Toastmasters at Palliser (TAP) is thrilled to announce its 25-year anniversary as a distinct group within Toastmasters International, which is also coincidently celebrating 100 years as an organization this year.
The local chapter is inviting past, current, and potential future members to its commemorative dinner featuring guest speakers and good eating as the organization toasts a quarter century in Moose Jaw.
To celebrate, TAP will be holding an anniversary event at Rodos Pizza on South Hill Saturday, June 8 starting at 4:30 p.m. with supper to follow at 5 p.m.
“We’ve invited past (members)… and we have Al Doucette doing a keynote speech,” explained Cathy Morrell, the vice-president of education and treasurer for TAP.
“(Doucette) was actually a former member… a few years back. He was very good at… giving us inspiration to grow.”
Morrell also noted that Mayor Clive Tolley – or another dignitary from the city if he isn’t available – has been invited, but that attendance has not yet been confirmed. In addition, current members are invited and those who cannot make it in person will be able to attend virtually.
Rodos Pizza has been chosen as the venue for the anniversary dinner, and the venue may or may not be booked exclusively for Toastmasters guests. This depends, Morrell said, on how many confirmed bookings they receive.
The event will open with a meet and greet starting at 4:30 p.m. followed by supper at 5 p.m. One hour later at 6 p.m. the night’s programming is set to begin and will feature a few presentations.
The night won’t be set up like a typical Toastmasters meeting, Morrell explained, but will come as more of a listening experience.
During the past quarter century, Morrell said some of the highlights from TAP include numerous outstanding directors, many lives improved in one way or another through the organization’s programming, and – although no local speaker has made it all the way to the international competition level and won “the whole enchilada” – several local speakers have stood out through their membership with Toastmasters.
TAP is separate from and older than Big Country Toastmasters, which is the second Toastmasters organization in Moose Jaw. This said, Morrell has confirmed that all Big Country members are also invited to come celebrate.
Originally founded in 1924, Toastmasters International is based out of Englewood, Colorado and has around 270,000 members across more than 14,200 clubs in 148 countries.
A membership with Toastmasters offers many compelling channels for individual growth and many current and former members refer to the experience as “transformative.”
Among the many skills an individual can learn and fine-tune at Toastmasters are improved public speaking, enhanced leadership abilities, boosting one’s self-confidence, and simply meeting new people. As well, each member receives constructive feedback to allow continual growth in a positive, supportive environment.
“There are so many different things you can gain from Toastmasters,” Morrell said. “All I would ask is to come out and see what the benefits are to you.”
Everyone interested in attending the dinner is asked to RSVP to Cathy Morrell by phone at 306-630-7015 or by email at [email protected] on or before Saturday, June 1.
If you’re unable to attend in person, contact Morrell for a link to the virtual anniversary meeting so you can attend from the comforts of home or wherever you find yourself on that date.
Rodos Pizza is located at 855 Grandview Street West and all guests are asked to arrive by 4:30 p.m.
To learn more about Toastmasters, visit ToastMasters.org or visit TAP on Facebook at ‘TAP Toastmasters.’
