History
The international organization was founded at a convention in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1919, uniting various local and regional clubs, the first of which was founded in Buffalo, New York in 1911. At the convention, the first official charter of the international organization was awarded to the club in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana which was founded in 1916.
The turn of the century was a turning point in the organization’s storied history. Following the International Convention in Reno, Nevada, the inaugural Optimist International Junior Bowling Championships (OIJBC) took place there. Junior bowlers battled for the right to be called “Optimist Champion.”
In July 2001, Optimists found themselves seated in the White House, pledging to support U.S. President George W. Bush’s goal to mentor one million children. Optimist International President Bob Garner called the meeting “yet another sterling example of ‘Optimists Bringing Out the Best in Kids.’”
Also in 2001, Optimist International introduced the Childhood Cancer Campaign to provide awareness and support of children battling cancer and the challenges their families face. In 2004, the organization made a $1 million commitment to Johns Hopkins to underwrite a research focus.
Optimist International signed up the first Friend of Optimists in 2005. This class of membership allows individuals to show their support of the organization’s mission if they are unable to commit as a traditional club member.
Also in 2005, the Optimist Junior Golf Program expanded to include the Optimist International Tournament of Champions for top-performing junior golfers ages 14 to 18. On October 1, 2006, the first female international president in Optimist history, Ronnie Dunn, took office for the standard one-year term. In October 2007, Theo Golding of Jamaica became the first international president from outside of Canada or the United States.
With children being introduced to the internet at earlier and earlier ages, the organization began an Internet Safety program in 2008 to keep children educated and safe from online predators.
There are currently about 87,000 individual members who belong to more than 2,900 autonomous Clubs. Optimists conduct 65,000 service projects each year, serving six million young people. Optimists also spend $78 million on their communities annually.
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