Optimist International President Bob McFadyen speaks to the members of the Brookville Optimist Club.
Terry Baver | The Register-Herald
BROOKVILLE — Optimist International President Bob McFadyen recently visited the Brookville Optimist Club at its regular meeting held in the Villas of Brookhaven dining hall.
Fadyen spoke to the members about increasing membership in order to help children.
“Do you think the children today still need the services of an Optimist Club? They probably need us more than ever,” McFadyen said.
McFadyen noted that “most critical learning times for children in getting the basics of reading and math is kindergarten to grade three.”
“Think of all the students who are in grade four today. They’ve lost almost half of that learning opportunity because of Covid,” McFadyen said.
“I think it’s going to be decades before we actually know the full impact of what this pandemic has done to the children in our communities,” McFadyen said.
McFadyen said the Optimist Club can play a role in helping to correct the learning problem caused by the pandemic.
McFadyen said that role begins with the basics a child needs in order to be successful in school.
“I would like to see this organization become the organization that supports a safe, comfortable, productive learning environment for elementary school students,” McFadyn said.
“Think about that. We have students who are going to elementary school without the proper nutrition, without the proper clothing in some situations and without the proper supplies,” McFadyen continued.”
“What happens to them. They have trouble concentrating and learning through the lack of nutrition. And it’s also self-esteem. How can you have self-esteem when you are one of the have-nots?” McFadyen asked.
McFadyen said the Optimist Club can make it possible for children to no longer be the have-nots.
“We can do that. We’re Optimists. We fund raise. We can provide that level of support,” McFadyn said.
“They would have a decent set of clothes, nutrition so they could concentrate and school supplies,” McFadyen said.
But McFadyen said in order to achieve that goal, there needs to be a healthy Optimist Club.
“Right now we’re struggling as are most service organizations,” McFadyen said.
“Our organization took off in the 70s and 80s because of the “baby boomers,”
McFadyen said there are 86 million baby boomers in North America today.
McFadyen also pointed out there are 70 million “Gen Xers” between the ages of 43 and 59.
McFadyn said between the two groups there are 150 million potential service club members.
But McFadyn said it isn’t easy to get these individuals to join the Optimists or any other service club.
McFadyen said the main culprit in the demise of securing new service club members is the cell phone and other technology.
But McFadyn believes the way for the Optimist Club to buck that trend and attract new members is to commit to helping elementary students in the classroom.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have to share what we are doing because the need is never greater than it is today,” McFadyen said.
“The children need us. We enjoy being Optimists. And there’s lots of people out there,” McFadyen said.
Optimist Clubs are community service clubs that are locally run by local volunteers.
The Brookville Optimist Club was formed in 1958 and has served the community and schools in a number of different ways.
Local programs include: Youth Appreciation Week, Respect for Law recognition program, community Easter egg hunt at Golden Gate Park, breakfast with Santa, Tri-Star athletic competitions, working with local Cub Pack and Scout Troop, blessing boxes, adult egg scramble, annual pumpkin walk and support for the Pick Ribbon Girls organization.
The Brookville Optimist Club also provides the Honoring America flag program which places over 450 American flags in subscribers yards and area placements for four holidays a year.
The club raises money by working with the flag program and placing its sugar waffle trailer at many local events.
The Brookville Optimist Club meets the second and fourth Monday of the month in the Villas of Brookhaven dining hall located at 1 Country Lane.
Reach Terry Baver at [email protected]
