FALL 2016

T H ETo r c H

Hello fellow Optimists! I am Madison O’Hara Wickham, a 16-year-old Junior at Mater Deí Catholic High School in San Diego California. I have been blessed with the opportunity to work in and with the Junior Optimists for five years. And now, I have the great privilege of serving the organization as its 2016-2017 International President.

The Junior Optimist have played a big role in my life. I have learned what it means to be strong, determined, compassionate, and most importantly optimistic. These are

traits that I have incorporated, not only into my community service, but into my education, family, my training as an equestrian

and horse owner, and my life as a whole.

I have been the founder and President of two Clubs in my District, and served as President for five consecutive years. Along with that, I also was given the chance to hold the position of Lieutenant Governor and work as a 2015-2016 Junior Optimist International Board Member.

This year, with help from my new amazing Board and you, the International Members, my goal is to increase Junior Optimist’s growth rate by implementing a new type of Club. My plan is for every Club to foster their own sister Club; this means that you must first find a place in need of service opportunities. This can be anywhere from schools, churches, orphanages, athletic clubs to even Boys and Girls clubs. Next you need to make contact with someone in that facility or organization who you can approach with the idea of an Optimist Club. Once all of that is accomplished, you can being your process of mentoring your newly founded sister Club. Mentoring a Club consists of guiding and growing with your sister Club for a year. You will show them how to run meetings, work with them on an event, and in the end show them what it means to be a Junior Optimist. Then you can go and encourage them to branch out as their own Club. This benefits both International and the mentoring Club, as well. The mentoring Club will receive not only the pride and joy of founding a sister Club and servicing their community, but also monetary incentives to better equip their Club.

I am excited to expand Junior Optimist International and our optimism throughout the world with you all! Thank you for all of your continued support and hard work for Junior Optimist International. I look forward to a successful year and serving YOU as your International President.

Madison O’Hara Wickham

2016-17 Junior Optimist International President

ohara.wickham@gmail.com

The official name change of Junior Optimist Octagon International to Junior Optimist International will begin October 1, 2016. Therefore, the organization should be marketed as Junior Optimists or Junior Optimist International. The new Junior Optimist International logo can be found at www.junioroptimist.org. If you have questions or need more information, e-mail youthclubs@optimist.org or visit www.junioroptimist.org.

Friends,

My name is Logan Clemente and I am honored to serve as past Junior

Optimist President on this year’s Board. I am a part of the Lyman

Octagon Club in Longwood, Florida. I served as the International

President for the 2015-16 year, as North Florida District Governor

and as one of the 2014-15 International Directors. This year I hope

to use my experience as President to help the Board of

Directors and President O’Hara achieve whatever

goals and missions they come up with. I will

be here to help guide them using my two

years of experience on the Board. Besides

Junior Optimist activities, I like to do anything

outdoors such as shooting, fishing, and

camping and I consider myself to be a political

activist in my area. I can’t wait to talk to each of you

and make this year a “JOI-ful” one.

- Logan Clemente

Hello!

My name is Avery Jorgensen. I am currently a Junior at Princeton High

School in Princeton, Minnesota. I am super excited to serve on this

year’s Junior Optimist Board of Directors and can’t wait to get started.

I have been a Junior Optimist Member since 8th grade. Since then,

I have been a Club President twice and a Lieutenant Governor in the

Iowa District.

In my free time when I’m not working

with Junior Optimist, I enjoy working

with my local Boy Scout troop, and

every winter you can find me working

out in the wrestling room with my

other team members. This year on the

Junior Optimist Board I want to improve

communication between Clubs and Districts

by improving the resources we have to contact

each other. Junior Optimist has had such a huge impact on my

life and I can’t imagine what I would be doing without it. This is such

an amazing gift to help improve Junior Optimist as a whole. Thank you

all for this wonderful opportunity.

