Here is a list of some of our members who have chosen to make their profiles public.

MARCH 28, 2024

IN MEMORIAM: JOHN ABERCROMBIE 

It is with bittersweet emotion I share that our fellow Toastmaster and friend, John Abercrombie passed yesterday, March 27th. He leaves behind not just his wife, Ruth and children, but a whole community who has been educated and inspired by the breadth and depth of his knowledge and wisdom which he so freely imparted to everyone he met. 

Although I have only known John through Toastmasters for little over a year, he has been a dedicated member for many years, serving in such roles as club president, and most recently as our Area 51 Director. John was open and welcoming, always ready to lend a helping hand where he could. On top of that, he was a virtual encyclopedia of relatively obscure historical facts on American History, particularly pertaining to those of African descent. In addition to maintaining his website (amazingblackhistory.com) and hosting his radio program, John often gave lectures sharing his wealth of information. 

Throughout his years, John has served in various capacities in a plethora of fields, thus wearing many hats. However, none are quite as fitting as loyal husband, dedicated father and faithful friend. Rest well, dear John as we keep the flame of your memory ever burning in our hearts. ❤🕊

MARCH 25, 2024

This past Monday saw two new members give their first ice breaker presentations--Karen Hines and best winner speaker, Chloe Jones. It is not an easy task to stand before a group of people and reveal yourself, so I am always excited to see when people courageously step forward and conquer not just their fear of public speaking, but also in the sharing of themselves.  Congratulations, Chloe and Karen!! 🎊👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 

Not surprisingly, the best Evaluator and Table Topics ribbons went to seasoned speakers Burnnie Holliday and Randy Riddle, respectively. Congrats to you as well! 😊 

My continued hope is that as Toastmasters, old and new, we will continue challenging ourselves to reach our highest and greatest, not merely on  public speaking platforms, but more importantly, in the not so visible places within. 

Be well! 🦋💕

MARCH 4, 2024

Last night The Spartanburg toastmasters Club had if you can believe it, an even fuller house than last week, as we were delighted to welcome back our previous guests along with four more new ones-- Elijah, his wife Lauren, and Maria.  Included in this number was fellow toastmaster from Greenville, Todd Thorpe, who as a Division level International Speech Contest participant, shared a humbling story of how he learned to find his way by 'recalculating' at a time when life left him lost. 

However, the fullness in this meeting did not just come from the sheer volume of people present but rather the richness of the content in both prepared and impromptu speeches, as well as evaluations. 

Winning speaker, Lo'Heem Miller gave a soul stirring account of his journey into manhood in the absence of his father's influence that ended with a powerful call to action for all the men present TO STAND UP--literally and figuratively. As a woman, watching this truly brought tears to my eyes. 

For the second week in a row, the winning Table Topics ribbon went to a first time guest which was Elijah, who spoke with sincerity of his desire to go back in time to be able to see The Resurrection of Christ firsthand. 

Winning evaluator and Division level International Speech Contest competitor, Shanne Goins offered her polished perspective on Randy Riddle's powerful message, "Life's Riddle- Death's Answer". By the way, Randy who just rejoined last week will also be competing at the next level of the International Speech contest. Way to go, Randy and Shanne! 🎊👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 

That said, while at Toastmasters we regularly create opportunities to highlight and celebrate our best speakers by bestowing them with various 'accolades' (WOD), I cannot stress enough that there are so many other ways to win here. Too many times I've witnessed guests and new members become deflated when they don't win a prize or honorable mention only to unfairly question and compare themselves against the performance of others. Even though I have won my fair share of ribbons, I truly feel most like a winner when I'm behind the scenes encouraging, motivating and uplifting others after and between meetings, or offering my time to volunteer and contribute to the success of other clubs. 

I know most people tend to focus primarily on the public speaking aspect of Toastmasters, but I personally have come to see Toastmasters as more of a leadership group, where one component is public speaking. 

A few weeks ago, a wonderful theme was given by one of our newer members, Harshil Patel, of 'Servant Leadership', which I honestly believe is the hallmark of a true Toastmaster. Just know that EVERYONE who comes through our doors has something to offer regardless of age, background, culture or where they are on their public speaking path. 

Therefore, I want to encourage all who are in or interested in this organization to know that you don't need a speech to shine or a ribbon to win. Stepping up to serve for the betterment of others, wherever you are is the real badge of honor. 

