Page 42 - October 2020 Voices

FIELD NOTES
RSS has been growing through word of
mouth. Guests are always invited back—and
asked to serve in a role at their next meeting.
RSS opens their club meeting 15 minutes early
and stays for 15 minutes at the end so people
can check in with each other informally. Their
international membership, representing 13 Summary—The panel discussion has validated
different countries, enriches the club experience.
Leave no “Toastie” behind—Our final
panelist was Sudhir Gautam. He is the President
of Jefferson State Toastmasters (JST), a club
normally based in Southern Oregon. JST was
founded in 1986 in Talent, Oregon, and is a 2020
President’s Distinguished Club. They achieved
9 Distinguished Club Goals and added 7 new
members.
In February, 2020, Sudhir and his leadership
team launched a plan they called “Vision 2020,”
comprised of 3 tools:
1. SMART* goals for each member
* Specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Realistic, and Time-based
2. Formal mentor program: each member
paired with another member, serving as
mentors to each other.
3. All members on Pathways
When COVID hit, it was straightforward to
add “contextual training” to Vision 2020—set
up Zoom meetings, train everyone on Zoom,
create documentation, and motivate people to
learn new things. JST learned how valuable it
is to “have a plan before disaster even strikes.”
During upheavals, they continued to highlight
their club’s unique, fun character through a
specialized “Haha Counter” role.
Talent, Oregon, has been devastated by
42 ONE COMMUNITY
wildfires. Like RSS, JST added a section to
the meeting, going around the room to ask
if anybody needs any help. They ask “Does
everybody have a place to live? Would you like
us to join in the ways you are helping others?”
JST’s motto is “No Toastie Left Behind.”
some of the things Portlandia Club has been
doing. It also inspired us to highlight our own
uniqueness. We plan to pilot a “Keep Toastmasters
Weird” Halloween-themed meeting on Oct. 29.
As a moderator, connecting with these
inspiring panelists helped me stay grounded
during the upheavals of wildfire smoke.
Everyone engaged in some form of grounded
action. The panelists showed me through their
generous participation how we can thrive during
upheaval.
You can watch the panel discussion by clicking
here.
Connect with the panelists and their clubs:
• Lorri Anderson, Daylighters
lorrianderson@gmail.com
• Andrea Matthews, Portlandia
m.andreamatthews@gmail.com
• Carmil Ritchey, AAA Towsters
carmilritchey@aaaoregon.com
• Ginger Killion, Audacious Orators
gingiko@aol.com
• Don “Tiger” McAndie, Roseburg Speakers
and Storytellers
mcandiedon@gmail.com
• Sudhir Gautam, Jefferson State Toastmasters,
yawsudgautgc@gmail.com