07/17/2026
🙄& 😀 Before & After, ✅Checking a Box, 🥜Nuts
Last night's Collinsville Toastmasters meeting theme was “Domination,” and every one of our speakers dominated the art of public speaking!
Our first speaker spoke about her year as an Area Director on her path to becoming a Distinguished Toastmaster. While there were a lot of highs, there were a few lows, and at times it felt like she was “just checking a box,” but in the end, she realized it was more than that and appreciated the assistance and the journey.
The second speaker spoke about the “before and after” during life events. She discussed how we need to recognize the “before” times so we can appreciate and accept the “after” in those events.
The third speaker talked about “nuts” and how different types of nuts help our bodies. From our autoimmune systems to our brains, nuts can help you have a happier, healthier life. A well-placed pun about pecan pies in the speech was enjoyed by all! Interestingly, did you know that cashews aren’t actually nuts? They are the seeds of a cashew apple.
Finally, we had a retrospective Table Topics session where the question was, “Why did you come to Toastmasters?” If that’s a question you’ve asked yourself, we’d love to hear the answer from a potential member!
We meet every first, third, and fifth Thursday. Come by—you’ll be glad you did!
🗓 Thursday, July 30th
🕖 7:00 pm
📍 Edison’s Entertainment Complex
High Voltage Room (2nd floor)
2477 S State Rt 157
Edwardsville, IL 62025
