Santa Cruz Downtown Toastmasters (SCDTM) is Club #1803 of Toastmasters International, a global organization that has more than 350,000 members. Members improve their speaking and leadership skills by attending one of over 16,000 clubs in 141 countries that make up a worldwide network of meeting locations.
In its early years, the Santa Cruz Downtown Toastmasters was an all-men group that met at the Dream Inn—as now, early on Friday mornings. Over the years the meetings moved to the Golden West Pancake House, Sambo’s and the DeLaveaga Restaurant, and along the way, women joined and added their voices. Today SCDTM meets at the centrally located Live Oak Senior Center on Capitola Road near 17th Av.
Our membership ebbs and flows from intimate groups of 20 to over 45 members, but whatever the size, the feeling is one of mutual support and camaraderie. Members have many reasons for joining, from overcoming fear of public speaking to meeting new members in the community. Some stay for a year or so, and others are long-term members of over 30 years. All agree that there is a sense of family and shared friendship.
Our club picnic at Wilder Ranch State Park, July 2019.