This is the start of a blog I will be keeping as President of NDG Leader Toastmasters Club, to let the world know what we are up to at our wonderful Toastmasters Club.
NDG Leader Toastmasters has been in existence for nearly 20 years, helping individuals from across Montreal improve their communication and leadership skills in a safe, supportive environment. We have a wonderful group of members who make coming to one of our meetings a true pleasure. We hope to see you there.
Toastmasters International, the not-for-profit organisation we are a part of, has been in existence since 1924 and has helped countless people become more confident as public speakers. At time of writing there are over 270,000 members worldwide in over 14,000 clubs across 148 countries - truly, an impressive global presence to be a part of!
So what is a meeting like? While the exact format of meetings varies between clubs, the main components are the same: a well organized meeting that features 1) prepared speeches, 2) Table Topics®, and 3) evaluations. Prepared speeches are typically 5-7 minute speeches on a topic determined by our educational program, Pathways. Table Topics® are 1-2 minute impromptu mini-speeches based on a prompt. Evaluations are, well, evaluations of the prepared speeches and evaluations. It is a tried-and-true combination of activities to get you communicating better.
We also can’t forget the leadership aspects of Toastmasters. Each Club is a self-run organisation of its members, with many roles available to play. The executive is ideally composed of seven members each with a distinct role, but at a minimum a President and Secretary are necessary for the functioning of a Club. There may be many other non-executive roles which a Club can choose to have as well (eg. Mentoring Coordinator). These are excellent opportunities to get involved and improve your leadership skills.
All in all there is lots to gain and to learn in being a member of Toastmasters. We are truly the world’s best-kept secret. We want you to join us to improve your own communication and leadership skills, and contribute to the vibrancy of our Club. I’ll be describing our meetings in more detail in this blog, but please join us any time at our meetings Thursdays at 7pm at 4810 Rosedale Avenue in NDG in Montreal.
Thanks for reading and see you soon!.
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