Optimist International Leadership Summits

Beginning in January of 2014, Optimist International will be hosting a series of one-day training events at 16 locations across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. These Leadership Summits will provide quality training while remaining both geographically and financially accessible to a vast majority of Optimist Members. The registration fee for each of the summits is only $25.

Topics:

• What Makes a Good Club Meeting?
• Secrets to a Dynamic Club
• Mentoring a Member and Retention
• Social Media
• Community Needs Assessment
• Club Marketing and Publicity
• Developing Future Leaders
• And many more!

Dates and Locations:

Check the schedule below to find the Leadership Summit near you!

• May 3, 2014 - Denver, Colorado
• June 7, 2014 - Regina, Saskatchewan
• June 14, 2014 - Portland, Oregon 

Registration:

Download the 2013 Leadership Summit Registration form to register by mail or fax. Online registration will be available soon.

Source:  Optimist Leaders Hotline for October 2013 

One Week to Go ... Have You Registered Yet?

There is one week to go before the 1st Quarter Conference kicks off.  Here are a few reasons to register and make an appearance ... if you are sitting on the fence about attending:

• Meet the Incoming District Team - Governor Ted will be introducing the District Committee Chairs and Lieutenant Governors.  You'll get a chance to meet them and exchange some of your ideas with them.
• Attend Quality Workshops - we have several new workshops that will be available ... more about those in a few moments.
• Get Excited About Growing Optimism - Participate in the open discussions and exchange of ideas about how we can bring in new members and focus on servicing the youth in our communities.  Governor Ted has some plans about "Spiralling Upward" that he wants to share!
• Meet OI Vice President Judy Boyd - Judy is the OI Vice President for the Great Plains Region.

WORKSHOPS

Here is the tentative list of workshops:

• District 13, Your Club, A Future Direction for Us All - hosted by John Plenke.  This will be a double session workshop focused on the future of Optimist clubs.
• Child Wellness Campaign - hosted by Tom Nyquist.  This will be a double session workshop that will discuss on where the Childhood Cancer Campaign is heading.
• Club President Training - hosted by Don Morrison.  This is a double session training workshop for Club Presidents ... if you missed the workshop at the Annual Convention, this workshop is for you.
• Membership 101 - hosted by Roger Lesofski.  This is scheduled for the first session block and will focus on bringing in new members.
• Internet Safety Education - hosted by Brian Wallace.  Scheduled for the second session period, Brian will cover what is in the Internet Safety program for kids and adults and how to start the program in your club.
• PGI - hosted by Jeff Barnhart.  Scheduled for the second session period.  Jeff will introduce PGI and discuss how to implement an active PGI program in your club as a means to strengthen member participation.

Haven't Registered Yet

You mean you haven't registered yet ... please send an email to Roger Lesofski to let him know you are coming so that he can ensure there will be there ... they want to welcome you with a smile (and ensure that your arrangements are taken care of).

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.