Page 41 - October 2020 Voices

Psst!!

Keep Going!

Correctional Facility was evacuated in September
—all prisoners were dispersed to other facilities.
Re-convening in the coming months may require

extra effort.

Hatch a plan—Our third panelist was Don
Recognize we are “Tiger” McAndie. Tiger rejoined Toastmasters

all Toastmasters—The next in 2019 and has 5 years of experience as a
panelist was Ginger Killion, DTM, liaison for Toastmaster. He recently received his DTM and
Audacious Orators. Audacious Orators is the is a member of 5 clubs. Tiger’s club, formerly
Toastmasters Club for Coffee Creek Correctional Feather Tongues now Roseburg Speakers and

Facility, a women’s prison in Wilsonville, Oregon. Storytellers (RSS), celebrated its 15th Anniversary
Club officers are all inmates. They earned Select on Sept. 21, 2020. RSS was a 2020 President’s
Distinguished Club status in 2020. They earned Distinguished Club meeting 9 Distinguished
8 Distinguished Club goals and added 10 new Club goals and adding 7 new members.

members. The Club has shown extraordinary In January, 2020, RSS was down to 3
adaptability in its response to upheaval in the committed members. With help from a Club
past year. Because of the pandemic, in-person Coach from El Salvador, another Club Coach
contact with the outside world has been from the UK, and former District 7 leader

curtailed and meetings are limited to 2-3 people. Michelle Alba-Lim, RSS hatched a plan—they
Audacious Orators met educational goals during changed their name, location, and meeting
the pandemic by giving speeches to small groups, time! When COVID hit they too took a break to
including groups for people getting a high school re-group. Soon the club got back together and

diploma. chose to make the most of what the technology
Inmates come from all walks of life and made available. With the excitement of global
bring a range of talents, just like in the general virtual tourism made possible through COVID,
population. As Ginger says, “When they walk they gathered club members from around the

through our door, they’re a Toastmaster.” In world. They even had an informal contest to
the last year, two Audacious Orators members see who could visit the most clubs on Zoom.
achieved their Distinguished Toastmaster Award. (Michelle won hands down at around 40 clubs
Due to wildfire danger, Coffee Creek and Tiger came in a distant second at around 25.)

VOICES! | OCTOBER 2020 41