1990s – Looking Toward the Future In 1990, 20 Optimist Clubs were chartered in Hungary, less than a year after its government permitted service clubs. In 1992, a new and innovative program, titled Optimists in Action Day, was introduced as a pilot program to unite Optimists and other volunteers in the community in a single day of community or youth service. Also in 1992, Optimist International took a step further in its substance abuse efforts by introducing the “get real!” anti-steroid program. This program reached schools all over the world and taught youth to become healthy and fit through nutrition and other natural means, not through steroids. Twelve years after the first club was built, Jamaica was awarded its own district. With 25 clubs in Jamaica, Barbados and Antigua, the Jamaica District was born in 1992, with Theodore Golding serving as Charter Governor. In August 1993, the first ever Jamaica Convention took place in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, Jamaica. Just a few years – and several new clubs – later the Jamaica District officially became the Caribbean District on Oct. 1, 1996. The district had 38 clubs. Optimism sprinkled into several new island nations, including Saint Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla and Saint Lucia. In 1998, the islands of Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago were added to the Caribbean District, while Cayman, Barbuda, Tortola and the Turks and Caicos became part of the district the following year. In 1993, Alpha Clubs created for grades one through four became an official part of Junior Optimist Octagon International. On June 5, 1993, Optimist Clubs all over the world gathered for the first annual Optimists in Action Day and made a difference in their communities. Clubs painted homes of the elderly and underprivileged, collected canned goods, cleaned parks and streets, and conducted many other community service projects. Later that summer, Optimist International kicked off its 75th anniversary year at the 75th International Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, the site of the first and 50th conventions. In 1996, Optimist International received corporate backing from Morton International for a new safety awareness program – Always Buckle Children in the Backseat (ABC). Optimists embraced the ABC program, making it one of the most successful programs in history. Members visited thousands of merchants, hospitals, car dealerships, childcare agencies and any other types of businesses frequented by parents and childcare givers. Optimists provided educational pamphlets informing the proper way to restrain children in cars that contain passenger-side airbags.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 00:05:21 +0000
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