In 2004, the Evening Optimist Club of Greater Beaumont sponsored an Optimist Club in Kenya, Africa. Click here to see pictures of the organization meeting in Kenya.
Their President Thaiya Wallace is coming to the International Convention in Grapevine. We are hoping that the people in our district will look him up and make him feel at home while he is in Texas.
Charles Humphrey
Sec/Tres
Evening Optimist Club of Greater Beaumont

Play early - beat the heat !!!
Optimist Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament - Saturday July 19th, Lyons Municipal Golf Course.
Shotgun Start 8:00 AM. Prizes, Food, favorite beverages.... All for a good cause. The 2008 scholarship recipients are pictured below. Thanks to your support of this tournament each of the students below received a $750 scholarship.
We need your help once more. Click here for the sign up sheet for the tournament. Or you can call me with the names of the persons on your team - at 922-3563.
If you do not or can not play golf on the date indicated, please pass this information on to those whom you think may be interested. Thank you in advance.

(not in picture order) Kyneshawau Hurd, Bowie High School Emily Hare, Crockett High School Ashley Corona, Reagan High School Kelley E. Wagner, Austin High School Jade Bradley, Johnston High School Elliote Placke, Austin High School Zachary Rodriguez, Austin High School Henry Batista, Travis High School Kimberly Nguyen, Pflugerville High School Lillian Nguyen, Pflugerville High School Gloria Mayo-Moreno (chair of Scholarship Committee)

Martin Benavides GSWO Tournament Chair

Click here to see a special hotel opportunuty in Orlando, Florida...

Come to South Texas District's First Annual Convention in Houston on August 15 - 17.
The Registration Form has all the hotel information.

Richard Boling has sent us pictures he took at the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships Qualifier in Houston. Click here...

Richard Boling has sent us pictures he took at the Third Quarter District Meeting. Click here...

At the Fourth Quarter Meeting to be held in Houston on August 14-16, 2008, an election will be held for Governor-Elect for 2008-2009; All interest Optimists, please submit a letter of intent and brief history of your involvement at the Club, District and OI level. Please mail this information no later than August 10, 2008 to 1206 Acanthus, Pflugerville, Texas 78660
Gil Ortiz
Chair, Candidate Qualifications

I want to congratulate Manchaca Club President Woody Lawler for coordinating the 3rd Quarter District Conference and the Manchaca club members for hosting one fine Hello party Friday night. For those who didn't make the conference you missed out on the famous "Manchaca Slammer" served Friday evening by bartenders Ron Schroeder and Bob Thonhoff. A special thank you to Carolyn Lawler for organizing the spouses.
I want to thank Jack Hopkins and Al Rendez for putting on the University of Optimism class training..
The District was honored to have Optimist International President Theo Golding and his wife Delores in attendance from Jamaica. President Theo attended the Executive board meeting in the early morning. President Theo encouraged the Lt Governors to push to add more members and build more clubs during the next five months. The goal for the District to end up at 2400 members and we are at 2200 members. The district needs to add 200 new members.
On sunday morning Secretary Susan Petersen and I took President Theo and First lady Delores to the the Capitol before going to lunch. President Theo mentioned that OI is looking at changing the number of members required to start a club from twenty-five to fifteen. President Theo said that was in part because other service clubs had already made that change. This will be brought up at the OI convention in July.
If any member has an opportunity to start a club with fifteen members please let me know as we may be able to get it approved.
The Lt governors agreed to increasing the membership in their respective zones between now and September 30th.
The Oratorical contest was a great success because of efforts of Bill Johnson, S.A. Oratorical chairman.
The 4th quarter district convention will be held in Houston. Please see the web-page for registration information.
"Coming together for Kids"
Darrel Logterman
South Texas District Governor

At the quarterly meeting in Austin last weekend, OI President Theo Golding congratulated the STXD for being "almost" on target in membership YTD. As of 5/16/08 we are -39 for the year (198 new members less 237 losses). Each clubs goal is to be plus one in membership on Sep 30. However, President Theo asked up to step up membership and go for a plus 5 per club.

The district has 91 clubs so we are less than one member per club from being on target. I am asking, as the district membership chairman, that we strive to reach plus 1 per club by the end of May. We will then have 4 months to gain one new member per month to reach the plus 5 requested by our International President. Another way to view this is that 5 x 91 equals 455 new members times 36 more children whose lives we will touch which equals to 16,380 children

And, this is why we exist. We do not want 455 more members just to have members, we want to touch the lives of 16,380 more children! We know that new clubs will get us there but we need new members in existing clubs to keep clubs alive and well. However, if you have a possible new club contact Jerry Eschberger and he will assist you in NCB. If you need assistance with a NOW meeting or membership in general please feel free to contact me. Four and a half months to go, go for it!
Ron Graves, Membership Chairman, STXD

October 12 & 13, 2007 Waco

February 22 & 23, 2008 San Antonio

May 9 & 10, 2008 Austin

August 15 - 17, 2008
Houston

Optimist IncentivesRead about the Optimist Spring 2008 "Baseball Tournament" - a growth contest for Districts.
Also, read how your club's growth can win registrations to the 2009 convention in Orlando