I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Service Projects 3

Service Projects 20

Letters 26

Conference: A Spe-

cial Review

28

Housekeeping 34

Stay connected 36

Contact Us 16

7 T H J U N E , 2 0 1 4 I S S U E 8

Caribbean District News Desk

VOTEVOTE

JULY 10JULY 10JULY 10---121212

P A G E 2

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

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SERVICE

PROJECTS

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C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

P A G E 4

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

10-12 July, 2014

96th Optimist International

Convention

THERE IS STILL TIME

Our block at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas is filling up fast; please encourage your delegates to stay in our block

and to reserve their room as quickly as possible. Our rate is $119 a night with the resort fee waived & free park-

ing, once the block is full, current average rates at the Caesar’s hotel over our convention nights are averaging

$239 per night PLUS the resort fee.

http://www.optimist.org/e/member/convention1.cfm

Affectionately known as

"America's #1 Success

Coach," Jack Canefield will

be joining us at the Interna-

tional Convention.

One more reason not to miss

this event!

P A G E 5

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

oc of ste. lisi “Lending A Helping Hand”

T he Optimist Club de Ste. Lisi is pleased to announce

that we have successfully presented a much needed

donation to Principal Ms. Laura Francis of the Canar-

ies Primary School on May 20, 2014.

Mr. Al Elliot (current President) along with Mr. Kevin Hay-

wood (Second Past President) and Ms. Lana Lawrence

(Secretary) made the presentation which was shipped from

Barbados by our sister clubs.

The donation included of books, pens and markers.

In keeping with our mandate “Bringing out the best in kids”,

this donation is an opportunity to serve the children, and sup-

port the future leaders of our community. President Al gave a

short overview of the Club and its activities and encouraged

the excited children to remain focused on their work and not

to be discouraged.

P A G E 6

knutsford circle

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

“Labour Day Activity”

H istory was created in Jamaica on Labour Day, May

23, 2014 when three Optimist Clubs and other inter-

est parties came together to build the first plastic

bottle room in Jamaica for the Torrington United Early

Childhood Institute.

It all began when PP Valerie of OC North St. Andrew learnt of

the Environmental Club established at the Torrington United

Early Childhood Institute by the OC of Knutsford Circle. PP

Valerie showed President Una of Knutsford Circle a picture on

the internet of a house made from plastic bottles and won-

dered whether the Clubs could partner to make good use of

the plastic bottles collected by the Environmental Club by

making a plastic bottle room for a school. And thus, the idea of

making a plastic bottle room at Torrington United Early

Childhood Institute was born.

Thousands of plastic bottles

were gathered used by the chil-

dren on a daily basis. There was

much excitement among the

parents and guardians as they

washed and removed labels

from bottles for many days. In

fact, it took them 3 months and

one week to wash 5,844 plastic

bottles in preparation.

On Labour Day, the OC of Knutsford Circle, OC of North

St. Andrew and the Royal OC of Kingston partnered with

teachers of the school, parents, community members, church

members, well-wishers and children to make the plastic bottle

room a reality.

Approximately 47 people participated beginning at 7:00 a.m.

The core set of participants worked with weapons of mass de-

struction – knives, ice-picks, binding wire, lighters and lit can-

dles while the contracted professionals worked with their tools

- electric saw, hammer, nails, tape, screws, etc. We were all

engaged in various kinds of work, cutting binding wire in ac-

cordance with specified measurements, cutting bottles, punch-

ing bottle caps with hot ice-picks, and stringing bottles with

binding wire. Yet, the day was incident free!

At mid-day we settled down

to a sumptuous meal of rice

and peas, baked chicken,

tossed salad, water melon

and juice, which was pre-

pared by the school’s cook in

the school canteen.

After the framework of the building was completed, there was

an air of anticipation, and much excitement and jubilation to

see the first length of bottles being installed on the building

frame - history was indeed in the making. We designed as we

carried out the work of coordinating which color bottle cap

should go on to which bottle, and so on, in order to have a

pleasing effect when it was all complete. As the evening drew

to its close, we joined hands and hearts together to completely

‘bottle up’ the building before dark. At the end of it all every-

one felt a sense of achievement, though very tired. It was in-

deed a historic day, which was productively spent.

Special thanks to:

Mr. Chad Needham, a recent graduate of the Caribbean

School of Architecture, Utech, who did the design concept

drawing of the plastic bottle building.

P A G E 7

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

Mr. Wesley Walker of

Dontech Construction

Limited, and to his wife

PP Gloria, who contrib-

uted time and effort in

sourcing and preparing

the lumber and arrang-

ing to have the construc-

tion of the framework for

the room commence prior

to Labour Day.

