2011 Optimist Concert

The Calgary chapter of Optimist International supports youth programming and is quite involved with youth programs, and help fund groups such as Bands of Calgary, which organizes the Round Up, Stetson, and Stampede Bands.  Each year they pack the Jubilee Auditorium with a concert that shows how well the year's membership of these bands have done.  We also get to see some guests such as the Heebee-Jeebees, A Band of Outriders, and this year a special trumpet and piano soloist.  You can get a good sense of the Optimist group from their creed.

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.

As usual, they finish the concert by putting EVERYONE on the stage together.  They barely fit!

As a proud father of Tim and Erin, I dutifully recorded their three songs and also the carols at the end.  I want to share them with you!  You can click on the little YouTube logo at the bottom right of each picture so you can access full-screen display and also invoke the HD mode.

Merry Christmas!