March 14

Notable Northgaters have toasting skills to share

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Once a week at Maple Leaf’s Olympic View Community Church, expect to hear words of wisdom, encouragement, hilarity, humility — and quite possibly some very believable BSing — floating around one of the larger meeting rooms as the Notable Northgaters Toastmaster group meets each Wednesday.

From 5:30-7 p.m., the group that was formed in 1988 fulfills its mission to help people improve their leadership and communication skills, one toast at a time.

“People come for all types of reasons,” said longstanding member Fred. “I come because I like to laugh. But I also learn something new every time I come.”

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit organization that has been helping people gain confidence when speaking (and then some) around the globe since it was founded in 1934. In the district the Northgate group falls in, which runs from Kent to Bellingham, there are nearly 200 different groups that meet regularly.

But the club isn’t just about public speaking. Learning how to give and take feedback is also an important tool, as each talk is evaluated by a specific member who must comment on what they liked and offer possible areas of improvement.

“You can’t help but get better,” Fred said.

Members chosen at random also are expected to give an off-the-cuff talk during the Table Topics Session, which keeps every member — as well as the guests — on their toes as an active participant rather than simply a passive bystander.

There’s plenty of pomp and procedure during the weekly meeting, but also plenty of laughs and visible friendships.

Tammie English, a Maple Leaf resident who contacted us about Notable Northgaters, said that although people come and go over the years because of scheduling conflicts, they often end up coming back.

“We know how to have fun,” club President Denise Dragoo added.

They also know how to win awards. Multiple members pointed out that the dark blue ribbons on the far right signify the number of times that the Notable Northgaters was awarded the coveted President’s Distinguished ribbon. Achieving the award requires recruiting new members and meeting quotas, sending officers to training twice a year and more.

“To achieve that is very unusual,” Fred said. “It requires meeting a lot of objectives, but that also means a lot of people are learning.”

If you’re interested in learning more about Toastmasters, guests are invited to experience a meeting, from 5:30-7 Wednesdays evenings at the church at 425 N.E. 95th St. Let this be a warning that you’ll probably be asked to give a few words here and there: Just remember, you’re in good company. 

For more information, visit the Notable Northgaters website.

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