Work on your public speaking. Give your tan a rest.
Take a break from the beach this summer and visit your local Toastmasters club.
60 Minutes Toastmasters provides a fun and friendly environment to build communication and leadership skills using a program that has served millions.
"Toastmasters International has a renowned organizational structure, and members are provided with excellent teaching materials," says Katie Healey, vice-president of education. "These materials teach the foundations of speech writing and provide clear objectives to build and develop public speaking skills."
Speeches are delivered as part of weekly meetings (bi-weekly during the summer), which provide a safe and fun environment for members to practise and succeed at public speaking.
"Do you want an opportunity to practice your communication and leadership skills?” asks Healey. "Then join us! Perhaps you have an upcoming speech or presentation to give or just want to become more comfortable with expressing yourself in social situations."
All members are encouraged to sign up for meeting roles on the club website, which include greeting arrivals to the meeting, providing verbal speech feedback, or chairing the meeting. Written speech evaluations encourage the audience to practise giving constructive and encouraging feedback, and Table Topics give audience members an opportunity to deliver a brief impromptu speech on a specified topic.
"The diversity in club membership ensures that speech topics cover a wide range of subjects," explains Healey. "Be it technical information, folklore storytelling, or exploring abstract concepts, all speeches are created and delivered to be relevant for a general audience.”
The next 60 Minutes Toastmasters summer meeting will be held Aug. 25.
Regular weekly meetings resume Sept. 1, and guests are always welcome. Meetings are held on Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. at the Lewis Centre in Courtenay. Try to arrive five minutes early.
Just drop in. There's no need to RSVP and no cost to guests. You’ll be amazed how much can be accomplished in 60 Minutes.
For more information about the 60 Minutes Toastmaster Club or the two other clubs in the Valley, visit their website at toastmasters.comoxvalley.com.
— 60 Minutes Toastmaster Club