It was an event months in the waiting, since the club chartered on June 30. I wanted to attend this event since I learned about the new club following the summer club officer training. When the invite came up on Facebook, I was hoping that I would have had November 9 open on my calendar. Sure enough when my schedule came out, I was scheduled off that day. I was excited that I was going to be able to go.

I made my arrival on the red carpet last night at 5:45pm exactly. Emily, the photographer, got a few pics of me in my leopard print cardigan. She was all over my Coach purse which I had draped on my arm. I felt like I was on my way to the big premiere, which I was. The premiere of the Laurel Highlands Toastmasters club and the induction of its new officers, who are amazing and will do big things in the coming year.

I chatted with Bob and Dana I walked into the room. Both were dressed like a million dollars and would speaking at the event. Dana’s speech about the history of the club was excellent. Toastmasters was big in the Uniontown area and another club was added. It was the Fort Necessity Toastmasters club. The bad economy of the 1970s and early 1980s meant the end of Toastmasters in Fayette County. People tried and failed to bring it back, that is until a Toastmaster from New York City who moved to Connellsville got involved.

I met Sharon Joseph at the DTM gala this past July and learned more about her and the new club. I also learned that Dana Mitnik was involved as was the new Area 23 Director Ryan Jacobs and the Vornbrocks. It chartered really quick and a lot of people were really impressed. We had a great time that night and her and I ran the gauntlet (my first time). I’m hoping to visit again on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. The club chartered with 21 new members and the goal is grow the club even more.

Their area covers all of Fayette County into Westmoreland (Connellsville, Dunbar, Uniontown, Hopwood, Farmington, north into Scottdale and Mount Pleasant). They are the first club I know of to charter as a hybrid (both online and in person).

Laurel Highlands member Shawna Little and mentor Fred Vornbrock did a great job introducing the new members and Area 24 Director Yasmin Brown inducted the new officers, going over their roles in the club. She also recognized the club’s technology officer, Nick Cecchetti. Shawna and Fred also called the names of those who won door prizes. In case you were curious, tickets 🎟 were placed behind everyone’s name tags. I came pretty close to winning one of the prizes, which were books about great public figures like Aretha Franklin and Michelle Obama.

We ended the night around 8:30. I took the time to socialize with the new officers and members of the club, including Lee and Shawna, as well as Ryan and Nick, and of course Dana. Shawna and I talked about how great my high school’s softball team was back in the day. I traded VPE tips with Jesse who just recently took the role and I caught up with Sharon (whom I met at the DTM gala held at Westmoreland County Community College this past summer).

The club is LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈 friendly as well. Both Lee and Shawna were excited to see my Coach bag and a picture of the sweater dress I ordered from Target. Melissa can’t wait to see my cherries that I’m putting on my Coach bag.

I got home around 10 and settled down with the newest Dhar Mann video about a boy who quits football to bake. He gets shamed for it but he doesn’t give up. The video made me hungry for some pumpkin pie 🥧.

I’ll close off the blog with the cake celebrating our newest club in District 13.

Bye everyone. ❤️ you.

This is my eighth visit to Cranberry High Noon and I came up for their Open House. This meeting was in person and virtual, therefore it was a hybrid meeting.

Before that, I stopped off at Cranberry Mall and shopped at Michael’s, looking at all the neat Christmas items. Great deals too as most of it was 40% off. I even found a Golden Girls cross stitch kit in my travels. I also stopped into Bed Bath and Beyond. Kind of uneventful, especially when I have used that time to shop at the place in the picture. Hello? At least I got five minutes and spotted some great gift ideas for Christmas.

I arrived at the Cranberry Municipal Building at 11:45 and was greeted by club President Linde Riley. It was our first time meeting in person as the other times were on Zoom. We also kept in touch through Facebook.

Melissa McGavick served as the Zoom master for the hybrid meeting. When the internet access was spotty, she quickly switched gears and had the meeting up and running on a different hotspot. Because she was prepared with several wifi options, we started just a couple of minutes late and the rest of the meeting ran well.

Sue Ellis served as the meeting Toastmaster and explained the three parts of the meeting. The speaking, the Table Topics, and the Evaluation. She did it with gusto. She also introduced the roles and who was doing them.

