-By Joyce Trimble, Summit Manager

I was born and raised in Tyler, Texas….within few years our family moved to Mexia and Nacogdoches where our dad worked in construction.   My sister and I grew up pampered by an uncle, aunt and grandmother.  We “helped” pick watermelons on the family farm which consisted mostly of finding a good one, eating out the ripe middle, and turning it over for the birds to devour.  We learned to drive stick shift before our legs could reach the pedals~~they were controlled by our uncle.  Driving came in handy when we drove the tractors.  We didn’t just go for an overnight visit, we stayed Friday – Sunday night.  Playing 42 on Saturday was the highlight of the visit.  Judy and I recently inherited the entire farm that our grandparents purchased in 1910.  I don’t have to Travel by Map to go for a visit but I do Dare To Dream of having a family get away on my portion for the family to enjoy. Returning to live there is no longer realistic, just a dream.

I studied to become a Della Reese to some lucky Perry Mason.   That didn’t materialize but I did find Carl Trimble my first year at Tyler Junior College and as they say, the rest is history.  We were engaged within 3 months and married within 9.  Someday, and if you ask me, I’ll tell you about the Friday he and I both came to school with the other clearly in our plans and then there is the Sunday afternoon he picked me up early for a date.

I had 3 attempts at Toastmasters.   My first experience was in the 80’s at a corporate club.  My manager and I decided to visit and I don’t even remember being welcomed.  I saw no reason to pursue something that didn’t even make sense what they were doing…and I didn’t….UNTIL EMC Mortgage brought Toastmasters to their managers.  Eventually I was encouraged to participate and I did; and enjoyed it.   I served as President for a brand new and 2^nd club that lives on at Chase.  After leaving I went on a long sabbatical until I worked temporarily at Corelogic.  I rejoined and enjoyed the weekly meetings.  I found permanent employment at Nationstar and immediately found another club, Flower Mound, thinking it would be a long time before I could successfully launch Toastmasters at Nationstar Mortgage.  It took less than 6 months and I was suddenly in two clubs and busy busy busy; and loving every minute of it.  I had just entered the empty nest portion of my life and Toastmasters gave me an avenue to be creative and to use those mothering skills I had just lost.  If you are one of my babies, you know who you are.

My unique middle name is a combination of my mother and dad’s middle name:  GILbert and lorENE   – Gilene.  While I love my middle name I never wanted to hear it because it was usually JOYCE GILENE!!!  But my nick name; oh I love it.  Chancee.  Mother heard something that sounded like that meaning love and I was forever Chancee.  Knowing I would never hear the name again when both parents were deceased, I decided it would be my grandmother name.   No name could be sweeter to the ear than 4 little ones calling your name.

I accepted the D25 Summit Manager position…because Jamie Pickering asked me!  A one day event could easily fit into my schedule (I was very vocal I WOULD NOT Chair a 2 day conference) and it had never been done before.   Jamie and I could work together another year and create something new for the district…there would never be another 1^st Summit.