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Toastmasters
International
"Community
Speak E-Z" Club #62
West Covina, California
What is Toastmasters?
Most schools and universities
don't offer this
type of training. Toastmasters does. In
Toastmasters you'll
learn how to formulate, express and sell your ideas and yourself with
poise and confidence. You'll improve your ability to listen
and
evaluate others' ideas, and you'll learn leadership skills along the
way!
The
Mission of
Toastmasers International
Toastmasters International is
the leading
movement devoted to making effective oral communciation a worldwide
reality.
Through its member clubs,
Toastmasters
International helps men and women learn the arts of speaking,
listening, and thinking--vital skills that promote self-actualization,
enhance leadership potential, foster human understanding, and
contribute to the betterment of mankind.
It is basic to this mission
that Toastmasters
International continually expand its worldwide network of clubs,
thereby offering ever-greater numbers of people the opportunity to
benefit from its programs.
The
mission of the
Toastmasters Community Speak E-Z club is to provide a mutually
supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has
the opportunity to develop communicaiton and leadership skills, which
in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.
A Toastmaster's
Promise
Being
a Toastmaster means more than simply making a commitment to
self-development. Everyone who joins the Toastmasters
Community
Speak E-Z club is making a commitment to the club, to its members, and
the to the organization as a whole.
As a member of Toastmasters International and my club, I promise...
- To attend club meetings regularly
- To prepare all of my speeches to the best of my
ability, basing them on projects in the Communication and Leadership
Program manual or the Advanced Communication and Leadership Program
manuals
- To prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments
- To preovide fellow members with helpful,
constructive
evaluations
- To help the club maintain the positive,
friendly
environment necessary for all members to learn and grow
- To serve my club as an officer when called upon
to do
so
- To treat my fellow club members and our guests
with
respect and courtesy
- To bring guests to club meetings so they can
see the
benefits Toastmasters membership offers
- To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all
Toastmasters educational and recognition programs
- To maintain honest and highly ethical standards
during the conduct of all Toastmasters activities.
10
TIPS FOR
SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC SPEAKING
Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural
and
healthy. It shows you care about doing well. But
too much
nervousness can be detrimental. Here's how you can control
your
nervousness and make effective, memorable presentations:
- Know
the room.
Be familiar with the place in which you will speak. Arrive
early,
walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any
visual aids.
- Know
the
audience. Greet some of the audience as they
arrive.
It's easier to speak to a group of friends than to a group of strangers.
- Know
your
material. If you're not familiar with your
material or are
uncomfortable with it, your nervousness will increase.
Practice
your speech and revise it if necessary.
- Relax.
Ease tension by doing exercises.
- Visualize
yourself giving the speech. Imagine yourself
speaking,
your voice loud, clear and assured. When you visualize
yourself
as successful, you will be successful.
- Realize
that
people want you to succeed. Audiences want you
to be
interesting, stimulating, informative adn entertaining. They
don't want you to fail.
- Don't
apologize. If you mention your nervousness or
apologize
for any problems you think you have with your speech, you may be
calling the audience's attention to something they hadn't
noticed. Keep silent.
- Concentrate
on
the message -- not the medium. Focus your
attention away
from your own anxieties and ourwardly toward your message and your
audience. Your nervousness will dissipate.
- Turn
nervousness into positive entery. Harness your
nervous
energy and transform it into vitality and enthusiasm.
- Gain
experience. Experience builds confidence, which
is the key
to effective speaking. Your being part of the Toastmasters
Community Speak E-Z club can provide the experience you need.
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How
It Works
The
Toastmasters program is
NOT a college, trade school or other formal course in public
speaking. You'll find no instructors, professors or
classrooms. No one's work is graded and no tests are
administered. In Toastmasters, members learn by studying the
manuals, practicing and helping one another. Learning takes
place
in the club environment. Club meetings are workshops where
you
study and practice communication and leadership skills with others who
are there for the same reasons you are. You learn by doing
and by
watching fellow club members.
Leadership
Training
You'll
learn more than just communication skills in the Community Speak E-Z
club. You'll build leadership skills when you organize and
conduct club meetings and motivate others to help you. You
can
develop additional skills by serving as a club officer, formulating and
implementing plans to help the club meet members' needs. You
may
also complete the High Performance Leadership program, working on a
leadership project related to your personal or professional
life.
Serving in leadership positions at other levels of the organization
also will help improve your leadership skills.
The
Rewards Are Many
Not only
will you learn
speaking and leadership skills, you will be recognized for your
efforts. Toastmasters provides two educational
tracks: a
communication track, in which you develop your speaking skills, and a
leadership track, in which you develop leadership skills. In
the
communication track, you start off by working through the Communication
and Leadership Program manual where you will complete 10
speeches. This can be accomplished in a couple of months or
over
the course of a year, depending on your personal objectives.
Once
you complete the Basic manual, you will receive the Competent
Toastmaster (CTM) award, a certificate you can display at home or in
the office. If you wish, Toastmasters International will also
send a letter to your employer about this accomplishment. But
that's only the beginning...
When you participate in the communication track, you can be recognized
as an Advanced Toastmaster Bronze, Advanced Toastmaster Silver and
Advanced Toastmaster Gold. When you participate in the
leadership
track, you can be recognized as a Competent Leader and an Advanced
Leader.
The ultimate recognition is the Distinguished Toastmaster award, fiven
to those who have worked in both tracks and have received the Advanced
Toastmaster Gold and Advanced Leader awards.
There's
More!
Toastmasters
offers other communicationand leadership opportunities as well, from
speech contests to speakers bureaus. Plus as you begin your
journey in Toastmasters you'll find references to manuals, books and
other programs that may help you further develop your speaking and
leadership skills. You can review some links and available
resources on developing your speaking and communication skills in our Resources
page.
How
Do I Get Started?
By
now you realize just how much you can do and learn in Toastmasters, and
you're eager to begin. Please contact one of our Board members
to
confirm the upcoming week's schedule and plan on joining us!
More than four million people will confirm that the Toastmasters
program works, but it works only when you prepare carefully, actively
participate and speak as often as possible. Apply yourself,
and
you will experience the benefits you want in all aspects of your life!
Please click below to
receive Your
FREE Report on Speaking:
"Discover
7 Secrets to Overcoming Your Fears By Successfully Preparing and
Presenting a
Powerful Speech!"
The
names "Toastmasters International",
"Toastmasters" and the Toastmasters International emblem are
trademarks protected in the United States, Canada and other countries
where Toastmasters Clubs exist.
Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
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Notable
Quotes
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"Vision without action is a
daydream.
Action without vision is a nightmare."
~Japanese
proverb
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Words of
Wisdom
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VISION
"a) the act or power of
imagination
b) mode of seeing or conceiving;
unusual discernment or foresight
c) direct mystical awareness of
the
supernatural usually in visible form."
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Public Speaking Resources
Speaking Resources
Speech Resources
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