News and Events

Andy Craig Excels in the District Speech Contest!

The Will Rogers Club can be so proud of our own member Andy Craig for placing 3rd at the Oklahoma Toastmasters District Conference held on April 20, 2024. He did the very best he has ever done…& now is more than ever ready to continue winning with more competitions and speeches and events…international is still in his sight!

Yay Andy! Proud of you!

(Contributed by Sandy Knox)

Andy Craig’s dramatic conclusion

Easter at the Piano

Sandy Knox, professional pianist, and 18-year member of Will Rogers Toastmasters performed her “Easter at the Piano” program 17 places this year. She performs regularly at various venues around the Tulsa area. Toastmasters has helped her tremendously when speaking with her audiences. Attending weekly Toastmasters meeting has also increased her confidence in all aspects of her life, including performance.

Christmas Party

Our annual Christmas Party was held on December 5, 2023 at the home of Ray Poudrier. The food was superb and everyone had a good time. Appreciation goes to the Poudriers for hosting this annual event.

International Speech Contest

A special meeting was held on October 3, 2023 to listen to the finalists from the Toastmasters International Speech Contest. Members were invited to listen and to judge each of the six finalists and to compare with the ultimate announced winners. We also celebrated the occasion by bringing food from the various countries from our ancestral background. The food was excellent and everyone enjoyed the occasion. A number of our members have recent ancestral connections to Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, India, Mexico, Nepal, Taiwan, and Viet Nam. We cherish the diversity of our club members!

75th Anniversary Party a Huge Success!

Around 50 people met at Golden Corral on August 22, 2023 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Will Rogers Toastmasters Club on August 20, 1948. The event was attended by current members, past members, District 16 officials and Channel 6 news. The party was an epic event, and a considerable amount of credit goes to Sandy Knox who was the principal organizer of the event. There were many photos taken and a few will be shared below.

Past President Sandy Bach, DTM, presents a special gift to Sandy Knox who organized the event.

Attendees meeting in a decorated room with a patriotic theme.

District Director Ray Willis, DTM, congratulates The Will Rogers Club for its success.

President’s Distinguished Party

The Will Rogers Club celebrated being President’s Distinguished for 15 straight years at a meeting held on June 27, 2023. The picture below shows the past presidents of the club over the past 15 years. The picture includes a screen photo of Mahesh Pujari who was able to participate from India via zoom. The meeting was a huge success. Credit goes to Sandy Knox who coordinated the program and did an outstanding job in putting the program together. Two of the past presidents were unable to attend.

Festive, patriotic cakes were provided at the meeting to all who attended. These were prepared by Sandy Knox.

Club Elects New Officers for 2023-2024 Year

The Will Rogers Club can expect another good year due to an outstanding slate of officers that was installed at the meeting on June 27, 2023.

From left to right: Michelle Craig, VP Public Relations; Lydia Fantoni, Secretary; Ray Poudrier, Treasurer; Chris Hickey, Sergeant at Arms; LiChing Hickey, VP Membership; Michelle Stewart, VP Education; Sandy Bach, President. Sandy Bach has since stepped down as President due to commitments on a new job. She has been replaced by Barbara Crockett.

A Job Well Done

Joe Charleston did an outstanding job as President for the 2022-2023 year. Past President Andy Craig presents a plaque to Joe Charleston in recognition of his strong leadership during the year.

Congratulations to Chandra Nandikolla

Congratulations to Chandra Nandikolla, DTM, for recently receiving an MBA degree from the University of Oklahoma. He has worked hard over the past four years and his dream for receiving an MBA has been achieved. Chandra credits Will Rogers members for their encouragement and for the high standards promoted by the club. Chandra is the past Program Quality Director for District 16.

Andy Craig Shines at the District Conference

Andy Craig, DTM, “knocked it out of the park” at the District Conference held on April 29, 2023 with his speech “Choosing to Win”. His 30-minute presentation was well-received and we are proud to have him represent the Will Rogers Club.

Andy Craig, DTM, is presented an award certificate by Chanda Nandikolla, DTM, Program Quality Director, and also a member of the Will Rogers Club

Meet the Most Patriotic and Enthusiastic Member!

President Andy Craig said it so well at our July 6 meeting when introducing Jon Danh as the Toastmaster for the evening. Jon is an immigrant to this country from Viet Nam and has become a proud citizen of the United States.

Andy Craig Joins Professional Speakers Bureau International

The Will Rogers Club is proud to announce that Andy Craig has joined Professional Speakers Bureau International as one of its elite speakers. Andy is an international keynote speaker and trainer. This is indeed a true honor for Andy and our congratulations! The link below provides additional details.

Www.TerrificSpeakers.com/andy-craig

Andy Craig’s New Book

Andy Craig has written a new book that is available on Amazon. His book is entitled Passion Power: Discover the 3 Indispensable Keys to Your Success! Andy Craig walks you through the three key areas in creating the success you seek in life. He starts with the question: “Are you settling?” He shares his own journey in the pursuit of his desires in life. He continues and discusses the 3 keys to empowering your success. (1) Your Past. Break through the bondage that has held you captive in your past. (2) Your Provision. Uncover the hidden resources you have in your provision. (3) Your Purpose. Unleash what you were created for with your purpose. Follow these three keys to wield your Passion Power and fuel the achievement of your hidden desires.

Early reviews of the book were very positive.

New Members

The Will Rogers Club welcomes several new members to the club. These include: Roye Carroll, Makila Steed, Steve Brody, Byom Adhikari, and Tresa Moses.

Roye Carroll. Roye joins Toastmasters with a goal of improving his skills and confidence as a speaker. He already brings a lot of skill as an impromptu speaker.

Makila Steed. Makila works for HICORP, which is a local advertising company. She is a former Toastmaster. She is joining Will Rogers with a goal of improving her speaking and leadership skills as well as improving self-confidence.

Steve Brody. Steve Brody joins Will Rogers with a goal of improving his leadership skills and self-confidence. He is a local contractor. The picture below shows that Steve won the Best Speaker award when giving his icebreaker speech.

Byom Adhikari. Byom, originally from Nepal, came to the United States in 2017 to pursue graduate studies at Cal Poly, Pomona, California. He received a Masters Degree in Structural Engineering in 2020 and currently works for Cyntergy in Tulsa. He joined Toastmasters with the goal of enhancing his communication and social skills, improving pronunciation, and reducing social anxiety.

Tresa Moses. Tresa is a native of Tulsa. She joins Will Rogers with a goal of becoming more proficient in communication and becoming a more effective leader.