Written by Rosemary Ward of the Muskegon County Toastmasters
Business After Hours
White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau
Featuring: Muskegon County Toastmasters
Date: Thursday, March 3, 2022
Time: 5:00 p.m. Appetizers and Refreshments – Sponsored by the Book Nook & Java Shop
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. An Engaging Toastmaster Demonstration Meeting
6:30 – 7 :00 p.m. Afterglow
Place: The Arts Council of White Lake - Nuveen Center
106 E. Colby Street, Whitehall, Michigan 49461
Sponsored by:
The Arts Council of White Lake- Nuveen Center
The White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau
Muskegon Area Toastmasters
On Thursday, March 3, 2022, three local organizations will come together again for a new beginning – 32 years later. The White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, Muskegon Toastmasters, and the Arts Council of White Lake – Nuveen Center…and you are invited!
The first time these three groups intersected was in 1990 to form what is now known as the White Lake Toastmasters Club. Chartering a new club required 20 members and the group had 14 signed on. They packed themselves into a tiny meeting room at the White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce to craft their communication skills. It was fun, inviting, and electric! The Chamber endorsed Toastmasters as a business-builder because it provided a proven, inexpensive, and “learn by doing” format, and required only one hour and fifteen minutes of attendance each week. Toastmasters was great for growing leaders and team members at every level. Businesses would prosper and Toastmasters was the unique vehicle to help get the job done.
One of the original members of White Lake Toastmasters was Dr. Spencer Weersing, a Montague orthodontist and businessman, who was exuberant about the fun and the finesse he could develop by investing himself in the easy-to-follow learning modules of Toastmasters. An accomplished communicator, he still sought to hone his skills. When he learned the Club needed only six more members to Charter, Weersing offered Toastmasters to his many friends at the Arts Council of White Lake. He believed that learning how to speak and express oneself was an art; a performing art and one that would be useful in any walk of life. Consequently, he invited several of his Arts Council colleagues to come to a meeting and about two weeks later, Toastmasters was born in Montague, Michigan. On October 1, 1990, the charter was official. Founders of the White Lake Toastmasters Club, Nancy Frye and Rosemary Ward were delighted that Howmet also sponsored several of their employees as Charter Members.
In Muskegon County, there are three active Toastmaster Clubs that meet at various times and days of the week to accommodate a variety of schedules. Two are offered in a hybrid format: both online and in-person which has now become a “new normal” in terms of how business takes place. One club is exclusively dedicated to a virtual zoom format, preparing members to grow their savvy, especially when their work demands require this new interface. As an educational organization, Toastmasters International has expanded with the times by placing all learning modules and leadership resources online. This equips members anywhere, anytime - locally and worldwide - to work together in meeting the new challenges they face when sharpening their communication and leadership skills.
Toastmasters. It is all about Speaking. Creating. Performing. Whether you are in the Arts, Business, Education, or otherwise, the way that you express yourself and interact – if done well - is an art form. If you are in leadership, or perhaps one of those people dedicated to engaging in the “practice” of ongoing improvement, join us at the ACWL-Nuveen for Business After Hours. It will be a refreshing night to remember, and it might just change your life – for the better - forever!
For More Information:
Chad Hamel (Chamel1245@gmail.com) Mobile: 231-750-5097
Joanie Thomas ( jthomas@appliedimaging.com) Direct: 616-502-4270