As the Toastmasters year comes to a close, it is time to look back and celebrate everything our club has achieved over the past twelve months. From building a thriving community to hitting major educational milestones, our members have stepped up in incredible ways.
Last Tuesday, we traded our formal meeting agenda for pizza, drinks, and plenty of laughs at Bella Roma Restaurant to celebrate our many successes. Here is a look at the incredible achievements and awards our club took home this year.
Club Awards
Our collective dedication didn’t go unnoticed this year. Thanks to the hard work of our executive team and the consistent participation of our members, our club earned major organizational accolades:
- Select Distinguished Status: This is a massive milestone that reflects our club’s commitment to education, membership growth, and strong administration. We didn’t just meet expectations this year—we exceeded them.
- Blueprint for Success Award: Recognized for our commitment to strong leadership, strategic planning, and sustainable growth.
- True North Award: This award honors clubs that demonstrate an unwavering commitment to their community year-round. It is a testament to our members who kept the momentum going and upheld Toastmasters values, even through the quieter summer months.
- Talk Up Toastmasters Award: A huge shoutout to our growth in the spring! We received this for adding five new, dual, or reinstated members during February and March. To everyone who joined or renewed during that push—welcome and thank you!
Individual Milestones
Ten of our club members earned the Master of the Meeting designation. This award recognizes outstanding dedication and leadership in completing every single meeting role throughout the Toastmasters year. From Speaker to Evaluator, and Timer to Toastmaster of the Day, your willingness to step into every role exemplifies the true spirit of personal growth and supports our entire club experience. A big congratulations goes to Debra Bracken, Joanne Divine, Judy Arnall, Karla Kroeker, Ken Schatzke, Lauren Makar, Lynne, Herzog, Scott Arnall, Kathi Starecki Quinn, Peter Arnall.
Not only did Peter Arnall achieve Master of the meeting award, he also received the 30-Year Long Standing Membership Award for his many years of dedication to communication, leadership, and mentorship is an incredible legacy. Read more about Peter’s incredible Toastmasters journey in a previous post, here.
“Of-The-Year” Awards
Every year, certain members stand out for going above and beyond in their specific roles. This year’s individual honours go to:
- Rookie of the Year: Dejan Gajsek. Dejan stepped into the vital role of Sergeant at Arms and immediately made it his own. By kicking off every single meeting with humor and a genuinely positive attitude, he set the perfect tone for our evenings and kept us all smiling from the very start.
- Toastmaster of the Year: Joanne Divine. Joanne Serving as our VP of Membership, Joanne’s warm and welcoming personality has been a magnet for our community, helping us draw an incredible 19 new members to the club this year! On top of managing that massive growth, Joanne constantly pushes her own boundaries, representing us beautifully by competing in both the club and area speech contests.
- Public Relations of the Year: Lynne Kincaid. Lynne went completely above and beyond in her role as VP of PR. She gave our entire club website a beautiful, full refresh and designed a suite of sleek, modern marketing tools—including new posters and business cards—to help us stand out and keep our momentum going strong.
Whether you gave your very first Icebreaker speech this year, filled a meeting role for the first time, or crossed a major longevity milestone, you played a part in making this year a resounding success. Thank you to everyone for doing their part in making this club one of the very best.