Be Blessed! 🦋💕

MARCH 2, 2024

SC District 58, Area 51 met today and I must say between the level of the orators and depth of presentation topics, it was NO CONTEST! 

Instead, this was truly a joyous occasion, with each speaker standing on the courage of their conviction, sharing profoundly personal stories with messages that deeply resonated with listeners. 

First place Table Topics winning prize went to Spartanburg Toastmasters' newest rejoining member Randy Riddle, who creatively answered how he figuratively counted his chickens before they'd hatched. Coming in Second and Third with the same question was 'Speaking at the Y' members, Christian Jordan and John Smith, respectively. 

Each of our International Speech contestants were phenomenal as they revealed facets of their lives through poetic and theatrical expressions. 
The magical delivery of Third place winner Shanne Goins' message, "Holding The Key", transported us from a pivotal moment in her childhood to the present day as she shared how the meaning of having access to keys changed throughout her lifetime. 

Second place winner, Frances Hardy, in "Gatherers at The Table", carried us on the ancestral journey of formerly enslaved members of the African Diaspora redefining themselves in a new land while maintaining their true essence through the rich legacy of remembrance, connection and community. 

First place winner, Beverly Benson melodically regaled us with her topic, "My Love Song", where finding her voice through Toastmasters helped her to re-discover and fall in love with herself in new and exciting ways. 

So although in the literal sense, this was indeed a contest, it was definitely was not a competition, for no one can ever compete and win to be you. Therefore, fellow Toastmasters and Friends, please know this--whenever you stand up to speak from your heart words only you can, in ways like no one else can,you have already won the greatest prize ever--the power of OWNING YOUR VOICE. Congrats to ALL who made this happen! 💕🦋

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

Last Monday Spartanburg Toastmasters Club had a full house!  In addition to our membership attendance of eleven, we had a total of six guests between the ages of 18 and 25. Included in this number was our former member, Randy Riddle, who we were pleased to welcome back into the fold. 

As you can imagine, this amount of people led to a very dynamic meeting with our TMOD, Lo'Heem Miller rousingly spurring us on with the theme, "Where is your Faith and Fight?" 

Prepared presentations were given by two of our seasoned speakers: Burnnie Holliday and Greg Allen. In his presentation, Burnnie shared the challenges of trying to put together a new Toastmasters Club, while also expounding upon the merits of not giving up on your vision. Our winning speaker, Greg Allen gave a relatable exposition on leadership which many guests stated was both relevant and helpful for their own pursuits.

Winning evaluator, Terance Dawkins gave a thorough but animated assessment of Burnnie's presentation that left us entranced with his ability to capture an entire audience while giving feedback to one individual. 

As previously stated, the night was not short on  charismatic speakers, one being our young guest, Daniel Miller, who spoke so eloquently during table topics that he walked away with the winning ribbon! 

As if all this wasn't exciting enough, we were treated to a surprise birthday celebration for Burnnie with a huge cookie, compliments of his dad, Lee. 

All in all, our meeting was a mixture of motivation, edification and merriment, and as our guests aptly noted, there's not many places outside a Toastmasters meeting where you can have such a rich, layered experience. 

I completely agree!

FEBRUARY 19, 2024

NO MEETING WAS HELD

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

A CONTEST OF COURAGE

"Courage is when you enter a battle you are not sure of winning." (Jeffrey Fry)
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Spartanburg Toastmasters Club #1453 held their Mock Club contest this past Monday which
for many of us "newbies", provided an excellent opportunity to see the contest process in play.  I must say I was thoroughly impressed with the level of participation from every single member who showed up to make this event happen, filling the crucial roles of judges (Lee Holliday, Leron Moore, Burnnie Holliday and John McKinney), Sergeant At Arms (Kiana Edmond), timer and ballot counter (Greg Allen). This could not have happened without every one of you leading in service. Thank you! 👏🏽

As if public speaking isn't intimidating enough, for many of us, doing it in a judged competition can be downright terrifying. Despite this, several members volunteered to take the reins of fear and valiantly ride into battle as our Table Topics and International Speech contestants. This in itself makes each of you automatically a winner. 🎊🏆

In the course of this, we heard some amazing speeches, both prepared and impromptu, that were thoughtful, touching, insightful, and inspiring. One in particular that greatly resonated with me was from Terance Dawkins, who not only spoke with deep insight and vulnerability about his own personal experience with intergenerational trauma, but was also able to educate us on this dynamic from the perspective of a mental health provider.

