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 Optimists to always remember to be positive no matter what challenges are encountered!
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
Junior Optimist International

Have you ever thought about sponsoring a Junior Optimist Club?  Here are some easy steps to help you get started in making a different in the life of a young person in your community! 

For more information about Junior Optimist International or if you have questions, contact  youthclubs@optimist.org .
Programs

Has your Club started planning for an Oratorical, Essay or Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH)? Visit the scholarship section of the website to download the Planning Guides and applications. 

For questions, contact programs@optimist.org
Dr. Carl Bowen

The Optimist International family mourns the loss of 1964-65 International President Dr. Carl Bowen. Dr. Bowen was a dedicated Optimist for over 60 years and served many roles including Club President, District Lt. Governor and Governor, and International Vice President. Dr. Bowen was also a World War II veteran, and a practicing dentist for almost 60 years.

Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time. Click here for obituary.
2018 Ottawa Convention

Join your Optimist friends in Ottawa, Ontario next summer for the 100th Annual Optimist International Convention, Saturday-Tuesday, July 7-10, 2018! Here is one reason to come to Ottawa: beaver tails!

Registration will be available in January 2018. For questions or more information about the annual convention, contact convention@optimist.org .
Recruit a Teacher - Renewed!

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.
Club Officer Elect Report

The Club Officer Elect Report for 2017-18 is no longer available online. If you have 2017-18 officer changes, send an e-mail to Charlotte Baker, Membership Department, at bakerc@optimist.org .

Adding 2018-19 officers will be available online in February 2018.
Upcoming Webinars

Website Webinar
Tuesday, November 7 at 6:30PM (CT)
This webinar will focus on the websites of Optimist International. A new version of Optimist International website was unveiled in early October and the webinar will help you navigate to various places of interest where you can find information that will benefit your Club and yourself. The webinar will also briefly touch on the Optimist Leaders website and the Optimist International Foundation. To register, click here .

“Club within a Club”
Wednesday, November 29 at 7PM (CT)
Building a “Club within a Club” is a way to strengthen our existing Clubs. It offers Optimists an opportunity to incorporate new membership with individuals and groups who want to help in the community, but may not necessarily want to be the administrative arm behind the efforts. The possibilities are endless in the venture of New Club Building once you recognize the opportunities that are inside the concept of a “Club within a Club!” To register for the webinar, click here!

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 .

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 October Global Spotlight, click  here .
Official Optimist International Suppliers

United States and the Caribbean:
Shumsky

Canada:
Ansell's Awards and Specialties
Personal Growth and Involvement  ( PGI ) Revisions

In order to keep the PGI program relevant to Optimist Members, the Leadership Development Committee revised the requirements for the PGI program in effect on October 1, 2017. If you are already working on a level of PGI, you may continue using the “old” requirements until you complete the level you are working on. On the next level, use the revised requirements. New Passports with the revised requirements will be available beginning December 1, 2017. 

For questions, contact the Leadership Development Department at leadership@optimist.org .  
2017-18 Lieutenant Governor Incentive

Lt. Governors are very important to the success of Optimist Clubs. The most important role of a Lt. Governor is to encourage membership growth within their Zones. The best way to grow membership is by having membership recruitment events. We would like to award the Lt. Governors who go “above and beyond” during the 2017-18 Optimist year.

Lt. Governors who meet the criteria below may receive a free registration to the 2018 International Convention in Ottawa (if criteria is met prior to this event) OR the 2019 International Convention in Louisville (if criteria is met after the Ottawa Convention).
 
Criteria:
  • Lt. Governors with five or fewer Clubs in their Zone must have 100% of their Clubs host a Member recruitment event and report the results to Optimist International. A minimum of three new Members must join each Club for the recruitment event to count towards this incentive.
  • Lt. Governors with more than five Clubs in their Zone must have a minimum of five Clubs in their Zone complete a Member recruitment event and report the results to Optimist International. A minimum of 3 new Members must join each Club for the recruitment event to count towards this incentive.

Contact the Membership Department at Optimist International for more details. Call 800-500-8130 ext. 226 or send an email to danny.schuette@optimist.org .
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.
Officer Recommendations

The Optimist International Candidate Qualifications Committee would like recommendations for the following International officers: International Committee member, Vice President, International Board Member, and International President. Click here for form to submit your recommendation(s).
Optimist Junior Golf  Tour
 
A total of 80 junior golfers from eight states teed up at the second annual Optimist Junior Golf Tour event on October 14 at the highly regarded, frequently awarded Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver. From almost anywhere on the course, you could see the spectacular snow-capped Rocky Mountains to the west. Boys and girls in five age divisions played vying for individual trophies and 23 exemptions into the 2018 Optimist International Junior Golf Championships .

The age group winners were:
  • Boys 16 – 18          Blake Danni
  • Boys 14 – 15          Mario Dino
  • Boys 11 – 13          Parker Paxton
  • Girls 14 – 18          Jessica Zapf
  • Girls 11 – 13          Katelyn Lehigh

For final tournament standings, click here .

The event could not have been held without the assistance and contributions of the:
Colorado Wyoming District Optimist Junior Golf Program Tri-chairmen, Ron Cisco, Joe Marci and Bob Meyer, Monaco South Optimist Club, Colorado Golf Association Rules Officials, David Sweeney - President of ShotStat, R & D Embroidery, Prize Possessions, Green Valley Ranch and Srixon, the Official Golf Ball of the Optimist Junior Tour Events.
Optimist International Foundation

Optimist International Foundation is proud to announce the re-launch of 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

Did you know that to all Dime a Day and more donors who have contributed before December 31 to the Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation will be placed in a drawing for 10 basic registrations to the Ottawa International Convention? Contact your District Foundation Representative to make your donation or visit our website . Good luck!