Governor Ed’s March Message:
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Five months now behind us (AMS&NW) in our 2022-2023 Optimist year, you’re lookin’ good!  Real Good!!!

Allow me to review what has been accomplished in the last 2 months, January and February. One new Traditional Optimist Club has been chartered in Billings with 31 members which will primarily be focused on the Children’s Camp. 

In addition to that, two, yes two, new Junior Optimist Clubs (JOI) have also been chartered. One in Calgary, sponsored by the Calgary Dinner Club. The other in Lockwood, Montana, sponsored by the Lockwood Optimist Club.

Also noteworthy, is the fact that the AMS&NW just completed its Q-2 District Meeting on February 10th & 11th in Moose Jaw, Sk.  Canada. At this meeting, there were 99 registered. 

Incidentally, for those of you who were not there, the members of the Moose Jaw Club put on a terrific District meeting.

As for the District, for the reporting period ending February 28th , the AMS&NW is ranked #5 on the National Scoreboard and we are at a +16 in Net Membership. 

KUDOS to everyone who’s played a part in our success to date, be it at the Club or District Level and/or serving on this years leadership TEAM.
Looking forward to the next seven months, eyes are on building 4 more traditional Clubs as well as two or three more JOI Clubs. We can do it!! Why? It’s not about any Awards or Individual recognition, although that should not be overlooked, it is about serving the youth and serving our respective communities. PLUS, the fellowship ain’t bad either!!

The past District Meeting in Moose Jaw was primarily about Media/Membership. It was focused on how we can change the common fact of being the “best kept secret” – YES --- in our own Communities. That’s where the Media segment came into play. One way to start is to bring a Media person, be it Radio, Television or Paper into your Club meeting as a guest speaker, and hopefully get them as members. Secondly, we provided ways of going about bringing in new members into your Club.

New members can provide a) new ideas; b) new talents; c) new connections; d) new energy and e) more bodies in order to get the job done and relieve the work load off a few.

​Bottom Line: The goods and services provided, not just by Optimist Clubs, but Service Clubs focused on youth are needed more than ever before. I recently met with our Mayor of Billings. The major point I made to him that I know resonated was when I asked him to imagine if all the Service
Organizations were NOT THERE within the community, my question to him was “who’d fill that void”??


My “hats off” to each of you for doing what you can – when you can; making a difference in the lives of our youth who we are able to impact or reach, as well as what we bring to our respective communities as Optimist Clubs.

Edward O. Hoem
Governor AMS&NW
2022-2023​
[email protected]
(406) 698-0019

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