===== Presentation by Mary Still at a District Conference in 2007 =====


Good afternoon, everyone!


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I would like to give you a brief overview of the history of our great organization - Optimist International.


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It began in 1911 when a group of men felt the need to address the needs of their community in Buffalo, New York.  They wanted to promote a positive outlook in the face of the problems of their community.  They began calling themselves an “Optimist Club”.


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The nationwide movement began in 1916 when the Optimist Club of Indianapolis, Indiana, was formed.  Founders from this club started clubs in other major cities.  The first club outside the United States was started in Toronto, Canada, in 1924.  The first club in Georgia was started in Atlanta 70 years ago. Today there are more than 3200 clubs in many countries, including Canada, Mexico, England, France, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Asia, Russia and 2 clubs in Baghdad.


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The first international convention was held on June 19, 1919, in Louisville, Kentucky.  That is where the name “International Optimist Club” was adopted.  The first international president was William Henry Harrison, who was a descendent of the United States President William Henry Harrison.


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As a member of Optimist International you can attend this year’s international convention which will be held in Montreal, Canada.


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At the convention in 1987, it was voted to allow women to join the organization, and it hasn’t been the same since!  This year we have a woman for the first time as International President: Ronnie Dunn.


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Our famous “Optimist Creed” was adopted in 1922.  It was written by Christian Larson and originally published under the name “Promise Yourself”.  The wife of an Optimist club member saw the item in a newspaper and gave it to her husband, who published it in his club bulletin.  As you can see, women have been involved even before they could become members.


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Our motto was chosen in 1923 as “Friend of the Delinquent Boy”, but was changed the following year to “Friend of the Boy”. In 1972, the motto was again changed to “Friend of Youth” to reflect our service to boys and girls.


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Optimist International is well known for several continuing projects. Among them are the Oratorical Contest, which was started in 1928, Youth Appreciation week was started in 1957, Junior world of Golf was started in 1978, and the Essay Contest was started in 1983.  Not too many years ago, our own Augusta Club started the Communications Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, which became an international project.  As you can tell, there are many long-standing programs that are staples of the service areas for many clubs.


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When you join an Optimist Club, you join an organization whose mission statement is “By providing hope and positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in kids”.  This mission statement is the essence of who we are and what we do.


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Thank You.


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