Centerville Noon Builds Decades of Optimism by Blythe Dorrian Communications Coordinator
Centerville Noon Optimist Club has served as a model of community service, spirit, and connection. With close to 350 members and a history of several “Club of the Year” awards, it is one of the largest Optimist International clubs in the world.
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lub President Paul Boeckman has been part of the organization for almost 40 years and has seen how the club has grown, not only in size, but in impact. “I started with the Salem Mall Optimist Club in 1982 when I was an Assistant Bank Manager,” Boeckman said. “The club eventually folded, and I moved around to different branches in the bank. I joined Centerville Noon in 1994.” When Boeckman started with Centerville, the total membership was a little over 100. Today, it has nearly tripled. Boeckman said that while every member has a sponsor, recruitment happens organically. “We have one member, Mike Bevis, who has sponsored 110 new members over the 22 years he has been a part of the club. Everyone has a sponsor, but we don’t have a sponsorship committee where it’s somebody’s job. It’s
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like reaching out to your neighbor. If you know a person and they have an interest in the club, then you’re the de facto sponsor.” Boeckman served as Club Secretary/Treasurer and later as President of the Salem Mall club. At Centerville, he led the Safety on Wheels program for two decades and served on the board before being asked to become president. “I worked full-time until about four years ago,” Boeckman said. “Until then, I wasn’t able to make it to most of the meetings. My retirement created a lot of opportunity time wise. I was asked to consider being President. You start as a committee member doing activities, and then if you do well, you can get considered for a Board member position. You go through the VP role and then President-Elect. There is a process to move into leadership.”