Volume 1 ● Issue 4 ● April 28, 2008

Experience Optimism and build your community through service.

Take time to laugh. As Optimist Club members, we share the wonderful, upbeat Optimist Creed and we promise to provide hope and positive vision to those around us. But reciting our powerful creed is often the very last thing we do at our meetings. What happens before is just as important in establishing a culture of pride, accomplishment and community. Be sure to include humor as part of your culture because unlike Sgt. Joe Friday of Dragnet fame, most people enjoy learning more than “just the facts, ma’am.”

Make your meetings fun and effective. According to Michael Begeman, meeting guru for the powerful 3M Meeting Network, meetings are work and great meetings take a lot of work. Does that mean that you need to beat yourself up every week making preparations for your Optimist Club luncheon? Of course not; but it does suggest that when you are in charge, please come prepared. Be ready to:

1. Identify the purpose of your meeting. Your meeting will have a more successful outcome when the participants know why they are there. It’s doubtful that your members simply meet to eat. Optimist Club meetings are networking activities where civic-minded individuals learn about needs in their communities, identify opportunities to be involved based on those needs, and then adopt and implement a course of action.
2. Play by the rules. Your Optimist Club meeting is a launching pad for great ideas that make a difference in your community. However, behind the scenes someone is asking, does this fit with our mission? Is the expense budgeted? Who will take the lead? Will others join in? Those questions are answered when you actively involve your members in the rules of engagement. Together, you should: Learn more about any proposed activity. Brainstorm different ways to be involved. Evaluate the options. Decide and commit to a course of action. Empower the leader with the tools to see the project through.
3. Record the right amount of information. Minutes often reflect conversations of who said what making them tedious to write and read. A better approach is to record three categories of information: decisions reached, action items that people need to follow up on, and open issues. Such minutes become a blueprint for progress rather than a gossip column for dissenting views.

Start a discussion for possibility today. Don’t be afraid to bring new ideas to your club meeting and open yourself and your community up to new experiences. Could your Optimist Club spearhead a writing campaign? Give it a try with one of these opportunities:

Samsung’s Hope for Education: “How has technology educated you on helping the environment and how or why has it changed your behavior to be more environmentally friendly?” Parents, students and teachers are asked to write and submit a one-hundred word essay on the above topic. Prizes include more than $2 million worth of technology, software, cash grants, and educational television programming. Submissions are due by August 31, 2008. Open to US schools only.

Lego Creation Nation: LEGO Systems, Inc. invites children between the ages of 6 and 13 who consider themselves curious, imaginative, and creative to apply for the second annual LEGO Creativity Awards. Designed to encourage lifelong curiosity and creativity, the LEGO Creativity Awards are an opportunity for young people to gain recognition for the imagination that will make them the "builders of tomorrow." Children are invited to submit essays showcasing their creativity at home, at school, and in their communities. The essay contest is intended to encourage children to think of creativity as more than practicing art or music; it is also about taking a new approach to everyday challenges. Hurry! Deadline is May 23. Open to US and Canada, except Quebec.

Have you participated in a good meeting lately? What set it apart from the rest? Please tell us about it.

© 2008 newoptimistclub.com, a project of Research Idaho

Linda Jackson, Editor

Volume 1 ● Issue 3 ● March 18, 2008

Experience Optimism and build your community through service.

Communicate often. Watch out – they are everywhere. Politicians are on the campaign trail communicating their beliefs and their dreams to the American public, and to our allies and adversaries around the world. Thanks to a media-hungry society, politicians get plenty of free, prime-time exposure and above-the-fold news stories; some meaningful and some not so much. But because they consistently place themselves in the spotlight, we know who they are, what they say they stand for, where they hope to find themselves in the future, and what we have to do to help them achieve their goals. They create a call to action every time they ask for your vote.

No, we aren’t all politicians. The news media doesn’t automatically report on every human interest story that crosses their desk. Therefore it is up to us as individuals united in service and trying to make a difference to find the best way to state our cause, express our mission, and communicate our accomplishments as well as our goals. Follow these four steps to enhance your communication efforts:

1. Find your voice. Who are you and what are you passionate about? When you can clearly and concisely express why you are committed to your cause at this given time, your message will be compelling to others that feel the same emotions as you.
2. Identify your outlets. People really do want to hear what you have to say, but some like to communicate one-to-one while others enjoy the euphoria of a group or the sincerity of the written word. Research your options and deliver your message in the manner most appropriate for the people you hope to reach.
3. Become the expert. Continually listen, read and learn about your topic so that your audience willingly recognizes you as an expert. Make others, the media included; want to come to you to find out more.
4. Create a call to action. When you speak or write, ask your audience to do something. Ask them to buy your product, donate to your cause, volunteer for your project, join your club and tell others about their experience. Their response will let you know if your message has finally been heard.

Communicating in the 21^st Century. Making a speech or writing a paper may still be the primary channels for communication. However, these channels have taken on new technology twists. Don’t be afraid to use all of the resources available to help you speak louder, further and more often.

