The Alamosa Toastmasters Club celebrates receiving its official charter in December 2019.

ALAMOSA — This year so far has been far from the usual for everyone, including non-profit groups here in Alamosa and the San Luis Valley. An example of one is Toastmasters International, a club with a chapter based in Alamosa for those who want to practice public speaking and leadership skills.

According to Alamosa Toastmasters Club President Tyler Keck, the group has been around for many years in various forms. The international organization’s headquarters is based here in Colorado, but has more than 358,000 members in more than 143 countries.

“We officially became a chartered club with Toastmasters International in December of 2019,” he said. “This was very exciting, especially for those that have been involved for many years.” As of that date, the club has 21 members located throughout the San Luis Valley, including Alamosa, Monte Vista, La Jara and San Luis. Based in Alamosa, the club would normally be meeting once a week in the conference center at the Bridge in Alamosa.

Because of COVID, the group switched to an online form of meetings. “COVID created a number of changes in the club, starting with us being conscious of the health and safety of the individuals at the Bridge,” Keck explained. Since March, the club has continued its meetings using Zoom, and in this digital age, has given all of our members a chance to become better at running, facilitating and mastering online meetings.”

The new online format, however, is not the same as meeting in person. “We have had a couple of members that have decided to wait until we can resume in-person meetings,” he said.

“But our core group has adapted well and continues to meet each week. Meeting online has allowed us to continue to share vital information and enhance our communication. Our club has found the ability to see someone’s face - albeit not in person - is still far better than just hearing a voice on a phone conversation.”

For now, the club has not determined when in-person meetings will resume. “Overall, our members understand that we are living in a strange time and we have to adapt through the use of online meetings,” Keck said. “Alamosa Toastmasters Club is open to all, and we have everyone from students to retirees. Communication is something we use every day, and our club mission is to provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members can achieve greater selfconfidence and personal growth.”

The Alamosa Toastmasters group can be found on Facebook, and for more information can be reached by emailing AlamosaTM@gmail. com, or call Keck directly at 719- 852-4761. For more information about Toastmasters, go to www.toastmasters.org.