Just 13 days behind Amarillo Coffee Weekends, EnergyPlex Toastmasters in Hobbs, New Mexico, became the second new club to charter in District 23 during the 2013-2014 Toastmasters year. The club will hold its Charter Ceremony on April 22, 2014, at 6:30pm in the Hobbs Public Library (509 North Shipp Hobbs, New Mexico.)
(L to R) VP Education Pam Beasley, President Charles Beasley, Sgt. At Arms Tiffany Creed, VP Membership Michael Walker, Secretary/Treasurer Bobby Kimbro, and VP Public Relations Melanie Boyden
The idea came about when Division F Governor Pam Davis began looking to charter a new club in her Division. Her home club, Enriched Speakers in Eunice, New Mexico, quickly got on board and began helping her bring the vision to fruition. The group put together a demo meeting on November 12, 2013, and then began having regular pre-charter meetings while they built the membership.
“Originally, we wanted to target the college students at New Mexico Junior College and the University of the Southwest,” said Pam. “We held our demo meeting on campus at the Junior College and did a lot of publicity on campus.”
When the student attendance turned out to be relatively low, the group moved the club to the public library in Hobbs to take advantage of the free meeting room and to build the club from the professional people in Hobbs. They are, of course, still working to build attendance from the student population.
Club Sponsors Ian MacKenzie and Ike Chukwura worked closely with Club Mentors Terry O’Connell and Pam Davis to build the membership up to the required twenty for chartering. Through advertising in the local newspaper, radio, a community Facebook page (What’s Happening in Lea County,) and at their community coffee as well as sending speakers out to service organizations, they were able to go from the demo meeting to chartering in just four months.
EnergyPlex Mentors Terry O’Connell (rear) and Pam Davis (front)
If they had it to do over, Pam says that they would pay the charter fee sooner so that the new members could get their manuals sooner. But with quick thinking, they borrowed manuals to keep progressing and several new members ended up completing three manual speeches before the club chartered.
Once the group was ready, URENCO USA, their corporate sponsor, paid the charter fee, purchased supplies for the club, and even gave membership scholarships to several members. URENCO, in Eunice, New Mexico, is the home of the Enriched Speakers Club.
Pam credits Charles and Pamela Beasley as two of the club heroes. “They have been there since the beginning and stepped up right away to fill roles, speak and be officers.”
However, Charles, the president of EnergyPlex Toastmasters, credits Pam (Davis) as the biggest hero.
“She, more than anyone, has made this club possible,” said Charles. “Her tireless effort, her infectious enthusiasm and dedication to Toastmasters is an inspiration. She is serving two offices at Enriched Speakers (Vice President Education and Vice President Public Relations) as well as Division F Governor. She has always been and still is always there to help in any way asked and to answer questions.”
Rear- 4th Row (L to R): Clint Rogerson, Ian MacKenzie (Sponsor), Terry O’Connell (Mentor), Bobby
Kimbro, Charles Beasley;
3rd Row: Tina Honeycutt, Tiffany Creed, Toni Gilless;
2nd Row: Rebecca Long, Michael Walker, LaNetta Jarrett, Melanie Boyden, Pam Beasley, Carol Lamm;
1st Row: Pam Davis (Mentor), Ike Chukwura (Sponsor), John Boyden, Gustavo Diaz;
(not shown, Rowland Ketchersid and David Martinez)