We couldn’t have been more blessed with our amazing speakers. Melissa McGavick was up first with her speech titled “Build a Better You.” She shared success stories of three Toastmasters members from around the world and how we can use the program to improve ourselves.

Willie Mae Starr White is quite motivated in Toastmasters as she is working on four paths right now. Her speech talked about her ability to overcome her struggles with stuttering. She explained some methods to get past it, like reading out loud or even singing. Willie Mae has been a contestant in past district speaking events and it was a joy to hear her speak as well.

Tina Kramer was up next with Table Topics and she worked off the theme asking us our favorite words. My word was Stylish. It’s part of my blog name and how I always dress. I also explained why I dress nice for the umpteenth time. Another word I could have used was icon. I say that because Sara always calls me her icon when we comment on Facebook.

Linde served as General Evaluator and introduced our evaluators. Both excellent Toastmasters and excellent district leaders. Bob Johnson gave excellent feedback of Melissa’s speech and Kim Santillo did the same with Willie Mae’s presentation.

She called on guests to give feedback of the open house and the meeting itself. We had a great turnout for the hybrid with 15 showing up in person and 13 on Zoom. All guests would follow up with Willie Mae and Cristina. The club is at 22 members but is always willing to grow its base, which started out at 29. No better time to get that number up than right now.

Sarah gave me the opportunity to join her and some other Cranberry High Nooners at House of Chen which is just up the road from the Cranberry Municipal Building. It took me no time to say Yes. How often do I get these opportunities to socialize with friends? Maha and Linde would join us as well.

It was my best meal out since we all got together at Jean Bonnet Tavern for my 40th birthday. We got our table, ordered our food, and talked Toastmasters and I even shared my outfit pics, including the sweater dress I’m getting this week. Linde, Maha, and Sarah were quite impressed with my sense of style.

I loved the aquarium in the main dining area. It was fun to look at the fish in their tank. Definitely one of the things that makes this place stand out. Our lunch was great. My Kung Pao chicken had a lot of flavor to it as did my egg roll. Everyone was satisfied with their meals. We had good service from our waitstaff and they got our food to us quickly. They also played a lot of Sarah’s favorite songs. She is a big fan of disco music and there was plenty of it being played while we ate lunch.

Sarah talked about bringing me here and she finally got her wish. We ended the day by taking pictures in front of the restaurant and the fish pond. The lady who took our picture in front of the restaurant is Katina Hunter’s pastor. She was happy to join us in a funny Toastmasters picture in front of the fish pond. Overall grade for Chen’s: A-plus and I will definitely be back.

It was an enjoyable day made worthwhile by great friends and the meeting went very well. This almost became my favorite visit today but December 2019 still stands as the greatest of all time. Till next time Cranberry High Noon.

Bye everyone. ❤️ you.

Wednesday night we had a small turnout for our Toastmasters meeting. Only five showed up in person and a few more on Zoom. Even the smallest attendance makes for a great meeting, and that’s how we do it at Greensburg Toastmasters. We set the bar for the district with how well-run our meetings are.

Jim Teague led an amazing Table Topics session by asking us to talk about something close to our hearts. Mike and Jim had it out over their writing utensils. Faerie showed us her amazing prayer journal. I modeled my lovely pink Coach purse and talked briefly about my gender nonconformity journey.

I filled in for Marissa and took an awesome picture of Michelle in front of our club banner with her Spirit of Toastmasters award. I love how she’s still displaying it for everyone to see. I did the same with mine last year l, even showing my coworkers all my accolades. I posted the picture to Facebook and it got plenty of likes from other Toastmasters and her local BPW club.

Tomorrow is Cranberry High Noon’s open house and I am excited to attend. The club is fresh off winning club of the year honors in Division B for the second year in a row. Is there any doubt they would win it? Absolutely not. They’re led by great officers who uphold the Moments of Truth and make guests feel at home.

The club has 22 members (they started off with a base of 29) and I have no doubt they’ll fill one of those membership goals tomorrow. They’re on their way to Presidents Distinguished once again. The club sets the gold standard for excellence in the District. I expect the best tomorrow.

This will be the eighth in person meeting I’ve attended and I have yet to be disappointed with a single meeting. My first time there as a guest was 2016 and it was a worthwhile experience. My most memorable was in December 2019.

