Tag: public speaking

Toastmasters Gave Me Back My Voice

Marjorie holding her 1st Place trophy from the Division E humorous speech contest.

For most of us, speaking in front of two or more people can be uncomfortable, even frightful. For me, it was exceptionally so. When I was 30 years old, I left my native country, Haiti, and needed to learn to speak English. My accent made it hard for me to communicate and this new challenging world of the United States took my voice away and made me silent.

Despite my silence, I was always seeking for any opportunity to grow. I realized that I could not become a better version of myself if I did not overcome that fear of speaking. I knew I had to learn how to properly talk with others.

At my first Toastmasters meeting, I joined Impact 21. The club welcomed me and encouraged me to participate in Table Topic. Impact 21 was the place to be. They coached me and helped me leave my corner. After a few months, the club encouraged me to participate in the humorous speech competition, which was way out of my comfort zone. The challenge was thrilling. I even made it to the District contest!

Continue reading “Toastmasters Gave Me Back My Voice”

Club Spotlight: Impact 21

Club: Impact 21

Charter Date: March 29, 2002

2016-2017 Officers: Left to Right: Area 51 Director Oscar Ocasio, ACG, ALB, President Marjorie Nazaire, CC; VP of Education Manny Reyes, ACG, ALB, VP Membership; and Treasurer Cyndi Wilson DTM, VP PR Margarita Estrada, ACS, ALS; and Sgt. at Arms & Secretary Mario Lewis, ACG, CL

 

 

Club Members In Their Own Words:

I was painfully shy and could not even present my final graduate paper to my peers.  English as a second language also pushed me back to a dark corner.  My best friend told me about Toastmasters.  I visited Impact 21 in January 2016 and felt at home.  The club has given me my voice back and I realized that my accent should not be an handicap.  I shared my story with my fellow toastmasters and they gave me a confidence that I did not know existed in me.  Little by little I left my comfort zone, and volunteering for table topics allowed me to start and be part of any conversation. – President Marjorie Nazaire, CC

I joined Toastmasters because I wanted to be a better speaker and presenter. But I never thought I would find joy, friendship, camaraderie and passion for growth and personal development.  I started in Toastmasters by locating the Club that was closest to my house, where I have been a member for some time now. I have learned in turn that more than convenience you have to look for the Club that is the closest to your heart. Where you find that you can grow and help others in their own journey. A Club where you can see the type of leaders and speakers that you feel the closest to your own likes and needs. Where you learn and help others learn. Where every meeting is an adventure and a documentary of things that happened, things that are happening and things one hope will happen. Putting these goals and treasures together is how I ended up coming to Impact 21. – Manny Reyes, VP of Education, ACG, ALB

Continue reading “Club Spotlight: Impact 21”

Swimming in Toastmasters Alphabet Soup

As an active Toastmaster, it’s very easy to forget that not everyone knows what it means to have a CC (Competent Communicator) or be a DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster). We often do this as we’re explaining the Toastmasters program to potential members. When we use the intialisms, we often lose new members in jargon. New and potential members, this list of commonly used Toastmasters phrases is for you. Old pros, print this list out, attach it to a chain around your neck, and hand it to everyone who gets lost when you talk about Toastmasters. (Ok, maybe don’t do that.)

Speaking Awards

Competent Communicator (CC)- Earned after first 10 speeches.
Advanced Communicator Bronze (ACB)- Second speaking award.
Advanced Communicator Silver (ACS) – Third speaking award
Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG)- Fourth speaking award

Continue reading “Swimming in Toastmasters Alphabet Soup”

Meet the Area Directors: George Bertele

Name: George Bertele, CC ALB

Position: 2017-2018 Area 41 Director

Club(s): State Street Princeton Toastmasters

Other positions: 2015-2016 VP Membership, 2016-2017 President and, 2017-2018 VP Membership – all with State Street Princeton Toastmasters

How long have you been in Toastmasters?  Since June, 2014 when our club was chartered

What are your plans for the district/area/division?

For Area 41, I look forward to getting to know the clubs more (I have previously been a visitor to a couple of them). Then, I want to see how the motivation level is for each club, and find out how I can help and what advice I can share. And of course, I am hoping to have a Distinguished Area this year.

Why did you join Toastmasters?

I always knew I was “OK” at doing presentations at work, but also realized there was definitely room for improvement. Also, I thought learning about leadership would help longer term with my career, as I had previously supervised a few individuals in my team, and again did “OK”, but also realized, as with my speaking, I could always improve. Plus, the founder of our club, Laura Lee, really bugged me a lot about joining.

Continue reading “Meet the Area Directors: George Bertele”

Anne Gilson Talks About the Fall Conference

Past District Governor Anne Gilson, DTM, shares some of the events which will take place at the District 83 Fall Conference, Saturday, November 18 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Somerset, NJ. Register on the District 83 website.

