Hello Southwestern Ontario Optimists!

I count it an honour to serve as the Vice President for the Northeast and Great Lakes Region for the next Optimist year. Marlene and I are looking forward to a fun and fantastic year in Optimism. Your/our District is very fortunate to have Governor Bruce and Penny as your leaders. Governor Bruce has already spent almost a year working toward success for your District for the 2011-2012 Optimist year.
It is really an interesting thing, what can happen to a person through their experiences as an Optimist. Take some time to reflect on what you have gained from our organization since you became a member. A really basic thing is that everyone can remember who sponsored them. Perhaps that is because being asked to join us in our quest to provide hope and a positive vision for our young people means that someone believed that we had something valuable to give. Are you still providing value to your club? Are you able to help someone else provide value to our young people?
Our President Jack Creswell has adopted the motto "100% and then some". Can you just imagine the world we would live in if everyone lived by the tenets of our Optimist Creed and did just a little bit more? It would be absolutely fantastic!!
I hope to have the opportunity to meet with each of you during the year to hear about your accomplishments and to share your ideas. I love to "steal" great ideas to pass along to others.
Please remember that all our members are volunteers, none of us are paid and yet we spend countless hours working on projects and fundraisers. I don't believe that any of us are perfect, but we should each be appreciated for what we do, whether that is a lot or a little. Every bit contributes to the success of the overall event. Accept this letter as my thanks in advance for the work you will do this coming year!
Good luck to you all in all your endeavours.