Toastmistress Journey - The Final Chapter

The rest of my final year is Toastmistress was good.  I was still learning, but many of the things I was learning were not things that I wanted to learn. 

The addition of this particular member brought a new level of nastiness to our debates.  I continued to learn poise and not to take things personally.  I became very tolerant and I don't know if that was the best lesson.  What is taught me was to repress my feelings and not to advocate for myself.  It was just a club so I let most things go unchecked.  In my future life, I let people walk all over me and advocated for others and not for myself.  I was taught to be poised.  Only one time did I address the nastiness.  At one point, I said, "The Chair is annoyed when you do that."  It was actually effective in the moment.  I should have shown more leadership.  Our club culture was changing and our meetings were not as well attended as they once were. 

We were disappointed in the International Organization.  We felt betrayed that they changed our name and they were talking about changing the program with minimal, if any, consultation.  They knew best, they said.  They had hired professional consultants.  We felt it was a slap in the face.  There was nothing wrong with our program.  We had all grown from it.  We didn't like the move towards Toastmasters as we felt if people wanted that, they would just join Toastmasters. 

I got to compete in one last speech contest.  There were 6 contestants.  The woman who had changed our culture drew speaker spot #1.  I drew spot #6.  Her speech was really good.  The next four speeches were good, but not really good.  I remember the two ladies who were most against me joining the club turning in their seats and looking back at me before I spoke.  Their eyes said, "ok, you are our last chance.  You must beat her."  I said back with my eyes, "don't worry, I've got this."

I won my third speech contest in a row.  Whoever was our Public Relations Chair did an amazing job of making this story half page long on Page 2 of the Dauphin Herald. 

A week before I graduated high school, I got my Past President's Pin.  I still cherish it today. 

I understand Toastmistress still exists, barely and has gone through many changes.  Speak Up.  Power Up.  I also was a Toastmaster for over a decade.  The organization struggles in North America and also keeps changing in order to attract new members.  All I know is that there were many good points of programming in each organization.  Perhaps if they had combined their programs and worked together things might have been different. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

One of my saddest days in Winnipeg

Image
I felt compelled to attend an information meeting of the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre.  Compelled because it will be, not in my neighbourhood, but in my City Ward.  Compelled after reading Bruce's story and his family's wish to make this recovery centre his legacy.  Compelled because of the opposition to this centre.  I wanted my voice to be a positive one. Since the land has already been rezoned, the BORC is going to happen and the meeting was to update the community on progress and get input on a few minor details.   I didn't realize that it would be one of the saddest days I have experienced in Winnipeg.   When I arrived, I experienced the "white people". They were people dressed in white who were there to oppose the Centre.  In order to get in to the community centre, I had to pass two "white people" who were at the door with placards in opposition.  It was intimidating.  They didn't deter anyone from entering but th...
Read more

There's Something from Jenny - Part 2

Image
I am trying to evolve as a blogger.  One of my friends told me that I needed to start adding my pictures to my blog so that people would know who they are communicating with.  So, good, bad, or ugly, I am adding my picture as much as I can.  It makes me feel vulnerable.  Not as vulnerable as I would feel if I was running for Mayor of a major Canadian city. I can't imagine how vulnerable I would feel, having every move and every word analyzed and taken out of context.  Perspective always defines your reality.  For example, I could tell you that I witnessed a murder by the Superstore last week.  That might bring up some powerful images in your mind.  Then, there would be those who know that a group of crows is called a murder.  That gives my previous statement have a whole different image in your mind.  So, when I spent an hour with Jenny Motkaluk that was my biggest impression.  She doesn't mind being vulnerable.  She just w...
Read more

Seriously? Opposition to BORC opening at old Vimy Arena Site

Image
I decided to go for a walk today.  It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon.  My quest was to understand the home owner's opposition to having the closed arena site being converted to a much needed addiction treatment facility.  I took some pictures on my phone and want to explain what I found out.  The first picture was taken while I was standing on the immense green space at the back of the old Vimy Arena.  You can see in the background what is the closest residential development.  It is a town house complex.  In order for someone who was participating in treatment at BORC to interact with someone living in the complex, they would have to walk and then cross a creek, and then get through the trees.  I would think the residents living in that complex would be more worried about the drainage pipe that leads on the creek.  I would be concerned about a wandering child being trapped in there.  The second pic...
Read more