Dr. Ansley W. LaMar: Toastmaster Superstar

Raised in The Soundview Class-Point projects, in was is now considered the south Bronx, Dr. Ansley W. LaMar has been associated with New Jersey City University for over 40 years. He is a professor of psychology. Dr. LaMar has also served as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Director of the Educational Opportunity Fund Program, and the Chairman of the Psychology Department. “Dedicated to the belief that all people are gifted and talented,” Dr. LaMar founded LaMar Educational Enterprises, LLC. and SuperKidz Kamp, Inc. a 7-day, fun-filled, residential camping experience that uses challenging activities, cooperative games, and opportunities for reflection to develop the leadership capabilities of 11 to17 year olds. He is a proud Toastmaster and shares how much he has positively impacted his fellow Toastmasters.

  1. What inspired you to join Toastmasters? How did Toastmasters benefit you?

I originally joined Toastmasters because I wanted to become a motivational speaker. I had a vision of giving inspiring speeches, which changed the lives of college students throughout the metropolitan area.

I benefited from Toastmasters in a number of ways. First, going through each of the advanced manuals increased my flexibility and breadth as a speaker. Second, every time I gave a speech in my club, I learned something that I could use to increase the quality of my presentation. And finally, and most importantly, I developed friendships that I value.

Continue reading “Dr. Ansley W. LaMar: Toastmaster Superstar”

Club Spotlight: Toastmasters of Westfield

Club: Toastmasters of Westfield

Charter Date: March 1, 1961

Club Members In Their Own Words:

“I joined the Toastmasters of Westfield to help me advance my career. At that time, my direct supervisor at NBA Properties informed me that in order to get promoted to the Director level I needed to feel more comfortable speaking at staff meetings and doing presentations to large audiences. I developed the skills I needed and earned the Director position. Toastmasters has helped me in many aspects of my life professionally and personally. 20 years later I’m still an active participant and mentor.”- Anne Goldman Swartz, DTM

“Toastmasters ‘Keeps Me Coming Back’ – Our Westfield Group had been consistently supportive, warm and dear to me for over 23 years. I joined to become more confident, go after a higher level position in the Auto Industry and later to become a Motivational Speaker for a Major Weight Loss Company.  Communication is the key – never stop!”- Noel Crawford, DTM

“I joined Toastmasters so I can learn to craft my message and deliver it in a meaningful way. The aspects of leadership development were not even something on my radar until I realized they were available to me. Using the communications track as well as the leadership track, I am more confident in personal and business situations. The fact that I have met so many great people who are now my friends is just the icing on the cake.” –Lou Bonanno

 

Continue reading “Club Spotlight: Toastmasters of Westfield”

3 Reasons to Join Toastmasters

We all have our reasons for going to our first Toastmasters meeting. Usually, they are some variation of “my boss made me come” or “I want to become a better speaker.” However, those statements don’t explain the benefits of Toastmasters.

Here are 3 reasons to join Toastmasters:

Reason 1: To boost self-esteem. Toastmasters is a friendly environment, which makes it the perfect place to overcome your fear of public speaking and become a confident leader.

Reason 2: Toastmasters rewards milestones and helps you set personal and professional goals. Recognition is earned after your first 5 speeches, after certain leadership roles are completed, and that’s just the beginning. You also get satisfaction from knowing you play an important role in your club.

Reason 3: To meet different people, network, and be part of a community. You’ll make lifelong friends in Toastmasters.

Register for the Fall Conference

Are you ready for the Fall Conference? If you haven’t registered yet, click here to do so. Currently, the price for early registration is 65 dollars, but act fast because the price goes up 5 dollars on September 1st. 

From Challenge to Opportunity: A Rebrand Gives a Club New Life

In every challenge there is something to be learned and if you can make it out to the other side there are rewards to reap. Rockland Toastmasters is an example of that.

Rockland Toastmasters of Rockland County NY was founded in 2010. At that time it was called Nyack Toastmasters, after the small town the club met in. Throughout the years as the club changed and evolved, the constant was the location, a local library, a favorite to those who walked through the doors as it boasted year round views of the Hudson River and it’s charm reflected the villages vibe of art and community. In 2016, after much thought and consideration, it was decided the club would be changing locations.  

Rockland Toastmasters’ officers at training.

As Toastmasters is a non profit organization, members pay a minimal yearly fee to cover costs and take pride in volunteering their time as officers and filling other various roles within their chapter to ensure the success of their club and personal progression in public speaking. Yearly fees are used for a variety of things- materials for marketing, resources for members, contests, and open houses are typical and needed to make clubs feel well resourced. In the case of Nyack Toastmasters, starting in 2015, these fees were going solely to paying rent for the bi-monthly meetings. With only a small bank account balance, soon it became apparent that the fee was no longer maintainable.

Continue reading “From Challenge to Opportunity: A Rebrand Gives a Club New Life”