Club honors one of its own

By CAROLYN CARY
ccary@thecitizennews.com

Toastmasters International has a slogan: “Toastmasters learn to stand up to be seen, speak up to be heard and sit down to be appreciated.”

The local club, High Noon Toastmasters, exhibited this belief by having a tenth anniversary meeting and inviting the whole county.

Three of its members gave two-minute speeches, followed by evaluations by their peers. Also on hand were members who acted as the grammarian, the timer, and the “AH” counter. The AH counter enumerated the number of “ah”s, “oh”s and “uh”s and between the three speeches, only one “ah” occurred. the counter also noted that everyone stayed within the time limit and only one error was made: someone used the word “podium” when they should have used the word “lectern.”

Toastmasters is a nonprofit communication and leadership program designed to enhance listening, speaking and thinking abilities by practice. The program was started in 1924 at a YMCA in California. To date there have been three million men and women of all ages and occupations that have benefited from this training.

The High Noon Toastmasters began in 1990 with 20 charter members, many of whom are still active.

In conjunction with celebrating its ten years, the club also honored one of its charter members, Dr. John D. DeCotis, county superintendent of schools. He was given the club's Outstanding Community Leadership Award for his “leadership, effectiveness, caring, honesty and integrity.”

A number of people in the audience added their accolades on his behalf. Said Fayette County native Grady Huddleston, “I was reared in what is now Peachtree City in a two-room schoolhouse and it pleases me to see what we have now. This came about because of the highly qualified leaders like Dr. DeCotis.”

A reception in DeCotis' honor was conducted in the LaFayette Center cafeteria.

For information on High Noon Toastmasters phone Carleton Williams, 770-461-1880.