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"The best and most honest thing I can say about ToastMasters is that during my eight years in our club, I have seen many of our members improve their speaking and leadership skills to such an extent that it has been noticed by their supervisors and has resulted in them getting promotions." - Mike
"For some people, public speaking comes a little more naturally, for me, not so much so. I remember in 6th grade when I had to stand before my class and give a small presentation, I literally got so dizzy I almost passed out. From that day forward I had completely sworn off any type of public speaking. This has followed me all these many years, until a few months ago when I walked through the doors of a Toastmaster meeting.
I realized early on what this Toastmaster group was doing for me. They were helping me to find my strong points while gently encouraging me to improve on my weaker ones. Another form of encouragement I often experience is when one of my group members reveals the struggles they also have with public speaking. This type of empathy has allowed me to realize that I am not alone in my fears. Everyone in my group is part of the success I am starting to feel with the Toastmaster program. Add it all up and it equals the beginning of success, especially for me." - Larry
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Herald Article (04Oct09) - Toastmasters flourishes in a global economy |
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For pdf of article, click here - text is below. At the Toastmasters International 2009 Annual Convention in Mashantucket, Connecticut last month, President Jana Barnhill announced that a record number of new club were formed worldwide, Toastmasters membership exceeded 250,000 for the first time and Toastmasters has expanded to 106 countries. In a global economy that has experienced the worst downturn in decades with thousands of companies closing their doors and hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs, how is it that Toastmasters International continues to grow and flourish?
In order to survive, businesses are taking action to improve their service and customer relations to build loyal and customer retention. At the heart of this effort is the need to improve communications between employees and customers as well as between departments within the company. Recognizing that Toastmasters International provides one of the most cost-effective communications and leadership educational programs available, these companies are recommending that their employees join Toastmasters, and many of them sponsor new clubs on their premises.
People are joining Toastmasters to improve their communications and leadership skills to become more valuable to their companies through communication and effective meeting management. These skills are crucial for job security. Likewise, people who are seeking jobs are joining to learn the skills that will make them more attractive to prospective employers and to become more adept at handling job interviews.
District 2 Toastmasters encompasses the northern Puget Sound region, with boundaries ranging from Kent to the Canadian border and from Puget Sound to the Cascade Mountains. There are more than 160 Toastmasters Clubs in this District, both corporate and community-focused, that, through regular meetings provide the means for people to improve their communication and leadership skills. As a community outreach, District 2 Toastmasters provides two programs: JobMasters and JobMasters Plus to specifically teach interviewing skills to jobseekers. JobMasters is a one-day seminar program, and JobMasters Plus is a program that consists of several weekly meetings so that attendees can practice their new skills regularly. One need not be a Toastmasters Member to attend these meetings.
District 2 Governor Jim Sultan invites people interested in learning more about Toastmasters to log in to their website: http://d2tm.org/ to learn more about the program and to find a local club to visit. Companies interested in exploring how to start a Toastmasters Club in their offices may contact Mr. Sultan through the website. |
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