Palatine Toastmasters Club celebrates five-year mark
Career Communicators is a Toastmasters International club dedicated to developing public speaking and leadership skills. The club just celebrated its fifth anniversary of helping members develop professional level speaking and leadership skills.
The evening included a speech featuring Col. Jill Morgenthaler, U.S. Army (Ret.), sharing the lessons she learned in her command experience. She is the author of "The Courage to Take Command: Leadership Lessons from a Military Trailblazer."
Morgenthaler is a woman of many firsts. She was one of the first women to enter an experimental class for women in the U.S. Army ROTC and train as an equal with men. Overcoming obstacles, she was the first woman Battalion Commander in the 88th Regional Support Command Division and the first Brigade Commander in the 84th Division and then rose to the rank of colonel.
She was also the first woman to run Homeland Security for the state of Illinois. During her military career, she led hundreds of men and women around the world in war and peace, and was the recipient of the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit for her lifelong leadership.
The evening included an inspirational speech, "A Toastmaster's Journey," by club President Andy Bialek, which completed his requirements for his Competent Communicator Award. Andy quoted from Socrates and talked about the challenge to fit in Toastmaster aspirations while managing everyday adult distractions and activities.
Former Club President Dennis Timko summed up his thoughts about the evening: "I was honored to be Toastmaster and to share in the positive energy from the speeches and from the audience involvement. The end result was an enjoyable experience for all who attended our anniversary event."
The mission of Toastmasters is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop skills, which in turn, foster self-confidence and personal growth.
Career Communicators meets from 7-9 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays. Guests are always welcome. The group meets at Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist, 1025 N. Smith Road, Palatine. Dress is business casual.
For questions, contact J. Kevin Chapman at (847) 778-6743 or jkchapman@mountprospect.com, or visit www.careercommunicators.com.
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