Bringing a bit of optimism to the Island Games – are you looking forward to a summer of sport?

• Battle stalwarts building a float for the Games.
• Find out about the Optimists Club’s Battle history and see videos of the previous floats.
• Excited about the Island Games? Take part in our poll.

A BATTLE of Flowers-style float built by the Optimists Club will form the centrepiece of this summer’s NatWest Island Games.

The stand will be positioned at the main entrance of Howard Davis Park for the opening ceremony, where it will remain for the week of the Games.

It will feature an outline of the map of Jersey and a Jersey 2015 logo and will be covered in flowers in the traditional Battle of Flowers manner.

Island Games director Steve Bailey said: ‘Traditionally, the Games have boasted a signature centrepiece, and we couldn’t have found a more fitting one than a Battle of Flowers float.

‘It’s one of the things Jersey, as an island community, does best.

‘We will be encouraging all visitors to have their picture taken standing alongside it.’

The display is already under construction but will be hidden away and ready to flower the night before the Games get under way on Saturday 27 June.

Float designer Steve Bouchard said: ‘The Optimists Club are delighted to design and produce the floral display for the NatWest Island Games.

‘It is an honour for the club to play a part in what promises to be a fantastic event and to showcase what the Jersey Battle of Flowers has to offer.’

• The club have to date won the Battle’s top award 13 times, and come second on 11 occasions.
• They first entered the parade in 1983 because members were looking for something to fill the club’s quiet months during the summer. The first entry was the 25 ft Play Time.
• Within two years they had moved up to a full size, 45 ft, exhibit.
• In 1987, with only their fifth float, the club shocked the Battle community by winning the Prix d’Honneur with their Christmas-themed entry, Through The Eyes of A Child – the first non-parish to win for 29 years.
• In 1989 the club entered a junior float for the first time, something they still do today, and many of the youngsters involved in that first junior entry still work on the senior club float now.

• The Optimists entered the Moonlight Parade for the first time in 1994 and have since won the award for the Best Illuminated Float nine times.
• They also remain the only team to have won the Spectators Award at both parades in the same year.
• The club decided to enter a second Christmas-themed float in 2005, Merry Christmas, which Jersey Tourism asked them to revive that December, and as a result of that the now popular annual Christmas Battle of Flowers parade was born.
• All of the Optimists’ exhibits have been designed by club member Steve Bouchard.
• Some of the club’s most memorable Prix d’Honneurwinning floats include this year’s topical Les Misérablesthemed Beyond The Barricade, 2008’s colourful Circus, and Star Fighter in 1997, which many involved in Battle believe ‘broke the mould’ because the team took the base away and made it totally hollow.
• At the 2014, the club picked up the Prix d’Honneur for a third year in a row with their Chinese New Year themed entry Fire Cracker.

Although many Islanders now simply associate the Optimists Club with the Battle of Flowers, the club, which has been running since 1963, offers its members a number of other activities:

Pool – The Optimists Club has run an in-house pool knock out competition since the early 1980s, but in 2008 decided to establish a club pool team and enter into the Captain’s Challenge Pool League. They are currently one of the top division two teams.

Golf – With an increasing number of members taking up golf, the club set up its golf society in 2002, which now has more than 20 members and has attracted new members to the club. The society now run four ‘majors’ – The Order of Merit, The Winter League, The Ops Pot, and Match Play Knockout. In addition, since 2005 they have held an annual Gits versus Pups match, where the younger members of the society take on the older ones.

Crib – The Optimists Club played their first crib league match in 1980 – and 33 years later it still plays an important part in club life. Today the club have two teams in the league, with Thursday evening games either at home or away. The crib league finishes in May, so during the summer months an in-house crib knock out takes place, open to all members.

Social – The Optimists put on a number of social events each year, including an annual dinner in May and an annual barbecue in July, as well as regular quiz nights, film nights, Wii competitions and casino nights.