New JOOI Incentives from the International President

 Growth is important in all areas of the organization, including JOOI! There are some exciting new incentives to encourage the building new JOOI Clubs. Take this opportunity to give the youth in your community the chance to make new friends, develop leadership skills, learn the importance of community service and have fun!

All new JOOI Clubs chartered in the 2013-2014 year will be entered into a quarterly draw for a $250 grant towards one of their Club activities. There will be one draw per quarter and only Clubs built in that quarter will qualify for the draw.

Source:  Optimist Leader Hotline for October 2013

For more information on JOOI Clubs, visit "Clubs 4 Kids" on our District website.  If you are interested in building a JOOI club, please contact your Zone Lt Governor or the District JOOI Chair, Opt Sue Bridgeford.

Kids Can Run Their Own Optimist Club

If the kids in your local subdivision are bored, lack anything interesting to do, or want to do something that will make a difference ... please take the time to encourage them to learn about opening a JOOI club.

Teachers ... are you looking for a "club" that will foster a sense of volunteerism in addition to teaching valuable problem solving and team work skills?

Youth from across the U.S. and Canada have started their own "Optimist" clubs under the JOOI program so they can server their community.  Most kids are looking for a way to give back if they can and if it's cool.  The JOOI program gives those youth the opportunity to build their own club ... from the ground up .. they raise their own funds ... they decide what projects they will design and deliver ... and they create a energetic "Optimistic" presence!

Focus on Community Service

Contrary to popular belief among many school principals, JOOI is not a leadership program ... JOOI is a community service club that offers each youth the opportunity to lead, follow, particpate, communicate, and foster their imagination.

Different Clubs for Different Ages

JOOI is made up of four types of clubs: Collegiate Clubs for full-time undergraduate students, Octagon Clubs for high school students, Junior Optimist Clubs for junior high students, and Alpha Clubs for elementary-aged youths. The 20,000 members of JOOI elect their own president and four-member board of directors which also includes the immediate past president.

Each JOOI Club is governed autonomously, with its own local leadership. By keeping that leadership local, JOOI Clubs empower young people to make positive decisions to serve fellow youths and their community. By encouraging involvement and awareness of local issues, JOOI Clubs cultivate the leaders of tomorrow.


The Future of Optimist International

The future of Optimist International is with our youth.  If we can give them the opportunity to excel beyod their wildest dreams they will jump at the chance.  Our future leaders and members will experience the energy and satisfaction of creating and running their own club and will carry that success to adult clubs when they are ready.

Get the youth ready to propel Optimist International into the future ... help build a youth Optimist Club today.

Are You Interested in Sponsoring a Youth Optimist Club?

Contact our New Club Building Chair - Opt Glen Kreller and visit our Clubs 4 Kids web page for more details and links to resources to get you started.

21 Top Optimist Questions (Part 1)

In this 3-part series, we will list 21 common questions with corresponding answers and links to the appropriate online resource or service. Here are the first 7 questions:

1. I want to recruit a new member. Where can I get help?
2. I want to run a club service project. Are there any examples of Optimist service projects available?
3. Where can I locate forms online?
4. I heard that there are online course materials available. Where can I get access to those?
5. I want to build a new Optimist club and I need help. Where should I start?
6. I am trying to find the contact information for a Club President. Where should I go?
7. Someone has approached me about building a club for kids in our neighborhood. Can you provide me with some information?

1. I want to recruit a new member. Where can I get help?

Jay Strever
Membership Chair

Congratulations and thank you in advance. You should probably start by discussing this with your Club President. You can find additional information at our "New Optimists Wanted" resources and feel free to contact "Jay Strever who is the District Membership Chair. Jay can answer any question you might have.

2. I want to run a club service project. Are there any examples of Optimist service projects available?

Yes there are. Here is some online information about club project profiles and club activities.

3. Where can I locate forms online?

You will find a quick pick list of common Optimist forms and documents at on our For Our Members page. Optimist International hosts dedicated pags for forms and documents.

4. I heard that there are online course materials available. Where can I get access to those?

We have links to Optimist training materials in our "Member Training" page.

5. I want to build a new Optimist club and I need help. Where should I start?

Edie McInnes
New Club Building

Bless you. Building a new club is an noteworthy achievement that can have lasting positive affect on the community the club will serve. Not only will you introduce Optimism to a new community or neighborhood, you will help recruit 25 new members and build a legacy for you and your club. There is a wealth of available online information. First, you should discuss this with your club as it involves a commitment from them. Second, I would suggest contacting Edie McInnes, our District New Club Building Chair. Edie has built a new club and can pass along valuable tips and suggestions to ensure your success. We invite you to investigate our online resources for building a new club.

6. I am trying to find the contact information for a Club President. Where should I go?

We have several places you can look. You can try one of the following:

• Our District Directory
• Our Contact Us page includes "Contact Cards" in PDF format that you can print
• Our Zones and Clubs online list.

7. Someone has approached me about building a club for kids in our neighborhood. Can you provide me with some information?

Lee Weiszhaar
JOOI - Youth Clubs

Certainly. Optimist International has a special level of clubs for youth organized under the Junior Optimists and Octagons International (JOOI) program. Youth can build their own clubs, elect their own president and club executive, raise their own funds and run their own community service projects. Many of these clubs are organized as School extra-curricular activities. JOOI clubs provide a great opportunity for our youth to volunteer their time serving their community and it gives many youth practical leadership and management experience. You can learn more by checking out our "Youth Clubs" section on our website at []. If you are interested in starting a JOOI club, please contact our Lee Weiszhaar, our District JOOI Chair.

Other Questions:

• The Second Set of Common Optimist Questions (coming soon)
• The Third Set of Common Optimist Questions (coming soon)

Comments or suggestions:

Do you have a common question that you need answered or additional suggestions for the questions we listed above? We invite you to share your contribution.

At the 2nd Quarter District Conference

Isn't this great ... I am sitting at the back of the main conference room enjoying all the presentations and learning more about the Optimist initiatives in our great District.

I was just approached by Governor Darryl with an idea to create an internet-based District-wide JOOI club for the children of our current Optimist members throughout the District. Working with Fred Verzani (JOOI Chair) we will be working out the concept for build that new JOOI club.