Announcing the Dreamland Optimist Club of Birch Hills, SK

We are pleased to announce the chartering of the "Dreamland Optimist Club" in Birch Hills, Saskatchewan.

All AMS&NW Optimists are invited to attend and participate in the Club Charter celebrations, September 7th, 2013:

Welcome Social:  5:30 pm at the Flute & Fiddle Heritage Dance Hall, Main Street, Birch Hills.
Supper:  7:00 pm at the Birch Hills Civic Centre
After Social:  9:00 pm at the Flute & Fiddle Heritage Dance Hall, Main Street, with local entertainment. There will be a Silent Auction and 50/50 draw.

Please download and submit a completed registration form by August 28th.

Submitted by Zone 7 Lt Gov Vince Parker

New Club Building

WOW, this should be a great incentive to start that New Club Building that your Club has been contemplating. Remember that you can be a Distinguished President or an Outstanding Lt.-Gov. by being active in building that new Club. The rules for the incentive are: New Club Building Incentive • The Sponsor Club that builds a new club in the 3rd Quarter (April 1 to June 30), shall receive a dues credit for their club (the Sponsor Club) for $150.* • If the new club is built at 25 members, or reaches 25 members within 30 days of chartering, the Sponsor Club will receive an additional $250 dues credit.* • Total dues credit for building a 25-member (or greater) club is $400. *Credit will be issued once the follow-up program has been submitted. *Friends of Optimists (FOOs) may not be included in the original charter group, but may be added once the new Club has been chartered to achieve 25 members (or more). Need help to get started, Call me or Governor Nick and we will find someone close to you who can assist. Need to get started now to make the June 30th deadline. Lets do it NOW and "Bring out the Best in Kids" in that new community. YIO Glen Kreller, District NCB Chairman

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.

Welcome from Governor Nick Markowsky

Good Fellow Optimists:

I would like to welcome you all to “This Great Year for the AMS&NW”. 2012/2013 will be the best year this district has seen in a long time. To do this we must take stock of our clubs and our district. As you all have heard, our district is shrinking.

To reverse this trend we must go out and build New Young Clubs not only this year, but for the next few years. We have a lot of clubs with the majority of members who are sixty plus in age. My quick evaluation is that if we do not start now or do not bother to build New Young Clubs we will lose up to 25% of our clubs in 5 to 10 years, because we as members are having a hard time attracting young people to join “our” Old Clubs. The ones that we do sign up are around our own age group. As a district we are getting older instead of younger.

Now do not get me wrong, Member retention as well as existing club growth is still important. My Club the High Noon Optimists was started as a new “YOUNG” Club, because the young people did not want to belong to an old club. This still exists today whether we like it or not.

So my final words are go get cracking and find New Young Clubs to build. You go out as a club, Clubs, or complete zones to build clubs collectively if that is what it takes. Do not let the OI recognition part hold you back as a collective group. We need Clubs not recognition for our District to grow.

Soaring to Greater Heights for Children

2012-13 Governor
AMS&NW District 13
Nick A Markowsky

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.

A few words about New Club Building

Charter Banquet - Penhold & District Optimist Club

Hi everyone . . .

Please mark your calendars for the Charter Banquet of our newest Optimist Club, the Penhold and District Optimist Club, on Saturday, October 23rd, 2010. Come out and support them and have a great meal and mingle. See banquet brochure for details and please respond as soon as you can to Brenda or Tara. Thanks so much.

P.S. Please put this on the agenda at your next meeting so any members that want to attend can. Thanks again!

Best,

Lt. Governor Laura
403.304.4381

What a Great District Convention

What an great convention.  We had 98 members representing 18 clubs from across the District.  We missed those of you who couldn’t come and promise to focus on what we can do to help you.

We have to thank Convention Chair Dennis Farnham (Bozeman Breakfast) and his team for a fantastic job organizing and running this year's Convention.  As promised, Dennis was able to keep the rain away until the day after the convention closed.

OI President Mark Shriver did a wonderful job; he seemed to be involved in everything and I think talked to every single member there.  The Bozeman Breakfast club hosted a 2 hour workshop presentation/open discussion event that focused on OI Renewal from Top to Bottom.  You can read and comment on the reports that came out from this process.  This review will proceed and committees will be formed very soon.  I will Chair this.

I am asking all members to commit yourself to finish our year strong so that we will be, for the fifth consecutive year, a Distinguished District.  That will entail going the extra mile to help this happen.  Finishing strong for our term means starting strong for Governor-Designate Tim’s year and on into Governor-Elect Ted Huber’s year.

Do whatever you can to make your club Honor.  That is the overall guide to measure success.  It also encompasses the growth that we need which is about 140 new regular or FOO members and 1- 25 plus member club or 2 pilot clubs.  Break it down and we are close.  Clubs do not need to cut membership until October 1st.  That will help us reach our goal for 2009-10 and clubs will not be penalized for cuts made on October 1st (we will provide more details on that in a few days).

