For the first time in its 34-year history, a member of Battlefords Toastmasters has been elected as division governor.
Local resident Rena Weikle, a 13-year veteran of the Battlefords Toastmasters club, has taken on the leadership role of division governor of Division E, encompassing the northern half of Saskatchewan. In this role, Weikle's job is to work with various Toastmasters area governors, providing supervision and motivation while assisting division clubs with growth and achievement of goals. Her term will expire June 30, 2012.
"During my term as division governor, my goal is to help Toastmasters achieve whatever it is that brought them to their individual club. This is different for almost every member, but if the individual members can achieve their goals, then clubs will be stronger and the areas and division will also achieve goals," she says.
Weikle joined Battlefords Toastmasters in 1999 and quickly became an avid member of the club, embracing numerous roles on the executive, including president, vice-president of education, vice-president of public relations, secretary, sergeant at arms and treasurer. While serving in these various roles, she competed in speech competitions and also worked her way through the educational program that sets Toastmasters apart from other similar organizations.
Becoming a Distinguished Toastmaster (the highest achievement in Toastmasters) in 2008, Weikle took a bit of a breather in her Toastmasters career while always remaining active in the local club.
When approached to let her name stand as a candidate for Division E governor in May, Weikle says she realized it was time.
"Organizations don't function without leadership, and I recognized that it was time that I stepped up once again and accepted an even bigger challenge."
Accompanying Weikle in her leadership journey is fellow Toastmaster Barb Mitchell, the Area 40 governor, for clubs in Lloydminster, Saskatoon, Kindersley and North Battleford.
Battlefords Toastmasters meets Wednesday evenings at the Don Ross Centre from 7 to 9 p.m. from September to June. Guests are always welcome at meetings.
Weikle says Toastmasters is much more than a public speaking organization. People join the club to learn how to make presentations, how to evaluate staff members, how to run business meetings or simply to overcome shyness.
"Toastmasters meets all of those needs and so much more. I wasn't born a leader, but Toastmasters has made me one," says Weikle.
For further information on Toastmasters visit www.battlefordstoastmasters.com