Another impactful speech was from Shanne Goins who spoke on the power of forgiveness.

Our two extemporaneous speakers, Harshil Patel and Lo'Heem Miller performed excellently under pressure while sharing their respective interpretations on how they were able to turn loss into a win.

Each week I am truly inspired and edified by my fellow clubmates, both new and veteran, who consistently embody the words of Mark Twain-- "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

Therefore, let's keep fighting together toward our goal of excellence!

Melle Addison
Vice President Public Relations
South Carolina Toastmasters District 58, Club #1453

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

Sometimes, a meeting is just a meeting, and at its best, everything it is supposed to be—professional, positive and productive.  Then there are the times when it is transcendentally transformational in unexpected ways.  This was my experience with our Spartanburg Toastmasters #1453 club last night.  First, let me preface that I often tend to see victories where some may see mishaps, messes and mistakes.  Perhaps because I believe that these moments can reveal who we truly are. 

This was so eloquently expressed by our TMOD, and one of the newest members, Harshil Patel, who gave us the theme of, “Servant Leadership”, which adequately spawned our WOD, “influence”.  Both were actively at work last night, as not only did we suddenly lose one of our scheduled speakers to  deal with an unexpected circumstance, but our severely low attendance left a few members having to hold dual roles.  However, in that, I saw so many rise to the occasion to challenge themselves, most notably Harshil.  Anyone who has been in Toastmasters long enough will testify that the TMOD is perhaps one of the most involved meeting roles, before and during our proceedings.  Because it has many moving parts, a club’s meeting success largely depends on how well this role is executed.  So it is impressive that not only did Harshil agree to serve in this role, but also as a last minute vote counter as well. 

Another new member who also valiantly stepped up to the plate, was our winning speaker, Diego Losada, who engaged, educated and edified us all by cleverly tying his own Pathways presentation focus on the use of vocal variety and effective gestures by using his speech to not only share his own inspiration of how he became interested in public speaking, but also instruct on the specific ways certain techniques have been historically and are currently employed in political arenas to generate great influence over audiences. 

Our winning evaluator, Lee Holliday expertly shared his wisdom, insight, and points for further enhancement on Diego’s speech.  In Table Topics, which was led by our illustrious motivator, deep thinker, and rousing orator, LoHeem Miller, the winning ribbon went to one of my favorite storytellers , Immediate Past President and current Area Director, Greg Allen, who was able to effectively share his own example of being a compassionate leader while still remaining results oriented.  On top of it all, we were able to excitedly welcome yet another new member and future Toastmasters leader, Chloe Jones into our fold, and look forward to see all she will bring in the coming weeks.

In this, I was able to see Harshil’s wise words of ‘less is more’ exemplified as he explained although there were less of us in the meeting, it ultimately allowed the opportunity for those who did show to do and be more.  This is why I am always encouraged in a roomful of Toastmasters, because though we be few or many, through the power of service and leadership, our impact is never diminished. We’re still going on and growing strong!

Be Well!

JANUARY 29, 2024

Best Speaker: Melle AddIson

Best Evaluator: Terance Dawkins

Best Table Topics: Rose Kharisova

JANUARY 22, 2024

Best Speaker: Lee Holliday

Best Evaluator: John McKinney

Best Table Topics: Burnnie Holliday

JANUARY 15, 2024

Best Speaker: Ursula Hicklin

Best Evaluator: Melle AddIson

Best Table Topics: Greg Allen

Ice-Breaker Ribbon: Ursula Hicklin

DECEMBER 18, 2023 & JANUARY 8, 2024

Our last meeting of 2023 and first meeting of 2024 were both jubilant and well attended.

For December 18th 2023, the theme was, "Christmas Movies" and the WOD was "prevail".

Best Speaker: Melle AddIson

Best Evaluator: Burnnie Holliday

Best Table Topics: Terance Dawkins

Our first meeting back was this past Monday, January 8th where we welcomed new guest, Desiree.

Our meeting theme was, "NOW Year's Resolutions" and WOD, "discipline".

Best Speaker: Shanne Goins

Best Evaluator: Burnnie Holliday

Best Table Topics: Desiree

First Ice-Breaker Speech: Harshil Patel

DECEMBER 11, 2023

If there was ever a recap theme for this past Monday's meeting, it would be, "You've Got to Get In To Win".

