February 4th Is Optimist Day

An almost century old creed is the driving force for the Friendly City Optimist Club of Moose Jaw. A creed that is based upon their name where they look at life on the sunny side of life. A creed which leads not just the local club in Moose Jaw but also over 2,500 Optimist clubs world-wide to serve the youth of the community and help them achieve their goals.

To celebrate their goals of helping young people in the community as well as recognizing the young people who can and do make a difference in Moose Jaw Mayor Fraser Tolmie has proclaimed February 4th as Optimist Day.

“Now more than ever, we recognize the need to choose optimism,” Optimist Club President Ron Rollie said in a statement. “Our number one priority is helping children in our community.”

“I use to be in the Kiwanas they but they are not around anymore. It (Optimist Club) is truly a great club we have 40 members,”

Since February 10th, 1960 the Optimist Club has served the people of Moose Jaw.

The Optimist Creed is their promise to the community. It is a promise that one makes to themselves to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind; to talk health, happiness, and prosperity to everyone you meet; and to press on to the greater achievements of the future, among other things.

One of the main features of the Creed is that it does recognize mistakes made in the past but says not to dwell on them but make the present and future better.

Locally the Optimist Club has over the years been involved in many community projects including - paediatrics, Transition House, child literacy and other projects.

Their most well known and visible fundraiser is the Greeting Card Lane they erect each year on west side of Crescent Park on Langdon Crescent.

Rollie said this year has been tough on the Optimist Club but they have managed to make the best of the situation. The club has used ZOOM (a meeting app) to not only conduct their monthly business meetings as well as to socialize.

“It’s more difficult. It’s difficult in that we can’t do any of our fundraising so it is tight on the budget,” he said. The club is well known for putting on barbecues and pancake breakfasts as fundraisers and to get the community out.

Rollie said he misses the pancake breakfasts they would put on for two different schools each year - they are victims of the pandemic restrictions.

“I miss being able to talk to the kids. They get to learn that they can talk to adults just like real people.”

Despite the pandemic the Club still has been able to contribute to the regular groups they help in the community because of the financial situation of the club.

Literacy is a major benefactor of the Moose Jaw club. They help fund such groups as Moose Jaw literacy and their work to increase reading abilities in children.

Although it is not the major emphasis of the local club the recent announcements that reading skills are not being achieved as they would in a regular non-pandemic year makes the need for the Optimist Club’s help all more important, he said.

One of the things the club is actively looking at is holding children’s festival based upon literacy.

Rollie invites the public to help celebrate Optimist Day and to check the club and their activities out.

For more information check out the Friendly City Optimist Club of Moose Jaw Facebook page.