Timeline

East Galway Speakers – A History

2017

November

  • Members from different clubs come together to hold a demonstration meeting at the Loughrea Hotel

2018

January

  • Future Area and Division Director and club President Chris Collins, and future Treasurer and VPE Marcello Deidda give their Ice Breaker from the old Competent Communicator manual.

April

  • Rob Partridge gives the clubs first Pathways speech.

May

  • The club hosts its first of many successful open nights.

June

  • The first club committee is established with founder, Martin Foran, being elected in the role of President.
  • Loughrea Toastmasters charters and becomes an official member of Toastmasters International.

July

  • The club hosts a “Cruinnu” – a joint meeting of the clubs in the area. This is the first time since 2015 that’s it’s taken place.
  • Founder Martin Foran is selected as the District Finance Officers, making him the first member of the club to be on the District Leadership Team, before the club is even one year old!

October

  • Future Area Director and Club President Carmel Turley gives her Ice Breaker – “A Bag of Sugar”
  • Rob Partridge gives a winning speech in the Humorous Speech contest which sees him go to represent the club, area and Division at the finals in Norwich ini May 2019. Also at this contest Sarah Smith, future President and the first member to take on the club President role twice at the club, gives her Ice Breaker as part of a contest!

November

  • The club is host the Divisional Humorous Speech and Tabletopics contest.

2019

April

  • The Club hosts yet another Cruinnu, with all the clubs in the area taking part.
  • During a very creative Creative Corner, Sarah Smith and attending members create a poem for Loughrea Toastmasters. You can see the poem here.

May

  • In Norwich, at the District Conference, Rob Partridge elected Division Director for Division F, joining Martin Foran as a District Officer.

June

  • A new committee is elected seeing future Area and Division Director Chris Collins elected as President.
  • The club earns the Presidents Distinguished Club award in the Distinguished Club Programme.

2020

February

  • Rob Partridge becomes the first club member to achieve Distinguished Toastmaster.

March

  • COVID19 forces the club to shut it doors to in-person meetings but the dedication of the committee and members move the meeting to an online format and ensure the club continues to hold regular meetings. “You’re on mute!” becomes to the go-to phrase.

May

  • Rob Partridge is re-elected as Division Director for Division F while Chris Collins is elected into the role of Area Director.
  • A new committee is voted into place seeing Sarah Smith elected as President,

June

  • The club earns the Presidents Distinguished Club award in the Distinguished Club Programme.

October

  • Beth Davis-Reinhold, from Maryland in the USA, becomes the first international member for the club, joining via Zoom in hybrid meetings and taking an active role in meetings and eventually joining the committee.

2021

May

  • Chris Collins is elected Division Director for Division F while Rob Partridge is elected Area Director for Area 9.
  • At the AGM Carmel Turley is elected as President to lead the club through the next season.

June

  • The club earns the Presidents Distinguished Club award in the Distinguished Club Programme.

2022

May

  • Carmel Turley is elected Area Director for Area 12 making her the third member in five years to be elected into an Area Director role. Quite the achievement for a relatively new club.
  • As the new committee is elected Rob Partridge is selected to be the President for the next season.

July

  • The club finds is new home at the Loughrea Family Resource Centre, saying goodbye to the Loughrea Hotel and Spa.

2023

May

  • A new committee is elected with Sarah Smith being elected as President for the second time.
  • Through submitted motions the members decide to change the name of the club from Loughrea Toastmasters to East Galway Speakers. They also decided to start voting on best speaker, topic and evaluator.

June

  • The club earns the Distinguished Club award in the Distinguished Club Programme.

July

  • The club officially changes name and becomes East Galway Speakers.