The two professional

workmen contracted who

worked throughout La-

bour Day to complete the

building of the framework to accommodate the bottles, all at

no cost to the Clubs.

PP Gloria, who also contributed all the thatch which will be

used for the roofing.

knutsford circle “Labour Day Activity”

P A G E 8

knutsford circle

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

“Read Across Jamaica Day 2014”

A nnually in Jamaica, the month of May is celebrated as

‘Child Month’ and this year, May 6 was observed as

“Read Across Jamaica Day”. Organizations across

Jamaica were encouraged to observe May 6 by reading

to children in as many schools as possible or wherever chil-

dren may gather on that day. By so doing, adults set the ex-

ample for children to develop the habit of reading and to read

as much as possible on a daily basis.

The Optimist Club of Knutsford Circle participated in the

‘Read Across Jamaica Day’ when President Una spent time

with the children of Torrington United Early Childhood Insti-

tute, reading to them. Three stories were read to the children

and they were asked questions about the stories. Of course,

they were very anxious to tell their own stories and were giv-

en time to do so. There was much fun and laughter. It was

truly fulfilling spending quality time with the children on that

day.

The Club was happy to participate in this activity and in keep-

ing with one of the purposes of Optimist International: to aid

and encourage the development of youth, in the belief that the

giving of one’s self in service to others will advance the well-

being of humankind, community life and the world.

P A G E 9

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

VISIT http://www.optimist.org/e/member/convention1.cfm

While you are there…Listen to an Italian serenading you while floating in a gondola

through the Venetian's Grand Canal Shoppes for a relaxing and entertaining experience.

96th Int’l Convention “JULY 10JULY 10JULY 10---121212

P A G E 1 0

oc of st. thomas

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

“Labour Day Activities”

L abour Day saw us going to the Saunders Basic

School where we were destined to retile a classroom.

When we got there and started to remove the tiles we

realized that we were in trouble. More tiles were needed than

we had bargained for but being the Optimists that we are, we

set to work with the assistance of Mssrs. Freddie and Houslin.

The handcart posse coming from the sea with sand for the workmen

T he Princess Margaret Hospital and in particular the

children's ward has been a constant stop for the Opti-

mist Club of St. Thomas. Be it just to read, treat the

children at Christmas or just popping in to see them is always

a pleasure.

Children, nurses and parents expressing thanks.

This year we wanted to do more and so the members of zone

five (5) decided to embark on a walkathon to address some of

their needs. On March 15, 2014 at 6 a.m. we stepped out and

it was a fun morning for those of us who dared. With money

raised, we bought a microwave, some clothes, trays, cups and

other things.

These were handed over on Saturday May 31, 2014. What a

way to finish Child's Month. In attendance were Optimists

from St. Thomas and President Pamela from Optimist Club of

St. Mathews.

Optimist Audrey handing over

utensils to patient Care Asst. Char-

main this should make serving re-

freshments easier

P A G E 1 1

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

Children and parents enjoying snacks

M ay 31,2014 is a day that will be etched in the minds

of many persons and also one that will go down in

history as a first for the Optimist Club of St.

Thomas.

President Annesha had a vision to honour the hard working

students from various schools in St. Thomas. Especially

those schools in rural St. Thomas. Not only for their academ-

ic achievement but also for helpfulness, punctuality among

others.

Even though she is away at present, acting President Sherie,

Ltg Marcia and other members decided that they would take

on the challenge. So on the last day of Child’s Month May 31,

we transformed our meeting place; The Morant Bay Fire Sta-

tion recreation room into a conference room setting.

Fourteen (14) children were awarded with a certificate , gifts

and then provided with refreshments.

It was pleasing to see the parents coming out to support their

children. Although this

was a first, it will defi-

nitely not be the last as

we have decided to

make this an annual

event.

Opt. Audrey presenting to Demisha of Rainbow Kids

Centre.

Optimist Tamaula and Veronica making presentation to stu-

dents of the Golden Grove and Pear Tree River Primary

respectively with our guest speaker retired principal looking

on.

Parents and students listening attentively

oc of st. thomas “Child Month’s Award Ceremony”

P A G E 1 2

oc of st. john

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

“Adopt A Roundabout Program”

T he Optimist Club of St. John's has partnered up with

FedEx to adopt the round-a-bout at the area known as

"Buckley Line" on All Saints Road. This road is one of

the most traveled main roads in Antigua with perhaps thou-

sands of people traversing daily. The partnership promises a

win-win for both organisations in which the Optimist Club of

St. John's will maintain the round-a-bout in exchange for an

annual financial contribution from FedEx. FedEx will benefit

by the round-a-bout being referred to as the "FedEx rounda-

bout" donning the FedEx colors and livery and the Optimist

Club will benefit from the visibility with joint signage in addi-

tion an annual financial contribution by FexEx.

