The Octagon Club is a fun-filled, co-educational service organization sponsored by the Optimist Club of Rolla.  The Octagon Club has earned the Blue Ribbon School award for excellence for Rolla from Optimist International. 

Although the club’s fiscal year begins in October, members may join the club any time throughout the year.  Club membership is open to all students ages 14 to 18 accompanied by $5 dues and a completed application.  Members are encouraged to attend meetings held bi-weekly after school in the sponsoring teacher’s room number 217.  Also, members are welcome to attend any of the weekly Optimist Club of Rolla’s club meetings.  It is desired that Octagon members will become future adult Optimist members to continue to benefit the youth in their community. 

The Octagon Club participates in several service projects throughout the year including joint projects with the sponsoring club’s Optimist Christmas Tree Sales, and Old Bagger’s Day.  In addition, the Octagon and Optimist Clubs continually team up to support one another in each other’s club projects, such as the Soldiers Project and the Stream Cleanup as well as annually volunteer at Summerfest.

This year’s Octagon President is Sean Church who is a senior at RHS.  Some of the club’s prospective Octagon ideas for 2005-2006 include:  Adopt-A-Street, Seatbelt Safety Community Awareness, Big Optimist/Little Optimist, Membership Recruitment, Host RHS Talent Show, Club Picnics and much more fun! 

The Octagon Club is a local club which offers the opportunity to meet other students from all over the state and world.  The club was chartered in 1977 under the Optimist International organization and is divided into districts and local clubs.  The Octagon Club is part of the East Missouri (EMO) District and is its own local club.  This year provides an exciting opportunity for the EMO District as it will host its first ever district meeting, which will be chartered in Spring 2006.  All Octagon members interested in becoming an officer for local and district offices are elected annually.  Officers locally include: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, a Board Member representing grades 10-12, and committee chairs. 

For further information concerning the Octagon Club, e-mail optimist@rollanet.org