The Niles Opti-Mrs. Club

When the Niles Optimist Club was founded, Optimist International was a male-only organization. In 1971 some of the wives of members of the Niles Optimist Club formed the Opti-Mrs. Club, which operated both as an independent group as well as assisting and complementing the men of the Niles Optimist Club on various projects. They had a significant impact on the community through their many projects. Among the significant projects the Opti-Mrs. accomplished were:

• Sponsorship of a Girl Scout troop
• Annual Girl Scout leader luncheon
• Delivery for "Meals on Wheels"
• Decorative painting of many of the fire hydrants in Niles
• Christmas party for Big Brothers/Big Sisters
• Sponsorship of several teams in the Optimist Soccer League

In addition to their own projects, the Opti-Mrs. provided countless hours of volunteer labor and financial support to the projects being undertaken by the men of the Niles Optimist Club. Many of these Optimist projects would not have been as successful as they were without the help of the ladies of the Opti-Mrs. Club.

Meetings were held on the second Tuesday of each month, except July and August, in the homes of the members.

In 1987 the Optimist International Board of Directors voted to admit women into full membership in the organization. The Niles Optimist Club welcomed its first women members immediately. Since then our women members have served with distinction in every position within the club. The Niles Opti-Mrs. Club disbanded after the male-only restriction in Optimist International was revoked. Even today, the spouses of club members continue to participate in Optimist projects by furnishing many hours of volunteer labor. We thank them, as well as their predecessors, the women of the Niles Opti-Mrs. Club!