HOW TO START A JUNIOR OPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL CLUB

You may charter a Junior Optimist International Club with only eight Junior Optimist International Members. There is a one-time enrollment fee of $50, an annual registration fee of $60 and membership dues are as follows: $8 per member per year for Alpha Clubs and $10 per member per year for Junior Optimist and Octagon Clubs. The registration and member fees are prorated depending on the month you charter the Junior Optimist International Club. Also, Junior Optimist International Clubs are only required to pay for the first 50 members.

Junior Optimist International is an all-inclusive youth organization sponsored by Optimist International. Our organization embodies the Optimist Creed, which motivated us to embrace positive values like optimist and respect for ourselves and others while engaging in community service. Our mission is to use a passion for making a difference to reach out to other people wishing to make a difference too. We have over 15,000 Members in over 500 Clubs throughout the world.

​JOOI is made up of four types of clubs:
  • Collegiate Clubs for full-time undergraduate students,
  • Octagon Clubs for high school students
  • Junior Optimist Clubs for junior high students, and
  • Alpha Clubs for elementary-aged youths.

​The 20,000 members of JOOI elect their own president and four-member board of directors which also includes the immediate past president.

Each JOOI Club is governed autonomously, with its own local leadership. By keeping that leadership local, JOOI Clubs empower young people to make positive decisions to serve fellow youths and their community. By encouraging involvement and awareness of local issues, JOOI Clubs cultivate the leaders of tomorrow.


FORMS FOR CHARTERING A JUNIOR OPTIMIST CLUB ​
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2025 - 2026 JOI Chair - Nikki McFerran
More Links
> Optimist International (OI)
> OI Foundation
> CCO Foundation
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JOI MAGAZINE-published 4 times a year