Events Calendar

  • Optimist International Oratorical Contest

    Event Date: 12/1/2024

    Topic for the 2024-2025 School year is “How Optimism Has Guided Me Through Trying Times"

    The Optimist Oratorical Contest gives youngsters the chance to speak to the world. More than $150,000 in college scholarships are awarded annually from this program.

    Deadline for entries is March 3, 2025.

  • Optimist International Essay Contest

    Event Date: 12/1/2024

    The Meridian Optimist Club will judge the local students’ essays, based on the theme of "How Optimism Has Paved My Road To Success" and will determine the top local winners.

    Deadline for essays to be turned into the Meridian Optimist Club is January 24, 2025.

  • Luck O' The Irish Casino Night

    Event Date: 3/15/2025

    The Meridian Optimist Club will be sponsoring our 15th annual “Luck O’ the Irish” Casino Night.  This event will be held Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.  The event is being held at the “Center at the Park” in the Julius M. Kleiner Park, next to the The Village, 1920 N. Records Avenue, Meridian, Idaho.

Scholarship Programs

Optimist International Essay Contest

The Optimist International Essay Contest is divided into two levels of competition: Club and District. Contestants must compose an original essay with limited guidance from others. Webster's dictionary defines an essay as an analytic or interpretative literary composition. Works of fiction or poetry will not be accepted.

The contest is open to students under age 19 as of October 1, 2023, and who have not yet completed secondary school or its equivalent. Contestants are eligible for only one Club's contest during any given year. No student who has previously won an Optimist Essay contest scholarship will be eligible to compete at any level of the competition again. The Meridian Optimist Club awards the first three places with cash awards.

First place receives $200
second place receives $150 and
third place receives $100.

The Club level winning Essay will be submitted to the District Level Contest for the opportunity of winning a $2,500 scholarship.

The official Topic for the 2023-2024 school year is:

“Optimism: How It Connects Us”

Deadline for essays to be turned into the Meridian Optimist Club is January 31, 2024.  For more information you may contact Mike Harris 208-484-8529 or

Click here to download Essay Contest Rules and Entry Form


Optimist International Oratorical Contest

The Optimist International Oratorical contest will begin at the Club level, proceed to the Zone/Regional level and end at the District level.  

The contest is open to students under the age of 19 as of October 1, 2023, and who have not yet completed secondary school or its equivalent, There is no minimum age. A contestant is eligible to enter/compete in only one Optimist Oratorical contest during a contest year. Each contestant shall prepare his or her own speech. The contestant may receive advice in the preparation of the speech and may make minor changes or improvements in the speech at any time. A student who has won a District Oratorical scholarship is not eligible to compete at any level of the competition again.

The Meridian Optimist Club awards the first three places with cash awards. First place receives $200, second place receives $150, and third place receives $100. .

District Level winners receive scholarships of $2,500, $1,500, and $1,000 for First, Second, and Third.

Topic for the 2023-2024 contest year is

“How to Change the World with Optimism”

The Club level competition will be held in early March 2024. Please check our Events Calendar for the exact date and location For more information please contact Triniti Wagner (208) 284-2443 or

Click here to download Oratorical Contest Rules and Entry Form