I walked in the door and was greeted by everyone. I had just launched the blog recently so everyone was excited to see me. I was also dressed very stylish that day and one of my friends wanted to know what inspired me to dress nice. More like who. It was one of my favorite days and it just goes to show you how important first impressions are in Toastmasters.

I’m looking forward to this big event Tuesday night. It’s a formal black tie event but I’ll still go black on black. Hello nice outfit from Rob and Sara’s wedding. I’m excited to celebrate with this brand new Toastmasters club. For a future event, we can celebrate it at Nemacolin Woodlands. We held a previous conference there several years back and even had the CEO speak.

Winter TLI is coming up December 4. After going all virtual last year, and having an awesome Spirit of Toastmasters panel discussion to boot, this training will be hybrid. I will be in attendance at WCCC and look forward to a great event, as always. Let’s get #9 on the Distinguished Club Program, officers.

It’s also club contest season. Get yours scheduled. Area contests will be held in February and Division contests in March. They will be in person, for the time being.

Bye everyone. ❤️ you.

So far this first week under the new regime at work has brought its share of growing pains. I’ve spent time this week contemplating my future and trying to decide whether or not to move on.

I was blessed with a great day for walking on Monday at Twin Lakes. I got about three and a half miles in and took advantage of the sun, despite the chill in the air. Welcome to November. The Holiday Baking Championship had my attention Monday night and I was enthused with all the different doughnuts 🍩 and a cheese and apple dessert (so boujee). I then had a nice conversation with my cousin Tuesday. We talked about work and family and remembered many great memories with those who are no longer with us.

But here’s what you have been waiting for. My cold weather outfits perfect for the upcoming holiday or just to look stylish. Disclaimer: I have no experience trying on any of these outfits, but they are wish-listed on Target and Amazon.

Fall weather has officially set in here in Western Pennsylvania. That means it’s time to dress warmer. I’ve been searching Target’s website for cute outfits and warm, cozy sweaters (and dresses). I’m saying yes to the dress, but in a different way. Here are my choices for outfits that will keep you warm this Christmas.

What better place to rock these cute outfits than Nemacolin for a weekend stay or Ligonier for a holiday engagement proposal?

The first one I found last Tuesday on the Target app. I got mad compliments on this dress and my mini dress from my fashion buddy, Sara. This white cable knit sweater dress, just like the picture, goes great with boots and leggings or tights (which you can also find at Target)

I also came upon these sweater tunics at Target. They look very cozy and go perfect with leggings or skinny jeans. I’d accentuate these with a patent belt (New York and Company and Express always had great cinch belts… sad NY&Co is now closed at all malls).

These outfits are perfect for a coffee date at Starbucks (or your local cafe), or for an upcoming Christmas party. I love both the charcoal and blue tunics listed. I put these, some leggings, and some fashion tights on my wish list (all of them Target brands). A headband and/or scarf would also go great with these ‘fits.

I searched Amazon and yes, I do buy a lot of clothes on there, not because of the deals but because I don’t want people giving me weird looks in the stores. Then again, I buy makeup in Target and Coach purses without a care in the world.

I found a cute long sleeve leopard print dress. It’s like a T-shirt dress and goes great with knee high or ankle boots. Put on a pair or patterned socks with suede Chelsea boots and it looks perfect. Patterned tights also work as well. I think a few bracelets also make it stand out. The possibilities are endless. As Maura Klauss says, leopard print is my trademark.

How cute is this cocktail dress with Christmas cats on it? Also an Amazon find, I thought this looked adorable. I think of my friends with cats who would look great in this dress (Rae, Sara, and Emily come to mind). You can pair this with a Santa hat, black satin gloves, and a belt (perfect for an office Christmas party); or (for a dinner party) heels and pantyhose, as well as any of the three accessories I just mentioned.

The last dress that comes to mind is a red, cable knit sweater dress I found on macys.com. I swear one of these days I will go secondhand for my outfits (Goodwill or Fleatique, anyone?) This dress can be paired with a Christmas scarf and Chelsea boots for a Christmas party or pictures in Ligonier. Wear the cocktail dress for that fun office party (pair it with a leather jacket for a dynamite look). Same with that leopard print dress (you can pair this with a trenchcoat).

