Tag: toastmasters

Why I am a Toastmaster

Five years ago this week, after a lot of research and with a heap of trepidation, I visited Old Bridge Toastmasters for the first time. I felt a little awkward going to something where I didn’t know anyone, but the people were friendly enough.

They had this interesting program where you could earn awards for completing different sets of tasks. It appealed to me as a nerd, but there was no way I would ever be able to summon the courage to do all of this. 40 speeches? I couldn’t possibly have that much to say. Be a club officer? Maybe one day, I could build up the courage to run for Sergeant at Arms. Serve as a district officer? Terrifying! Mentor someone? I have nothing to offer anyone, I thought.

And yet, when we had an open house two months later, I offered to be the guinea pig and give my first speech. When it came time to elect officers, I took a deep breath and ran for Vice President of Education. As my confidence grew, I took on more. Metaphorically speaking, a crawl became a walk became a run.

Continue reading “Why I am a Toastmaster”

From Author to Toastmaster

I first joined Hunterdon Speak Easy toastmaster club in March of 2016. I had just published my first book and was feeling very shy about speaking to the general public about it, so a few people encouraged me to seek out a Toastmasters club. I went to two other clubs in the district 21 area before deciding on Hunterdon Speak Easy, and I have to confess that it was the warmth and support that quickly encouraged me to become a member. Within a year, I had not only defeated my fear of public speaking but also earned a CC while working to complete a CL simultaneously. I also found myself participating in contests and taking on roles I normally would have been too shy to accept. 

My continued attendance and participation has enhanced both my speaking and leadership skills. Joining Toastmasters was a terrific decision for my professional and personal development. If you’re reading this and not quite sure about becoming a toastmaster, I will simply encourage you to trust the process. It works!! 

How to Keep Existing Members Motivated

“I’m getting new members, but how do I retain my core team to support the growth?”
 
This is a firsthand plight of a club President. If you were a club president or part of the core team, you know what this means.
 
What makes people stick to a club? There is no single answer for this. Each person has their own unique needs and wants when they join a club or a social circle. Following are some key ‘needs’ my core team and I thought of while I was a president of Parsippany Toastmasters club. As the current VP PR I think about it more.
 
* Need for affiliation – why do some of us prefer a ROLEX over an unknown brand or why do we prefer BENZ/BMW over another? Simple answer is some of us get satisfaction and self worth thru association with a brand. Most of us have this in ourselves to be associated with a brand. Therefore, make the brand stand out so tall and valuable so that the members want to be part of it.
 
* Need for achievement – some of us need to achieve and that’s our top priority. The inner drive pushes us until we active are satisfied. The club which gives more opportunity to its members will stand out and appear more attractive to these kinds of members. Remember, its not about you. Its about them.

Continue reading “How to Keep Existing Members Motivated”

Reaching Out to Millennials

“Seasoned” members of Speechmeisters Toastmasters.

I recently dropped my eldest daughter off at college. She is a dedicated student academically, but I tried to convey to her the importance “soft skills” play in the game of life, namely communication. Uwanna Ikaiiddi from Study Breaks wrote, “I would argue that it is the single most-important skill in our modern world…A huge part of communication is not only doing it in the first place, it’s also knowing what situations call for which type of communication methods.”

 
Born in 1998, my daughter could be considered a Millennial. She pursued music and theater in school, so she is no stranger to speaking before an audience, and therefore more comfortable communicating than many of her generation. Studies cite the lack of leadership and communication skills in current college graduates. Useful skills that can be learned, practiced and nurtured in Toastmasters.
 
For one recent graduate, Shahil, a frustrating freeze at the podium during grade 9 prompted him to join Toastmasters as a college freshman. Even more daunting for Shahil was the fact that English is not his first language. Shahil grew up in Nepal and came to the US to attend University.

Continue reading “Reaching Out to Millennials”

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.