Henderson, KY: Riverbenders Toastmasters

Henderson, KY
Meets 1 PM Eastern Time Wednesdays
Attendance: 8 members and 2 guests

Riverbend Toastmasters in Henderson, KY, is one of those gems that I enjoy finding as I travel off the beaten path of online Toastmasters clubs. Now Henderson is not a bustling metropolis, but this Toastmasters can hold its own and more against clubs in larger cities.

The energy and friendliness of club members were palpable as soon as Cynthia and I arrived at their Zoom meeting. Seven people were already logged on 15 minutes before the meeting, which for them started at noon. That tells me that these people are excited to be at  Toastmasters meeting.

Debbie, the outgoing President of the club, provided a recap of the last year. We learned that the club fell on hard times last year as several members left for various reasons. The club started 2019-2020 with 14 members and lost eight of those members. The club rebounded to end the year with 12 members. Its members also remained dedicated to the educational program and earned 12 educational programs, which is very admirable. The club also earned nine of the 10 points possible in the Distinguished Club Program.

Debbie added that one of the attractive features of the club is the feel of family there and I have to agree. Debbie did what great leaders do during her presentation and named the names of all the people who contributed to the club's success over the year. I'm sure that warmed the hearts of those members and for me, a total stranger, it personalized her message. That also made Debbie's speech a message about everyone in the club and not just about herself.

This was special meeting so everyone had a chance to talk about what they had celebrated over the last year. Later in the meeting we all had the chance to talk about what Toastmasters had done for each one of us. That was a lot of fun. I also had a chance to participate in Table Topics, the impromptu speaking portion of the meeting, and, lo and behold, I was voted best responded. I was asked to tell the group what speech I would like to give that I haven't given yet. I replied that I had already given that speech this past year. It was about the history of toilet paper, complete with groaner puns and plays on words. Now that was a fun speech.

Riverbend does a few things differently than my home club. They do the pledge and have an inspirational moment at the beginning of the meeting. And they do a business meeting at the end of the meeting (not my favorite thing).

All in all, I really enjoyed my time with Riverbend Toastmasters. I encourage you to pay them a visit.



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