District 66 Club Spotlight
Midtown Toastmasters
Vital Information
Division: B
Area: 23
Club Charter Date: September 1, 1960
2020-2021 Toastmaster Year Club Status: Presidents Distinguished
Current Number of Club Members: 22
Club Success Plan in Place: Yes
Club History:
Midtown Toastmasters was chartered on September 1, 1960, in Richmond, VA. Years ago, we met at the Bull & Bear Club in Richmond. In 2019, we transitioned to meeting Libbie Mill Library. In 2020, due to club coach Distinguished Toastmaster Tishaun Harris-Ugworji recruiting several new members from the Department of Rehabilitation & Aging (DARS), we began meeting in the DARS conference room on Maywill Street in Richmond. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we now meet virtually via zoom but hopes to return to in person meetings as soon as it is safe to do so.
Keys to Club Success:
For the past two years, Midtown Toastmasters has been a President’s Distinguished Club. We are member focused and provide caring and constructive feedback in a non-judgmental environment. We are also strategic in how we plan meetings and incorporate speeches to produce the maximum Distinguished Club Program (DCP) points for our club. Our meetings are structured and professional. Our members enjoy our on-time, action packed one-hour meetings which are designed not to waste time in order to return to our busy lives.
Member Quotes:
Robin Jenkins, President:
Newly retired, I could no longer continue with my previous home club at my employer. I loved the idea that Midtown Toastmasters had the nickname “The Club of Champions”. I attended the 2013 District 66 conference where Midtown Toastmasters Member Elliott Eddie won both the Tall Tales and International Speech Contest. I was blown away with his ability to speak. Additionally, I had heard Midtown Toastmasters Member Rita Moore at the District speech contests and was impressed how she captivated her audience through storytelling. Knowing Linda Kennedy as my previous Division Governor (now called Division Director) was an added bonus. She promised to help steer me towards accomplishing my DTM, and she did.
Edna Triplett, VPR:
I belonged to another noon hour club in Chicago. We met at the local Chamber of Commerce. It was great for busy people, small business owners and area professionals. I still love the format, our amazing discipline, and the ability of Midtown to get to the point in ONE hour! I’ve visited and enjoyed other clubs, but this home club experience is special to me.
Linda Kennedy:
I was an Area Governor when I joined Midtown Toastmasters in 2011. My goal was to help rebuild their membership. I also wanted to help them implement new changes that Toastmasters International had established. Remember, this was a 60-year-old club which was a bit stuck in the past. I stayed because I enjoyed the members. The meeting location didn’t hurt either. They met at the Bull & Bear club in downtown Richmond. I looked forward to the fantastic meals that were served during lunch. Since then, Midtown Toastmasters has become near and dear to my heart. We’ve had our ups and downs, changed locations several times, lost members and gained lots of new ones. We gave ourselves the moniker “Club of Champions” with Rita Moore and Elliott Eddie being World Champion Speakers. Many of our members have won other speech contests from the Club level to District winners (Tarvaris McCoy and Joell Denison, to name a few). Over the past years, with the guidance of our Executive Committee and support of our members, Midtown has become and will remain, a quality club and the “Club of Champions”.
Pat Burns:
I joined Midtown Toastmasters a year and a half ago and I am so glad I did! I wish I had joined Toastmasters over 30 years ago when I first started working. Midtown Toastmasters is a diverse group of people who all share the same goal to improve their communication and leadership skills. The leadership has been tremendous with well-organized agendas and meetings that start and end on time. Everyone feels welcomed and valued. Each member is encouraged to try out different roles in the meeting and progress through their chosen pathway. Robin Jenkins, our current club president, has met separately with new members to walk them through using Pathways’ systematically. Members provide honest feedback during their speech evaluations on what we did well, what we can improve upon and how we can challenge ourselves further. Joining Midtown Toastmasters has been a great opportunity to learn and grow both personally and professionally.
I joined Midtown Toastmasters 18 months ago because I saw the positive impact it had on my wife Joell’s public speaking. I would recommend Toastmasters to anyone looking to sharpen their skills and get a leg up professionally! No matter your role, being able to communicate calmly and competently provides a significant advantage. Since joining Midtown Toastmasters, I have received specific positive feedback from my manager about how my communication has improved. I can feel how I now talk more calmly, use fewer filler words, and communicate more effectively. Midtown Toastmasters is a welcoming, no-judgment environment where anyone can hone their public speaking skills and become a better communicator.
Bernette Hardy-Keyes:
I joined Midtown Toastmasters a few months ago after attending a few other clubs trying to find the right fit. After a second Midtown club meeting, it just felt right, and I decided to join. I have always wanted to be a part of a Toastmasters club to improve my communication and leadership skills. I procrastinated joining the club at my job while working in the corporate world and since retiring, I felt it was a good time to start doing some of the things on my ‘bucket list’. Midtown Toastmasters is welcoming, nonjudgmental and a safe place where I can maximize leadership potential. I find myself now, even in everyday informal conversation, paying attention to eliminating fillers and speaking more calmly. I am excited to be a part of Midtown Toastmasters and look forward to ‘unlimited personal growth’.