Fashionable Reports and Other Stylish Shoutouts

Some of you will get some nice shoutouts from me today in this Toastmasters blog.

During Saturday’s Division Classy (yeah, like Division Awesome and Division Brilliant), our Divison Director Brett Aristegui covered the bases on how clubs in Area 23 and 24 are doing. While BPMI and Sallie Boggs were doing good, things at Ambassadors and Penn Hills were not as peachy. How those clubs do will have an impact on the area and division and if they make distinguished.

Brett has done a superb job this year serving as our Division Director and led a great breakout for Div. C during our winter TLI. He has also appointed the Greensburg husband and wife duo Jim and Michelle Teague to roles within the district. Jim as Area 21 Director and Michelle as Division C Program Quality Director. I’m blessed to work with all three in District 13 this Toastmaster year.

Area 24 is looking good. Greensburg is leading the way as a premier club thanks to the leadership of the Teagues and other officers and dedicated members who come out the first and third Wednesday. They’re on their way to being Presidents Distinguished. I think a celebration is order if we hit that benchmark. If so we need to invite Brett and Area Director Sue Mals because their leadership and hard work has helped too.

Monroeville is down due to members being hesitant to start Pathways. Always the one holding up the area, they need some help now.

McKeesport gained a few more members in the new year and is trying to defend their Distinguished status. They were so close to Select Distinguished. I credit the club with letting me coach them to success and in turn, achieve my Distinguished Toastmaster award. Unfortunately they’ll be down a member as I’ll be stepping down after March 31 and not renewing.

Achievers is the new kid in the block. A select distinguished chapter last year with quite the comeback story, they’re down to 11 members and need some help. We’ll be trying to promote them at the upcoming Spring Conference. They’ll be gaining a member next month with Michelle Teague joining the chapter.

Other shoutouts include the Earlybirds chapter in Butler. They’ve gone up in membership since July 1 and have a past district governor leading the way as club president. Ten members has grown to 18 since the beginning of the year. I hoped to attend an event of theirs back on October 26 but was too sick to attend. I might go up in the Spring if I’m not too busy. It’s worth getting up early on a Saturday to check them out plus I can drive up to Slippery Rock afterwards.

The Moon Toastmasters club always does good. Starting out as a corporate club, they struggled with membership. Eventually they converted to an open club. I visited back in August 2017 and was impressed with how well they were doing. I hope to make a visit up there later this Sprjng or in the Summer.

The club that has been my club away from home: you know what it is. The Cranberry High Noon Toastmasters club. Anytime I get the opportunity to have a Monday off of work, I make the drive up I-79 to visit this amazing chapter in District 13. Just six years old, this club has achieved Presidents Distinguished honors every year. The members there are great and make me feel welcome anytime I attend.

I have a great story and that is from the December meeting. I walk in the door just before Noon and everyone is there to greet me. They even call me by my new blog name. Apparently everyone got wind that I was starting the blog. Sarah Souri, who has become one of my great friends and a big supporter of my blog and stylish attire, asked what led me to start going stylish. I gave her the whole story. There are others in that club besides Sarah who have become not just friends but family to me. Bobby, Kathy, Kim, Tina, Mike, Rashmi, Judy, and others are pleased when I come to visit. I wish I was more available and close to the area because I would definitely join in a heartbeat.

Bobby, Kathy, Sarah, and Leslie all received their Distinguished Toastmaster awards at last Spring’s conference and formed what I call the DTM huddle. I plan to have my own this upcoming conference plus an awesome DTM Dance.

Moon and Cranberry High Noon are just about to Presidents Distinguished. Greensburg is going to get there. Earlybirds will be Distinguished because they’ve grown their base. If members complete pathways projects,I have no doubt they’ll be President’s Distinguished too.

I love my District 13 Toastmasters family and am looking forward to this contest season. April 17-18: Save the date for Spring Conference. Hilton Garden Inn at Southpointe. Have a great Monday. ❤️ you.