Our newest member Harshil Patel immediately after induction stepped right in as our last minute Vote Counter. Way to go, Harshil! We had two new guests, Lindsay Stravolo and Kaleo Wheeler, along with returning guest and soon to be member Chelsea Edmond. Our winning speaker, Melle Addison shared some valuable life lessons gained through her love of gardening. Our second and very dynamic speaker was Burnnie Holliday who transparently shared how he went from being bullied to becoming outspoken and the profound impact it has had on his life.

Our winning evaluation was given by John W. McKinney who in addition to being our Grammarian, also filled in at the last minute for this vacated role, providing a perfect example of how to win by stepping up and getting in. This was also displayed by our winning Table Topics speaker, Lindsay Stravolo, who after initially succumbing to nerves, was brought back up as our president, Lee Holliday patiently encouraged her to try again.

I am glad to to not only have the opportunity to share inspiration at the South Carolina Toastmasters D58 Spartanburg Toastmasters Club #1453, but also witness it in action every week from those who with an 'intrepid' (WOD) resolve persistently come forward to overcome challenges. THIS is how you win. It's not just about receiving a ribbon, title or award. It is continually showing up for yourself to realize your full potential.

This is right in line with what our TMOD and illustrious orator, Terance Dawkins shared with his theme of, "The Journey". It is not so much about the destination, as to what is yielded in the process that reveals our true value.

Be Well!

DECEMBER 4, 2023

 

TMOD - Leron Moore chose the topic, "Pride, Understanding and The Present Moment".

Grammarian - Lee Holliday chose the Word of The Day as 'adaptable'.

Winning Speaker Greg Allen spoke on 'Purposeful Change'.

2nd Speaker was Diego Losada, who spoke about 'Meta Learning'.

Winning Evaluator: Melle Addison

Winning Table Topics Speaker was the new guest, Herschel

NOVEMBER 27, 2023

TMOD - Greg Allen chose the topic, "Bee Stings" which are words that sting causing hurt.

Grammarian - John C Abercrombie chose the Word of The Day as 'apiary', a place where bees are kept.

Winning Speaker Lee Holliday spoke on Persistence and determination in reaching goals 2nd Speaker was Leron Moore, who shared a moving spoken word piece on positivity.

Winning Evaluator: Kiana Edmond

Winning Table Topics Speaker: LaShanne Goins

NOVEMBER 20, 2023 

Best Speaker - Kiana Edmond

Best Evaluator - John W. McKinney

As everyone participated in Table Topics this week, there was no ribbon winner for this category.

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

 Another productive meeting this past Monday at the South Carolina Toastmasters D58 Spartanburg Toastmasters club. Our TMOD was Lo'Heem Miller with the theme, "Where Are You Going?" Our Grammarian was newcomer, Diego Rubio, who gave us the word 'quixotic', meaning highly idealistic or delusional. Our winning speaker, John W. McKinney rousingly motivated us with his speech on "Unlocking Your Gift", showing us how with great coaching we can go way beyond what we thought were our limits. Our winning evaluator, Burnnie Holliday In addition to encouragement, gave very helpful, honest and specific feedback for John W. McKinney, thereby embodying the very spirit of his message. Our other speaker was Lee Holliday who spoke on his many paths throughout his journey with Toastmasters. Our winning Table Topics presentation went to returning guest, Janice Tuck, who eloquently shared how she goes through the process of navigating life challenges in deciding which way to go. On a final note, because Life be Life-ing, it was nice to be warmly welcomed back by Greg Allen during the meeting after my obvious absence. Also a big thanks to Lee Holliday and others for filling in the gaps in the interim. Make it a great day, everyone!😀

NOVEMBER 6, 2023 RIBBON WINNERS

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OCTOBER 30, 2023 RIBBON WINNERS

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OCTOBER 23, 2023 RIBBON WINNERS

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OCTOBER 16, 2023

Yet another mirthful meeting at the Spartanburg Toastmasters Club this past Monday. Winning speaker Leron Moore spoke on the topic of eclipses and how out of fear we can eclipse our own light from shining. Winning table topics speaker was one of our newest members, Ursula Hicklin who spoke about her newly defined meaning of success apart from metrics. Our winning evaluator Greg Allen gave a very thorough and uplifting evaluation for Leron Moore. Our Grammarian Burnnie Holliday introduced us to the word of the day which was clearly 'explicable'. Toastmaster of the Day Terance Dawkins introduced us to the meeting theme of  opportunities and how we can create or block opportunities for ourselves.

