Toastmasters

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, I was a Toastmaster. A Toastmasters club was being formed in our church, made up largely, but not totally, of people from the church, The Okanagan Centre For Positive Living. It was an open club, not restricted to people associated with The Centre. I was on of the Charter Members of what we called The Positive Living Toastmasters, Club #6884.

I was part of the club for a year or two during which time I earned my Competent Toastmaster Award (CTM), won a speech contest at the club level and competed at the district level where I didn't win, but gained so much in so many ways from the experience that I feel I was a winner. I also competed in a Toastmaster Cowboy Poetry Contest with my poem "Love At First Sight" and won first place. I really enjoyed all parts of the club and participation in it, and due to financial challenges I couldn't continue.

Over the years since then I feel I have used several of the skills I learned while participating in the Toastmasters club, for example: One summer Sunday, I went to a cafe with my parents. They liked going here as there was an outdoor "jam session" each Sunday afternoon, all summer long. It was great to sit in the shade of the patio umbrellas, listening to all the musicians taking their turns playing their instruments and singing songs to entertain the crowd. This Sunday was the first time I attended. At that time I always carried a note book with me in which to jot down all the poetry that flowed through my mind. At one point, the fellow that led the jam session says over the microphone "Hey, do you sing?" He seemed to be looking in my direction, so I looked around me to see who he was talking to.
"Yes, you with the blue eyes and the cowboy hat" he says.
"Oh.... me?" says I.
"Yes, you. Do you sing?"
"Oh no. Not at all" I assured him (and at that time I didn't sing at all).
"Well, what's that book you have there? Is it a song book?" he asks.
"Oh this... no. It's just the poems I write." says I.
"Poems? Well why don't you come up and share some of them with us?"
Being singled out of the crowd like that was a bit embarrassing, I must admit, and if it hadn't been for my time in Toastmasters I may well have crawled under the table about this time. I may have, but I didn't. I got up, walked over to the mic as I flipped through the book and chose a poems to read to them. I read 3 poems by the time he (Rob) let me off the hook, lol. One of them was my Toastmasters Cowboy Poetry Contest winner, Love At First Sight. I not only read these poems, but in my "style", I preformed them. It went over well and I was invited back for all the other Sundays to come that summer, and if I didn't share "that poem... you know the one" it was requested.

Having been away from The Centre For Positive Living for several years, I went back for one Sunday service just over a year ago now, and have been a very involved member again ever since. I "went home" and was welcomed back with love and open arms. When I again started to speak as part of the service, and then when I became the Song Leader I found most times I was very nervous, standing in front of an audience. One day I reminded myself of how I'd learned to stand up and speak in Toastmasters, so I really had no need to be nervous. That really helped. I now know that so long as I have prepared properly for the occasion I can pull it off without nervousness, but I have to be prepared. Running in late, not being ready does not work.

So, what brought this topic up? I'll tell you... of course, haha. A few weeks ago I got a phone call from a man named James, a man I'd never met. After introducing himself, he told me he is with the Monday Night Toastmasters club, formerly The Positive Living Toastmasters, and would I please come to the 10th anniversary dinner on June 18 (yes, that was this evening). I went, of course. Had a beautiful dinner, enjoyed the speeches, saw "old" acquaintances and met new ones. I had such a good evening and wished I could get up and speak too, lol. It made me want to go back again.

Next Monday evening is the last meeting of the Monday Night Toastmasters until fall. Yes, I was invited by a few people to go as a guest to that meeting. Yes, I said I will be there. Who knows, come September when the club resumes its regular weekly meetings, I might just become a member.