Now you’ve got some looks to make you stand out above the crowd this holiday season.

Bye everyone. ❤️ you.

Tonight on KDKA, the weather team gave their prediction for the upcoming winter of 2021-22. Before that was to happen, Ray Petelin gave his review of last winter. It was right on the nose, except for December and February.

His prediction for November was spot on, but for December, he was way off. December saw 26.5” in the Pittsburgh area and one of the snowiest Christmas days that I can remember.

The first day of the month saw a sizable amount of snow. I was working in Wilkinsburg that day and roads were mainly wet. I had to clear off my car at multiple times before heading home. The next day as the snow moved out felt really cold. I had worked in Blairsville the next day and ventured out to Ligonier afterwards to my favorite coffeehouse known as Abigail’s. Here’s the calm before the storm and after the snow hit in little Stars Hollow.

The second storm hit on Dec. 16 and dropped nine inches of snow in Pittsburgh. We were counting the second leg of Lowe’s in Bethel Park and while it was calm on our arrival, by our 10:30 break it was coming down. By the time we finished at 1:30, everything was covered. My coworkers were cleaning off their cars and trying to make the treacherous drive home. I know I had a hell of a time navigating 88 through Castle Shannon. It took me more than an hour to get back home. A perfect night to hold our Toastmasters meeting online.

The third storm came on Christmas Eve and dropped plenty of snow the next morning. If you were dreaming of a white Christmas, you got your wish. Five inches of snow for one of the snowiest Decembers on record.

January was predicted well, but February saw twice the predicted amount of snowfall. We kicked off the month with a good snowstorm but a week later we really had quite an adventure getting to our destinations.

February 9 was a difficult morning for travel as our guy showed up an hour late. Accidents were everywhere on the main roads. Vehicles getting in accidents, cars landing in ditches, it was a crazy day to be out on the roads.

March was quiet while April saw a few blasts of snow on April Fools’ Day and on the 21st.

Ray’s prediction for this winter sees two inches of snow for November, which ramping it up to ten inches in December. January will be the snowiest month with 17”, while February will have 12”. Winter is the shortest season and February is the shortest month, but both of these seem to last forever. March and April combined will see 5” of snow. Remember, March of 2018 ago saw some big snows after a warm February.

Tomorrow may see the first snowflakes of this season but, it won’t amount to much.

I’ll close off the blog with a quote from my favorite snow lover.

I want to start off today’s blog by saying “Happy Halloween”. Hope all you trick or treaters filled up your Halloween buckets. The ones from McDonalds were always my favorites as a kid. If you got a chance, I hope you watched “It’s the Great Pumpkin 🎃 Charlie Brown. Hopefully your Halloween haul didn’t include a rock 🪨.

Now that October is coming to and end, and the leaves are finally showing some color, let’s look ahead to November. I apologize for not getting this preview out sooner. I’ve been focused on the changes going on at work and for now just taking it a day at a time. Today went pretty good though.

I’ll have a warm weather outfit/dress blog coming up this week. I found some cute dresses and tunics to keep warm in as the weather begins to turn cold and we start to see the first snowflakes. I’ll also give my take on KDKA’s Winter Weather Forecast which is set to air tomorrow night.

This weekend is the Holiday Market in Ligonier. It will be Saturday afternoon from Noon to 4pm where the summer market is usually held. These last two months are a fun time to be in Ligonier. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in little Stars Hollow, especially as Thanksgiving nears and the town celebrates Light Up Night. Here’s a few pictures of the little Hallmark Christmas town from last year.

With some extra days off next week, I’ll be attending a couple of Toastmasters events. Next Monday is Cranberry High Noon’s Open House and the following night is the big red carpet event at Laurel Highlands Toastmasters. I was hoping I’d be able to attend this event and it looks like my wish is going to come true.

I’ll be giving a speech at my advanced Toastmasters club on the 21st. It’ll be about 2021 and the big events of the year (Rob and Sara’s wedding, my 40th birthday, and gender nonconformity). Might have to focus on one though and we know what that one will be.

Of course we will celebrate Thanksgiving four days later. I’m going to highlight some of the delicious food we’ll be taking with us to Somerset. Oh, and tomorrow night starts the Holiday Baking Championship on Food Network. Looking forward to all the fun competitions and see who will come away with the title.

