Asheville Toastmasters
club 436 was chartered by Toastmasters International in January 1947.
On the evening of June 1st 2007, the current members of the club hosted
a 60th Anniversary Celebration in honor of this tremendous milestone.
Planned several
months in advance, the event was held at the Blue Ridge Conference
Center in Asheville where approximately 40 guests turned out to help
club members commemorate the occasion. The event began at 7:00pm and
after an hour of dining/socializing, club President, Keith Challenger
began proceedings by recognizing invited guests. Buncombe County Commissioner,
David Gantt was welcomed and spoke for a few moments. Commissioner
Gantt is a former Toastmaster and in fact sponsored a new club while
in law school in the 1980's. He presented President Keith Challenger
with a gift in lieu of a formal County proclamation that will follow
in the next few weeks.
Several guests
were not able to attend, and the club President announced the following
regrets:
Joshua P. Warren representing the local broadcast media. Joshua
is a broadcaster on 570AM WWNC as well as a celebrated local author
of volumes such as "Haunted Asheville". Unfortunately, he
was delayed at the closing of his new home, but sent his best wishes
and congratulations via Asheville club member, Chris McCollum.
Rick Corbitt, publisher of the Western North Carolina Business
Journal was called away on family business but took the time to send
his regrets several days earlier.
Adam Bracks, a former member of Asheville Toastmasters was
delayed travelling from his new home in Cleveland, TN, but called
ahead with apologies and best wishes.
Mike Easley, North Carolina State Governor was unable to attend
but sent an e-mail message of support/congratulation.
The President
then recognized members of other Toastmasters clubs:
John Hodan representing Arden(t) Toastmasters
Maria Harwood representing Land of Sky Toastmasters
Rick Fornoff representing Blue Ridge Toastmasters
Dan Norris representing the newly-chartered Ridgefield Toastmasters
Mike Kesselring,
District Governor, was recognized as the most senior representative
of the Toastmasters organization in attendance.
With the introductions
over, club President Keith Challenger then gave a brief overview
of the Toastmasters organization, finishing with an acknowledgement
that Asheville Toastmasters club 436 is the longest-surviving club
in the Carolinas!
He also noted that the longevity of the club owes much to its most
senior member, local attorney, G. Edison Hill, who has been
a member of the club continuously since October 1st 1952. With that,
he invited Edison to present a speech entitled "The History of
Asheville Toastmasters."
To a standing
ovation, Edison Hill presented a fascinating speech in which
he recounted some unique aspects of the evolution of a Toastmasters
club (including the first African-American and women members). He
recalled hosting a visit to Asheville Toastmasters of the organization's
founder, Dr. Ralph Smedley, and finished with details of how
Asheville Toastmasters has helped him personally to hone his public
speaking skills.
Following Edison's
speech, current Vice President of Education, Anna Challenger
briefly spoke of her own personal admiration of Edison Hill and
acknowledged the role of Edison's wife, Helen Hill in encouraging
Edison's Toastmasters activities. She presented Helen with a hand-made
wooden bowl as a token of the club's appreciation.
Next was a speech
from another long-time member and local attorney. Four-time past President
Mike Drye was introduced and gave a wonderfully humorous and
poignant speech entitled "The Saga of Jake." A great example
of the high standard of Asheville Toastmasters speakers!
Following Mike's
speech, the club President introduced an abbreviated Table Topics
session, conducted by Table Topics Master, Billy Peard.
Billy is one of the youngest/newest members of Asheville Toastmasters,
and in his introduction, the audience learned that in 2001/2002, during
his junior year in High School, Billy served as a Congressional page
in Washington DC. He arrived in DC two weeks before the September
11th tragedy and was actually in the Capitol Building when the first
plane struck the World Trade Center.
Despite being a Toastmasters member for less than 6 months, Billy
did an admirable job as Table Topics Master, and is a superb example
of the youth and dynamism that the Toastmasters experience is capable
of attracting.
Chris McCollum
was the first Table Topics speaker. Chris is also a new member of
Asheville Toastmasters and recently won Table Topics contests at Club,
Area and Division levels. He then represented Western North Carolina
at State (District) level. All within his first year as a Toastmaster!
Chris's topic was "Tell us about the organization whose initials
are N.A.L.G and why you want to become a member."
In classic Toastmasters fashion, Chris created a story of a fictitious
organization with himself as President, his cat as Treasurer and his
mother as VP of Membership!
(N.A.L.G. is actually the National Association of Left-handed Golfers
. . . who knew?)
Beth Jezek
was introduced as an experienced Toastmaster whole talents include
cooking, gardening and creative writing. Her topic was "Who
was Mary Hale and what famous text did she write?"
Another fictitious story followed, with a vague description of a brilliant
woman with 14 children! There is no way that Beth could have known
that Mary Hale is actually the lady who wrote the words for Mary
Had A Little Lamb.
Dan Desjardin
is a former Asheville Toastmaster who has spent the past year serving
his country in Afghanistan. His table topic was "What notable
sports achievement belongs to Max McGee?"
"I have no
idea . . ." was the beginning of Dan's speech. He then went on
to demonstrate how the topic can be avoided altogether, by delivering
a heartfelt message about how his own life has been affected by membership
of several Toastmasters clubs. His speech may have been quite different
had he known that Max McGee was the first player every to score a
touchdown in a Super Bowl.
Heidi Stewart
is the third attorney member of Asheville Toastmasters and the Table
Topics Master called on her to "Tell us about the most unusual
dispute you have ever been involved with."
She responded with a true story of a dispute over a barking dog that
ended with both sides actually becoming friends after Heidi's intervention
as a trained mediator. It was a wonderful example of the way that
Toastmasters-style communication skills can sometimes be used to overcome
adversity.
Jim Tyson,
an aviator and retired business manager who is also a senior Asheville
Toastmasters member was asked to "Define the word SPONG."
Unflappable as ever, Jim turned the subject to something he knows
well, and described a fictional flight instrument whose demise will
cause the last thing you would hear to be SPONG!
Nice try, but the audience weren't buying it.
The Table Topics
Evaluator was Jim Simmons, a long-time Asheville Toastmasters
member known for his ascerbic-but-entertaining evaluations. He alternately
lauded and lampooned everyone who had participated in Table Topics,
leaving the audience in appreciative stitches with his witty, yet
growth-encouraging remarks.
Asheville Toastmasters
Club 436 President, Keith Challenger thanked the attendees,
then handed the final word to Jim Tyson, who proposed an actual
toast (rare at a Toastmasters meeting) to end the formal program at
a little after 9:00pm.
UPDATE: A few
days after the celebration event, club President Keith Challenger
received this letter.