• Email: According to Jupiter Research, the average consumer receives 35 emails daily. Why? It’s ubiquitous, free and easy-to-read as your schedule allows.
• Listserv or Group forums : An opt-in option for communicating with groups on a single topic. Optimist Club members have been sharing views on the Yahoo Group Optilink since 1998.
• Instant Messaging: “IMs” are the way to write in real time to your friends and others. It’s a standard feature for Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo and other popular email clients.
• Websites: Although somewhat static your online storefront explains who you are, what you do and why you do it. Websites are a great place to learn the basics of any topic so that you can ask more. Be sure your “contact us” page is up-to-date and monitored regularly.
• Weblogs: “Blogs” are online journals where you can write about whatever you want to write about. Many, such as Google Blogger are free. Blogs are a great option for clubs that don’t want to invest in a Website and an even better way to share your weekly newsletter! Click here to take a look at the PNW District Optimist Blog.
• Facebook and MySpace: Social networking sites that allow you to create an account, upload pictures and stories, invite friends, share calendars and communicate online with people you may not know or may not ever personally meet. Some teenagers are reported to have thousands of “friends.”
• YouTube: The Website that allows you to be the star by uploading your own home-made videos has also become a major media outlet for musicians, politicians, marketers and anyone that wants to entertain.
• Cell Phones and text messaging: Never before have people been more accessible. We carry our phones with us so we can be reached wherever and whenever the notion strikes. Could such universal accessibility represent a cry for inclusion? It certainly allows us to be connected, spontaneous and ready to change direction on the fly.

What’s your favorite mode of communication? Do you blog?  Tell your story to Experience Optimism.

© 2008 newoptimistclub.com, a project of Research Idaho

Linda Jackson, Editor

Volume 1 ● Issue 2 ● February 15, 2008

Share your mission. Chances are you are not alone in your mission to serve your community. Optimist, Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions are just some of the better known service clubs; but others, including local church groups, non-profit associations and task forces put together by government entities are all striving to make our communities more livable. Do you know who the other players in your community are? Do they know about your club and the core values that drive your work? Have you explored areas where your missions complement each other so that you can accomplish more?

Mission statements capture the essence of a body of work and help communicate the strengths of your group to others. However, the core values of an organization may not be as easily identifiable and sometimes get left behind as we strive to do more. Here’s a three point checklist to help you stay true to your values as you inspire others to participate in your cause:

1. Reacquaint yourself with the purposes that inspired your club to be formed.

      Purposes of an Optimist Club

• To develop optimism as a philosophy of life, utilizing the tenets of the Optimist Creed;
• To promote an active interest in good government and civic affairs;
• To inspire respect for the law;
• To promote patriotism and work for international accord and friendship among all people;
• To aid and encourage the development of youth, in the belief that the giving of one’s self in service to others will advance the well-being of humankind, community life and the world.

2. Evaluate your club projects. Has one project taken over the identity of your club? Or has your club taken on too many projects in an attempt to be all things to all people? Let your core values determine your plan of work, not your projects. You will find you have more participation from diverse populations when your projects reflect your purposes.

3. Provide a service to others. It is often said that money makes the world go around; however a truly successful club is judged on the service they provide their community, not the size of their budget. Make service to your community your top priority and allow the rest to fall into place.

Find money to support community building projects. One of the purposes of Experience Optimism is to help you find resources to conduct your work. Here are a few grant opportunities that we found this month.

• Finish Line funds community-based programs addressing active lifestyle and team building skills . http://www.finishline.com/store/youthfoundation/guidelines.jsp
• Burton Snowboards and Girl Overboard author Justina Chen Headley, in partnership with Youth Venture, are co-sponsoring the Go Overboard Challenge Grant to find the best youth-led ideas to change the world. http://genv.net/en-us/burton
• The Northwest Health Foundation seeks to partner with communities in Oregon and southwest Washington to help advance their efforts to improve opportunities for healthy nutrition and regular physical activity. http://www.nwhf.org/apply/obesity.php
• The U.S. Bancorp Foundation seeks to build strong partnerships in communities with a U.S. Bank office by supporting nonprofit organizations that improve the educational and economic opportunities of low- and moderate-income individuals and families. Support is also provided for programs that enhance the cultural and artistic life of communities. Nonprofit organizations located in company communities in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming are eligible to apply. Application deadlines vary by location. Visit the website listed here to access grant guidelines and state contact information. U.S. Bank Community Relations

Grant makers often require their recipients be US IRS 501 (c) (3) entities. The Optimist International Pass Through grant program may be able to help clubs who have not yet met that standard.  In Canada, click here.

Does your club have its own mission statement? Tell us how your mission statement allows you to do more in your community and Experience Optimism will share your story with others. Please include your club name and location and write to: Experience Optimism.

© 2008 newoptimistclub.com, a project of Research Idaho

Linda Jackson, Editor

Imagine a newsletter dedicated to positive thoughts and deeds.

Then imagine it contains resources and tools that will enable you to enhance the community service you provide and engage others in making your community the best place to live, work and play.

Experience Optimism every month and we will give you the tools that will help your club and your community prosper.

Tell your story. For more than a year, newoptimistclub.com has reinforced the need to tell the Optimist Story. What does your Optimist Club do that makes a difference in your community? What would happen if your club no longer conducted projects?

Storytelling can be a powerful tool because it creates an emotional bond with your audience. Adapted from The Elements of Persuasion, here are some tips to help you tell a compelling story about the reason your club members participate in Optimist Club projects:

1. Be passionate: Are you inspired by your mission? Do you wake up every morning ready to do something good for your cause? Use that passion to motivate others to do and to give.