We commenced beautification of the round-a-bout by planting

some plants and flowers in May and there is already a wel-

comed transformation to the area. The second phase of the

project calls for members of the Optimist Club, FedEx staff

and partners to assist with the continued cleaning, landscap-

ing and painting of the surrounding walls.

Phase two continues on Saturday June 14th at 6 am.

P A G E 1 3

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

barbados,

south “Homework Help”

I am happy to report that our Chairpersons for Youth

Activities and Community Services, Optimists Ingrid

and Philip assisted in tutoring four students from our

adopted children’s home - 2 boys from The Nightengale

Home and 2 girls from Lily Cot - for the just concluded Com-

mon Entrance Exam. They commenced these weekly sessions

from the last week in Feb-

ruary and ended the week

before the exam and from

all reports, the students

were very keen and

we eagerly await the re-

sults.

We also continued our

monthly sessions with the

children at Lily Cot; in

April we had our Kite

Making workshop which

was conducted by VP Er-

rol Green and ably assist-

ed by CP Ingrid and Opti-

mist Kimberley.

central

circle “Respect for Law”

C entral Circle had two objectives for Child Month: A

presentation for Respect for Law and Staging of a

movie.

On Saturday 31st May, we hosted a presentation at the

Wortley Park Girls Home which was dubbed "Respect

yourself, Respect the Law". The presentation was carried

out by Attorney at Law, Mrs. Juliet Rose, and it was well

received by the girls, as she encouraged them to set stand-

ards for themselves and in so doing to have respect for them-

selves. She urged the girls to live by their standards and oth-

ers will treat them based on the images that they portrayed.

We presented the house with a suitcase of clothing, ate cake

and had some refreshment. A wonderful time was had by all.

Leaving Wortley Park Girls Home, we went to the Walkers

Place of Safety, a mixed gender home . We INTENDED to

stage a movie but experienced a technological glitch which

failed us. Instead, we played play ring games, had pop corn,

chips and ju

We've also increased our visibility with the creation of a Fa-

cebook account, handle central circle optimist...visit and like

us!

P A G E 1 4

barbados, central

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

“Library Handover”

HANDING OVER THELIBRARY AT

ST. STEPHEN’S PRIMARY SCHOOL

IT IS FINISHED! WE’VE DONE IT!

We’ve done it! The Reading Room is finished and was

handed over to the Principal, students and Staff at Assembly

on Monday, May 12, 2014 by President Toni.. Also in attend-

ance were Optimists Vernese, Merlene and Angela. This was

indeed a long labour of love but with Optimist Karen at the

helm of this project, we all contributed in some way to the

project, and we are pleased to see this day. President Toni

presented a gift of new books to the Principal on behalf of the

club. Big up Optimist Karen and her team!

A book find…..this was from old

school days of one member…

The fun times...prepping, painit-

ing, sorting...

P A G E 1 5

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

M embers of the Reading Club, the Alpha Club as

well as some Cub Scouts from the school were

treated to a visit to the Probyn Street Fire Sta-

tion as part of our Respect for Law activities.

FIRE PREVENTION

AND YOU

They gathered with ex-

citement on their faces

as they prepared for the

visit. They were shown

around the Fire Station,

shown the various pieces

of equipment used in

firefighting, given a talk on safety, and they made copious

notes. Some of the tips given by Sgt. Edwards included

checking the Breaker Box in the home by flicking the switch-

es from time to time and the correct use of the fire extin-

guishers and the different types of fire extinguishers availa-

ble. A presentation was made to Sgt. Edwards by the Presi-

dent of the Alpha Club. On return to the school the children

were treated to snacks. They were given Certificates of Par-

ticipation and workbooks dealing

with aspects of fire safety and

prevention. Big up VP Alison

and her team!

barbados, central “Respect for Law”

P A G E 1 6

barbados, central

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

“PGI with Pivp Carol”

P IVP carol told the gathering at OC of Barbados, Cen-

tral that in order to complete some of the levels of PGI,

one needed to bring in new members. She noted that

there is the Who, Why, and How of recruitment.

The main thing was to bring in members who were like-

minded and were willing to work with children. We were re-

minded that Membership of the Optimist movement was by

invitation. You could invite your friends, but only if they

showed a particular interest in working with children. She

advised against presuming that your friend has the same fo-

cus that you have.

WHO

Tell people the truth and bring them in only if they are willing

to work with young people.

WHO

Tell them our story about optimism and share your passion,

tell them that one thing that has made a difference. Just a

few sentences as people don’t have time to listen to a long

speech.

