Page 20 - April 2020

PERSPECTIVES

A Place In History

Paul C. Fanning, DTM

I don’t have a crystal ball to peer into the and achievement of those Toastmasters. It is
future and divine what historians will say about they who want to learn, set their goals, and often
the year 2020 and the impact of the Covid-19 succeed and over-achieve their goals through the

pandemic. Will we be remembered for our Toastmasters Education Program whether they
response to the disease? Our compassion, our be the soon to-be-bid farewell “traditional” tract
ability to “keep calm and carry on”? Or be or as the “new” Pathways learning program.
laughed at as saying we are the greatest nation I was looking forward to all the upcoming

in the world and historically significant—but contests and activities leading us to the end of
can’t supply enough toilet paper for our daily this program year of 2019-2020. But alas, our
consumption? (What if they don’t even use TP world changed. For some it appeared to have
200-300 years from now and have no idea what ended while some wonder whether it will ever

bearing that had on us?) And in the same light, “jumpstart” itself again.
what effect did coronavirus have on our method Me? Normally I would be working on this
of education for young and the old, learning new article in my “office” at a coffee shop a block
training delivery styles and social life? I would or two away, calmly sipping my mocha frappe

predict that Toastmasters will still be extant in (addiction confession) and blissfully ignoring
the future, vibrant, alive, and influential as it the hustle and bustle of the Pacific University
is now. You are now part of that history in the students, faculty, and local residents as they come
making! and go. Instead, all are closed now. Forest Grove

We believe just by our renewing that resembles one of the small towns you see in the
membership every six months that we are in one horror or sci-fi films with the blinking traffic
of the greatest education programs available to light on an empty street, the newspaper blowing
modern man—one whereby we get out of it what in the wind, and the eerie sound of silence

we put into it. I am the Vice President Education roaring around you. Even the bakery has closed,
in my home club. I served over three years as not due to lack of customers, but by decree in
VPE in another club. I have seen the value, the order not to encourage people gathering. We’ve
blood, the sweat and tears, as well as the triumph acquired new words in our vocabulary such as

20 ONE COMMUNITY