During the holiday weekend, I will be in Ligonier for Light Up Night and I will shopping for Coach and getting my Christmas list ready. Oh, and begin decorating for the holidays. I’ll have my tree up and some gingerbread men ready to eat.

I just started watching Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas so, I’m already in the Spirit.

Bye everyone. ❤️ you.

Yesterday marked the end of an era. After 13 years as office 3609, we will be splitting into to offices as part of buying our competitior, RGIS. The Dollar office will stay mostly intact with a few coming over from Johnstown and Wheeling. The Traditional crew joins most of the RGIS office with office 551 (Johnstown). Only a select few were picked for traditional. We’ve all got mixed feelings about our new assignments. I think these first few months should be fine. Things are starting to slow down for the holiday season anyway. Dollar crew will have next to nothing and have been urged to file for unemployment. We’ll still have Lowe’s and Rite Aid to keep us busy.

I worked my last day at part of 3609 at a Rite Aid in Lawrenceville, with an exceptional crew to send me off. This was a nice change from counting 7-11 at the airport.

I’ve been friends with Maura and Ashley since they were hired in the Spring of 2018. Their first store was the JCPenney at Century III Mall and they survived that marathon store. I’m proud of how far they’ve come over the years and how our friendship has really grown. The girls and others in the office have been like family to me. With the breakup of our division, I feel like I’m losing my family. Not just family, but I feel like I’m also losing my support system. We’ll still keep in touch by phone but not having them there everyday won’t be the same.

Maura sent a group text to those of us who are moving to traditional. It was very heartfelt and emotional 😭. Tom, my boss for the last three years and our manager for the last eight said we were family and that the people were the best part of the job.

On this last day, I also opened up to Maura about my gender nonconformity. It started when I told her about the sweater dress from Target I’m interested in buying. It began to turn emotional as I explained my journey and where it began. It started in high school and continued through college as I was up and down with my sexuality. It went away as I graduated college and began to experience life in the real world. After so many years away, everything came to light two years ago.

It was an overnight work trip to Ashtabula and it was my coworker who was wearing a pink dress. It became an innocent crush, as we had also talked about at Bud Murphy’s over dinner a few months later. When asked yesterday, I told Maura that I identified as queer, possibly bisexual. I felt like crying as I poured everything out.

With regard to Harry Styles, Hunter Schafer, and my “twin” Sara Newsom, Emily Swager and her fashion sense have been an inspiration.

Maura was worried how different it might be in traditional and that people might not be as understanding about my gender nonconformity. She told me her and Ashley would always be there to support me. I have a lot of support in addition to the girls. But if things get rough, Maura and Ashley and Tom will be the first people I turn to. Maybe down the road I can transfer to the Dollar crew. I’m so thankful for my support system in this season.

I’ll evaluate things at the end of November. There shouldn’t be much change since we won’t be that busy anyway. The first month is a poor barometer. I think by the end of January I should have a better idea as to where I stand, and definitely by the end of April (which will be six months).

Some places I will apply at (I’m still putting in applications) are Target, Walmart and Excela. If Giant Eagle, I’d like it to be a leadership development position. I’m interested in learning more about how to do makeup and might consider applying at Sephora or ULTA (I wish we had one in Greensburg). I even watched a YouTube video on what to expect working at ULTA and want to view makeup tutorials.

I’m interested in Say Yes to the Dress 👰 so I wouldn’t mind working at one of those places either (Miller’s and MB Bride are both local; Modern Elegance is in Ligonier).

I said yes to the dress 👗 too, in a different way.

Bye everyone. ❤️ you.

Back with some real Toastmasters News and Notes after devoting last week to the Fall Symposium awards. Let’s start with the Toastmasters Throwback.

Today’s Toastmasters throwback deals with the unexpected loss of the District’s founder, Carroll Freeman. It was up to the new District Governor and his leadership to keep membership in the wake of the former District Leader and first International Director’s sudden passing.

Check out this Table Topics question which was submitted by the East Liverpool Ohio chapter. The membership gave their testimonials as to why they are a Toastmaster and why they are facing this fear of public speaking head on. From East Liverpool on to the other nine clubs in District 13, everyone chimed and honored the memory of the man who helped form the District. The piece in the throwback is from the Jeannette chapter.

