As we now reach 25 members and struggle to find a larger meeting space that we can afford, and as I continue to help search and research ways to solve this happy problem, I sadly come across other clubs that are still only struggling to basically attract people to become members to begin with. They're hardly getting off the ground, these other clubs. Their entire district is cursed with vacancies.
How are we different? What do we have that other clubs don't have?
I remember joining Milpitas Toastmasters Club in January 2022. I had been a member in other clubs on and off for a few years. The thing I noticed in this Milpitas club was one particular hard-working gal, plus many others who were very supportive. I think this was the key, the spark. It was back in the depths of COVID, and remote meetings over Zoom were a mainstay. The vital question for me was whether the club would ever go back to in-person meetings. And the lovely gal answered in a most neutral, open-minded, "we'll do whatever is best for the club" answer. Excellent answer.
And so I saw promise. I felt compelled to join and help out.
Now here we are — outgrowing another room that can only fit 18 people or so. It's a rare happy problem. Some moments in our scramble right now are indeed a bit unnerving. The unknown future is (or should be) stressful. But I'm not stressed. Yes, I worry my usual worry. I'm always worried about everything. But I think we'll be fine as a club.
Our strength is in our eager, enthusiastic, hard-working members. I think that's how we attract new members. We're not the best at anything. Not yet anyway. But we keep trying. That's all we can ask for — just keep trying. We'll be fine because we keep trying.
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