We welcomed new guest Katrina Goggins who said she enjoyed the meeting and would return soon.

OCTOBER 2, 2023

TMOD: Leron Moore

Ribbon Winners:

Best Speaker - Cheryl Ledford

Best Table Topics: Terance Dawkins

Best Evaluator: Terance Dawkins

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

This past Monday's meeting was clearly an opportunity for our new members to shine! Our TMOD, Tandra Parks-Jones knocked it out the park with her theme, "Overcoming Challenges", where she shared that hearing 'NO' regarding a job opportunity due to her lack of education, compelled her to start attending school and ultimately receive her MBA last year in Business Administration with a concentration in Leadership. Now she is here with South Carolina Toastmasters D58 Spartanburg Toastmasters to overcome her next challenge-- public speaking, and judging by this past meeting, I'd say she's off to a great start.

Next our Grammarian, Leron Moore shared with us the inspiration behind our WOTD, 'sober', which contrary to the popular use, in this context means, straightforward and serious.

We were also delighted to have two new members serving as first-time speakers--Earth Patel and Julie Williams! In their respective introductory ice-breakers, Earth spoke about in 'Something I Never Imagined Doing', overcoming his fear of speaking due to an early childhood speech impediment and challenging himself to move into arenas he never before thought possible. Julie spoke in 'Goal to Live An Authentic Life' about how she is determined to live in honest authenticity despite the difficulties oftentimes faced in doing so. Both presentations were very well done with humor and transparency.

Our third and winning speaker, Terance Dawkins although not a new member, in his presentation gave us an intimate preview of his upcoming Tedx audition. It was extremely powerful and impacting, so we'll look forward to seeing Mr. Dawkins on a Tedx stage soon!🤩

Our returning former member, Cheryl Hampton Ledford not only stepped in last minute as Vote Counter, but also took away the winning Table Topics ribbon for sharing a touching story about someone who influenced her to want to be better in life.

Last, but definitely not least, we were pleased to have our newest member, Kiana Edmond, carrying out the crucial role of timer.

In closing, it was a very productive meeting with a very appropriate theme of overcoming challenges, which all of our meeting participants did so brilliantly. So, as Tandra exhorted, let us each continue using our resources here at Spartanburg Toastmasters with a sober mindset so that we can ultimately reach our fullest potential.

Be Well!

Ribbon winners l-r: Cheryl Hampton Ledford, Terance Dawkins, Melle Addison

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

  Award Winners L to R: Greg Allen, Leron Moore, Kiana Edmond

Yet another dynamic meeting here at South Carolina Toastmasters D58 Spartanburg Toastmasters Club!

Our TMOD, Burnnie Holliday educated us about Chuck Yeager's many attempts to break the sound barrier, and left us with a great takeaway of how to apply risk taking and persistence to succeed in our own lives. Our WOD was efflorescent, just like the speaker presentations. Lee Holliday spoke about 'WYSIWYG' and how to be true to yourself at all times.

Our winning speaker, Greg Allen, in his presentation entitled, "I'm Just Getting Started" spoke about how he was serendipitously led to Toastmasters after a near fatal event and how it changed the trajectory of his life for the good. We are grateful that you are still here, Greg Allen, and are looking forward to all you have to bring through your expertise and life experience.

Our winning Table Topics speaker, Leron Moore, in his usual charismatic style, kept us in stitches as he shared the story of overcoming the challenge of losing over 100 lbs. to better his health and overall quality of life. Congratulations Leron on your win and for your success in breaking 'The Pound Barrier'! 👍🏽 😄

The Best Evaluator Award went to our newest member, Kiana Edmond, who gave a top notch evaluation of Greg Allen's speech and displayed great leadership skills by filling in last minute for this role.

A special shout out goes to our 'Julie on The Spot', Julie Williams, who has consistently stepped up at the last minute to fill in for vacated meeting roles. She always does it with a smile, grace, and brutal honesty. 😂Thank you, Julie! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

I am so encouraged and inspired to see so many, particularly new members come in and really make an impact to bring excellence into our club. I look forward at all there is to come from Spartanburg Toastmasters, because in the words of Greg Allen--We're Just Getting Started! Do Well and Be Great!