Last week, some of our prestigious District 13 Toastmasters got together virtually and celebrated the 97th anniversary of Toastmasters International. Stephanie Scott served as the event chair and it looks like a nice turnout from the District. The trio all attended plus some past District Directors and Governors and a few longtime and passionate Toastmasters members.

Cranberry High Noon presented to the local rotary club last week, Cranberry Township Sunrise Rotary. Area 13 Director Tina Kramer and Club President Linde Riley represented CHN by speaking about leadership and communication opportunities. Cranberry High Noon recently won Division B Club of the Year at the 2021 Fall Symposium and is a perennial contender for Presidents Distinguished club every year.

Monday the club held its Halloween party during the 12pm meeting.

Ale Perez won best costume and Mike McKivigan won best story.

Willie Mae Starr White led table topics and used a wheel to choose the next speaker. Great idea Willie Mae.

Cranberry High Noon will hold its open house on November 8 in person as well as virtually. The club meets at the Cranberry Municipal building in the Franklin South room.

Finally, it’s almost time for the big red carpet event at Laurel Highlands Toastmasters.

I’m really hoping that I can attend this event on November 9. This red carpet event is not to be missed. There are only a few seats remaining for the big event. I’ve been really wanting to attend a club meeting but it’s been hard to with my work schedule. Regardless of whether or not make this event, I plan to attend a regular meeting on November 23.

I had the opportunity to meet the faces behind this new Toastmasters chapter in Fayette County at the DTM Gala held at Westmoreland County Community College. They’re a budding club and I hope they have continued growth in this Toastmaster year.

Ok one more upcoming event. Division D is holding a trivia night event on November 4. If you’re feeling smart, join us for this fun event. It will be virtual and only those in Division D clubs can attend since space is limited.

Have a great weekend everyone. ❤️ you.

It’s been a few days since I’ve written any content and I promised a little more Toastmasters News and Notes since I devoted Thursday’s blog to the awards ceremony. That will be coming.

After three busy weekends that included a birthday party, family reunion, Ligonier Days, and Slippery Rock Homecoming, a weekend of doing nothing was just what I needed. A little rest and recharge before things heat up again in November. I’ll cover that preview in an upcoming blog post.

It’s still been an active weekend though despite being close to home. Friday night we had company over, ate pizza and watched The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast on Disney+. I modeled my shackets for the family and they loved both the red fringe and the plaid. Even Sara was asking me where I got the cozy plaid shacket.

Saturday morning I fought a few raindrops and ate breakfast at Sun Dawg. I’m always after the specials and this one did not disappoint. I had a Banana Cream Waffle and a cup of coffee. My Amazon haul came when I pulled in the driveway. It was my red and leopard print blouses, a book on makeup by Bobbi Brown, and—I said that right—a dress. I’m pulling out all the stops with my gender nonconformity this year. I’d try them on later but, for the afternoon, I went through some stuff I didn’t wear anymore. It will go to Goodwill sometime this week. I also enjoyed a Hallmark Christmas movie before getting ready for church. I would be attending a new place of worship tonight.

I was “embarking on a church tour” and my first stop was Community Church in Harrison City. As soon as I walked in, I ordered a caramel latte from the cafe and took my seat. I was in for a more laid back, acoustic service which was more intimate. Keith Kaufold was the guest speaker. He was from the Eighth Avenue Place, a new church in Homestead. His message was from the heart and I may have shed a few years. Last night May have changed the game for me. I’ll definitely be back for another service.

I modeled my latest clothing haul from Amazon, including the dress 👗, which fit nice as an XXL. If I continue buying clothes on Amazon, I’m only buying Goodthreads (even though the leopard print cardigan and blazers have been good outfits for me). I tried on the red and leopard print blouses and styled them with my leopard print and holiday scarves.

After the holidays end and I want to shop for more cute outfits, I’m going to try Old Navy, Target, or discount stores like TJMaxx or Ross. I’m confident shopping for bags and cosmetics, why not clothes too? I’m done worrying about people judging me and saying things on social media. It says more about them then it does me. People need to shut up and mind their own business and quit being douchebags.

