Page 14 - November 2019

FROM THE DESK

The Excitement of a New Club

Eldred Brown, DTM - Club Growth Director

On Friday, November 8, PJ and I had the privilege The excitement of the meeting was palpable.
to help our newest club, the RA Chiptalkers, Not counting D7 Trio, sponsors, and mentors,

celebrate their inaugural meeting. The club meets PJ and I counted 39 persons in attendance!
at noon every Friday on Intel’s Ronler Acres With this many at the first meeting, I believe
campus. Though it meets at Intel, the club is the club can easily swell to a membership of
actually sponsored by Skanska Construction, the 30. The President of the club, Tony Fonseca,

company doing most of Intel’s new construction used the opportunity to give the inspirational
work. Congratulations to Paul Fanning and Ken speech he needed to finally complete his
Coomes, the club’s sponsors, and to the club’s Competent Communicator award after letting
mentors, Bhushan Gupta and Paul Fanning! his membership lapse a few years ago. Another

speaker gave his Ice Breaker speech. I had become better workers and better people.
never seen a Safety Moment in a meeting One of my primary responsibilities as your
before. Since the club is sponsored by a Club Growth Director is to lead our District’s
construction company, I see how this fits. efforts to build new clubs. Even for a word nerd

During the Safety Moment, a member of like me, words are often not enough to express
the club spoke for one to two minutes on the excitement I get from watching our club
how those in the audience could improve building work come to fruition in such new clubs
their safety at work. as the RA Chiptalkers. Notice, though, how I used

Though the meeting was not quite an the word “lead”. I don’t do all the work by myself.
hour long, everyone was thrilled to be Neither do the other members of the Trio. We
a part of something new. People could need your help to build new clubs. Keep the
envision becoming better communicators new club leads coming. Start new clubs either

and leaders at work through their in your community or at your workplace. Step
Toastmasters training. PJ even smiled at up to sponsor or mentor a new club when asked.
hearing that most of the club’s officers The work of building a new club is seldom easy,
planned to attend TLI on November 16. but the reward of seeing your new club charter

A group of about 40 Skanska employees is more than worth the effort!
took their one-hour lunch break to
assemble for a program where they can
support each other in their efforts to

14 ONE COMMUNITY VOICES! |NOVEMBER 2019 15