Stephen Cristy recognized as ‘Distinguished Toastmaster’
Oak Ridge Toastmasters Club has celebration after celebration.
During August and September, the club is the featured organization at the Oak Ridge Public Library cylindrical case in the newspaper section in front of the Circulation counter. The club offers opportunities for people who wish to improve their leadership and public speaking skills. The display includes what is available daily through the benefits of Toastmasters International.
Their special-featured member is Stephen Cristy, who finished his Distinguished Toastmaster, the highest award earned in the organization.
Cristy joined Oak Ridge Toastmasters and was immediately elected to be club treasurer.
Cristy retired from the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant in 2006. He joined his wife Lou Ann, also a Toastmaster, helping people gain confidence in their communication skills. Toastmasters International declared the deadline for the “legacy” educational credits discontinued June 30, 2020. New innovative pathways, which are all online, became the only educational program. Cristy, who was nearly finished with the legacy format, immediately met the final requirements. He earned the highest awards and the most awards earned in one year.
In addition to earning his recognition as a Distinguished Toastmaster, Cristy earned:
• District 63 Distinguished Area Director in 2020 for having 50% of his clubs being Distinguished, and by completing all requirements and reports earlier than deadline. (Area 22 includes three Oak Ridge clubs, plus one near Pellissippi Parkway).
• The District 63 Area Director of the Year.
• The Triple Crown Medal for completing three or more educational levels within one year: Advanced Communicator Gold, Advanced Leader Silver, and Distinguished Toastmaster.
• The year 2020 being the the initial pandemic year, no conferences and awards were in-person. However, Oak Ridge Toastmasters immediately scrambled and became virtual without missing a single meeting twice each month. The Toastmaster conferences went virtual and the awards were sent by mail. The Oak Ridge Toastmasters Club earned Distinguished Club.
• Cristy and Lou Ann, are club sponsor and club mentor of the Tickle Engineering Toastmasters Club, newly formed on The University of Tennessee campus for engineering students.
Visit the Oak Ridge Public Library to see the awards, certificates and trophy Stephen Cristy achieved.
The focus of the Toastmasters program is self-paced learning to meet people and feel comfortable talking with anyone on any topic. Many people dread making speeches, fielding interviews, or leading committees and organizations. Toastmasters provides opportunities to practice developing leadership skills in real situations while strengthening the sense of humor, organizing speeches and technical presentations, and tearing down fears or discomfort in public. Join Toastmasters to improve your grammar, tell jokes, use your voice effectively, speak extemporaneously and “off-the-cuff,” while having fun.
The Cristys lived in Clinton for 18 years and were instrumental in the original formation of the Clinton City Sharks Swim Club and the Clinton High School Swim Team. Steve was a president of the former Optimist Club of Clinton, and continued as an active member nearly to the end of its existence. The family was also instrumental in the original formation of the Clinton Optimist Club soccer program.
All of these activities were crucial to the lives of their children, Sam, Matt, and Jennifer, who are grown and have a total of six children. Sam and Matt participated and won awards in Clinton Optimist Club speech contests. Even after moving to Oak Ridge, Steve directed Optimist speech contests, and the Cristys directed Toastmasters youth leadership trainings at the Clinton Recreation Center and the Clinton Public Library with the cooperation of Clinton Middle School teachers.
Lou Ann earned her Distinguished Toastmaster medallion in 2008. The late Hap West of Clinton was her Toastmaster mentor until his death.
Oak Ridge Toastmasters Club has members from Oliver Springs, and encourages visitors from Clinton and the rest of Anderson County to join the club.
Oak Ridge Toastmasters Club meets in person in Conference Room A-108 at Roane State Community College Oak Ridge Campus (enter at the flag pole and follow signs) at 701 Briarcliff Avenue.
Oak Ridge Toastmasters is a hybrid, meeting in-person and virtually beginning at 6:30 p.m. and ending definitely by 7:45 p.m. on te second and fourth Mondays.
Its website is oakridge.toastmastersclubs.org.
Find tje club’s Facebook at Oak Ridge Toastmasters for more information.