WHO

When they come to a NOW meeting what you say to them,

how you put the hook into them. Whatever you do, you have

to find some way to reach their hearts. Share with them brief-

ly about your club, the District and about Optimist Interna-

tional. And share one or two of the projects that have made a

difference to you and the community in which you are work-

ing.

PIVP Carol emphasized that it is important to bring in new

members to share the load to avoid burnout and to get a cross-

fertilisation of ideas, get young, old, church persons, get a

cross-section of persons. Have fun so that when we work we

can relax too.

P A G E 1 7

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

sunshine

club “Respect for Law & Beach

Cleanup”

Respect for Law

Sunshine Club co-hosted the children

of Marina Brewster Centre, formerly

Farrs Children's Home on Sunday, 18

MAY and as part of an ongoing

"Research for Law" project, a police

officer addressed the children on sev-

eral topics relevant to society as well

as to the adults.

Beach Clean up

Nothing says team-building like a beach cleanup and have an

immediate positive impact on our environment. So the mem-

bers of Sunshine club took to Brownes Beach, Barbados on

Saturday morning at 6 a.m. After a refreshing cleanup, mem-

bers enjoyed each other’s company with some refreshments.

oc of cross

roads “Child Month”

As part of our Community Outreach Programme, the Opti-

mist Club of Cross Roads visited the St. Stephen’s Basic

School on May 26, 2014 and presented them with a cake for

“Child’s Month.” St. Stephen’s Basic School is one of our

club’s projects and various activities are done throughout the

year.

Optimist Club of Cross Roads Pictures taken at St. Stephen’s

Basic School.

P A G E 1 8

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

P A G E 1 9

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

T he Optimist Club of Falmouth in April carried out a

NOW programme called "Service Can Be Fun" where

we ventured on an excursion to YS Falls and Little

Ochi in St. Elizabeth. A total of 22 persons including prospec-

tive members were aboard the trip and three expressed wish-

es of being part of this noble movement. Looking forward to

great things!

For Child Month we took on the task of showing the parish of

St. James what Optimists do. So on Labour Day, May 23rd

we ventured out to give the Cornwall Basic School a much

needed facelift. We painted, brushed the property and refit-

ted the pay area which had dismantled swings, slides and see

-saw. We even did some drain cleaning. La Maison Property,

Sherwin Williams along with other partners and club mem-

bers rose to the task and we took on a job valued at more

than JM$100,000.

falmouth club “Child Month & NOW Meeting”

P A G E 2 0

south circle

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

“Child Month & Inter-clubbing”

Hampden Basic School Freezer Presentation; our first dona-

tion to the School, a new deep freeze.

Labour Day Project

President Lloyd and

South Circle members

volunteering at the

Tacky High School in St.

Mary on Labour Day

Hampden

Basic School

Treat

Inter-clubbing to create camaraderie

P A G E 2 1

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

I n observation for Respect for Law, The OC of Barba-

dos, North facilitated a presentation to the students of

Coleridge & Parry School. The presentation was

made by the Community Officer for the parish of St. Peter to

the General Assembly where some 700 hundred plus children

were in attendance.

Respect for self

The Officer spoke to the assembly about respect providing as

his basis, his belief that respect does not exist in a vacuum

but rather begins with one's perception of one's self; address-

ing such areas as, dress, manner and attitude, the officer

made it clear that in order to understand respect one must

first have respect for self. Illustrating his presentation with

examples to which students could relate, the Officer made it

clear that an individual's path in life would be frustrating

and unproductive without respect for self and others.

Respect for law

The Officer made it clear that the individual's respect for

justice is firmly rooted in his/her exposure to the judicial sys-

tem even as they related to obeying rules and regulations

laid out by school authorities and for those who enforced

them.

The students listened attentively to the presentation and at

the end a number of them asked for permission to speak to

the Officer on issues surrounding his presentation. The audi-

ence included not only 11 - 16 year old students but also

adults employed by the institution.

The Optimist club of Barbados North wishes to extend its

gratitude to Officer Maynard of District E who kindly con-

sented to deliver the presentation for 2014.

barbados, north “Respect For Law”

P A G E 2 2

progressive

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

“4th Anniversary celebrations”

O n the 27th May the Optimist Club celebrated its

fourth anniversary. Members outdid themselves in

observing their anniversary by participating in a

number of projects.

Progressive 20/20

The club resumed its Pro-

gressive 20/20 Vision project

by screening the children of

Milton Lynch Primary

School. The initiative entails

Optimist members perform-

ing vision screening sessions

to identify students who may

have a vision impairment. If

the screening suggests that a

more detailed examination is warranted by one of the part-

nered Optometrists of the initiative, the student is given a

letter of referral to take home to his/her parent asking the

parent to take the child in for an examination. If it is deter-

mined that the student requires glasses, the Progressive

20/20 initiative will provide that student with their prescrip-

tion glasses (examination, lens and frames) at a significantly

sponsor subsidized price of less than U$50.

