of Optimist International is that every  club is autonomous. That means the group can do what is needed in their own community and still receive the recognition and backing of the umbrella organization for liability insurance, program support and leadership development. There is also a self-funded Foundation that helps Optimists help kids.

There has never been a more flexible international organization for making a difference on a local level. That is why I encourage everyone to consider joining the Optimist Club in their own community. If you don't have one, let me know. I would love to help you start a new Optimist Club so you can share your positive thoughts and actions with others. Please contact me today.

Optimist Club recognizes unsung heroes in Polk County, FL schools

One hundred and forty unsung heroes were praised by the Winter Haven Optimist Club, Winter Haven, Florida at the annual Youth Appreciation Luncheon. This is the 24th consecutive year that the club has recognized students, teachers and administrators from the 70 schools in Polk County.

Each school was asked to send two students to the event who have demonstrated good conduct, positive attitude, school spirit, and a strong desire to do their best at all times. In addition to lunch and praise from the Optimist Club and a host of guest speakers, each student received a goody bag filled with educational items. Four teachers were also recognized as being unsung heroes during the afternoon event.

Over the years, more than 3,800 students have been honored by the Winter Haven Optimist Club during Youth Appreciation activities.  Yes, Winter Haven Optimists are friends of youth.

Optimist Clubs show appreciation for children

Volunteering

Giving back

Tutoring

Mentoring

Random acts of kindness

Making others happy 

These are the reasons most often given for recognizing students during Optimist Club Youth Appreciation activities. Being a good student or athlete might be on some of the resumes, but that's not what is important when it comes to being a good citizen. Optimist Clubs look for students who embody the purposes of Optimist International:

• To develop optimism as a philosophy of life utilizing the tenets of the Optimist Creed
• To promote an active interest in good government and civic affairs
• To inspire respect for the law
• To promote patriotism and work for international accord and friendship among all people
• To aid and encourage the development of youth, in the belief that the giving of one's self in service to others will advance the well-being of humankind, community life and the world

Optimist Clubs like to honor students for being good people, especially those who are willing to contribute to society or provide aid and comfort to others even without recognition. And I think they do a great job too. Please take a look at these slideshows and share your thoughts with us. 

See a slideshow from the Knoxville, Tennessee Optimist Club Youth Appreciation ceremony. 

See a slideshow from the Jerome, Idaho Optimist Club Youth Appreciation ceremony.