Being a Toastmaster

Kathy and John Bergs ready to Boldly Go! 2013 D25 Spring Conference Photo by Steve Bomar Photos

My name is Kathy Bergs and I have been a Toastmaster since January of 2013. I am a member of the Bethesda Toastmasters where I serve as VP-Education. I just received my Competent Communicator award in August of this year.

Most of you know my husband John. He became a Toastmaster in 2005 at the advice of his boss. I would always accompany John to contests, awards banquets and conferences. Many people thought I was a Toastmaster already because I was at everything. I would always tell people that Toastmasters was John’s thing and that it wasn’t for me. Boy was I wrong. If you had told me seven months ago that I would be a Competent Communicator, VP-Education, Club Contest Chairperson, First-Timer Chairperson (Fall Conference) I would have thought you were on something.

I use to be the person that would never raise her hand or volunteer for anything. Now I can’t wait to see what I can accomplish next. I look forward to my club meetings on Sundays. I would give a speech every week if I could but that wouldn’t be fair to the others. The positive feedback, encouragement, support and friendships that you gain through Toastmasters are truly amazing.

I feel that to really get the full experience of Toastmasters, you should try to attend a conference. I attended my first one as an actual Toastmaster in spring of this year. I wrote an article about my First Timer Experience. It was a truly inspiring weekend and I can’t wait for the fall conference.

If I have said this once, I have said it a thousand times; I wish I had listened to John, Cindy Hinckley, Diana Patton and others when they told me to join Toastmasters years ago. I truly did not know what I was missing out on.

Katharina Bergs
Bethesda Toastmasters