Five Questions with Terry Muir – Past President of The Optimist Club of Cornwall

Interview and Photo by Jason Setnyk

Cornwall, Ontario – Terry Muir is the current Past President of The Optimist Club of Cornwall, having been President from 2018 to 2021. The Optimist Club of Cornwall was chartered in October 1948, and they are a charter member of Optimist International. The mandate of Optimist is to help youth, and their original slogan was “Friend of the Boy.” The Optimist Club of Cornwall addresses many youth needs that can improve their lives, such as the ball hockey league, softball league, Youth Achievement Awards, the Optimist Toy Drive, and many other events and programs.

Five Questions with The Seeker

1 – What do you like most about volunteering at The Optimist Club of Cornwall?

“What I like most about it is the family-type environment within our organization and the Optimist Creed, which members try their best to follow to improve their own lives while helping others.”

2 – Tell us about your community partners.

“The Optimist Club of Cornwall has many community partners, including Cornwall Police Services, who we partner with for their bicycle safety rodeo, fishing derby, and other events. We also are involved with the Santa Claus Parade, The Children’s Christmas Fund, and others.”

3 – How can people in the community support your organization?

If you know a member, have them invite you to a meeting or an event to check us out. We are always looking for great volunteers for events like Ribfest, the Toy Drive, and many others; look online at optimistclubofcornwall.org. Donations can be made online or at any of our fundraising events, like our barbecues that run all summer.

4 – Tell us about volunteers and what they mean to your organization.

“Without volunteers, our club and all others would cease to exist. All sports programs and many other programs exist due to volunteers’ generosity in giving their time. The heart of the Optimist Club of Cornwall is the large group of volunteers that come out repeatedly to support our events and programs. Our sports leagues only exist because someone is willing to commit their time to them. Without volunteers, we could not raise funds needed for any program.”

5 – What is The Optimist Club of Cornwall’s most significant accomplishment?

“One of our greatest accomplishments is Optimist Park. Many do not realize that it was the township landfill at one time and our club and its volunteers played a huge part in creating the park. We will celebrate our 75th anniversary this year, and part of the recognition of our 75th anniversary in Cornwall will include us partnering with the City of Cornwall to install a huge upgrade to the play structure at Optimist Park. We are once again investing in improving the park for future generations to enjoy.”