Our luncheon this week will be held on Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at the Best Western Abbey Inn

Toastmasters International is the largest public speaking organization in the world with over 200,000 members in almost 12,000 clubs in more than 80 countries.  Locally, Toastmasters has had Club in Southern Utah located in St. George, Cedar City, Kanab and Moab as well as in Mesquite, Nevada.  More than 750 people in southern Utah and in Mesquite have been or are presently members of Toastmasters.  The St. George Area Chamber of Commerce has been the #1 supporter of Toastmasters with hundreds of business owners and employees in the Chamber having joined Toastmasters and improved their listening, thinking and speaking skills as well as obtaining and improving their leadership abilities.

This Wednesday's Luncheon features perhaps the best known member of Toastmasters, Mr. Virginius 'Jinks' Dabney, a local trial attorney and a long time member of the Dixie Sunshiners, the St. George Exchange Club and a former member of  the St. George Chamber Board of Directors and St. George Chamber Legal Counsel.

Jinks has been a member of Toastmasters for over 35 years having served as Club President of five Clubs, Area Governor twice and has also been awarded the highest designation awarded by Toastmasters, the Distinguished Toastmaster Award - two times, and within two years he expects to obtain this award an nprecedented third time.  He is also a recent inductee of the National Speakers Association Las Vegas, Nevada Chapter.  He will be speaking about the history, growth and importance of public speaking in both your personal as well as your professional life.  He will invite those who need one more New Year's resolution to round out the 2009 New Year by committing to join Toastmasters.