EVENT MARKS SIX DECADES OF OPTIMISM

EVENING OPTIMISTS' CHRISTMAS TREE SALES: Among many fund-raisers sponsored by the area's Optimist clubs to raise money for civic causes is the Evening Optimists Club's annual Christmas tree sales. Here, an Optimist shows a tree to buyers during the sale last year at Town Plaza Shopping Center.

Over six decades of Optimism will be celebrated this week when the Cape Girardeau/Jackson Optimist Clubs come together Thursday for a joint dinner meeting.

The special meeting, to be held at the Drury Lodge, will commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Optimist Club of Cape Girardeau. This first club spawned the other five area clubs, and the clubs now collectively boast more than 350 members.

A social period will be held at 6 p.m., with dinner following at 6:45 p.m.

Todd Massac, this year's East Missouri District Oratorical Contest winner, will be on hand to present his award-winning speech. Massac was sponsored by the Evening Optimist Club of Cape Girardeau.

Kate Ford of Marble Hill, who won second place in the Optimist International Essay Contest, will also be present.

Southeast Missouri State University President Kala Stroup will be the main speaker for the evening. Stroup was chosen, said Charles Wiles, New Club Formation chairperson and former vice president for Optimist International, because she has been very involved in volunteer and youth-oriented activities, including membership on the national board of Boy Scouts of America.

Those sitting at the head table will include the two lieutenant governors from this area, Walt Pierce of the Optimist Club of Jackson and Donna Hutsel of the Excelsior Optimist Club.

Ken Monschein, a past Optimist International president, as well as several district officials, will also be in attendance.

According to Wiles, who is chairing the event, this area has one of the highest number of Optimist club members per capita in the country.

"I guess you could say it's a real hotbed of optimism," he said.

The local optimists have actively put their talents and energy into youth programs, as shown by their recently-acquired Optimist International award.

The five clubs in existence last year were recognized with one of only 44 Optimist International Community Projects Awards for their Youth in Government Day activities on April 6, 1990. They were presented their award July 2 during the Optimist International convention in Nashville, Tenn.

The Cape Girardeau/Jackson area clubs are among 4,000 clubs comprising Optimist International. The 171,000 Optimists across North America serve more than five million young people each year through more than 55,000 youth- and community-oriented projects.

Founded in 1919, the Optimist International Organization unified the 11 existing Optimist clubs that had been organized as early as 1911. The Optimist Creed, adopted in 1924, continues to promote the "Friend of Youth" philosophy of the Optimists' attitudes and actions.

This philosophy is reflected in the various programs undertaken by Optimist Clubs internationally. They are frequent sponsors of Just Say No anti-drug clubs, in which positive peer pressure is employed to discourage drug use among elementary school children.

The Respect for Law program that the clubs sponsor instill a sense of respect and responsibility for laws and law enforcement officers of the community.

Handicapped children are aided through such Optimist programs as Help Them Hear, which provides equipment and services to the hearing impaired.

The Optimist Oratorical Contest provides $156,000 in scholarship awards to youth, and the Optimist Essay Contest recognizes the efforts of winners with scholarship awards and weekend trips to the Freedoms Foundation in Pennsylvania.

Youth Appreciation Week is considered one of the most popular and long-lived Optimist programs. The clubs set aside a full week in November to acknowledge the contributions of youth to their communities.

Another enduring program is Bike Safety Week, which allows Optimists to educate youth on safe bicycling.

The clubs provide sports opportunities through such activities as the Optimist Junior World Golf Tournament and the Tri-Star programs.

For young people interested in forming their own clubs, the Optimists offer Youth Clubs programs, which consist of Junior Optimist and Octagon clubs.