All you need to know about your local Toastmasters Club
Does the thought of giving a speech in public sound less fun than open heart surgery?
Public speaking is regularly listed as the number one fear, even ahead of death.
Toastmaster Clubs have been helping people overcome their fear of public speaking since 1924, using a tried and tested approach of practice, feedback and encouragement.
For some, speaking in public is easy. For others, it is a terrifying experience complete with butterflies in the stomach and a dry mouth.
There are expensive formal courses for those who want to conquer their fear of speaking in public, but Toastmasters provides another more cost effective route.
It is a voluntary organisation which offers its members a supportive and friendly environment.
Toastmasters was formed in California in 1924 by Ralph Smedley and now operates worldwide.
A typical Toastmasters club has 20 to 30 people who meet twice a month and there are clubs all over Ireland (including 6 in Co. Kildare: Naas, Athy, Clane, Kildare, Maynooth).
What happens at a typical Toastmaster Meeting?
At Naas Toastmasters, the Toastmaster (chairperson) introduces the roles and 3 members deliver Prepared Speech Projects (5-7 mins in length) as they work through the Pathways Education Programme. This is followed by Evaluations by experienced Toastmaster members which support and help us improve as individual speakers and as a club.
Following a short tea break, biscuits and some socialising, they start with Table Topics (unprepared, impromptu speeches ranging in time length from 20 seconds up to 2 minutes each) on 10-15 topics chosen by the Table Topics Master.
Guests are not obliged to speak but are given every encouragement and a welcome if they do! The best contribution to the meeting is recognised and then some of the members retire to the Bar in the hotel for a drink.
Most clubs (if not all) actively welcome new guests to attend their meetings to see how this tried and tested Toastmaster approach helps members improve their public speaking and leadership skills.
Toastmasters has recently modernized its education program with Pathways, delivering the type of communication and leadership skills needed in the workplace and communities in 2018 and beyond.
Pathways offers a tailored approach to learning and takes into consideration the existing skills and challenges the member is facing. This allows the education programme to offer the maximum value and benefit to the member, which they can immediately start to apply to their careers, personal lives and in the community.
“What I like the best about Pathways education program is the choice; there are 10 different paths, with titles like: Presentation Mastery, Leadership Development and Effective Coaching.
I am working in the path recommended from my Pathways assessment results: ‘Dynamic Leadership’. Being able to pinpoint exactly what I am trying to accomplish with my personal and professional development goals gives me a road map, and a starting point, so I can develop those skills and add on to them along my Toastmasters journey," says Stephen Mulvaney, Vice President Public Relations, Naas Toastmasters.
Pathways is not a departure from the current education program. It maintains Toastmasters’ guiding principles and educational concepts. The format of club meetings remains essentially unchanged. Pathways embraces the digital age and allows content to be delivered via electronic devices and laptops whilst retaining the option of printed materials if desired.
"I can see a lot of thought went into the development of Pathways. I particularly like the new projects that did not exist before, such as social media, podcasting and writing a blog. Members have adapted very well to the new program here in Naas" says Ronan Rigney, Club President, Naas Toastmasters.
Employers around the world are using the Toastmasters Pathway Education Programme as an inexpensive option to retain their employees and enhance the skills of their workforce. Fortune 500 organizations like Google, Facebook, Sony, IBM, Accenture and Dell all recognize the benefits of the Toastmasters program and sponsor clubs for their employees.
About Naas Toastmasters
Naas Toastmasters meets at 8:00pm every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at the Townhouse Hotel, Limerick Road, Naas at 8pm.
Their next meeting dates are: Wed 14 Nov & Wed 28 Nov. Guests always welcome!
Save the Date! Naas Toastmasters will be hosting the Division D Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contests on Sunday 25th November, 2018 at Lawlor’s Hotel, Naas. Workshop at 11am. Contest starts at 2pm. There are over 20 clubs in Division D from Maynooth to Wexford and the winners of the area contests will be competing for the opportunity to win the title of “World Champion of Public Speakers” in Colorado, so come along and enjoy high quality public speaking. A laugh is guaranteed! Visit Naas Toastmasters website or Facebook page for more details. www.naastoastmasters.com
To find a club close to you - please visit www.toastmasters.org.