WELL… Growing our organization comes from a personal and social choice. You want to, you don’t want to, you feel like it, you don’t feel like it, you can’t, you can! Always hearing about growth is annoying and gets on your nerves! I’ll let you make your own decision… I’ve made mine. We need Optimist members, but life goes on and there are kids to help! Therefore, I decided to continue speaking about Optimism to every person I meet and go full speed ahead with my Optimist projects.

The new Adult Internet Safety Education Program is a particular favorite of mine because I believe in it! I think we should take advantage of the opportunity that is offered in this program by using it as a good source for new Optimist members. There are parents and adults who have encountered at times dramatic situations concerning children faced with attacks from online predators or bullies.

We can act instead of reacting to these situations which can have very serious repercussions for the children and their families. I have started meeting with school board members and parent committees to present the program to them. I suggest to them that they ask their local Optimist club, or the one nearest them, to organize an evening to educate adults on Internet Safety.

Since this is a new program and it requires some thought on the subject, I have, with the help of the Montréal office, set up a one-day training session to help you in organizing parent/Optimist meetings.

As a first step, find one or more of your club members who are capable of using the computer and the internet. Those members could register for the training and then structure this program within your club’s activities. Note that the first training is in French.

This program opens doors for us and gives opportunities for getting the word out to our communities. New technologies are not bad for you and your children, but you must know how to use them safely. If you have any questions concerning this new program, Geneviève Meilleur will be happy to answer them. Don’t wait to order your starter kit so you can forge a path toward our organization’s future.

Optimistically yours,

Claire