Respect for Law

F ollowing a presen-

tation by Officer

Johnson from the

Royal Barbados Police

Force at the Sharon Mora-

vian Primary School, the

children were asked to

depict their understanding of the message shared by use of

drawing, poetry or essay composition. Entries were judged

and the children awarded for their efforts.

Internet

Safety

M embers

invited

the chil-

dren of

Grantley Prescod

Memorial, Charles

F Broome Memo-

rial and Wilkie

Cumberbatch Primary Schools to the Lloyd Erskine San-

diford Centre to be educated about good practices of internet

safety. They were treated refreshments afterwards. The pro-

ject was organized CP Toni Lashley.

Environmental

Project

T he club organized

its Environmental

activity with Ace

Recycling Plant in Guin-

ea, St.John. They began

their journey at 7:45 a.m.

to Ace with their Rural

adopted families,

(children and parents).

There, they were divided

into two groups and assigned the tasks of either separating

plastic from paper or sorting paper and card into various cate-

gories (color, texture etc.) for baling.

The group was advised that these bales would be sent to plac-

es as close as Guyana in the Caribbean or to distant places

such as Korea. After this 2hr.assignment they made their way

to Barclays Park on the East Coast via a scenic coastal route

which took them to St.John's Parish Church. There they re-

laxed and had lunch and enjoyed the fellowship in the Park

for a further 2hrs before returning home.

P A G E 2 3

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

Church Service

O n Sunday 25th the Progressive OC members ob-

served their 4th anniversary by giving thanks at the

St. Dominic’s Roman Catholic Church.

Induction Ceremony

During the sermon, they were told that love is shown by ac-

tion instead of reciting beautiful words and so they showed

their love for community by inducting thirteen (13) new

members to their Optimist family at a luncheon later that

day at Divi South Winds.

progressive “4th Anniversary celebrations”

P A G E 2 4

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

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3rd QTR

Conference (Antigua)

FEEDBACK

Special REVIEW By Optimist Merlene Hercules

P A G E 2 5

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

P A G E 2 6

Letters

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

Optimists All,

We are nearing the end of the 3rd quarter in our 2013/14

year. Let us revisit our plans so that together we can cele-

brate our accomplishments. When we look at the many

wonderful projects serving the children of our Caribbean

District we know that Optimism is alive. Our signature

programmes, CCDHH and Essay and Oratorical contests

are simply amazing. Sincere thanks to Chairpersons Mar-

garet, Jason and their outstanding Teams.

The 3rd quarter conference held in Antigua was awesome,

filled with excitement, fun, fellowship and leadership de-

velopment. Your participation made it all possible. My sin-

cere appreciation goes to our leadership team, Past IVP Dr.

Carol Haynes, Past Governor Joseph Benfield, Governor

Elect Barbara Arrindell and International Vice President

Lois Philbrick.

My gratitude towards the conference team ably led by

Chairperson Genevieve is unending. The feedback that has

been shared proves that “We’ve Got It!’’ We’ve got whatev-

er we need. In most cases we simply need to look inside

ourselves and yes we must believe. As our IVP has stated

“Dream it, Believe it, Achieve it.”

Many thanks to our Communication Team Darshani and

Andrea for their creativity, interesting and exciting news-

letters and quarterly magazines. Let us continue to give

support to our dedicated Lt. Governors, Presidents and

their Clubs for serving the youth in their respective com-

munities.

Optimism is a journey, it continues; we must re-energize

ourselves, share our dreams, projects and enthusiasm. If

longevity is our goal we must encourage others to join our

movement, reduce our loss of 330 members by “each one

bring one.” I invite you to attend International convention

if at all possible. I also encourage you to attend 4th quar-

ter conference as Governor Elect Barbara is installed. She

is ready to take up the challenge; let us present to her a

vibrant Caribbean District. Your presence would mean a

lot to her and to me.

Yours in Optimism,

Governor Nutilia

Caribbean District Governor

President Charmaine’s Conference experience – in a

few words

“conference was extremely informative”

My experience at my first district conference was an

awesome one! I found my fellow Optimists so warm

and welcoming - living the words and the essence of

the Optimist Creed.

The conference was extremely informative and inter-

active. The speakers were very knowledgeable about

their topics and gave great presentations. I felt that

we were being prepared to deal with every area of

life. I left the conference motivated to go back and

try to put my club and my life in order.

