The Optimist Club of Moberly

The Optimist Club of Moberly was chartered on June 1, 1963. Its sponsor club was the Downtown Optimist Club of Columbia, MO. At the beginning of the current Optimist year on October 1, Harley Maddox was the only surviving charter member.

The Club is one of some 60 clubs that make up the East Missouri District of Optimist International. Prior to the 1984-1985 year, there had been a Missouri District, but it grew too large for efficient administration and was split in that year into the current East Missouri and West Missouri Districts. In all, there are now 53 districts, most of which are in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean.

The first official Optimist Club was formed in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1911, but the nationwide Optimist movement began when the Optimist Club of Indianapolis, Indiana, was formed in May of 1916. The founders of the Indianapolis club started Optimist Clubs in many other major cities in the summer of 1916. The association of clubs that is known today as Optimist International was formed on June 19, 1919, when representatives of 11 clubs held a convention in Louisville, Kentucky, and adopted the name International Optimist Club. The oldest club in the East Missouri District is the Optimist Club of St. Louis, which was chartered on June 1, 1916, and currently has 33 members.

Through the years, the Optimist Club of Moberly has been involved in many youth-serving and community-oriented projects and activities. It is perhaps best known for its long-standing sponsorship of the local Peewee Baseball program, but it also has been a supporter of local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the Salvation Army, and Christmas projects and has participated in official Optimist programs such as the Oratorical Contest, Essay Contest, Respect for Law, and Youth Appreciation, among numerous others.

For information on what the Club currently is doing and has planned for the coming weeks and months, please refer to the Club News page.

Contact Information

President:

Shirley Olney

2124 County Road 2375

Moberly, MO 65270-1739

H—(660) 651-0243

W—(660) 651-0243

E— shrlyo@yahoo.com

Secretary/Treasurer:

Pat Burk

1005 Maurwood Circle

Moberly, MO 65270-3206

H—(660) 651-4949

Webmaster: eneighbors@yahoo.com

The Optimist Club of Moberly’s Internet presence is made possible by the generous donation of web hosting by MCM Systems, 112 S. Williams Street, P. O. Box 223, Moberly, MO 65270 (660) 269-8088 http://www.mcmsys.com

Last modified: February 20, 2006

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