Virtual Meeting: Toastmasters 90210 + Marpole Toastmasters Vancouver
Combined meeting with Toastmasters 90210 + Marpole Toastmasters of Vancouver, Canada
For some, attending Toastmasters meetings on Zoom may leave a lot to be desired. People feel disconnected and tired at the end of a work-from-home-on-Zoom day, while missing the energy of being in a physical room with their fellow club members. The isolation has many Toastmasters longing for the time when we can get back to meeting in person.
Yet, there are numerous upsides to meeting virtually – beyond just the fact that we can meet while wearing pajama bottoms! One of the best gifts of being online is connecting with Toastmasters all over the globe.
Co-Hosting A Meeting With A Canadian Club
On September 14th, Toastmasters 90210 co-hosted a meeting with Marpole Toastmasters of Vancouver, Canada. Initiated by Marpole, the purpose was to pair up with “sister cities” to explore the commonalities between us, despite the geographical and cultural divides. It also presented an opportunity to expand our collective travels – even if it was only virtually! We were excited at the prospect at meeting with a club from another country. And Marpole did not disappoint!
Commonality Between Countries and Cultures
Our mutual Toastmasters International structure made for a sense of commonality that was both familiar and encouraging. The logistics were easy, as our Clubs are in the same time zone and both meet on Monday evenings, at 7:00pm. A highlight of the meeting was having a Marpole member deliver a speech that was really a mini music concert. He punctuated his speech on the roots of American rock and roll and the impact of black music, by singing snippets of famous songs, while accompanying himself on the electric piano. This was a novel and completely compelling 5-7 minute performance that we had never before experienced!
It was informative to note the differences in how we run our meetings. For instance, Marpole has fewer overall supporting roles, their meetings run two hours (with a 10 minute break) and they've added a comprehensive role to evaluate Table Topics speakers. Another example - highlighting the idea that we are two countries divided by the same language - is that our role of “Toastmaster” is referred to by them as “Meeting Chair.”
There’s a reason Canadians have a reputation for being polite and kind: It’s true! The Marpole team were gracious, welcoming and thoughtful. Having a Canadian sister club means more shared meetings.
Oh Canada, you’ve won our hearts!
Continuing the Cross-Cultural Collaboration
We look forward to a followup meeting with Marpole on Monday, October 26th. All are invited to attend. If you are not a member, then we would love to have you visit as a guest. Please reach out to our Vice President of Membership, Catherine Cheng, for more information and a private Zoom link.