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Club to try to help the noontime club rebuild. over 30 members and was the home club of the
She served as their Club Coach, and then eight winner of the World Championship of Public
times as the Club President, plus other years Speaking, Ryan Avery. Robison says, “we are still
as the Club Secretary and Vice-President of very proud of his accomplishment, and our role
Education, but ultimately the club folded. in helping him succeed.
“Rosaria had four real members, and a few others “Avery always said that one thing about
who were supposed to be members but never Portland Toastmasters that helped him prepare
showed up, she said. “Some of those involved in his winning speech, was the diversity of the club.
the club were more interested in having a social I always liked the fact that we had people from
lunch than they were in having a thriving club.“ a wide variety of backgrounds, careers and ages
When she took on the role of Treasurer for in the club. It made me feel great when a young
Portland Toastmasters, it took the bank so long black man I was mentoring in Toastmasters said
to update the account information and show ‘What I really enjoy about you and Jim, Rose, is
her as the Treasurer that she decided it would that when I come here, we are not black people
be easiest to just remain Treasurer and not have and white people, we are all Toastmasters.’”
to deal with the hassle of updating the account Starting a couple years after joining
every year. She remained Treasurer for twelve Toastmasters and for about nineteen years (up
years until health issues made it necessary to until about five years ago when health began to
hand it off to her son who took over as Treasurer. limit her participation), Rose attended officer
“When I first became Treasurer, they gave training twice a year and attended almost every
me some loose change and an accounting of District conference (twice a year). “I felt like
what was in the bank, and that was it,” she said I learned something new at every one. After
with a smile. a while, I was contributing as much as I was
During the last 26 years Portland learning, she shared.
Toastmasters has had its ups and downs. At one “If I could boil down what I have learned
point, the club got down to four members, after in Toastmasters to one sentence, it would be
some club officers who felt officer training was ‘Speaking can be fun.’”
not necessary. “We were meeting in the back
room of a bar and restaurant. One day two of
us members showed up for the meeting, and we
Jim Robison joined Toastmasters in 1991. He
had one guest. I explained the meeting, and we
is currently a member of Portland Club where he
went through it with the guest. That was about
serves as Club Treasurer. He is an active member
the time that Gary Schmidt gave a speech about
in the District. His most recent role was as the
‘Three is a Toastmasters meeting’,” she recalled.
2019-2020 Club Coach Coordinator.
The club made a new commitment to officer
training, had the assistance of a Club Coach, and
rebuilt. In 2012 Portland Toastmasters had well
VOICES! | SEPTEMBER 2020 9
