Meeting opened with 29 Zoom participants. Jerry Fohrman, President presiding.
Thought for the day by Jane Anne: One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession -Sophocles
Todd Clancy reported on the recent food drive. Our club has been doing some great things! The recent food drive brought in a huge load of food and personal hygiene products, as well as a VERY large financial donation to the Yavapai Food Bank. Over 400 families a week depend on this food bank to put food on their tables. These are people that are seriously hungry and in need of food and care, right here in our community. This food drive, our club's additional projects, and the substantial assistance provided by our individual members certainly goes a long way towards alleviating the pain and hunger experienced by so many during these times. Sunup Rotary truly lives up to the motto Service Above Self! A great success with a large haul of food and cash donations. He also noted
that Mike Payson, Frontier Club Community Service is working on a drive for the Community Food Cupboard and that the Yarnell Food Bank also needs donations.
Art announced the 2020-21 state Interact officers. Ashton Bialek-Kling, from the Interact Club of Mingus Union HS in Cottonwood, has been selected to serve as the District Governor for 2020-21.
SGT: Jane Anne volunteered: We settled on a $5 fine for all members to be placed on our bill. Jane Anne noted a big thank you for Greg Raskin for providing a very nice 4 Way Test plaque for her boss.
Phil was asked when the city would re-open for business? He responded that it was up to the Governor and then summarized the impact of the COVID19 epidemic on Yavapai and some other rural counties. There was a back and forth discussion regarding the testing opportunities in our area.
Bud introduced our speaker, Sandra Shaffer of Toastmasters. Sandra noted the new alliance with Rotary International and welcomed it. She is a third generation Arizonan who’s great grandparents came to Phoenix
by wagon in the late 1800s. When she was young the family moved to Prescott and she has stayed here ever since. Sandi is a Commercial Real Estate Broker with Invest SW, a graduate of the Prescott Area Leadership program and has been with Toastmasters for 16 years. She noted that we are all pioneers living through a significant time in our history which will be talked about for many years. It is an opportunity to get outside our box and partner in our communities to help get through this. The recent COVID19 epidemic has caused shift to using ZOOM for meetings and the challenges that presents as a whole new way of speaking with
groups. However she emphasized that “Communication is a skill that one can learn and develop if on works at it you can improve your quality of life “– Brian Tracy
We don’t know what the future will hold but we all feel the change is coming about. Elvis had some good advice: “When things go wrong, don’t go with them!” We are at what is termed in the Real Estate world as a “Pivot” point and this new alliance between Toastmasters and Rotary is well timed and presents a great opportunity to develop leadership and communication skills for both our leadership and members that will enhance or impact in or communities. It is a real opportunity to collaborate, communicate the needs of our communities and to help rebuild our communities. Perhaps it is not coincidence that both Rotary and Toastmasters began in 1905. She noted some statistics: Toastmasters: 358K members in 1,800 clubs, in 143 countries. Rotary: 1.2 Million members in 3500 clubs and could not find the number of countries but it was indicated at about 200?
She has learned through Toastmasters: Build and improve leadership skills, provide supportive environment, learn to be a better listener, build self-confidence and self-awareness easier in developing a speech. So much so that she was comfortable speaking at her mother's funeral. A friend invited her to be a coach in a workshop for married couples and also a similar Chamber of Commerce program. Through these and other experiences Sandi has learned that it is best to listen, really listen, a key component of communication. Active listening allows one to better understand another person’s perspective.
Toastmasters and Rotary can make a real difference for our community. Both clubs have similar projects: food drives, volunteering in community help programs. They are meeting now with ZOOM and preparing to roll out a new 8 week course for skill building program to work with Rotary. Toastmasters feel that there is room for 4-5 such clubs in this area. She is working on a new club to meet Tuesday mornings, 7:30 – 8:30 AM via ZOOM. The need 20 members to form, dues are $130/year. 20-30 members is the ideal size for the best experience for members. One can attend every other week as long as they fulfill roles assigned. We should be thinking about how to work together in a strategic approach to helping our communities to rebuild when things open up again.