Please do your own share, help your club members too, help your zone and help other clubs throughout the District.   Get a sense of urgency.it’s the last lap in our relay race so do it now!

You have earned  it!


Darryl Sim
Governor
AMS&NW District

Welcome Penhold & District Optimist Club

We want to welcome our newest Optimist club to the District, the Penhold & District Optimist Club organized on June 23, 2010 in the city of Penhold, AB.  The organization meeting was officiated by our newest OI Field Rep, Duane Kelly.

The Penhold & District Optimist Club, was formed to service  the needs of the youth in Penhold and area as per the motto of Optimist International, ‘Friend of Youth’. While organized on June 23, 2010, the Penhold and District Optimist Club will be conducting a wide variety of activities to benefit the youth and community.

On behalf of Zone 3 (Gov Darryl's home zone), we would like to welcome our newest club, organized with 32 enthusiastic charter members.

Their first project is already planned for July 10.  They will be volunteering at Penhold’s Grand Opening of their newly built Multiplex.  I know that everyone will do all we can to assist them!

Officers and board members of the Penhold and District Optimist Club will be installed officially at their charter event by Governor Darryl Sim and we will keep you apprised as to when the date will be.  Thanks to Duane Kelly (District Leadership Chair), Governor Darryl Sim, Guy Gibson (Past Governor) and Lt Governor Laura Murphy.

Club officers are President: Brenda Mahoney; Vice President: Tara Wells; Vice President: Tara Lind; Secretary: Linda Crites; Treasurer: Kim Mariner; Directors: Gloria Bulmer, Kaitlin Eyestone,  Sheri Bouteiller, Patti Bye, Allison Teierie, William Trefry

The new Optimist Club is sponsored by the Red Deer Optimist Club and the Waskasoo Optimist Club of Red Deer.

Originally submitted by Lt Gov Laura Murphy (Zone 3)

New Field Rep for AMS&NW

Dear Duane,

It is with great pleasure that we officially recognize you as our newest Field Representative from Alberta, Montana, Saskatchewan and Northern Wyoming District (13). The work and experience acquired during the new club building of the East Central Alberta optimist Club assure us that you will be up to the task of installing New Clubs in the future ... Again congratulations and welcome to the NCB Team.

Jacques Pelland, Senior Director

Optimist Internation Canada

New Club in Bali, Indonesia

So what do you do when you go on an international vacation? Build a new Optimist Club of course!

Norm and Liz Sagen who recently spent a well-deserved vacation reported that they assisted with the building of the first Optimist club in Bali, Indonesia.

Norm and Liz Sagen are Builders of Excellence for chartering the Optimist Club of Denpasar in Bali, Indonesia to support a local orphanage. The Charter President is Ni Huh Putu Suartini and they signed 42 members. OI will recognize this as a club project of the Davidson club. Congratulations!

Originally submitted by Governor Darryl Sim

Now it's Time to Grow

Club Presidents and Fellow Optimists

Thank you for your commitment this year to improve what we do, how we do it and when we do it, for the betterment of our clubs, both now and for the long term. You are doing a great job! See how well you have done when you look at our District Goals. You care about the kids we serve and you care about your fellow Optimists.

So now we are ready to take the next step---growth. Together we will add new clubs, new members, new FOOs, new JOOI clubs! The third attachment has our incentives to get all of us together to do this and have fun too. International President Mark's new plus 4 incentive plan is a great addition to our tools for success. Here is a brochure to send to members and an FAQ that explains the free membership dues opportunity.

Our District growth Incentives. Make sure you add a new member or FOO member for each quarter. Catch up if you are behind. Make that commitment now and especially when you consider the power of all of you doing that this year. I pledge to do the same.

We will be net plus 125 members, form 4 new clubs, and add 50 new FOOs by July 7, 2010!

Thank you,

Darryl Sim

Governor - AMS&NW District

15 Member Club Pilot Program Extended

This year a new "Pilot Club" type was introduced in the "New Club Building" program. For the first time sponsor clubs can build a new club with a minimum of 15 new members. To qualify for Distinguished Club recognition, a sponsor club would have to build two Pilot clubs in the same Optimist year. This gave us the flexibility to extend the reach of Optimism to smaller communities who could not support building a 25 member club.

The "Pilot Club" program was approved for a one year period to end September 30, 2009. This program was so successful, that a motion was adopted at the 2009 Optimist International Convention to extend the "Pilot Club" program to September 30, 2012."

The Optimist International office reported that of all the "Pilot Clubs" that were approved, most chartered with 25 members. Approval is required to sponsor the building of a "Pilot Club" in a community. Check out the details about how to sponsor and build a "Pilot Club".