- Avery Jorgensen

Hello Fellow Junior Optimist Members,

My name is Mathew Nacev and I am honored to serve you as one of

this year’s Junior Optimist Board Directors. I am from Toronto, Ontario,

Canada and I live in Burlington, Ontario. I have been a Junior

Optimist Member for about six years and I have had the

privilege to meet a lot of you. I have served as District

Governor and Secretary Treasurer, Club President and

Member. I am so excited to see how this year goes - I

know it will turn out great! If I am not participating in

Junior Optimist activities, you could find me at my local

karate dojo, where I am always training. One of my

goals for this year is to create special interest Clubs around

our Optimist communities. For example, sports teams could be

turned into Optimist Clubs, and what’s better than a sports team that

gives back. I can’t wait to hear about all the amazing things you guys

are doing. I can’t wait to see you all next year in Albuquerque.

- Mathew Nacev

Hello, Optimist friends!

My name is Niyata Shah. I am a high school senior, a lover of peanut

butter (just like every other runner), and an embracer of all things

biology and literature, especially the works of Kurt Vonnegut. As an

Indian American, I have a passion for writing as editor of my high

school’s newspaper - The Lion’s Tale, about multiculturalism and

feminism, for engaging in speech and debate regarding today’s

controversial issues, for running long trails with my high school’s

cross country team, and for dancing the ancient Indian

classical art form, Bharatanatyam. I have been

involved with Junior Optimist Club for the

past five years and wish to promote the

mission of altruism throughout the world

as an International Director. Follow me on

Twitter at @niyatishah54, or my mediocre

attempts at photography on Instagram at

@niyatishah54.

- Niyati Shah

Hello Junior Optimist Members!

My name is Allison Wilson. I’m 17 and I live in Crysler, Ontario,

Canada. I grew up in the Junior Optimist organization. For me, to be

an Optimist is in my values. Life gives me challenges and I have always

overcome them with a positive attitude. I am a person who loves to

be there for people. I listen to what people have to say and try my

best to make a difference in their lives. After my secondary studies,

I want to pursue my dream of becoming a special education teacher.

Junior Optimist International has shown me that any action happens

for a reason and we have to look on the sunny side of things.

I am proud to be an Optimist today and I’ll always

be an Optimist. My Optimist friends, love is

better than anger. Hope is better than fear.

Optimism is better than despair. Let us be

loving, hopeful and Optimistic. And we will

change the world.

- Allison Wilson

Planning Guide

The revised 2016-2017 Planning Guide is available on junioroptimist.org

S T R I V E T O B E A N

EXCEPTIONALA D V I S O R

Optimists serve young people throughout the continent. We create many exceptional programs to serve the youth in our community. Yet, we have over 15,000 of the world’s best youth working alongside us, our Junior Optimists. This year, Optimist Clubs are making a concentrated effort to support our Junior Optimists. Here are some things you can do:

• Create special recognition programs for your Junior Optimists

• Bring Junior Optimist leaders to your Optimist meetings to thank them

• Allow your Junior Optimist leaders to speak to your Optimist Club

• Create outstanding publicity for your Junior Optimists in local newspapers and other media

• Have motivated Members speak to your Junior Optimist Clubs

• Budget money from your adult Club to support your Junior Optimist Clubs

• Bring your Junior Optimists to your District Convention

• The ultimate: Find a way to bring your Junior Optimists to the Junior Optimist International Convention

Please let us know what special things you do to support our youth. Send your ideas to youthclubs@optimist.org. Our young people are special. We hope you will do something to support, honor and nurture them this year. Junior Optimists may be the future of Optimist International.

A C C E S S R E C O R D S A T O P T I M I S T L E A D E R S

optimistleaders.orgThere are now two ways you can log in to optimistleaders.org:

1. Using your email address (preferred method)

• Go to www.optimistleaders.org and click on “Log-in”

• Select “Login Using E-mail & Password”

• Enter your personal email address as it appears on your club roster

• Enter your password**

• Click the “Log-in” button

2. Using your office/club/year

• Go to www.optimistleaders.org and click on “Log-in”

• Select “Login using Office Year, Officer Title, User ID, & Password”

• Select the year of your administration (2016-2017)

• Select your office from the drop-down menu

• The User ID is:

- for club offices: your five-digit Club number (i.e. A1234) - for district and international offices: your last name and first initial (i.e. KellerA)

• Enter your password**

• Click the “Log-in” button

** Note: Your password has been assigned to you individually. We encourage you to change your password to something memorable. You may retrieve your password using your personal email address through the instant password recovery function on the login page. Your password retrieval email address must match the information on your club roster in the Optimist International database.