I also enjoyed the fellowship which was rich and

stimulating. But I had one disappointment; the time

was too short. There was so much to be gained from

attending. When the opportunity arises I will be at-

tending another conference again.

In Optimism,

President Charmaine

Optimist Club of Anguilla

President Charmaine Rey-Richardson has been a member of

the Optimist Club of Anguilla for exactly two years – joining

in June 2012. With less than a year of Optimism under her

belt, she took on the challenge to lead her Club. These are

her impressions of her first District Conference as a first-

timer.

P A G E 2 7

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

“an experience I will treasure for all time”

Director Barry and I attended this conference and

what a pleasure it was to have participated. From

the warm Antiguan welcome with red carpet treat-

ment, the great hospitality, to being pampered and

accommodated at every turn, it has been an experi-

ence I will treasure for all time. The scheduling of

the agenda, the speakers, the quality workshops,

the accommodations and the food (exercise and diet

in order) the fun and fellowship, oh did I mention

the "The location - Trade Winds Hotel" a must stay

and excellent boutique hotel with a stellar view.

The highlight in terms of the workshops were the

presentations by our own Certified Trainer PIVP

Carol Haynes on New Club Building - Reason we

build clubs and PG Joseph Benfield on We are mov-

ing on UP - Money Matters - powerful insights.

In Optimism,

President Charmaine

Optimist Club of Barbados, South

“program was well planned and executed ”

I can say that the conference in Antigua was great,

the largest contingent coming out of Barbados. The

program was well planned and executed despite the

inherent challenges.

In Optimism,

Secretary Lana

Optimist Club of Ste. Lisi

Optimist Lana Lawrence represented Optimist Ste Lisi at

the 3rd Quarter OI Caribbean District Conference, which

was convened at the Tradewinds Hotel, St John’s, Antigua.

Optimist Lana reported that her main reason for participa-

tion was to capitalize on an opportunity to collaborate with

the Caribbean District and to keep the optimism alive de-

spite the challenges.

Letters

P A G E 2 8

A Review by Opt. Merlene

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

Where 29 or 30 are gathered, Caribbean optimism will always

shine through and this was the programme for the weekend.

Twenty-nine Optimists from three zones and four islands

came together for a wonderful weekend of optimist fun, fellow-

ship and training.

We were warmly welcomed at the airport from the Immigra-

tion Officer who also happened to be the President of the St.

John's Optimist Club. It was awesome! It set the tone for the

weekend! Governor Nutilia wel-

comed us into her home with a

fabulous reception complete with

live music from one of the Steel

bands made up of young people "

Golden Sticks " from the Music

Academy "La Chateau D'or"

The opening session was great. We laughed, some got emo-

tional when they spoke, and others just cheered.

OPENING CEREMONIES

We heard from some dynamic guest speakers and certified

optimist trainers who were all willing to share their

knowledge and experience with us.

From the opening guest speaker, Ms. Gail Christian, who

spoke about what she called the role model definition of a

Leader: She said that leaders must provide proper guidance

and quoted from Rudyard Kipling’s poem IF “Or watch the

things you gave your life to, broken, and stoop and build 'em

up with worn-out tools”

We heard how the Region is in need of transformational lead-

ership. This is a type of leadership style that could inspire

positive changes in those who follow it. Such leaders are gen-

erally energetic, enthusiastic and passionate. They also work

to help each member of the group to succeed. It is a team ef-

fort. Some of the attributes of this type of leadership as first

enunciated by James Burns, would involve:

Idealized influence: the leader must walk the walk

with honesty, integrity, decency and humility

Inspire motivation: in addition to leading lives that are

beyond the leader’s charisma was important

Individualized consideration: genuine concern for the

needs and feelings of their followers

Intellectual stimulation: the leader challenges follow-

ers to be creative and innovative

True enlightened leadership is deeply spiritual. It

indicates that ultimate guidance emanates from a higher

source – God. All our actions are directed towards a just

end.

We heard the group called WAR - Women Against Rape and

how we must support its efforts to eradicate that scourge

called rape.

GLEE CLUB PERFORMACES

The performances from members

of the Glee Club from the St.

Joseph’s Academy brought

tears to some eyes as those three

young men sang their hearts out.

They thrilled us with songs like “I

believe”, Stand by Me, Ain’t no

Sunshine when She’s gone.

Together they rendered the popular Hymn “I Surrender all”

Lt. Col Edward Croft, Director of Office of National Drug

and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP), shared

some startling statistics about the drug trade (drug awareness

and detection) in the Caribbean and how we as Optimists

could help to stem the tide and save our youth. We heard

about the innovative ways in which drugs are transported

P A G E 2 9

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

across our islands and throughout the world.

