Toastmasters (left to right): outgoing president Joyce Crawford; VPPR Hasitha Mahabaduge, incoming president Betty Liedtke, secretary Barb Dikeman, guest Brian Rice, VP membership Kris Mapp, treasurer Steve Weiser, VP Ed. Jim Howes, Guest Janet Fucheck, Guest Anna Carang.

Greene County Toastmasters have elected a new president and she is Betty Liedtke from Eatonton.

Here is a recent interview with President Liedtke.

 

Good afternoon, Mrs. Liedtke. Thank you for agreeing to talk with me today.

My pleasure!

 

First, what exactly, IS Toastmasters? I’m guessing it’s NOT the APPLIANCE Line were dealing with here, is that right?

Common misconception! Actually, Toastmasters is the largest organization in the world devoted to improving communication and leadership skills. It was started in 1924 as a way for a group of people to improve their public speaking but has grown into so much more!

 

Please tell us ‘when’ you joined and ‘why’; what was your initial goal?

I am a writer by trade, and always thought I could express myself well in print, but not so much when actually speaking. Several friends of mine were in Toastmasters and raved about the organization. One of them was a writer and actor, the other was a mom with kids the same age as mine. So I heard of the benefits of Toastmasters from both the personal and professional viewpoint.

 

Reflecting on your 16-year involvement, can you see where it has benefitted you in your career and/or your personal life?

It has benefitted me in SO MANY ways, both personally and professionally. Many people — the ones who know a little more about Toastmasters than that it’s not the kitchen appliance — are of the belief that it’s for people who want to give speeches for a living. That’s part of it, as well as being of benefit for those who have to give presentations as part of their job, but Toastmasters covers all aspects of communication. When you think about it, most of the speaking we do is casual conversation with others. Toastmasters helps you learn to speak with confidence, clarity, and conviction in virtually any situation.

 

As the new president, what are some goals you have for the Greene County Club during your tenure?

My main goal is to help all of our members achieve their goals, whether or not they are speech related. Since ours is a small club, one of my goals is to help grow our membership. The best way to do that is to let people know what a fun and supportive group it is, as well as being educational and informative.

 

How has the COVID-19 situation affected your club?

As of March, we’ve been holding our meetings online, via Zoom, as have most of the Toastmasters clubs around the world. In fact, in the last few months, I’ve been “visiting” other Toastmasters clubs around the country and around the world, and learning so much from people in other clubs, other countries, and other cultures. I admit freely that I am not the most technology-minded person, and was a bit intimidated by Zoom at first, as were a lot of other people. However, like most things that take us out of our comfort zone — including speaking in front of an audience — once you’ve done it a few times and gotten more comfortable with it, it’s quite a wonderful tool. It’s very empowering to conquer that fear — again, like the fear of public speaking. 

 

Wow! That’s all very interesting! If someone is interested in getting more information about your Toastmasters Club, how would they go about that?

They can join us at one of our meetings. We love having guests and are a very friendly and welcoming group. We meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 6-7:15 p.m. We are meeting via Zoom for the foreseeable future and I’m happy to provide further details to anyone who is interested in visiting. They can call or email me, or any member of Greene County Toastmasters, for more information. My number is 706-991-5387, and my email address is betty@findyourburiedtreasure.com.