Optimist Club of Boyertown to start a Junior Optimist Club

For over 50 years the Optimist Club of Boyertown has been offering programs to youth in the Boyertown community. Our sports programs include Football, Cheerleading, Field Hockey, Basketball, Boys’ and Girls’ Lacrosse and Softball. We also offer opportunities for non-sports participation, including Essay, Oratorical and Kids’ Safety programs. This letter is to notify you of a new non-sports program the Optimist Club of Boyertown would like to offer the community, which is called Junior Optimist International (JOI).

JOI members have the opportunity to develop leadership and teambuilding skills, while helping their community. Members of JOI can share in the decision-making process of the Optimist organization, meet young people with similar interests and goals, learn from training seminars, and even have the opportunity to be a part of a convention, all while having fun! Learning about and practicing good citizenship, teamwork, communication and money management skills are all key areas that JOI can help with. The program is structured to have kids feel good about themselves and achieve high self-esteem through service. Membership in JOI seeks to help develop friendships with others who share similar service oriented interests and provide opportunities for personal growth and leadership positions at Club, District, and International levels. JOI exposes members to optimism as a philosophy of life, provides members with an improved sense of kindness, increased awareness for those in need, and a better sense of embracing cultural diversity. If all of that is not enough, the opportunity to complete community service hours required for graduation is available.

Additionally, membership in JOI can create an interesting forum in which to address youth related issues and problem solving skills through leadership. Creativity is encouraged as members decide on service projects that fit the needs of the community. Some examples of projects are: environmental clean-up, Christmas caroling, peer tutoring, visiting nursing homes, helping with Special Olympics, cleaning up parks or school grounds, Toys for Tots, sponsoring a book drive, and collecting food and school supplies to donate to area shelters or food banks.

The group will meet once or twice a month and we are searching for students who would be interested in joining our JOI club. This program is open to boys and girls ages 8-18 in the community. If you have anyone in your school, organization, youth group, or just anyone in the community that you know that may be interested, please encourage their parents to contact us at Boyertownoptimistclub@gmail.com.