Holland Optimist Club

09/29/2026

09/29/2026

We recognized Wilma VanLoo this morning for her faithful 12+ years in building and supporting the Holland Optimist Club. Back in February of 2014, when Wilma was Michigan District Optimist Lt Governor, she had a phone call, while wintering in Florida, from then Michigan District Optimist Governor David Fries to help with the building of an Optimist Club in Holland. She said she would think about it and agreed. So, in April, she and Linda Ingersoll, Harry Margo, Rich Slayton & Ken Vos (who lives in Holland), started meeting once a week. After many trips to Holland and many meetings, the club was chartered with 25 members on September 22, 2014!!
Due to some health issues and not living in Holland, Wilma feels it is time to resign. A hard decision but there comes a time in our lives we need to slow down.

We, also, this morning thanked our members and others who helped with our Avenue of Flags project. It has been a great fundraiser. We are now up to raising over 440 🇺🇸 flags 6 times a year in several communities in the Holland area. With the funds, we have helped many children and families in our area. A big Thank You to everyone who were and are involved in raising the flags!!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

09/01/2026

Congratulations to Ken Vos, a member of our club!! Ken has been an Optimist for over 52 years. This past weekend at the Michigan District Optimist Convention , Ken was recognized for his 52+ years by Lou Moss.

09/01/2026

07/18/2026

Pictures taken recently at the Fishing with Veterans event. Thank you to the Club’s volunteers who helped with the flags - putting them up and taking them down. A wonderful day for some of our local veterans as they went fishing and were welcomed back through the channels with the USA flags flying just for them! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

07/16/2026

The USA flags along the channels were put up by our club. Thank you to all our volunteers.

This is "2026 Fishing with Vets Preview. July 11 @ noon" by Good Timber Legacy Video on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

05/25/2026

In Flanders Fields

By John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.@

05/24/2026

Holland Optimist Club raised flags (about 440) this weekend for our first Avenue of Flags event for this year. Thank you to all veterans who have served this wonderful country, and we honor those who paid the ultimate price on this Memorial Day weekend.

05/14/2026

Our club has sponsored a club-level Essay Contest for 10+ years. Cash awards, medallions, and certificates are presented to the top 3 essay winners. The 1st place winner of our club contest is eligible to participate in the Michigan District Optimist contest for a chance to receive a scholarship.

This year’s winners: 1st Place is a senior at Zeeland East High School. Next year she intends to further her education in the medical field.
2nd Place is a junior at West Ottawa High School and hoping to attend Michigan State University after graduation next year.
3rd Place is a senior who has been Homeschooled for the last 3 years and plans on enrolling at Baker College next year.

They presented their essays to us at a morning meeting recently.