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JUNIOR OPTIMIST/OCTAGON CLUB
The Junior Optimist Club is formed at the Junior High
School Level. At the High School level, it is called an Octagon
Club. The basic tenets and doctrine of Optimist International are
adopted, and the adult club which forms this club acts as their sponsor. An
adult club is more or less on their own after it is formed. The Junior
Optimist and Octagon clubs however, retain the sponsoring club in an active
advisory role. The Junior club has the same degree of autonomy enjoyed by all
Optimist Clubs, provided they fall within the general parameters of Optimist
International guidelines. They enjoy great latitude in their choice and times
of meeting, projects they choose to undertake, fund raisers, socials, etc.
Because the Optimist organization has firmly established a highly respected
reputation, the youth have found it to be an excellent platform from which to
launch projects directed at issues which occupy their concerns. Youth
who participate learn to develop leadership and social skills necessary to
accomplish many of the tasks they undertake. The youth are well served by this
educational process and the community is served through the projects
accomplished.
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ORATORICAL CONTEST
Optimist International, under whose guidelines and policy we operate, has
established various "standard" projects for the clubs to perform.
Accomplishing these projects can be part of qualifying for District, Regional
or International recognition. One such project is our Oratorical
Contest. Each of our clubs in the Zone, select a school, church or
other organization to conduct a youth competition. Contestants between the age
of eleven to sixteen must write and deliver a speech, with a specified title,
five minutes in duration, in front of an audience and three judges. Optimist
members cannot be judges, so qualified members of the community are selected
for this task. There is a girl's category and a boy's category. The two
winners at each club will compete at the Zone level. Those winners (one girl,
one boy) will participate in an Area contest, between Zones, where those
winners go on to the final, District level competition. The winners each
receive a $1000 scholarship. Throughout these competitions, the participants
and immediate family are "guests" of the Optimist Organization, with all
travel expenses, meals and lodgings provided for.
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ESSAY CONTEST
This contest is open to high school students. In this contest students are given the same "title
or Theme" from which they must write a essay about. There is a girl's category and a boy's category. There are two
winners at each club will compete at the Zone level. Those winners (one girl,
one boy) will participate in an Area contest, between Zones, where those
winners go on to the final, District level competition. The winners each
receive a $1000 scholarship.
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READING IS FUNDAMENTAL
We support "Reading is Fundamental", a program which enables students who attend schools in economically underprivileged areas be able to get books which they can take home and keep and share with their siblings. We have a $10,000.00 Budget Annually that we distribute to 9 different elementary schools. The schools, in turn can apply for grants from various sources including parent groups, governmental programs and others. The purpose of this program is to encourage literacy through allowing children to won their own books. Members of our club go to the book distributions and help distribute the books. The looks on these young students faces makes it all worth the effort.
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RESPECT FOR LAW
Another program prescribed by Optimist International is
our Respect For Law Week. Throughout the year, our
membership keeps appraised of community activities and issues, especially
where quality of life is affected. As a consequence of looking at the "sunny
side of things," we appreciate those individuals in our community who make
positive contributions toward Law and Order issues. Thus, during
our Respect For Law Week, our club nominates those who our
members felt made a worthwhile contribution toward that end. One, or even
several of those nominated will then be voted upon to be honored at our
regular meeting during that week. The recipient(s) are usually invited to our
regular meeting during this week in order to be our "program speaker," but
have not been notified that they are to be honored and receive an award.
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YOUTH APPRECIATION WEEK
Optimist Youth Appreciation Week is held annually during the second week in
November to honor the positive contributions of young people to society. This week recognizes young students
that have turned their lives around in spite of severe adversity and displine problems. Over
4,300 Optimist clubs from across North America join in this special
recognition of youth.
Optimist Youth Appreciation Week reminds the public
of youth's many positive accomplishments and spotlights
young people's importance as tomorrow's leaders.
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Did you know that each year more than 12,000 children and teenagers will be
diagnosed with cancer? Did you also know that one in every 330 Americans
develops cancer before the age of 20? Because of statistics such as these,
Optimist Clubs are encouraged to participate in this program by building
awareness of the disease, providing assistance for children and their
families, and supporting research to find a cure.
In December 2001, the Optimist International Board of Directors established the CCC
as the organization's primary focus program for the next five years. The
CCC program model is built to accentuate four areas of service on which
members can focus: |
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