Making a DifferenceT H E

The Making a Difference Junior Optimist Club in Southfield,

Michigan participates in a number of Club projects. Breakfast

with Bunny entails volunteering to help serve breakfast (eggs,

sausage, pancakes, tea, lemonade and coffee), and take

pictures of families with the Easter Bunny. Similarly, the Daddy/

Daughter Dance involves various volunteers serving fathers and

daughters dinner, while the fathers and daughters dance and

have fun. The Martin Luther King Walk commemorates not only

Dr. Martin Luther King, but various other historical figures who

have been tried and tested, so that the life experience of African

Americans could be improved. During the MLK walk, volunteers

walk from New Hope Church to the Parks and Recreation center

where the event takes place. In addition, volunteers assist with

moving objects like stairs and other audio equipment on and off

the stage. The Club will continue to fundraise in order to make

future community service project ideas a reality.

J U N I O R O P T I M I S T C L U B

Junior Optimist has not only been a Club; it has been an eye-opener. That there are more important things to life than acing the next test or winning the next game. That cooperation is at its most beautiful when it’s done with a mindset to include everyone regardless of his or her circumstances. That love is at its purest when it’s done unconditionally and without an expectation to get it back.

These are just some of the things that my involvement in Junior Optimist has taught me. This is a volunteer-based Club that contributes to the community in a wide variety of ways, from donation drives to spending time at local events helping in whatever way is needed, with a specific focus on the special needs population. It’s shown me that this group of people is not separate, but exactly like us, just with unique skill sets that are required to make this world endurable. Like unconditional love. Like the beauty and importance of life. Like cooperation among a diverse group of people.

I most prominently saw these things at the most average place: a bowling alley. The encouragement I found within the Junior Optimist Club to do something as common as bowling with our fellow special needs friends was truly inspiring. There were no undermining intentions. The sole purpose was to bring each other up. Perhaps the donation the Club held for the Florida homeless population is another good example. There was no expectation of a favor in return. There was just an optimistic thought to help those in need and the hope it would make a difference in their day, and maybe even life.

Why is the Junior Optimist Club not only important but necessary? Because though the world seems to excel at productivity and success in quantitative values, concern for others is lost along the way. Why shouldn’t I strive to not only better the world, but do so in an optimistic way? This is what the Junior Optimist Club has shown me through the smiling eyes of someone who expects nothing in return.

C A R L Y M I T C H E L L

M Y J U N I O R O P T I M I S T E X P E R I E N C E

For the past two years, the Junior Optimist Club of Oakville has been using the Personal Growth and Involvement (PGI) program. In addition to the satisfaction of volunteering and helping others in the community, PGI provides participants with additional motivation to exceed and perhaps to take on roles that they may have hesitated to do. The Club is an amazing group of young people, who continue to amaze their Advisor with their drive and commitment to help others. Each year, the final meeting in June is a celebration of Junior Optimists and everything they have accomplished collectively as a group and individually with PGI. An awards

Trevor Mines has been participating in and with the Optimist Club for a great deal of time. His father, who is a Member of the Warner Robins Noon Optimist Club, originally introduced him to the world of the Junior Optimist. However, Trevor has something else hidden up his sleeve. He is also a strongly pledged Eagle Scout! Needing to complete an Eagle Scout Project, he found a clever way to bring both the Eagle Scouts and Junior Optimists together via Little Libraries! Little Libraries are operated on a “take one, leave one” honor system to provide books to the area in which they are placed. Rather than keeping these two organizations apart, he tied them together by having the construction completed by the Boy Scouts and members of the church where the library is located, and his Junior Optimist Club gather up all the books needed to stock the library. Not all Little Libraries look the same. There are many different designs and styles, including some made out of repurposed things

