Initial presentation to a newly forming Junior Optimist International Club. Covers officer roles, project ideas, etc. Appropriate for high school age club.

1. Welcome to the
Adolescent Clubhouse
Junior Optimist
International (JOI) Club
Informational Meeting

2. • Introductions
• What is the Optimist International Club?
• What do the Junior Optimist International
Clubs do?
• Officer Roles
• Project Ideas
• Looking ahead
• The Optimist Creed
• More Information

3. What is Optimist International Club?
• Worldwide volunteer organization that started in 1919 and is made
up of more than 2,500 local clubs
• Optimist International is one of the world’s largest service club
organizations. Carrying the motto, “Bringing out the best in
kids,” Optimist Clubs conduct positive service projects that reach
more than six million young people each year.
• Members work to make the future brighter by bringing out the best
in children, in their communities, and in themselves.
• Locally-Optimist Club of Solomons
www.SolomonsOptimistClub.org | FB OptimistClubofSolomons

4. Thank you to the Optimist Club of Solomons
for sponsoring this JOI club.
Club President – Candace Milcarzyk

5. Why Should I Join?
• Make friends and have fun while doing great things in our
community!
• Develop leadership skills
• Manage your own club projects and budget
• Add credibility to your resume and college applications
• Scholarship opportunities
What do JOI Clubs do?
• Choose service projects to improve our community,
especially to help youth in our community
• JOI members elect officers and run their own meetings
• Meet once or twice a month to plan and work on projects

6. The Adolescent Clubhouse Junior Optimist Club will be a student-led
club, providing students with the opportunity to:
• give back to the community
• gain leadership skills
• learn about communication skills
The club will be self-governed and the officers of this club shall be:
• President,
• Vice President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Communications Chair
• Historian
** Club Advisor(s) will be available

7. JOI Club Officer Roles
President
• Serves as the Executive Officer of the Club
• Presides at all meetings of the membership
• Serves as Member of all committees
Vice President
• Performs duties as assigned by the President or Board of Directors.
Secretary
• Keeps and maintains all records of membership, and minutes of membership
and Board of Directors meetings
• Prepares correspondence as may be required by the President and Board of
Directors (For example: a letter or email to an organization to confirm plans of a
project)

8. JOI Club Officer Roles
Treasurer
• Keeps and maintains all financial records and books ordinarily kept by a
Treasurer designed by the Board.
• Pays all authorized obligations of the Club and submits regular financial
statements in the form, manner and frequency as described by the Board of
Directors
Communications Chair
• Writes/edits communications including invitations, and broadcast emails
• May also serve as the website coordinator (if you decide to start one)
Club Historian
• Keep a record of the club’s accomplishments and activities for the year
• Collect items such as pictures and news clippings about the club and its
members.

9. Project Ideas
• Decorate Valentine’s Day Cards for Nursing Home
Residents
• Thank You Cards – Deployed Military Members,
Veterans, First Responders (Solomons VFD), School
Building Service Workers
• Make No-Sew Blankets to Donate
• Pick up Trash at a local Park or Playground
• Volunteer at the Nursing Home – Help the
staff/residents with activities
• Volunteer to Do Face Painting at an Event

10. Project Ideas
• Make tissue paper flowers and hand them out
at the Nursing Home
• Design/Make/Laminate placemats for Project
Echo or the Soup Kitchen with uplifting phrases
• Volunteer with the Optimist Club of Solomons –
Bike Rodeo, Christmas Tree Lot, Trunk or
Treats
• Volunteer at the Solomons Mission Center –
Weekly Spaghetti Dinners and other
opportunities

11. Looking Ahead – What Comes Next?
• Turn in membership forms
• Determine a meeting date/time
• Group text or Remind app
• Discuss officer positions
• Brainstorm ideas for projects
• Celebrate!!! – Ceremony to officially welcome the
Adolescent Clubhouse JOI Club into the OI family

12. • Optimist International has adopted a Creed
(statement of their beliefs) and each club
makes a point of reciting the Creed at Special
Events and Ceremonies.
• You will receive a printed copy of the Creed
today.
Optimist Creed

13. Questions??

14. http://www.optimist.org/joi/joi1.cfm
For More Information