"I'm really interested by your organization and I 'd like to know how to become Member to be able to represent the organization here in my country." 

- Mamadou Gueye - Dakar, Senegal

The effort to create the Optimist Club of Senegal in West Africa came from this inquiry from Mamadou in late June. He indicates the Club would focus its initial efforts on developing a project to impact the lives of children between the ages of 7-15. The initiative would concentrate on trying to bring an end to young people begging in the streets and to emphasize the importance of staying in school. The project has blossomed to involve several other people in Senegal who now are interested in the Club development process. The Optimist International office in Montreal has been brought in for communication assistance in French. Skype meetings are being held between Optimist International and the contacts in Senegal with the hope of bringing another Club into existence in Africa before the end of September.

Two of the Optimist Clubs in Africa were represented at the International Convention in Québec City, Québec. 

Abderrazaq Mihamou

Abderrazaq Mihamou, the Charter President of the Club Optimiste Maroc, Casablanca, was in attendance. He was joined by his son who just recently graduated from Lavalle University in Québec. The Club Optimiste Maroc, Casablanca has 17 Members. 

	Anastasia Glover

Anastasia Glover of Optimist International Ghana in Accra was  also  in attendance. She attended numerous workshops receiving as much information as possible to bring back to the other Optimists in Ghana. She gave a report on her experience at a meeting of the Tema District Optimist Club. Ana is hoping to soon begin the process of establishing another Optimist Club in her country.

The Optimist Junior Golf Championships wrapped up in early August at PGA National in West Palm Beach, Florida with nearly two dozen countries represented for the three phases. One country not represented at the Championships is working toward sending a junior golfer to future tournaments. The SNAG (Starting New At Golf) program was introduced last year on the island of Barbados. The program does not use real golf equipment, but instead sets the students on a course to possibly be selected for the Barbados Golf Association's summer camp. At the camp, they can use their theoretical skills obtained in SNAG in a real golf environment.

 

Barbados Bridgetown Optimist Paula Persaud chairs the project committee. "The pilot program was identified for the Bay Primary School," said Persaud. "It took an entire school year to work the new program into the school's activities. By the beginning of the 2016 school year,  we were able to begin consistent classes to the four class years of students at the school. Each class consisted of approximately 40 students, giving us a total of 160 children being exposed to the program and to golf."

 

It appears it will be only a matter of time before one of these young people is on the course at PGA National participating in the Optimist Junior Golf Championships.