ESTEVAN — Over the past 20 years, Estevan and other areas have seen the growth and development of many well-spoken leaders, thanks to the Toastmasters Club.
The local branch celebrated its two decades in service on June 25 at the Wylie-Mitchell Hall.
Throughout the day, current and former members of the club, as well as guests and dignitaries, learned about its installment and past years, the adventures participants have experienced and activities they have on their agenda today. The day also saw some humour, table topics, and of course, toasts and testimonies. The theme of the event was Remember When…
President Alf Tide, who's been a part of the club since its inception, started by sharing some memories about the Estevan Toastmasters' early days.
"I am the only person here that is one of the original charter members of this club. In the year 2003, I remember that meeting, it was held at the Beefeater in the Fireside Room," Tide recalled. "We had 20-some members when we first started and we met at the Southeast Regional College from 2003 till about 2006 [when the college was at the ECS] … Then from 2006 to 2012 we met at the St. John's Community Centre … And then we moved to the library where we spent most of our years and we have a great room there."
Tide noted that the pandemic put a strain on the club, pushing their meetings to an online format and then to a hybrid with some people participating in person, and others joining virtually. They are seeing more engagement now and plan on firing up the new season of Estevan Toastmasters in the fall.
The word then went to Division B Director Dan Lonechild.
"Twenty years, it's rather long, there are a lot of clubs out there that didn't last all that much," Lonechild said. "The fact that you got to 20 years with this club is a huge milestone. Things came away. People came away. But you still stuck by.
“That means a lot because that means you see something within Toastmasters, you see something special with the club itself, that makes you want to stay. You see camaraderie, you see friendships forming. We're not just forming relationships and friendships, we're forming a family of sorts, a Toastmasters family. And the fact that you guys kept this club for 20 years, that's impressive."
Area B24 director Michel Fisher was another dignitary who partook in the celebration.
"The founder of Toastmasters, Ralph Smedley, said, we learn best in moments of enjoyment. And I have enjoyed learning about Estevan through my contact with your club. I have enjoyed seeing the community that you've built within your club and the diversity because it's really inspiring,” Fisher said.
“And I've heard stories about what your Toastmasters are doing in the community events, be it sports events or looking after community services. It has been inspiring, and I just I love it.”
Tide read some letters from charter members and friends and shared more stories about the local club and Toastmasters themselves.
On behalf of the club, treasurer Katharina Ulbrich recognized some of the members for their support and presented them with certificates. Among those celebrated that day were Tide, coach Leanne Woodhouse, and air cadets Isabelle and Amelia McQuoid, who help the club members a lot.
Member Sinder Jhajj started off the Remember When theme, sharing his story of how he joined the club and how it has helped him improve his public speaking. Then all guests also had a chance to introduce themselves and share stories they remembered about the club and outside it.
Woodhouse did an invocation, which was followed by lunch.
"On behalf of Toastmasters across our district, I'd like to congratulate the Estevan Toastmasters for 20 years of helping people become more effective communicators and leaders. As the team was planning this celebration event, it was really interesting and encouraging to hear the stories from some of the early members, stories about the vision that they had for the club, and the work that they went through to grow the membership base and get chartered," Woodhouse shared.
"Estevan Toastmasters has seen a tremendous evolution over the last 20 years, from paper manuals to online projects and education materials, from speeches on managing meetings and engaging humour to projects on writing blogs and hosting podcasts, from in-person meetings to hybrid meetings, where some members, like me, are joining from across the province, or even around the world. And today, their leaders and members are working hard to make sure the club is adapting and vibrant while also having a lot of fun along the way.
"At the time when communication and leadership is becoming even more critical, Estevan Toastmasters is in a unique position to continue to cultivate great leaders," Woodhouse said.
Marie Donais Calder was a guest speaker. She talked about the victims of the plane crash of 1946 south of Estevan and her book Together Forever in the Clouds.
Her presentation was followed by humour from Lutos Villanueva, one of the members of the Estevan club who partook in a speech competition and went to districts in Edmonton. His speech was followed by table topics by Erin McQuoid and toasts and testimonies with an open mic.
The Toastmasters Club's mission is to provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.
The club meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Estevan Public Library and is open to anyone interested. For more information, visit Estevan Toastmasters’ Facebook page or call (306) 421-9397.
