Optimist International Clubs Locations Locator Map and Directory

From Website

About Optimist International Meeting the needs of young people in communities worldwide, Optimist Clubs have been "Bringing Out the Best in Kids" since 1919. Optimist Clubs conduct positive service projects aimed at providing a helping hand to youth. Club Members are best known in their communities for their upbeat attitudes. By believing in young people and empowering them to be the best they can, Optimist volunteers continually make this world a better place to live. There are 101,000 individual Members who belong to more than 3,200 autonomous Clubs. Optimists conduct 65,000 service projects each year, serving six million young people. Optimists also spend $78 million on their communities annually.

From Wikipedia

Optimist International, commonly called Optimist Clubs, is an international service club organization with 3,200 clubs and over 103,000 members in 200 countries around the world. The international headquarters is located in St. Louis, Missouri.

It was founded in the U.S.A. in 1911 in Buffalo, New York. Membership is set by each club, but is usually open to anyone and attendance at meetings is expected on a monthly or twice-monthly basis. Optimists are a community-based organization with a hierarchy that can take a member from a club to office at zone, district, national and international levels. Each club raises its own funds and chooses its own service projects. Typically, these projects are aimed at children. Sponsoring youth athletic leagues, scholarship essay and speech contests and supporting local schools are examples of typical projects.

Optimist International's motto is "Friend of Youth." Optimist Clubs demonstrate their caring attitude by carrying out the mission/vision of the organization, "By providing hope and positive vision, Optimist Clubs bring out the best in kids."

Overview

Meeting the needs of young people in communities worldwide, Optimist Clubs have been "Bringing Out the Best in Kids" since 1911. Optimist Clubs conduct positive service projects aimed at providing a helping hand to youth. Club Members are best known in their communities for their upbeat attitudes. By believing in young people and empowering them to be the best they can, Optimist volunteers continually make this world a better place to live. There are 105,000 individual Members who belong to more than 3,200 autonomous Clubs. Optimists conduct 65,000 service projects each year, serving six million young people. Optimists also spend $78 million on their communities annually.

On October 1st, 2006, the first female international president in Optimist history, Ronnie Dunn, took office for the standard one-year term. In October of 2007, Theo Golding of Jamaica will become the first person of color to be international president.

Mission Statement

By providing hope and positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in kids.