The Keystone District

Can you imagine if District 13 covered the whole state of Pennsylvania in this day and age? You would have to delegate responsibility to other Toastmasters and District Leaders, and eventually you have to split the Commonweath up (kind of like what they did with North Carolina (District 37 and District 117).

In 1943, the District was beginning to take shape. A demo meeting was held in Charleroi to a large audience and it formulated interest in new clubs in the foreseeable future. Jeannette and (original) Greensburg were able to have meetings together and there was interest in forming a club in Waynesburg. Greene County Toastmasters anyone? They could meet at Waynesburg University or possibly in Carmichaels.

We tried to charter a Mon Valley Toastmasters club back in 2014 and they met at a nursing home in California PA. The chapter had potential (and it could have succeeded if we had been able to get more of our other veteran members involved). One of the problems was California University of Pennsylvania, and another was the local economy in the Mon Valley.

Efforts to get the club off the ground fell through, and Mon Valley TM was officially dead. Let’s hope Jest 🃏 Speaking can grow their membership and charter soon. It looks like Laurel Highlands Toastmasters is going to do great.