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

This past Monday's meeting was a cross between Comedy Night at the Improv and a Church revival. We had several speakers present. Terance Dawkins gave a movingly transparent perspective in his speech entitled, "Voices", sharing his own journey both as a mental health professional and human. Melle Addison gave an unexpectedly humorous insight into her love for "backsides". Then along came the inspirational storm that Kimberly Brown brought in during Table Topics, which compelled us to shout and holler with affirmation.

As if that wasn't enough, just as we were calming down, John C Abercrombie stirred things up with his hilariously winning evaluation.

As I have said before, there is never a dull Moment at The South Carolina Toastmasters D58 Spartanburg Toastmasters club--come and find out for yourself!

Award winners, left to right: Kimberly Brown, Melle Addison, John C Abercrombie

AUGUST 28, 2023

This past Monday's meeting was very special in a different way. The theme was, "Nature", where as TMOD, I spoke about not just reveling in its visible beauty, but also learning to value and treasure the parts of it that look messy and unattractive, knowing that ultimately all nature (including ours) is designed for growth in every season, regardless of how things may appear on the outside.

Little did I know that this would be the perfect tie-in for our meeting, where things did not seem to flow as smoothly as usual. However, what I saw made my heart swell with pride, because in true Toastmasters fashion, we witnessed our newest members taking risks courageously showing up and stepping into new roles at the eleventh hour to fill in for last minute cancellations.

For that, I specifically want to thank Julie Williams and Kim Brown, who despite their fear and nervousness, came in and rose to the occasion. The same goes for our most recent guest and Table Topics winner, Ursula Hicklin, who very movingly and eloquently expressed her reasons for wanting to visit a Toastmasters meeting.

This is no less true for another one of our new members-- winning speaker, Leron Moore, who in gracing us with the depth of his poetic soul, also left an impactful message to carry forward and develop more meaningful connections.

We were overjoyed to welcome back our newest member, Tandra Jones and hear her harrowing experience and lessons learned from nature in Table Topics.

What I also saw was our veteran members paving the way for us all. John C Abercrombie stepped in to simultaneously fulfill two roles and bridge the gaps to maintain meeting continuity. Bereket Tolcha through his informative speech on Ethiopia, once again showed us the pattern of progress using the power of persistence. This week's winning evaluator, Burnnie Holliday gave excellent feedback to Leron while entertaining us in his usual humorous, animated style. Meanwhile, our fearless LEEder, Lee Holliday, provided us with the WOD, 'sublime', which I truly believe aptly describes each and every one who contributed to the success of this week's meeting. Yes, we slipped, stumbled, mispronounced, lip-smacked, and liberally used crutch words, but we also laughed, encouraged and celebrated each other on this path of collective edification.

In closing, I want us all to think of not just the joy we experience when watching babies stumble through steps and slather their faces and clothes with food while learning new skills, but also the glee THEY emanate in doing so. They're not judging themselves harshly, for they are engrossed in the excitement of learning something new. We delight in it too, knowing that those staggers will soon turn to sprints and the smears and spills will eventually usher in self-sufficiency. Let us all see ourselves in this same light as we embrace the wonder of wobbling into a new journey of elevation and growth in grace.

Be Well!

AUGUST 21, 2023

The longer I am with Spartanburg Toastmasters, the more facets of value I see. It is like finding an unrecognized gem only to discover later how rare it actually is. Yesterday, we had a former member re-entering as a guest, Cheryl Hampton Ledford, who described her visit as "returning home". She went on to recall the level of connectivity and support she'd received from this club and is anxiously looking to re-join. We're just as eager to have her back, because yes, Cheryl--there is no place like home and when you're here, you feel it.

Aside from our club connections, I too, have personally been blessed in so many ways by various members here, from professional guidance through Laura Taste-Sutton and Shanne Goins, to most recently, Leron Moore, who just yesterday graciously offered to mow my lawn. What I am saying is that in Toastmasters International, you don't just get help with your communication skills and professional development, you also form meaningful and mutually supportive relationships that from what I've seen, can last for years. In a world that is more virtually connected than physical, this indeed is a rare gem.

That said, our meeting yesterday was dynamic as usual, with the winning prepared speech given by Lee Holliday who exhorted us to 'Overturn Overwhelm', and whose title, I learned through seasoned school teacher, Cheryl Hampton Ledford's Grammarian report, was an alliteration. See, we never stop growing here! 😊 Both Table Topics and Best Evaluator award went to the Birthday Boy, Terance Dawkins, who also won last week's Best Speaker award and is really developing as quite the prolific speaker.

