Sunday, May 5, 2024
A student-led club known as the Granbury Junior Optimist Club dedicates its time to spreading optimism and serving the community. Just three years after its inception, the club has brought home a first place national title.
The Granbury Junior Optimist Club’s service project took first place in an international organization with more than 15,000 members worldwide. Junior Optimist Club is also known as Junior Optimist International. The Granbury students were awarded for their service project acknowledging the club has completed the most impactful and well-organized service project during the 2022-23 year. The club started out with 12 members and has grown to over 150.
Houcine Chraibi who is a member and director of the Granbury Optimist Club has helped guide the Junior Optimist group.
“We feel very proud of the recognition,” Chraibi said. “Our community faces challenges like food insecurity and child abuse prevention. The JOI Club steps up to tackle these issues, offering a helping hand and spreading awareness. Beyond ‘seeing the bright side,’ our club fosters empathy, cultivates social responsibility and empowers students to become future community leaders.”
The club has focused on two projects monthly, including offering help with Neighbors Feeding Neighbors food pantry at First United Methodist Church as well as reading books to elementary students at Acton Elementary School.
This year the Junior Optimist Club students were busy with helping across the community including helping at the Christmas parade, tying blue ribbons around town to bring awareness to child abuse prevention month, delivering meals to those in need during the summer school break, serving Thanksgiving meals at Mambrino, ringing bells for the Salvation Army, painting Pirate Drive and much more.
“My favorite part of being an active member of Junior Optimist is our ability to provide a service organization to our community that is constant,” Club Officer Quinn King said. “Whether it be reading to elementary students, helping at the monthly food pantry, or simply honoring individuals that have allowed a club like ours to succeed, it’s always such a reward to be able to seek out and meet the needs of our community members.”
In the upcoming semester, the club looks forward to launching a project focused on bringing kindness and companionship to senior citizens in assisted living homes.
“It’s an opportunity to bridge generations and strengthen our community ties,” Chraibi said. “We have some amazing students in our community, and this club would not be possible without the support of the Granbury Optimist Club, friend of the youth, and of the students, and of the parents/guardians of the members. We have a loving community, and we love our community back.”
The Junior Optimist Club was recognized during a GISD school board meeting Dec. 11 for its national win as well as its community contributions.
“As an optimist, I believe that the world needs more optimists,” Chraibi said. He said the Optimist Creed is a powerful statement that helps members to live a more positive life.
“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,” the creed reads.
To learn more about the Granbury Junior Optimist Club visit its Facebook page at facebook.com/granburyoptimists or send an email to GranburyTXOptimistClub@gmail.com
