About Our Club

What we do

What differentiates Optimist Clubs from any other volunteer opportunity is simple – Optimism! And Optimists take their upbeat approach and work every day to make a difference for themselves and for the people around them. Optimists are people who believe that through positive action in their communities they can create a better tomorrow.

About Optimism

Meeting the needs of young people in communities worldwide, Optimist Clubs have been "Bringing Out the Best in Kids" since 1919. Optimist Clubs conduct positive service projects aimed at providing a helping hand to youth. Club members are best known in their communities for their upbeat attitudes. By believing in young people and empowering them to be the best they can, Optimist volunteers continually make this world a better place to live. There are 114,000 individual members who belong to 3,500 autonomous Clubs. Optimists conduct 65,000 service projects each year, serving six million young people. Optimists also spend $78 million on their communities annually.

According to the book Of Dreams and Deeds, which is a history of Optimist International, it was William-M. Skilling, who took the initiative of inviting Optimist International to cross the border into Canada.

During a trip to the United States, he was inspired by a group of men who called themselves Optimists that he heard about. Because of his own poor health and the ordeals he had to overcome, he had a real need for optimism. Once he had returned home, he requested the authority from Optimist International to build an Optimist Club in Canada.

The Kitchener West Optimist Club

Formed in 2003 by the Mornington Optimist Club, Kitchener West Optimists focus their work upon the neighbourhoods in the west side of Kitchener, Ontario. Our club is made up of men and women from all ages and stages of life. We are a very family friendly club, including our spouses, children, friends and extended family in many of our events.

The Optimist Creed

Promise Yourself...

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.