Optimist Club to fulfill a twenty-five year goal

Some projects are bigger than others. Some projects can be done in a day and some take years to accomplish. But the beauty of an Optimist Club is that it provides a foundation on which to build. Optimist Clubs and their projects are totally scalable: you can start small, make a difference with the little things that you do, and keep a big vision or dream alive for when it can be completed.

The Optimist Club of Hornbeck, LA is about to achieve one of those grand visions. Twenty-five years ago, the Hornbeck Optimist Club was formed and they immediately began a baseball program, leasing land for $1/per year from a timber company. They built the beginning of the town's recreation program on that site and every time the the land changed hands they prayed that they could continue with their program. Four years ago, the city approached the land owners and finalized a deal to acquire the land. The city kept the lease intact for the Optimist Club and then began to help them realize their dream of a park and playground for the area. On April 4, the City of Hornbeck and the Hornbeck Optimist Club broke ground on the improvement project.

Approximately $117,000 will go towards walking trails and baseball field improvements. The Hornbeck Optimist Club will provide the playground fulfilling a dream of providing ongoing service to youth. Great job all!

UW-Wisconsin Optimist Club travels to Belize

Here is a project that puts the International in Optimist International. Eight college students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Optimist Club traveled to Belize to take clothing, toys, personal hygiene products and other supplies to a local orphanage.

Check out the pictures and read about it the student newspaper Royal Purple.

What a great project for a college club to perform! High Five to the students and their sponsoring club, the Whitewater Community Optimist Club.

Optimist Club Oratorical Contest

Our Optimist Clubs do so many great things in their local communities, but one activity that binds us together is the Optimist Oratorical Contest. It has been around since 1928 making it the longest running program for Optimist International. The Optimist Oratorical Contest asks students under the age of 16 to speak on a predetermined subject and they have the opportunity to receive college scholarships for their efforts. The Optimist Oratorical Contest helps students develop poise and self confidence as they learn to effectively present what they think about and what is on their minds.

Here is a sample of what an Optimist Club Oratorical Contest looks like.

Optimist Club of Vancouver Oratorical Contest (3-28-09)

The Optimist Club of Vancouver, WA has been broadcasting club and zone contests for several years. High Five to the Vancouver Optimist Club. And congrats to the students for an awesome job!