Looking to improve your public speaking or leadership skills?
Checking out a Toastmasters meeting would be a good place to start.
“It’s a lot of fun. You get to meet a lot of interesting people, different perspectives on life,” says Sean Bideshi, 20, a member of the Ambassadors Toastmasters. “It’s always a challenge because we’re always trying to get better in public speaking.”
The Ambassadors meet twice a month at the Little House in Tsawwassen.
Bideshi, who’s studying journalism at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, was one of the members present during a recent Introduction to Toastmasters Workshop the Optimist attended.
The cordial meeting included explanations on various roles, a Table Topics exercise, a speech and evaluations with tips and advice.
“I think it’s a great group,” says Bideshi, a Toastmaster since the age of nine, during a break in the meeting. “I would say the most common misconception about Toastmasters is that it’s just for shy people. It’s not really, because there’s different levels of public speaking.”
Ambassadors president Lorna Boyle found out about Toastmasters while playing online Scrabble. She’s also a member of the Deltones, a Toastmasters club that meets in Ladner.
She says guests are always welcome to come check out a meeting.
Asked to explain what Toastmasters is in a nutshell, another Ambassadors member, Barb Westlake, says it’s a public speaking and leadership program.
“It encompasses both,” she says.
Westlake has been involved with Toastmasters since 2006.
“Toastmasters isn’t just about speaking in front of the club, it’s about taking the speaking and leadership skills out of the club and into the world,” she says. “It’s thrilling to see our members develop skills and confidence, so they can achieve their dreams. Literally the transformation after just three speeches is unbelievable.”
Westlake explains she’s still with the group because she enjoys helping and mentoring members and being a part of their success stories.
“It’s not just about helping others; I also need the public speaking practice that the club provides, to keep my own skills current,” she says.
The Ambassadors Toastmasters meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month.
The group has another introduction to Toastmasters evening planned for Feb. 3.
For more on the Ambassadors, visit http://4666.toastmastersclubs.org/.
• The Deltones Toastmasters have regular meetings from September through June on the first and third Thursday of the month. For more on the Deltones, visit www.deltonestoastmasters.ca.