GOVERNOR’S ADDRESS

Governor Nutilia shared some of the poem Don't Quit:.

She noted that as she looked around the room she realized

that each of those present could have been elsewhere, but

that we chose to attend the conference and that showed com-

mitment. We may be small in numbers, but our hearts are

big. Today, we meet as representatives from St. Lucia, An-

guilla, Antigua, Barbados. Other will join us on Skype.

The theme for the Conference was “Give us a minute of your

time and we will make you a leader”. We declared that we

were passionate about optimism and we can change the

course of our Clubs. We heard that not one cent will be

sought from the District coffers for this conference. Governor

Nutilia was heartened to read each month about the amazing

projects that the clubs around the Caribbean were doing. CP

Darshani was commended for the work that she is doing with

the District Newsletter .

INT’L VICE PRESIDENT LOIS PHILBRICK

IVP Lois Philbrick taught us a new chant and it goes like

this:

Good job, good job (clap hands loudly),

Good job, good job (clap hands loudly)

G o o d j o b (letters spelt out)

Good job, good job ( clap hands loudly)

Members used this chant as often as they could to affirm one

another.

IVP Lois spoke about acronym for our Motto for this year –

We’ve got it!:

A Review by Opt. Merlene

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit-

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a fellow turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

W - Welcome

E - Every member, every child deserves a reason to grow,

each of you take responsibility for spreading the message of

optimism ‘ (apostrophe) adds two words together to make

one much like working together to facilitate growth and

new projects makes two people or more a team

V – Vaccillate – don’t vacillate, don’t waiver, it can also

mean varnish as in polish your optimist story with every

person you meet.

E – Each one, just ask

G – Get up and get going, the time to take action, it could

also mean goal for your personal growth and involvement

goal or the goal of your club and district

O – Opportunity everyday for sharing the good news of our

outstanding organization

T - Together, work as a team

I – Invite, inclusion, it is imperative to value the time and

talents of members, innovative ideas

T – Today, the time to start is TODAY!

P A G E 3 0

A Review by Opt. Merlene

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

We were encouraged to ignite our optimist flame, start today

to make a difference.

PIVP Carol dealt with New Club Building. Yes brothers and

sisters, we need to keep on building clubs around the Caribbe-

an. There are many more children waiting to be served.

Saturday evening was a treat to lime at Beach Limerz at Fort

James and members enjoyed it to the fullest.

Sunday morning coming down

On Sunday, May 25, we worshipped at the Holy Family Ca-

thedral, Roman Catholic Church, Father Lawlor in St.

John's. The service was lively, the sermon appropriate as the

priest spoke to us about three aspects of the commandments.

We heard that:

1) If someone strikes on the cheek we should turn the other

cheek

2) The commandments are a guide to us. We should not seek

revenge against someone who has wronged us. When we

dig a grave, dig two: one for the person who wronged you

and one for yourself.

3) The commandments are an invitation to live.

He quoted from LOVE vs Fear by Sarah Nean Bruce

After the service we gathered on the church steps for a group

photo, we just burst into song singing the chorus of the hymn

we had just sung in church.

It was the first time many of us had heard the song. Still it

just resonated with us.

It goes like this:

♫Walk in the

light, walk in

the light ♪♪

♪♪Walk in the

light, walk in

the light of the

Lord♫♫

We were privileged

to witness the

handing over of a

banner and gavel to

the President of the

Antigua Girls

High School JOOI

Club.

Wait, did you hear about Oratorical Chair Jason? Well it was

time for email etiquette. He reminded us about the use of

Reply to All and the damage it could cost if not used wisely.

Members chimed in with their own questions and suggestions

about email use. It was very refreshing and informative.

God job, good job, Jason!

Slogans

GE Barbara challenged us in groups to come up with slogans

that we can use. One group got creative and sang their slogan.

MONEY MATTERS

Then it was time to talk with straight talk PG Joseph talking

about money matters. This was a lively interactive session.

We heard that we should invest more and make the

most of what we have. Above all we should enjoy our-

selves. Have fun. Do everything with joy and be successful.

Fear tends to paralyse, love releases

Fear imprisons, love frees us

Fear wounds us and love heals us

Fear avoids, love invites.

P A G E 3 1

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

We were advised to shop

smarter; land is the best col-

lateral we could have. He

told us that we ought to keep

a daily log of our expenses

for a week and look at where

we are spending our money,

see what we could eliminate

and watch our savings grow.

