http://mix.chimpfeedr.com/6e30f-AMSNW-Optimist-Academy AMSNW Optimist Academy 2013-09-20T04:33:00+00:00 http://www.chimpfeedr.com/ http://academy.amsnwoptimist.org/1/post/2013/09/2013-14-1st-quarter-district-conference-workshops.html 2013-14 1st Quarter District Conference Workshops 2013-09-20T04:33:00+00:00 Each District meeting includes a series of workshops hosted by the various District Chairs.  Here is the schedule for the 1st Quarter District Conference in Edmonton, AB during the weekend of 18-19 October 2013.  Locations for each seminar will be announced Saturday morning before lunch.

Saturday, 19 October - 1:15 to 3:00 pm

  • Presidents Workshop - hosted by Leadership Chair Edie McInnes (Required attendance by all Club Presidents)

Saturday, 19 October - 1:15 to 2:05 pm

  • JOOI Clubs - Benefits to sponsoring Clubs
    hosted by Sue Bridgeford and Amanda McCrimmon
  • Youth Projects - Child Injury Prevention
    hosted by the Edmonton Dinner Optimist Club
  • Youth Projects - Optimist Spelling Bee
    hosted by the Leduc Black Gold Optimist Club
  • Oratorical/Essay - Scholarships available
    hosted by Oratorical/Essay Chair Dick Mastel

Saturday, 18 May - 2:10 to 3:00 pm

  • District Web Pages - See What's New - Let's Get Yammered
    hosted by Web Services Chair Gord Welling
  • Childhood Cancer Do you need ideas
    hosted by CCC Chair Dan Petersen
  • New Club Building - Q&A
    hosted by NCB Chair Gary Cross
Download the entire Conference Agenda.


]]> http://academy.amsnwoptimist.org/2/post/2013/05/will-your-club-be-recognized.html Will Your Club be Recognized 2013-05-23T04:47:00+00:00 As we continue to add new members at our club level, many of the District Clubs will qualify for additional recognition ... provided that you make the effort to meet the requirements.
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Several years ago, Optimist International adopted a standard Club and District Recognition Program to recognize those clubs that contributed to the growth of Optimism in their local communities.

Clubs only receive a Club recognition if they meet the minimum requirements and the Club executive make sure that all the "paperwork" is submitted by specific due dates.  This tutorial will explain the three "Club Recognition Awards" and how to meet those requirements.

Club Recognition

All Club Recognition awards are designed to recognize those clubs that have contributed to their local communities by running OI Youth Programs and/or community service projects, add new members, be current on dues, and recognize a club member or local community individual.
"Bringing Out the Best" Club
Clubs will receive a banner patch (first time award is bestowed to the club) and a year bar thereafter, if during the Optimist year the club:
  • Completes at least two service projects (submit a President's Pride Report)
  • Adds at least one new member
  • Be current on District and OI dues
  • Recognize a Club member or local community individual

Honor Club
Clubs will receive a banner patch (first time award is bestowed to the club) and a year bar with the Club President's name, if during the Optimist year the club:
  • Completes at least three service projects (submit a President's Pride Report)
  • Adds enough new members so that Club growth is Net +1 (on September 30th, your club's active membership is one member higher than the active membership for October 1st of the previous calendar year).
  • Be current on District and OI dues
  • Recognize a Club member or local community individual

Distinguished Club
Clubs will a banner patch (first time award is bestowed to the club), a year bar with the Club President's name, a watch for the Club President, and a citation for the Club President, Secretary and Treasurer, if during the Optimist year the club:
  • Meets the Honor Club criteria, plus
  • Has Net +15 in Club membership growth, or charters a new Optimist club.

Submit a President's Pride Report

There are two ways to submit a President's Pride Report for the 2012-13 Optimist Year:
  • Complete the PDF version of the report and fax it to Optimist International no later than 30 September 2013.  Canadian clubs should mail or email a copy to the Canadian Service Bureau, OR
  • Complete the Online President's Pride Report from optimistleaders.org (only the Club President or Secretary can submit the online version).

Recognize a Club Member or Local Community Individual

To meet this requirement, the Club President must submit a signed "Award Certification Document".  Canadian Clubs must submit to the Canadian Service Centre, U.S. Clubs must submit to Optimist International Headquarters.  This form must be submitted so it is received by September 30th, 2013 so leave yourself enough time for the mail to deliver it.

Clubs have the choice of:
  • Recognizing a Club member with an award, or
  • Recognizing a local community individual with an award.

