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Greenville
Toastmasters celebrate 40th Anniversary
Active and inactive Toastmaster members and guests met Saturday, July 9
in the Brick Room of the Brethren Retirement Community to celebrate the
fortieth anniversary of the Greenville Toastmasters Club #1238.
Following hor d’oeuvres prepared by club president Elaine Bailey, Bob
Farmer, Toastmaster for the event, welcomed a group of
thirty-one. Dignitaries attending the celebration were Dr. Julia
Bowlin, past 2009-2010 Area 5 and 2010-2011 Area 8 Governor, and Eileen
James, 2011-2012 Lieutenant Governor of Marketing.
Distinguished Toastmaster Charlene Godown gave the invocation.
Attendees enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by the Brethren Retirement
Community Catering Services overseen by its director Michael
Randolph. The menu included tossed salad, pork loin with sliced
apples, boneless chicken breast, roasted red potatoes, glazed carrots,
and spice cake with white icing. During the meal Tom Godown
toasted charter members Everett Hart and Marvin McCabe and the
Greenville Toastmasters Club.
Following remarks from the dignitaries, Distinguished Toastmaster Jamey
French posed a table topic for charter member Marvin McCabe.
McCabe masterfully demonstrated impromptu speaking by sharing how
debating, listening and communication skills enabled him to
successfully maneuver through a preliminary interview and ultimately to
serve as an equestrian judge during the 1996 Olympics. Likewise,
charter member Everett Hart dazzled the audience with his unrehearsed
response as to why he was still in Toastmasters after forty
years. He impressed upon the audience how he loves to witness the
transformation as members acquire and hone communication skills, and
how it’s just fun.
Everett Hart maintained control of the lectern by recognizing the role
of the lectern during club meetings and thanking John Stockslager for
designing and constructing it when the club was first chartered.
“The lectern has listened to over 3100 prepared speeches, 10 thousand
impromptus speeches, and comforted and supported over 150 ice breaker
speeches… while enduring sweaty palms and white knuckle grips… its
presence was a reliable sounding board for many speakers as they
learned new speaking skills and gained self-confidence,” Mr. Hart
shared.
President Elaine Bailey initiated the awards portion of the program by
presenting club-sponsored, six-month memberships to Christy Riley and
Justin Gunckle, WIA youth participants. Distinguished Toastmaster
Jim Sink then presented an engraved, rosewood-finish book clock to
Distinguished Toastmaster Everett Hart for his forty years of
outstanding and dedicated services to Toastmaster.
The audience enjoyed an inspiring and motivational keynote entitled Set
Your Sails for Success given by Gary Mull. Mull has earned the honor of
Distinguished Toastmaster, the organization’s highest award, and is a
Past International Director. He is a former District Champion in the
International Speech contest, and is a past District Governor of a
four-state, 3000 member district, where he has motivated and inspired
the organization on to unprecedented growth and achievement. His
presentation explored the metaphor of sailing and harnessing the
natural forces and energies within in dealing with the challenges of
life while leaving a legacy for those following in one’s wake.
The forces within being those of communication, preparation, integrity,
courage, and attitude.
Following closing remarks made by Bob Farmer, the attendees enjoyed
perusing the historical display which, among other items, included the
handsomely-framed 1971 charter with gavel and a 2011 proclamation
recognizing the fortieth anniversary of the Greenville Toastmaster Club
#1238 signed by the Darke County Board of Commissioners Diane L.
Delaplane, Michael W Rhoades, and Michael E. Stegall, and the City of
Greenville Mayor Michael C. Bowers.
Those attending were Shelly Acker (2009), Elaine Bailey (2006), Dr.
Julia Bowlin (2007) and Rick Bowlin, Diane Delaplane (2007), Peg Emrick
(2007) and Keith Emrick, Bob Farmer (2006) and Linda Farmer, Charlene
Godown (1987) and Tom Godown (1980), Everett Hart (1971) and Connie
Hart, Jim Sink (1980) and Ilah June Sink, Missy Werling (2007), Jamey
and Molly French, Dale and Terri Crandall, John Searls, Marvin McCabe,
Christy Riley, Justin Gunckle, Dr. Roxanne Cech, Greg Hart and Laura
Hart of Greenville; Dr. Paul Pease and Linda Pease of Lewisburg;
Eileen James of Urbana; and Gary Mull of Beavercreek.
The Greenville Toastmasters Club #1238 was chartered on July 19, 1971
at the Greenville Brethren’s Church. The charter members
are: Alvin Beumer; Everett J. Deubner; Lloyd Edger; Thomas
Ellison; Rev. Clarence Fairbanks; Everett Hart; Dale F. Hittle; Melvin
Johnson; Marvin McCabe; Richard McClellan; Bob L. Mikesell; Richard
Oehrtman; E. Lowell Rife; Dale Rismiller; William Rogers; Clarence
Schulze; Dr. L.D. Sharp, D.V.M.; John Stockslager; Richard Tisor;
William C. Wilmoth; and Paul Woods.
Anniversary committee chairs were Everett Hart, Jim Sink, and Elaine
Bailey. Peg Emrick, Shelly Acker, and Diane Delaplane also served
on the anniversary committee.
The Greenville Toastmasters Club is open to any individual wanting to
foster self-confidence and personal growth in communication, thinking,
and leadership skills in a supportive and positive learning
environment. Meetings are held at 7:00 until 8:30 on the second
and fourth Tuesdays in the Chestnut Village Center in the Brethren
Retirement Community.
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