"TOASTMASTERS” BUILDS COMMUNICATION SKILLS

There may be more than a few people who know about the association called “toastmasters” but for some who have been through some of its courses, the sacrifices are paying back.

This is true with Jane B. Rolen, the Novo Vizcayano who left the country to stay with his American husband in the U.S. and landed on a job with legal services. After years of perseverance, she has climbed the ladder of success, now Executive Assistant to the Regional Commissioner of the Social Security Administration in the Atlanta Region and, in 2007, was chosen as one of the “Who’s Who in the Asian-American Communities (WWAC) of the South Eastern USA.

Toastmasters, Rolen said, is an association of professionals which is actually an international org. It is the leading movement devoted to making effective oral communication a worldwide reality.

Jane B. Rolen (center), the Novo Vizcayano who has made it to a high-ranking position of the Social Security Administration in the U.S., discusses with fellow “toasmasters” her speeches to be delivered to complete her “communication track.”

Through its member-clubs, Toastmasters helps men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking -- vital skills that promote self-actualization, enhance leadership potential, foster human understanding and contribute to the betterment of mankind.

The mission of the Toastmasters club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every individual member has the opportunity and positive oral communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.

Rolen discussed sexual harassment in one of her speeches under the “communication track” manual.

In her speech, she said: “Let me start by giving you two case examples of sexual harassment.  The first case is about a Supervisor who calls his secretary into his office, locks the door, pushes her to the wall, start to touch, fondle and kiss her.  The secretary fights back, pushes him back and was able to get away.  The following day, she reports it to authorities, and the agency takes immediate action.   They separate the harasser from the victim.  During the investigation, the supervisor was asked to retire.  In other words, the ‘relationship’ was terminated immediately.  This case went to hearing at the Employment Security Commission.  The EEOC ruled that the agency was not liable and did not grant the complainant any monetary awards.  Why?  Because the agency took immediate action to terminate the relationship and no further harassment occurred.

The second example is about an employee who was in her own cubicle, and overhears two male employees telling sexual jokes.  She gets offended and complains to her supervisor.  The supervisor calls both men in, and tells them to stop.  The male employees went back to their work area, but on their way out, harassed the female employee and called her names for “telling on them”.  Names that I could not repeat in this forum.  The female employee goes back to the supervisor and reports this incident again.  Nothing was done.  The harassment continued.  The female employee starts getting depressed, upset, acquired stomach problems, HBP, anxiety and stress.  She goes to the doctor and was able to document all the medical conditions caused by the harassment.  Of course she provided all these at the hearing.  EEOC grants her $30,000 for pain and suffering.  Why? You would think that the first case deserved this award more than this because of the physical contact.  The reason is, the Sexual Harassment policy states that there should NOT be any retaliation against the victim.  By the agency not doing anything to stop this after the victim reports the harassment, the agency became liable. The agency did not do anything about it, and did not make an effort to terminate the relationship between the victim and harassers.

With that being said, it is government policy to maintain a work environment that is free from harassment based on race, color, religion, sex (whether or not of a sexual nature), national origin, age, disability and free from retaliatory harassment  based on opposition to discrimination or participation on discrimination complaint proceedings.  This prohibition covers anyone in the workplace – supervisors, co-workers, or non-employees.”

Rolen is the eldest daughter of Genaro O. Basilio Sr., retired personnel officer of the provincial government of Nueva Vizcaya and former registrar of St. Louis School.#