Here are some gems:

FINAL WORDS

IVP Lois giving us some parting words of advice and Gover-

nor Nutilia sending us on our way with words of encourage-

ment and ending with the final words from the Poem Don’t

Quit:

Don't give up though the pace seems slow -

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than

It seems to a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up

When he might have captured the victor's cup;

And he learned too late when the night came down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -

The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It might be near when it seems afar;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Lunch was at Optimist Evron Zacchariah’s

home – a treat not to be missed. I heard many

Optimists remarking on the overwhelming

generosity of the Antiguan optimist during the

weekend. That’s what we do as Optimists!!

(Special report by Optimist Merlene Hercules)

A Review by Opt. Merlene

Visualize it! Visualize wealth and abundance every

day

Never sway you are poor

Do what you love.

Set short-term and long-term goals (put your goals

as your screensaver to remind you of them)

Get organized! Be tidy and efficient!

Do your homework about investments that are

covered by regulators

You cannot multitask and do anything properly. Get

focused!

Put another name someone you trust) on your

account to stop you from shopping recklessly on

things you do not need.

Recognise negative trends and arrest them.

P A G E 3 2

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

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Housekeeping

P A G E 3 3

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

P A G E 3 4

2014-15

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

LOGO DESIGN

COMPETITION

WINNER

Three designs were submitted in response to a logo

design competition held by Governor Elect Barbara

and DST-Designate Jason. The objective of the com-

petition was to have a logo designed through the in-

put of members that would be used to create pins/

banners/ letterhead and other items for use during

the 2014/15 "Step by Step" administrative year.

The 2014/15 Team is pleased to confirm that the

design submitted by Heather and Kenneth

Walker (Sunset Liguanea) has been se-

lected as the winner.

Enormous gratitude goes out to the others who took time to submit designs. We trust that your talent can

be used in some other way throughout the year and

beyond.

The winning design will be unveiled at the 2014/15

Team Installation Ceremony during the 4th quarter

convention (August 9th & 10th) in Jamaica.

August 9 – 10, 2014 4th Qtr Convention

Jamaica

Block your calendar and prepare for a weekend of amaz-

ing training and fellowship:

Reports from current officers

Let’s Welcome our OI Rep

Let’s elect a new GE

Witness the presentation of the 2014/15 LtGs

Don’t miss the Installation Ceremony for Governor.

Barbara / DST Jason and the entire “Step By Step

Team” ?

P A G E 3 5

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

NOW OPEN

Election for OI President Elect, two (2) OI Board Directors and Vice President is now open.

Please encourage your Clubs to cast their vote online.

Any Club that is in arrears of dues will become eligible to vote once the Club pays their dues.

All eligible Club Presidents have received their logon and password email.

If your Club President has not received the voting email, please have your President insure

his/her email address is correct on the Club’s online database.

http://www.optimist.org/e/member/elections1.cfm

The election firm will update/email the Clubs 3 additional times during the month of June.

Board of Directors Members (2 to be elected):

Judy Boyd (Urbandale, Iowa)

Don Brose (Clarkston, Michigan)

Sue Creswell (Reading, Pennsylvania)

Adrian Elcock (St. Thomas, Barbados)

Esthermarie Hillman (Tucson, Arizona)

Online Elections

CAST YOUR

VOTES

Barbican Pines Optimist Club

Caribbean District

Central Circle Optimist Club

Optimist Club of Barbados, Bridgetown

Optimist Club of Barbados North

Optimist Club of Cross Roads

Optimist Club de Ste Lisi

Optimist Club of Harbour View Jamaica

Optimist Club of North Padmore

Optimist Club of North St. Andrew

Optimist Club of UWI, Mona

Progressive Optimist Club of Barbados

Rising Optimist Club of Moneague

Royal Optimist Club of Kingston, The (R.O.C.K)

South Circle Optimist Club

St. Ann’s Bay Optimist Club Sunset Optimist Club of Kingston

Add your club’s Facebook page here

Darshani@jillandee.com

P A G E 3 6

Stay Connected

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

P A G E 3 7

C A R I B B E A N D I S T R I C T N E W S D E S K

Creed

The Secretariat

36 1/2 Lyndhurst Road,

Kingston 10

Phone: 1-246-836-9005

Skype: darshaniworkman

E-mail: Darshani@jillandee.com

Whatsapp: 1-246-836-9005

Purposes of Optimism

To develop optimism as a philosophy of life

utilizing the tenets of the Optimist Creed;

to promote an active interest in good gov-

ernment and civic affairs;

to inspire respect for the law;

to promote patriotism and work for inter-

national accord and friendship among all

people;

to aid and encourage the development of

youth, in the belief that the giving of one’s

self in service to others will advance the

well-being of humankind, community life

and the world.

Bringing Out the Best In Kids We’re on the web!

http://oicaribbean.wix.com/caribbeandistrict#!

Optimist International Caribbean District