Page 33 - August 2020 Voices

FIELD NOTES

New Horizons Toastmasters
We Are Zoomers: Adapting & Moving Forward!

Jennifer Schmidt, ACB - VP Public Relations

My last in-person event with other Toastmasters our meeting room screen. Little did we know,
was on March 7, 2020. I attended the Area this would be a practice run for a bigger effort.

Speech Contest at the Tualatin Library to support
Kaushik Balasubramanian, DTM who won our Technology Challenges Abound
Club contest. The atmosphere was energized “Unmute Yourself!” The most common
with great speakers and happy chatter. None phrase used when we started adapting to our

of us knew how the coronavirus would change new “window” and one of the many new details
everything. to learn! One time in the middle of a meeting,
our Toastmaster and current President, Maren
Come for FUN, Stay for the GROWTH Zieba, had a dropped connection. Fortunately,

When I first attended New Horizons on August she was dialed into the audio. She could still
10, 2019, I was greeted warmly by everyone. It hear and speak in the meeting. Which meant
didn’t matter I was a stranger they just met. no one noticed her absence as she scrambled to
Their annual picnic (remember those?) was reconnect again. Whew, what a relief!

planned that day and they invited me to join
them. Talk about a great first impression! After Creativity Within Our Boxes
that, every Saturday I happily drove 45 minutes Although in-person meetings are missed, I am
from Vancouver for the 8:00 am meeting. Each proud that our club decided to adapt instead of

time I attended, it was fun, educational, and not meeting at all. We took a creative approach
supportive. Everything you could want from a for our officer’s induction ceremony led by Bill
Toastmasters club. Maher, ACB. We virtually “passed the gavel” to
each other using objects such as a gardening tool
Zooming in a Different Direction or sneakers as the former team initiated the new

Due to the stay-at-home orders, in April of leaders with enthusiasm. Each inducted member
2020, our meetings became completely virtual. then shared their future goals. Definitely, not
Our club was familiar with the Zoom platform, the usual ceremony, but still a meaningful one.

because speakers who couldn’t attend in the past, Looking back, after all the meetings, the
would participate remotely. Our technology venue may be different but the warmth still
guru, James Wantz, DTM projected speakers like exists and the members are really what makes
Dr. Gwendolyn Avington, VP of Education, onto Toastmasters special.

VOICES! | AUGUST 2020 33