A Toastmistress Journey - Part 2

So, on a Thursday in September, Marg Ritchie picked me up and I walked into my first Toastmistress meeting.  The Dauphin club met in Rural Municipality Office.  Clubs today struggle for membership.  Not this club.  This club had about 30 members and they were Dauphin's "elite".  Many clubs today would be happy to see a guest but no one was really happy to see me.  I didn't blame them.  I wasn't really happy to be there.  I was in Grade 9.  The whispers lasted for about a month.  Some of the members even phoned my mom.  I didn't belong there.  I should start a Junior Toastmistress Club.  Frankly, I agreed with them, except the part about starting a Junior Toastmistress Club.  I didn't want to do that.  It was not helping my self-confidence to go to this club where they didn't want me as a member.  I told Mrs. Ritchie every night she dropped me off that I didn't want to go back.  She told me that it didn't matter, I needed Toastmistress and I was going. 

After a month of meetings, Marg informed my mom to send a cheque with me because I was officially joining that night.  I was a little sick to my stomach.  I knew that many women wanted to join the club but they couldn't join without a member sponsor making a Motion to accept them as a member.  The club debated this Motion and then voted.  The thought of them discussing me and then voting me out was something I didn't relish. 

I forgot who was on my side.  Marg Ritchie.  Mrs.  Ritchie was involved in most things that happened in Dauphin.  She was a woman of few words but when she spoke people listened.  She was also the Founding President of the Dauphin Toastmistress Club.  Before the meeting, she informed the whispering women that she was going to nominate me for membership.  She told the person who least wanted me in the club that she was going to Second the nomination and then I would be voted in and that was that.  I sat so close to Mrs. Ritchie that I was almost on her lap.  I was so scared of the discussion and that vote.  Mrs. Ritchie had many good qualities but she was not warm and fuzzy.  As I inched my chair closer to her, she kept inching hers away.  The Motion was made and seconded.  The Presdent asked if there was any debate on the subject.  Six hands went up.  As the mover of the Motion, Mrs. Ritchie had first opportunity to speak, which she declined.  I felt a little bit of vomit in my mouth.  To my shock, all six speakers spoke in favour of the Motion.  I was in.  I paid my membership fee and was presented with my manual and was told that I would be giving my ice-breaker speech next week. 

I was excited and really happy that I had Mrs. Ritchie on my side.  I felt that as long as she was there supporting me, I could do this. 

When Mrs. Ritchie dropped me off at home, she informed me that she was leaving for Europe the next day and she would be gone for a month.  She wished me luck on my Ice-Breaker speech.  As she drove up, I felt a little more vomit in my mouth. 

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