I had completed a two hour sales presentation where I did not get the business that I was after.  After every sales presentation you should do a self critique about what you did right and what you did do wrong.  As part of that self critique I realized that during that two or so hours I must have said AH at least two hundred times.  I had known for quite some time that Toastmasters said they could help you get rid of your ahs, so I realized that it was time for me to find out if they really could. 
I called the Toastmasters telephone recording (602) 254-3255 and had Doris Koressel send me a map of clubs on the west side of the Phoenix metro area.  The T-Bird Talks club had a convenient time (7-8:30 AM) and location for me so I visited one time and joined at the next meeting. 
About three or four meetings and a couple of  participations in table topics got rid of my ahs, but I found that I was having fun at every meeting so I stayed. 

In October 1994 I also joined Camelback Toastmasters, which meets in the evenings (6:35-8:15 PM).  In September 1998 I let my membership in T-Bird Talks lapse because getting up early in the morning has become difficult for me.  To replace it I joined Speak Out West TM (12:15 - 1:15 PM) in October 1998. 

I am a proficient judge for speech contests and have attended judges training several times. As such I have judged contests at the club, area, division, and district level.  I have been the chief judge for a number of club and area speech contests. 
Judged state level DECA and VICA speech and entrepreneurial contests for high school students in 1996, 1997, and 1998. 
Judged the speech contest at the thirteenth Region II Academic Decathlon (for high school students) in February 1998. 

Judged a national level speech contest in 1996 for the Young Business 
Professionals Organization (high school students) that was meeting in Phoenix even though the organization does not have any chapters in Arizona

Club Sponsor: 
Money Talks TM, #5735, June 1998 

How to Listen Effectively - twice - for the T-Bird Talks and Camelback clubs 

Building Your Thinking Power, Part I, Mental Flexibility - for Camelback 

Building Your Thinking Power, Part II, The Power of Ideas - for Camelback 

Attended District 3 Toastmasters Leadership Institute Facilitator's 
training in 1998 and taught an Effective Listening class at the June 
1998 TLI. Attended or taught every officer training course offered since the first time I was a club officer in 1995. Taught VPE duties for officer training prior to district 3 starting TLI.

Completed four Youth Leadership as coordinator, assisted in four more youth leaderships, and judged about six youth leadership "speakoffs" for other youth leadership coordinators. 

Wrote the basic club manual and guest packets for T-Bird Talks, 
Camelback, Speak Out West, and Money Talks TM clubs.  Through the floppy disks that I have given out with examples of club manuals and much more information I probably have had a hand in writing manuals, guest packets, forms, and other things for a number of clubs. 

In the 1995-1996 year as VPE I helped the Camelback club get the Phoenix Award for building the membership up from 8 to 20 members in a six month period. 

In the 1997-1998 year I was a "Club Medic" for the Speak Out West club. 

I have mentored many new members through their first four or five 
speeches, and a few for even longer than that.