On Saturday at TLI I learned a lot from our presenters. Some of the things that our first speaker talked about I will use in my speech at tonight’s Toastmasters meeting. Also, I might consider running for Vice President Education at Greensburg next year. I attended a different officer training than what I’m doing this year. That is something you can do if you’re not an officer or you have interest in that office next year.
The #9 event of 2023 took place in March of this year. But before I go into detail on what took place, let’s go back to 2019. Things were going great in my life. I was enjoying my job for the first time ever, I just attended a great Toastmasters conference in the Spring and finished all my requirements for my Distinguished Toastmaster award. I also started this blog and my fashion/LGBTQ journey was born. 2020 was looking like a carbon copy of the year before. Everything was in place and then… it all went to crap. COVID hit and we were soon dealing with a global pandemic. The country was on lockdown and everything would soon be cancelled.
Meeting in person for anything was going to be out of the question and that all future Toastmasters events. Eventually, the words Zoom, hybrid, and social distancing would make it into our vocabulary. My interest in Toastmasters began to wane over the next few years even as we went back to in person events and meetings. Everyone was figuring out Pathways, but I wasn’t. I was sporadic in my speeches and the magic was fading away just months removed from my DTM. I still shone in my Toastmasters glory as I won my Spirit of Toastmasters award in 2020 and took part in the panel discussion at Winter TLI in December of that year. Maybe I just needed a break too. Eventually things worked their way back around.
In March of 2023, my Toastmasters fire would be rekindled. After our meeting, I was tabbed to lead the club for the upcoming Toastmasters year (2023-24). The club was in good hands with Jim and Michelle alternating as President the last four years. However it was time for new blood and I was definitely up to the task. Michelle led the club to Select Distinguished in 2022-23 and I promised to get us to Presidents’. I was officially on my back and as a result, I got to enjoy the Division Contest in White Oak that following Saturday. We are closing in on our fifth goal which will get us to Distinguished.
I attended both trainings and we had perfect attendance from our officers plus the Teagues and our division director Mary Ellen. We knocked off #9 on the Distinguished Club report. I also attended Fall Symposium and have plans to go to my first Spring Conference since 2019. I think Greensburg needs to form its own DTM huddle this coming May.
Stylish 🍒 