Speaking and Listening: Toastmasters Experience

 This past week, I attended a celebration of a Toastmasters club that has existed for 80 years!  I was so happy to see our club members, District leaders, and guests from other nearby clubs join us in the celebration.  We had many people attending in person and a few online. What keeps a Toastmasters club going for 80 years?  I can't answer that definitively, but based on my experience with this club, it seems to come down to members wanting to spend time together.  With this particular club, the majority of members attend every week, and even those who cannot attend weekly attend more often than not.  I love seeing my friends and fellow Toastmasters when I attend the meetings of this club, and from watching videos shared at the 80th anniversary party, it seems that past members felt the same. All Toastmasters clubs offer an opportunity to grow skills.  The ones that last seem to offer more than that:  a welcoming environment, a community of encou...

At the end of our "District Leader Training" session yesterday (a learning opportunity held monthly for certain Toastmasters leaders), we had a discussion of why we become members of organizations and why we stay.  A common theme I noticed was awareness.  Do you know of the organization?  Has someone you know told you about the organization?  Is it an organization you would come across when searching online for your goals or interests? Toastmasters International has a goal of becoming the go-to provider for "experiential" development of communication and leadership skills.  To reach this goal, step one is to raise awareness of Toastmasters and what it actually does.  This makes me wonder:  How many people have heard of Toastmasters?  And of that number, how many people actually understand what Toastmasters is about? Suppose someone wants to improve their communication and leadership skills.  Without any personal knowledge of or connection to ...

 June 30 will mark the end of this Toastmasters year and July 1 marks the start of the next one.  That means that this month, May, is a prime time for Toastmasters clubs and Districts (groupings of several clubs) to sort out who will take on leadership roles in the year ahead. During this past Toastmasters year (2021-2022), I held one District leadership role and three club leadership roles.  I was the District Public Relations Manager (PRM), in charge of PR efforts and communication both to members and to those outside Toastmasters.  I was also President of one club and VP Education and sergeant-at-arms of another.  As President, I was to provide overall guidance and direction for other club leaders and members.  As VP Education, I was to make sure members understood the educational offerings of Toastmasters and were able to meet their educational goals. As I reflect on these roles, I can see things I did well and also opportunities for improvement.  ...