If your Club does not have a club level award, it can choose to recognize a Club member by requesting a "President's Citation" from Optimist International.  This request must be submitted by the Club President so that is received by the Optimist International office no later than August 31st, 2013.  Canadian Clubs should also ensure that a copy of the request form is mailed to the Canadian Service Centre so that it is received by August 31st, 2013.

Do Not Assume

It is always better to be sure than to be disappointed ...
Never Assume that your Reports or Requests have been received by the Optimist International office or Canadian Service Centre ... you should always call to confirm:
  • that the item you submitted was received and that no additional information is required, or
  • that your club has met the requirements for the Club Award (for example, how many charter members are required for a new club to meet the Distinguished Club requirements).
Clubs can contact:
  • Canadian Clubs - call (514) 593-4401 or (800) 363-7151
  • U.S. Clubs - call (314) 371-6000 or (800) 500-8130
]]> http://academy.amsnwoptimist.org/2/post/2013/05/submit-your-coer-in-optimist-leaders.html Submit your COER in Optimist Leaders 2013-05-18T03:02:01+00:00 A brief tutorial on how to submit this year's Club Officer Election Report (COER) in your Optimist Leaders club page.
Prepared By:  Opt Wendy Skoretz and Opt Gord Welling
Optimist International requires that each club submit a "Club Officer Election Report" (COER) by May 20th each year to report the election of the incoming President and election/appointment of the incoming Secretary and Treasurer.  Each club has two options:
  • complete a paper form and mail it to distribution list specified on the bottom of the form, OR
  • submit an online COER from optimistleaders.org.
This article will explain the procedure for the online COER submission.

Why is the COER so important?

Each year, your District Secretary Treasurer will produce a District Directory and set of Contact Cards using the information provided from the COER submissions.  Since there is a monetary cost to producing printed District Directories, the DST will make every effort to ensure that the club information is as accurate as possible.  If clubs fail to file a COER, your club listing in the District Directory and Contact Cards may be incorrect.

Steps to submit an online COER

The current Club  President or Secretary can submit the COER.

  • Step 1 - Login into optimistleaders.org.
  • Step 2  - Click on Reports in the side bar below Invoices / Payments.
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  • Step 3 - Click the Club Officer-Elect Report button.
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  • Step 4 - Select the President radio button and then click on the club member that will fill that position for the next Optimist year.  The individual's club number, full name and email address will be displayed.  If the email address is not correct, modify it.
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  • Step 5 - repeat Step 4 for the Secretary and Treasurer positions.  If one person will be serving as a Secretary-Treasurer, then select the same person for each position.
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  • Step 6 - Once all of the positions have been identified, click the Submit button.  That's it ... you are done.

What if I want to submit a paper COER?

Clubs are free to submit a paper copy of the Club Officer-Elect Report using the COER Form available from Optimist International.  Just complete the form and mail it to the OI office (or the OI Canada office for Canadian clubs) by the deadline.

What if I miss the reporting deadline?

All clubs are encouraged to file their COER by the reporting deadline to qualify for Honor or Distinguished club status for the current year.  If you miss the deadline, you can still file a COER at any time after May 20th.  To ensure that your club's information is accurate, you should file no later than mid-September.
]]> http://academy.amsnwoptimist.org/2/post/2013/05/the-rules-have-changed-the-new-cpa.html The Rules Have Changed ... the new CPA 2013-05-18T03:02:00+00:00 This year, Optimist International officially retired the CPA Binder and completely changed how clubs submit a CPA.  Learn more about the changes and what you need to do to compete for an award.
Prepared by:  Optimist International Picture
The Community Projects Awards (CPA) Program is an annual competition that recognizes Clubs for the projects they sponsor within their communities.  Prior to 2012-13, clubs would complete a multi-page report and include copies of material that they used to run a community service project or fund raiser.  Those reports would be placed in a binder and then judged at the District 1st Quarter meeting each fall.

Starting with the 2012-13 Optimist year, the CPA program is all digital! The digital entry process encourages participation, streamlines the submission process and provides the best possible resource for Clubs looking for new project ideas. 

Getting started

Clubs may submit in two new categories: 
  • Best Film (with a video clip of 10 minutes or less on CD) or 
  • Best Writing in a CPA Entry (all documents submitted in .pdf form on CD).

The Official Rules and Project Story for the 2012-2013 year are available here. A typeable version of the Project Story can be found here. Please make sure that your Club uses the current form when completing an entry. Clubs are required to answer all the questions on the Project Story.

Please use this photo release to obtain permission to include any photography in your Club publicity and CPA entry. 

Clubs must submit entries on CD only. Entries submitted in binders will no longer be accepted as part of the CPA program.

