Inspire commitment: teach values

Ryan Algate, Caitlin Slette
and Barry Knoblich

I'm grateful for Optimist Club members who inspire others and one of my inspirational favorites is Barry Knoblich of the Optimist Club of Twin Falls, Idaho.

When I first met Barry, he told me about the Membership Mafia program that he organized many years ago to recruit new members into the club. It was based on the idea that they really wanted the people to whom they extended invitations to join the club because they liked them and could see them as part of the extended family that our Optimist Clubs become. To ensure their commitment, recruiters and friends would visit the prospective member at work and at home until they said yes. High pressure? Yes. Great fun? Emphatically.

So it came as only a little surprise to me when last year the president of the club, Kayleigh Godfrey, recruited Barry to chair a membership drive, the first large scale effort in many years, and the club succeeded in adding 52 net new members to their roster. (net = members added - members deleted) The Twin Falls Optimist Club closed the 2010-2011 administrative year with 126 members and the new president, Richard Craddock, has set his goal for 30 net new members in 2011-2012.

After such a great effort, keeping the momentum going is essential and one of the ways to do that is to always have a project taking place. The Twin Falls Optimist Club does just that; and with so many members, they can perform traditional, new and ongoing projects while having lots of fun at the same time. This month alone found the club holding three fundraisers, apple sales, a turkey shoot and an over-21 dance; Coats for Kids, an ongoing club program; Every 15 Minutes, a new substance abuse awareness program in coordination with police and schools; and the traditional Optimist International program for Youth Appreciation.

Kable Barnhart, Ashley Tomlinson
and Barry Knoblich

As chairperson for Youth Appreciation, and a mentor to all of those new members, Barry explained,

"Youth Appreciation is the perfect opportunity for Optimists to make a difference in their community and demonstrate the Optimists’ commitment to young people. The Youth Appreciation projects are intended to make children feel important and highlight their positive contributions to society. Since 1956, this program has given Optimist Clubs the occasion to work with youth toward the common goals of education, career development, physical well-being and community service. A Club’s Youth Appreciation program can be more than an awards ceremony or a dinner for a few top students.

It is designed to encourage a greater exchange of ideas between young people and adults. Youth Appreciation offers Optimist Clubs the opportunity to make a community impact by holding one or more worthwhile, fun events that involve both adults and children. 

This is one of Optimist International’s most popular programs, with more than 2,000 clubs participating last year."

Helping our new members become a part of the culture of a club is the key to keeping them involved. Take every opportunity to explain what you do and why you do it. That way your new members will feel empowered to participate and your veteran members will be motivated to action too.