Celebrating a huge milestone with the Toastmasters
The West Rand Toastmasters recently celebrated 500 successful meetings with both new and old faces joining in on the fun.
The thunderous crack of a gavel striking a sound block officially marked the start of the West Rand Toastmaster’s 500th meeting on 15 April.
The Discovery Bowling Club was filled with current and previous members who all joined together to mark this momentous occasion. A fitting theme for the evening was Midas Touch, reflecting on the infamous King Midas who is remembered in Greek mythology for his ability to turn everything he touched into gold.
The evening was a roaring success. The usual meeting procedures were followed, but the joy of seeing new and old faces at this particular meeting made it a night to remember.
With 500 meetings in their rear-view mirror, the West Rand Toastmasters are driving full speed into success. Their current president, Thato Majela explained that he joined the club in late 2016. He had dreams of becoming a public speaker, but his shyness and lack of self-confidence held him back. After his previous employer recommended Toastmasters International, he joined a club and never looked back.
“Toastmasters teaches you communication and leadership skills. What makes Toastmasters unique, is that you learn in a fun, safe environment where the people are there to encourage each other to do well,” explained Thato, adding that this method has been used since 1924.
Hoping to attract younger members, the Toastmasters clubs have implemented a Youth Leadership Programme specifically designed to help teach teenagers the same skills the adult public speakers use.
Looking forward to what the 1 000th meeting may be like, Thato explained that he fully believes the club will remain steadfast in their values of integrity, service, excellence and respect. Where they may change, is by becoming more digitally savvy and keeping up with the fast-paced technological world.
Mid-meeting, the attendees could enjoy the snacks on offer while basking in the decorations that were arranged by former club president, Lynette Harris. The successful 500th meeting was concluded with the presentation of the awards for Best Contributor to Max Kaan, and Best Table Topic to Nthatisi Vilakazi.
