April 2021
Optimist Rally To Make a Difference Around The World!
International Development thrived during this past month both with the continued growth of Optimist International but also with an abundance of service projects conducted around the globe. A special convention is being planned April 23-24 to elect officers and approve the first budget for the Nepal District of Optimist International. 20 Clubs will comprise the District, including the most recent editions; The Optimist Club of Surkhet sponsored by the Bay City Michigan Optimist Club and the Optimist Club of Bhaktapur, sponsored by the Optimist Club of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. The Club from Surkhet in western Nepal provides Optimist International with a presence in all of the country’s provinces. Meanwhile, two existing Clubs in Biratnagar and Hetuada were reorganized with North American sponsor Clubs to give each a fresh start on the path to success.
March brought with it a plethora of projects from our Clubs in Africa Asia, The Middle East and Central America. The Tema District Optimist Club of Ghana delivered donated textbooks and notebooks to the Chris Great Unique International School
Meanwhile……our Optimist members in the Oti Region of Ghana spent part of their day on the International Day of Happiness providing cleaning services at the Nkonya Atumda King’s Palace of the Oti region.
The Optimist Club of the Philippines took a different approach to the International Day of Happiness celebration as it hosted a four-hour webinar entitled, Thriving in Times of Challenges Through Optimism and Good Leadership.  More than five dozen people were in attendance including Optimist International President Mark Weinsoff.
Asia was also the site of the "Awareness Program on 'Safe and Dignified Periods' for Disable Girls", Organized by Optimist Club of Kathmandu in association with other local organizations.
In Central America, the International Day of Happiness was recognized by the Optimist Club of Belize through a self-care walk and exercise class.  
March in the Middle East brought with it ceremonies for distribution of officer and membership lapel pins for the Optimist Club of Jordan and the Golden Family Optimist Club in Amman. A big thank you to Elie Abu Samra of the Optimist International Lebanon Club for making the trip to Jordan so the members could receive their pins.
The journey around the world this month returns where it started in Africa. The Kinshasa Pool Optimist Club in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. sponsored a multi week course for young adults on Social Networking. 80 people participated over the three months the course was offered.
Administrative Corner
The Optimist fiscal year is already half over. This is the perfect time for Club officers to take action to expand their influence in their community by asking people to join the Optimist movement. Optimist International headquarters can help our clubs add the new people to the Club roster. It is also a good time to determine whether some names need to be removed from the membership roster because those people are no longer interested in the Club’s activities. Contact Optimist International for more information about this process.