A New BreedO F O P T I M I S T

J U N I O R O P T I M I S T C L U B O F

Oakville

such as old telephone booths or newspaper vending machines. Trevor’s Little Library included a bench, which took a little more work, but was worth all the effort. The little library he and his team built cost a total of $196, which included food for the helpers. This is a great project for any community! As Trevor has demonstrated, the Junior Optimist has the capability to work with and even merge into other Clubs. Whether through projects, meetings, or events, we have the chance to combine forces with different organizations. This is the new breed of Optimist.

ceremony takes place to present the PGI medallions, certificates to those graduating and bound for college or university, and have pizza and cake. This year ten Junior Optimists received a bronze medallion, and four received a silver medallion. A few are very close to achieving a gold medallion. PGI is a great incentive to new Junior Optimists as well to follow the example set by their peers. Thirteen Club projects and 266.5 hours of volunteering in the community was completed by the Club. It is a fitting way to end the year - celebrating Junior Optimists’ accomplishments!

Erin Swiderski, 15-year-old daughter of John and Eileen Swiderski of Norman, Oklahoma, received the Appreciation of Youth Award from Junior Optimist International, given to young people whose lives exemplify the Optimist Creed.

On July 3, at Travis Ranch in Norman, Oklahoma, Erin recognized the dire circumstances of a new resident horse and her owner. On their first walk out of her pen, the new horse became terrified and bolted, seriously injuring her owner. Erin recognized that the horse and owner were too afraid to venture out again.

Erin’s peace of mind depended upon helping them to be at ease in their wonderful new home. Through her creative thinking, Erin saw a plan of action. Through her natural sympathy, empathy and caring, she helped the owner see the optimistic view: he and his horse would walk out safely and she would be there to guarantee it.

With courage fortified by optimism, Erin and her horse, Katy Joe, led the nervous horse and owner out to pasture, where the new horse grazed peacefully.

My name is Savannah Couvillon-Chevalier. I live in Limoges, southeast of Ottawa, Ontario. I wanted to be in a Junior Optimist Club, but there were no Clubs where I lived in 2014. I talked to the Optimist Club in my community and we decided to host a meeting at my school The meeting was a success! We were forming our team and I agreed to be the founding President of my Club. At the presentation of the charter to our Club, a great part of the East Ontario District came to support and encourage us. We were well on our way!

We prepared activities for Christmas, Easter, the winter festival, a race of dolphins, an interclub soap box racing and many others. These are all successful activities with the help of the Optimist Club in our community. All these wonderful activities have required a lot of organization and effort by volunteers and Members of our Junior Optimist Club. The Optimist Club is always there to support us through all of our endeavors.

During the 2015-16 Optimist year, I became the District Governor of Ontario. I participated in three District quarterly assemblies, District Convention and the International Convention in Québec. Each event was very well organized and always had a beautiful

part of our Optimist family present. Optimists are so welcoming and I felt accepted; I became less shy, more comfortable talking to a crowd and I was comfortable being myself. These two years will always remain unforgettable in my mind.

When I am asked if it is worth accepting the position of Club President or District Governor, I do not hesitate to encourage it. These positions help to form superb leadership qualities. I am part of a wonderful family of Optimists and I would never change it.

H O W M Y O P T I M I S T E X P E R I E N C E H A S

Changed My Life

Appreciation of Youth A W A R D

The Optimist CreedPromise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit

the presence of trouble.

C O N TA C T I N F O R M AT I O N

Sandy Cyphers – Chair scyphers@ec.rr.com

Gerri Barnett jooiful@gmail.com

Frédérique Théorêt theoret.frederique@live.ca

Sean Mueller muellesa@hotmail.com

David Pudles oviedooptimist@aol.com

youthclubs@optimist.org junioroptimist.org

Junior Optimist International

@Junior_Optimist

Photo credit: City of Albuquerque

July 3-5, 2017 • Albuquerque, New Mexico

C O N V E N T I O N2017 Junior Optimist International

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