25th Anniversary Celebration: Plainfield Area Toastmasters Club

On the evening of Tuesday, November 5th, the Bridge Builders Club of Plainfield celebrated its 25th Anniversary. A sudden power outage added an element of surprise, but the celebrants were undeterred by that challenge. Celebrants included current and past Bridge Builders, McDermott/CB&I senior management, members of other nearby Toastmasters clubs, Toastmasters Area 51 Director, and other invited guests.

CB&I Senior Management expressed continued support of the club – offering appreciation to the club for positively impacting so many employees over the last two and a half decades. Three of the original 20 charter members attended the event – each shared special memories. Some other current and former members spoke too and told of how powerfully they had been impacted by their Bridge Builders Club experiences. Many fun recollections and touching moments were shared to the delight of all who attended.

Several official awards were presented at the anniversary celebration. The Bridge Builders Club was pleased to receive Toastmasters International’s highest annual club honor – the President’s Distinguished Club Award. This was the club’s 7th straight year of receiving that impressive recognition. Two individual awards were also presented. Dick Poirier was honored as 2018-2019 Area 52 Toastmaster of the Year. Dick has been a Bridge Builders member for all 25 years. He is serving as the club’s president for the 2019-2020 club year. The 2018-2019 Area 52 President of the Year award was bestowed upon Megan Vining. She was also a co-recipient of that award for the 2017-2018 club year. Megan joined Bridge Builders in 2016 and is currently the club’s VP of Education.

Toastmasters International has local clubs throughout the world. (There are two in Plainfield.) The purpose of the club is to help its members grow their communication and leadership skills in a supportive and positive learning environment. Bridge Builders Club is sponsored by McDermott/CB&I, and its members are grateful for the company’s on-going support. The club is open to the general community as well as CB&I employees.

The Bridge Builders Club welcomes guests! Meetings are held over the lunch hour on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month. Start time is 11:45 AM. Location is the McDermott/CB&I office on Route 59 (14105 S Route 59) in Plainfield. For additional information, contact the club via BridgeBuildersTM@gmail.com.