Optimist Clubs in Green Bay Area “Friend of Youth” for 75 Years

GREEN BAY, WI- (WGBW) – 75 years, that’s how long the Optimist Clubs in Green Bay and Appleton have been serving youth in the area.

The clubs want to see more people involved. So Ron Metzler, co-president of the Green Bay Optimists, said joining the club is free for six months. 

“You can join our club right now for free,” Metzler said. “We will pay for your lunch and dues for 6 months to see if you like it. We want people to get involved. If you are in Green Bay, I will hook you up with Allouez, De Pere, our club, and Preble!”

The Optimist Clubs meet weekly to discuss local business and community events and needs. Its youth programs make it a “Friend of Youth.” They have things from baseball leagues, mentoring, oratorical contests, programs like “Just Say No to Drugs,” and more. 

Metzler shares that the Optimist Club is always creating new programs for youth.

“So you do the things that the people have done forever, an essay contest,” Metzler said. “You’re talking about 6,500 service projects a year (nationally)… So what does my club do? We do some of the old and some of the new.”

Visit gboptimist.com for information on joining. 

Metzler was a recent guest on the Maino and the Mayor show. Find it on CivicMedia.us or the Civic Media App.