Curmudgeon’s Corner

I like the two-year presidency. It provides stability and an opportunity for a dynamic president to put plans into action. In this respect we have been lucky both with our immediate past president and with our current. As for the future? Who knows?

All rather busy and positive. Isn’t it? Let’s take a closer look.

My heart goes out to the editor of the TMV. For every edition he is forced to put out desperate pleas for articles. The ideas for content are varied and original yet still there is a shortage of pieces. Ultimately it seems to be the same people contributing every time. This must be soul-destroying.

The Christmas Lunch is the Christmas Lunch. Everyone who goes appears to have a good time. It is expensive, for a couple to travel to London and have the lunch. There is not much change out of £350-£400, and it will be increasingly so because of our economic climate. It would seem that the days of us being able to treat a number of important clients to the event may be gone, but nevertheless it is a wonderful occasion and I am always pleased to see the number of Toastmasters there, both active and retired.

of the session. Not particularly edifying. These Zoom meetings are open to all the membership, so where are the senior officers? Current VP, Treasurer, Secretary? If they cannot attend, why should anyone else? Where are the members who have questions to ask?

All this boils down to is just what do people want from the NAT? The insurance? You can get it cheaper elsewhere. The comradeship? With the exception perhaps of the Christmas lunch where is it? The TMV? To read articles written by the same group of people four times a year? The social event? Very nice, but a lot of work to be attended by five active Toastmasters. The ongoing training? It all started so well with Zoom didn’t it? Perhaps we need another executive post, a communications/development officer to develop this area.

So the point of this diatribe? It is a push to ask you all what you want from your NAT membership. Do you want to be a part of an active organisation that keeps you up to date with what is going on in our professional world and supplies a network of experienced professionals from whom to seek advice, or an organisation that requires expensive training, expensive fees and provides you with a medal and public liability insurance?

Up to you really.

It has been a while since I have contributed to TMV, for a variety of reasons, none of which are of any interest to fellow Toastmasters. However, this does not mean that I have not been keeping a keen eye on things that are happening, or more to the point, not happening within the NAT, and whilst I am one of those members who does not ostensibly contribute a great deal, I do follow the activities of an association I am very fond of quite closely.

So as an organisation how healthy are we?

We have the TMV under the care of Richard Mitchell. Slick and professional.

We have Christmas Lunch in the City. Something of a tradition and, despite weather and strikes, still apparently going strong.

We have the NAT social event. The most recent in Bristol was, I understand, very successful.

We have the occasional regional meeting by Zoom and face to face for the midlands and the south.

The Social event. Now I hold my hands up here as not being a great supporter of this event. However, I understand that they are great fun and all of the people who go have a good time. The sad thing is that there were only five working Toastmasters at this year’s event.

Regional meetings. Over the past twelve months or so there has been one regional zoom meeting and I was informed that it was very poorly attended, despite it being open to the whole membership. Apparently it was the usual suspects. President, vice president, a few fellows and a couple of newly qualified TMs wondering what it was all about and it ended up with a spat between two senior members over the length