Watch Notes from Nick!

Notes from Nick is a weekly message from 2017-18 International President Nick Prillaman. Every Wednesday, a new Notes From Nick will be uploaded to our YouTube channel , social media accounts, and website . 

In this week's video, President Nick encourages Optimist Clubs to invest in themselves to better the organization as a whole.
Optimist Club of the Year

Submissions for Club of the Year are due to Optimist International no later than December 30. To see how Clubs will be judged, click here .

For more information about Club of the Year, contact leadership@optimist.org . 
Fernand Rondeau

The Optimist International family mourns the loss of 1988-89 International President Fernand Rondeau. He was a dedicated Optimist for over 30 years and held many leadership roles. Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time. Click here for obituary. 
2018 Ottawa Convention

Visit Ottawa, the capital of Canada, next summer before or after the 100th Annual Optimist International Convention Saturday, July 7, thru Tuesday, July 10, 2018! There are many attractions within walking distance of the Westin Hotel and the Shaw Centre such as the Byward Market ! Continue to check the convention page for more information and updates.
Junior Optimist International

As a special incentive for the 2017-18 Optimist Year, the Optimist International Foundation has approved a grant program to help new Junior Optimist Clubs conduct a service project or give a scholarship! Junior Optimist Clubs with 25 Charter Members or more built between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018 are eligible for a $100 Club Grant. Contact youthclubs@optimist.org for more information.
Create a Video and Win!

Optimist International presents the 2018 Reel Optimism Video Contest. Your Club could win a $1500 Club Grant by creating a short video based on the topic: "Living the Creed."

Click here for more information and follow the conversation with #ReelOptimism.
Live from the Board Room

The International Board's next meeting - this Friday and Saturday, December 8 & 9 - will be streaming live here.

The meeting will take place at the Optimist International headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri.
Upcoming Webinars

The Elevator Speech
Tuesday, December 12 at 7PM (CT)
You have a minute to convince someone to become an Optimist Member or to present a new project. Impossible? Not if you are attending The Elevator Speech webinar. With this webinar, you will have tools to effectively use this minute. To register for this webinar, click here .

Just Ask
Tuesday, January 9 at 7PM (CT)
Your membership growth and retention strategy has just found a friend: Just Ask! The Just Ask program supports all of your Club’s existing activities, and is a great way to get more hands to serve more children. Whether it's through New Club Building or by adding new Members to your own Club, let's Just Ask! Join us as we share our thoughts to make this renewed Just Ask program the pivot to your District's growth. To register, click here .

For questions, contact the Leadership Development Department at leadership@optimist.org .  
Global Spotlight
The Optimist International Global Spotlight was created to provide another means of communication between Optimist International and the Optimist Club Presidents outside of the United States and Canada. The newsletter is sent monthly. 

To view the November Global Spotlight, click  here .
Official Optimist International Suppliers

United States and the Caribbean:
Shumsky
Canada:
Ansell's Awards and Specialties
Optimist Junior Golf

Coming to a course near you – the 2018 Optimist Junior Tour Events! These 36-hole junior golf tournaments are for ages 11-18. These are qualifiers for the 2018 Optimist International Junior Golf Championship held at PGA National Resort and Spa. Click here for more information.
Facebook Ads Available for Growth Projects

Optimist International is providing Districts with the opportunity to use Facebook to help with New Club Building initiatives and membership drives. Each District is eligible for a free, standardized Facebook advertisement paid for by Optimist International. The Facebook advertisement will target a location for a potential new Optimist Club or an existing Club for recruitment purposes. Contact Jim Boyd at jim.boyd@optimist.org for more information.  
Update Member Information

To ensure each Optimist Member is receiving important information from Optimist International, encourage each Member to update their contact information with a leader in your Club. This includes addresses, email addresses and phone numbers. Each leader (Club President, Secretary, or Treasurer) has a log-in for Optimist Leaders to update the Members’ information.
Recruit a Teach for $30!

The " Recruit a Teacher for $30 " incentive has been renewed for the entire 2017-18 year! Optimist International is waiving the $15.00 membership fee and offering a year's dues for only $30 for teachers.

Contact  membership@optimist.org  for more information.
Optimist International Foundation

We are proud to announce the first checks awarded from the Optimist International/Optimist International Foundation Disaster Relief Fund. Awards are for projects nominated by San Antonio Optimist Club, Optimist Club Anguilla, British West Indies and Pasadena (Texas) Noon Optimist Club. These grants help communities affected by the devastation of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Thank you to those Clubs for partnering to help others in their communities and an added thank you to all that have contributed to the Optimist International/Optimist International Foundation Disaster Relief Fund.  

Optimist International Foundation has re-launched the Childhood Cancer Campaign Matching Grant Program. Clubs will be able to receive a matching grant up to $1,000 to fund a local childhood cancer project. These projects can be traditional childhood cancer efforts Clubs have supported over the years. New to the effort, the scope of the matching grant program has been broadened to include health and wellness projects that relate to childhood cancer. For more information, visit the Foundation website . 
Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation

Ho! Ho! Ho! Be generous during the holiday season! A receipt for income tax purposes will be delivered for any donation over $20 to the Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation . Calculate your charitable donation tax credit here . 

To all the Dime A Day and more donors who contribute before December 31, there will be a drawing for ten basic registrations to the Ottawa International Convention!

From your Foundation, have a wonderful holiday season!