Sight impaired Rainbow Nation Toastmasters Club President, Shirley de Bruijn, challenged members to Persevere and Conquer this year. The club’s membership drive in September targeted diversity (gender, race, occupation, disability, disadvantaged, etc.). In addition, the club aims to nurture all people with the potential to be leaders in the community and improve people's skills to serve the community well.

As part of this membership campaign, a press release was sent out explaining how Toastmasters in Southern Africa opens doors to all members of our community, and included a summary of the role of the John Whiffen Golden City Memorial Trust. The resulting article published in the Vereeniging Ster follows.

As a follow-up, the Rainbow Nation Toastmasters Club held a Blind Awareness night at their meeting on 7 October. This timing coincided with World Sight Day (9 October) and the visit of our Area Governor, Jonathan Ramotsei. At the meeting members were given the opportunity to perform their assignments blindfolded, giving them first-hand experience of the challenge of being blind.  A number of the members dared to do this, and Esaian Masilo made sure that his "victims" for Table Topics were blindfolded for their task. Shirley's guide dog, Wicker, was also in attendance. Finally, blindfolds and other goodies were raffled at the end of the evening, raising R250 for the John Whiffen Golden City Memorial Trust.

Our congratulations to sight impaired Shirley de Bruijn, who enjoyed double celebrations during the Club’s annual banquet on 24 June 2008: Shirley was installed as President of the Rainbow Nation Toastmasters Club, and she was awarded the Club’s Toastmaster of the Year for her past achievements. These honours were presented by Toastmasters District 74 (Southern Africa) Secretary, Marie Ribeiro.