Club entries should be submitted directly to Optimist International by December 15. Clubs may submit multiple entries in both categories. Each entry must be submitted on a separate CD. 

Submissions are actually easier

Creating a submission for the CPA program is easier than it may sound! Every Club can participate and is encouraged to do so.

Optimist International offers a PowerPoint Presentation tutorial to help you get started. This presentation will take Members through the process of creating both a .pdf entry and a video entry.

Some Video Examples

Why Participate

The Community Projects Awards program is intended to:
  • Encourage significant community-serving activities, which enhance the image of the Club and Optimist International.
  • Aid Optimist International in acquiring information on outstanding Club projects for the guidance of other Clubs seeking similar community-serving opportunities.
  • Give the Club a reference that can be used in the future as a guide for the organization of a similar activity.
  • Stimulate membership involvement in meaningful Club activities, thereby providing maximum opportunity for individual participation and enhancing the desirability of membership.
  • Provide recognition to Clubs for outstanding projects that fulfill the objectives of Optimist International.
If you have questions, contact the Programs department at 800-500-8130 or via e-mail at programs @ optimist.org

Awards

International winners will receive a $500 check for their Club to utilize as they see fit. The submitting Club will receive the funds, in the case of multiple Club projects.

The Best Youth Activity award will be presented to a Club that exemplifies the mission and vision of Optimist International through its service to youth. The project should be unique and innovative, meet a need of today’s young people, have an impact on the youth involved and have universal appeal, regardless of geography. All youth activity projects in both the Best Film and Best Writing in a CPA Entry category are eligible for this special award; fundraising projects will not be eligible. This is not a submission category.

The winning projects will be featured in The Optimist magazine and on the Optimist website. Winning Clubs that have a representative attend convention will be recognized on stage and may participate in the Bragger's Hall to showcase their project.

Credits

Our thanks go to the Programs team at Optimist International who provided much of this content on their CPA web page.
]]> http://academy.amsnwoptimist.org/1/post/2013/05/2013-3rd-quarter-district-conference-workshops.html 2013 3rd Quarter District Conference Workshops 2013-05-16T02:57:00+00:00 Each District meeting includes a series of workshops hosted by the various District Chairs.  Here is the schedule for the 3rd Quarter District Conference in Billings, BT during the weekend of 17-18 May 2013.  Locations for each seminar will be announced Saturday morning before the lunch break.

Saturday, 18 May - 1:15 to 2:05 pm

  • PGI - hosted by PGI Chair Jeff Barnhart
  • Childhood Cancer Campaign - hosted by CCC Chair Edie McInnes
  • Youth Clubs - hosted by NCB Chair Glen Kreller
  • Building Non-Traditional Optimist Clubs - Past Gov Don Morrison

Saturday, 18 May - 2:10 to 3:00 pm

  • Membership (are you really recruiting) - hosted by Jeff Barnhart
  • NCB (Let new clubs begin) - hosted by NCB Chair Glen Kreller
  • Internet Safety - hosted by Internet Safety Chair Brian Wallace
]]> http://academy.amsnwoptimist.org/1/post/2013/05/our-doors-are-open.html Our doors are open ! 2013-05-16T02:55:00+00:00 The official announcement article on what the Optimist Academy is and how Optimist members can take advantage of all the training opportunities.
By:  Optimist Academy Faculty Picture
We finally made it and our doors are ready to open.  Welcome to our brand new Optimist Academy education website.  Starting today (May 15, 2013) we are open for business and waiting for your participation and comments.

Mission
Our mission is to provide a one-stop shopping experience for online training.  Instead of having to hunt around different websites, we are trying to act as the central clearing house to meet your training needs.

What kind of training is available

When you visit us, you will be able to find training that is being offered as:

All of our learning offerings will focus on Optimist material ... you won't find any tutorials on building websites or Facebook pages.  What you will find is material about club administration, fund raising, recruiting new members, building new clubs, running optimist youth programs and community service projects ... and any other Optimist topics you recommend.

What if I can't find the tutorial I am looking for?

Not to worry ... we offer a special "contact Us" form so you can ask us to build a tutorial to meet your needs.

I have hosted workshops in the past ...

Some of our members have hosted workshops at District conferences and conventions in the past and may be interested in adding those to our collection of single lesson tutorials.  We invite you to contribute your talent by writing a tutorial for us, or by joining our faculty as a contributing instructor.

What about the "how to build a website" tutorials

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We are pleased to also announce the launch of our new Put Your Club Online website which is similar to the Optimist Academy website except that it is focused on providing tutorials, videos and online seminars about build websites and blogs, using social media, and some software reviews.
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