Tuesday, September 1, 2009

A Special Note Just for You

Dear Optimist of Sunset Liguanea,As you are aware The Sunset Optimist Club of Liguanea was chartered in March 1999 just 3 months shy of the 80th year since representatives of eleven clubs met in Louisville, Kentucky to start what is today known as Optimist International.

When our sponsor club Kingston, Jamaica moved to form Sunset Liguanea it was a way of expanding the channels through which persons committed to service could do so. Of course optimism is about being a friend of youth and what better way to contribute to a better future than serving our young people. Over the years through your involvement in some way, shape, or form you have helped to cement the club’s reputation for consistently bringing out the best in Jamaican youths.

As a club Sunset Liguanea has never failed to participate in the many programmes of Optimist International all designed to demonstrate our commitment to the mission of providing hope and vision. We are an active member of the Caribbean District balancing yeomen service to the community with fantastic opportunities for fellowship. From its presidents and club officers, to its leadership in the District, including the three LTGs that have emerged from our young club in just ten years, Sunset Liguanea is an optimist club of which we should all be proud.

Now that we are at the stage at which organizations either remain trapped in a time zone or be transformed into an institution reflecting a deeper passion for and commitment to the children of our land, we must encourage each other in making the latter our reality.

From chartered President Charles Reid through President No. 10 Philbert Perry Sunset Liguanea has set a blazing ten years which can only serve to strengthen the platform upon which President Eleven must build. The Chartered members who are currently on the club roster – VPs Glaister and Coleen, Club Parliamentarian Ken Snr, and Optimist Marjorie Bryant should be proud of the foundation set for take off into the institutional realm of organizational life.

As a club we must build on the strong reputation of service as well as ensure that the organizational structures are dynamic enough to reflect the changes that have taken place over the past ten years. This is a challenge we are prepared to face. We are confident that everyone who decided to wear the Optimist pin under the Sunset Liguanea banner still burn with desire to bring sunshine to dark hearts, to lift the sprits of those who still linger in hopelessness, and to motivate our children and young people to be the best at what they do.

It is with this confidence that you are invited – whether you are a present or past member, sitting on the fence of indecision, or having dangling thoughts about where to stand again – to recommit yourself to the work of the great movement of Optimism. You are invited to once again make Sunset Liguanea your home base from which to share your continued love and care for our children.

The theme for the 2009-2010 year is Building capacities through teamwork and participation. Nothing would be more valuable than you bringing your special gifts to impact the team, to participate in the projects and activities we will undertake, and to make a significant difference to the process of ensuring that our children become active participants in the realization of a future in which we can all be proud.
As we prepare for the journey with President Eleven we say thank you very much for being a part of Sunset Liguanea and we look forward to your renewed interest, your pro-active demonstration of your commitment to the Optimist Creed, and of course full participation in the activities of the coming year and beyond.

Thank you for being an optimist and for having chosen Sunset Liguanea as the best channel through which to make your optimism come true. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday September 10, 2009 for what should be a very special meeting for the club. Please do make every effort to be in attendance. That meeting is scheduled for our new meeting place Mayfair Hotel, 4 West Kings House Close, Kingston 8.

Deepest thanks to you all again,

PE Patrick
Director and Chair, Membership & PGI
August 21, 2009