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                                                         When A Club Feels Like Home







                                                                                                  Jennifer Schmidt, EH2




















      I’ll never forget Saturday, August 10, 2019. I  that day! “Wow, how nice, but should I really
      left Vancouver, Washington at seven in the  go?” I wasn’t sure, after all, it was their annual

      morning, and drove an hour to visit New  Club picnic and I had only just met them.
      Horizons Toastmasters in Tualatin, Oregon for              Since spontaneity seemed to be my theme
      the first time. What was unusual? I just decided  for the day, I stopped by to say “hello.” When
      to show up for the meeting on that day. What  I arrived, I felt like a long lost family member

      made me go? Mostly, it was the multiple website  instead of a stranger, as they greeted me with
      photos with people who looked like they were  smiles and waves. After a while, a friendly Table
      having fun. They also met on Saturday, which  Topics competition started, and the group
      was a convenient day for me, a bonus.                  encouraged me to participate. What stood out

          When I arrived, I was introduced to the  was the fact that no one cared they had just
      Club’s president, Kamili Talley, who gave  met me. I held my own with the various Table
      me the warmest welcome, and the best  Topics and found I liked participating with the
      first impression. It was a fun meeting, I felt  group. Strangers didn’t exist here, only newly

      comfortable, and they announced they were  discovered friends.
      gathering later that day at a local park for their         Now it's been over three years since that day.
      annual picnic. I thought to myself, “well, maybe  I’ve had many adventures, including writing,
      next year I could go,” but they invited me to go  and delivering speeches, participating in three













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