Next week (God willing and the creek don't rise), I will be TMOD, while Bereket Tolcha and Leron Moore will be our featured speakers. So, come out and join us in the community room at the Greater YMCA of Spartanburg - Thomas E. Hannah Campus (151 Ribault Street) at 6:45 p.m. on Monday for new levels of excitement, entertainment and encouragement. 😉

AUGUST 14, 2023

Hello Everyone, sorry for the delay in posting but I was away celebrating my birthday! 🥳

However, I am back and once again have to say last week's meeting was POWERFUL! Our winning speaker, Terance Dawkins gave a moving speech that caused us to look at life in a more intentional way. Greg Allen, the winning evaluator was able to give constructive feedback that was sensitive to Terance's message, but also allowed him to see what he could do moving forward to create even more of an impact. In that, he also personally shared how Terance's message had a direct connection to an experience in his own life. Our Table Topics winner, Mr. John C Abercrombie answered the question of, 'What have you had to unlearn to move forward in life?', with great insight and wisdom, keeping in line with our meeting theme of 'Always Learning', given by our TMOD, Burnnie Holliday. All said, it was a very edifying meeting, and we look forward to more of the same!

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AUGUST 7, 2023:

With severe storms blowing through, yesterday's meeting was the perfect tie in for our theme of "The No Complain Rule", creatively crafted by TMOD, Bereket Tolcha. Those who were able to brave the fierce weather jumped right in to fill last minute roles with great aplomb (WOD). For instance, our newest member, Kimberly Brown was both inducted and initiated into her first role as Vote Counter, which she carried out without a hitch. As if that wasn't impressive enough, she also took home the winning ribbon for her Table Topics Speech. Way to go, Kimberly!

Wowing us with the winning prepared speech was Lo'Heem Miller, who regaled us with a humorous story of how he discovered the unexpected benefits rejection can have. Burnnie Holliday used his speech to inform us of some initiatives he is working on to create more value within Toastmasters, and we can't wait to hear of the developments.

We were also graced with a lovely guest, Tandra Parks-Jones, whose mom years ago, was a Spartanburg Toastmasters member. Tandra courageously accepted our invitation to participate in Table Topics and left us with some wonderful words of wisdom. We are looking forward to her following in her mom's footsteps with us.

Although it was wet and dreary outside, it was obvious that even this could not dampen the Toastmasters spirit of joy and resilience!

 

Ribbon winners Kimberly Brown and Lo'Heem Miller

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JULY 24, 2023:

This past Monday's meeting was a lively one filled with lots of laughter and two new guests: Jeff S. and Laura Taste-Sutton--our dauntless (word of the day) District 58 Public Relations Manager, who by the way, gave an AWESOME workshop at this past Saturday's TLI conference in Columbia. Our speakers were the lovely LaShanne Goins who presented on "When Opportunity Knocks". Melle Addison took us through a journey of lessons learned from her "In-Dependence Day". Burnnie Holliday's presentation consisted of hosting an engaging Table Topics session, while our Toastmaster of the Day, Terrance Dawkins expertly guided us through our meeting theme of "Patience". Our evaluators, Bereket Tolcha, Greg Allen, and John Abercrombie effusively gave valuable, targeted feedback for each of the presenters from their observations as well as that of our club members.

Below are the ribbon winners for Best Speaker,Table Topics and Evaluator: Melle Addison, Jeff S., and John Abercrombie, respectively from left to right.

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July 17, 2023: The TMOD was Lee Holliday with the meeting theme of NEVER A DULLL MOMENT. Our speakers were:

• Leron Moore – Astrology, Transformation, Opportunity, and Me – Presentation Mastery, Level 1, Ice Breaker Project - Evaluator, Shanne Goins
• Lo'Heem Miller – Eyes On The Road – Presentation Mastery, Level 1, Ice Breaker Project - Evaluator, Burnnie Holliday

Table Topics was led by John Abercrombie, calling on Greg Allen, Shanne Goins, and Burnnie Holliday. General Evaluator Terance Dawkins led the evaluation portion of the meeting. The meeting minutes will be saved in the Meeting Minutes folder in Public Downloads on our club website. Our club announcements are shown on the club website home page and meeting award recipients are listed below.

Meeting Awards

Best Speaker:  Lo'Heem Miller

Best Table Topics:  Shanne Goins

Best Evaluator:  Burnnie Holliday

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