Have a great week everyone. I hope you enjoyed the content. Appreciate you. ❤️ you.

I sure missed a great Fall Symposium last weekend, but I was busy enjoying myself at my Alma mater. Once the rain cleared, it became a nice day albeit somewhat cool. But this is October after all.

From what I heard, the 2021 Fall Symposium was a huge success. Both keynote speakers did a great job and awards were handed out to some prestigious members of the District.

I was at the Homecoming festivities at Slippery Rock University on Saturday when I got word of the award winners via email 📧. I posted it on my Facebook while eating lunch with the alumni 👩‍🎓.

Congratulations 🎉 to the award winners. Pittsburgh Club takes the win in Division Awesome (I need to check that club out); Cranberry High Noon Toastmasters in Division Brilliant (congrats once again; they’ve adopted me as a member just like Paula and the girls have adopted me into their family; I think CHN has made Presidents Distinguished every year), PENN HILLS TOASTMASTERS CLUB in Division Confounding once again (the famous From Extingushed to Distinguished club from a year ago) and H.E.L.P.S on Smithfield in Division Dynamic (I believe that might be Dana Mitnik’s other club he belongs to).

As for individual awards, I want to give a huge shoutout to Nick Cecchetti for winning Area Director of the Year. He helped lead Area 24 to success with Presidents’ Distinguished clubs as well as his work helping launch the Laurel Highlands Toastmasters club. Marci Antion wins Division Director of the year. Her home club (South Hills) and Pittsburgh both achieved Presidents Distinguished honors in 2020-21 Michelle Teague won the Spirit of Toastmasters along with Dr. Elizabeth Carter. Both women are enthusiastic and deserve the award. I did Greensburg proud with that one last year. Now she gets to represent our home club with the Spirit of Toastmasters award. We can do it again next fall!

I would love to share what Michelle posted after her Spirit of Toastmasters award win. This includes the note written by our past District Director for 2020-2021, Patti Thor, DTM.

Warning – long post.

Wow! Just, wow!

Yesterday was a typical mid-October Saturday. Tons of events, only so much time in the day, and I was booked for two speaking events, one in the morning, one in the afternoon. One of the events I could not attend was the District 13 Toastmasters Fall Symposium.

It was a long and busy day. Imagine my surprise when my husband Jim handed me a box and told me it had arrived earlier in the day. Inside of it were two items: a card and a box. Here’s what the card said:

“Dear Michelle,

Congratulations for being selected to receive the Spirit of Toastmasters Award! It is a distinct honor for any member to receive. You were nominated for this role by many on the district leadership team.

You were an amazing help to me every week as we navigated not only the district leadership duties but all of that during a global pandemic. Your keen insight and quick wit provided much needed relief from the tension of 2020 and helped inspire forming the Jest Speaking club.

You were always willing to step in as Toastmaster of the Day or timer, whatever was needed in the moment. You’re an inspiration to every member with whom you work.

I can say that 2020-2021 was a more spirit-filled Toastmasters year in District 13 because of Michelle Teague, Administration Manager.

Thank you and congratulations again,

Patti Thor, DTM, PDD

2020-2021 District 13 Director”

Inside the box was a beautiful plaque with the following engraved on it:

“Spirit of Toastmasters Award

Michelle Teague, PM, MS

2020 – 2021

In honor of your support of

District 13 members & leaders

with your selfless service,

joyous team spirit and

inspirational leadership.”

Thank you to Patti Thor and the D13 leadership team for this honor. Words cannot express how grateful I am to have served with all of you. I truly appreciate being honored with this award. It means so much to me.

And thank you to my Greensburg Toastmasters club for all of their support last year. I could not have been nearly as successful without them.

Lastly, Fred Vornbrock congrats on Toastmaster of the Year. I think both Fred and Nick deserve a round of applause for their work in leading their areas to Presidents Distinguished. Fred stepped in mid season and did a bang up job as Area Director. He also serves as Corporate Liaison for the District and he and his wife Mary Ellen served as club mentors for the new Laurel Highlands Toastmasters.

Last night we presented Michelle with her Spirit of Toastmasters award and she gave an awards speech and read the card from Patti. We all congratulated her and then proceeded to have a great meeting.