NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE SUCCESS
Speakeasy Toastmasters Club Mallow
Lorretto Barry is a highly experienced, infectiously enthuasiastic Toastmaster who in this article gives you an excellent plan for a New Years Resolution,- just join Speakeasy!
It is a fact. X factor viewers have dropped by 50%. So says the National News. That is not so with Speakeasy Toastmasters Club. This Club is celebrating its 20th year in existence and we are happy to announce that we have 100% bums on our chairs in the comfortable atmosphere of the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow. What makes the Club so successful? We offer a night’s education disguised in an atmosphere of friendliness; good humour; and to wet your whistle we have tea/coffee and biscuits at half time. What do people who come get out of a night? We all know that public speaking is high on the stress scale, but that stress can be overcome after a term at Toastmasters. We have had men who came to hone their skills in order to impress the in laws with their “best man” or “father of the bride” speech. We had students who developed the confidence to excel at presentations, and we had numerous people who wanted to succeed at that all important interview. Added to that mix we had people of all ages and occupations who came because they enjoy all that Toastmasters has to offer.
On becoming a member the Toastmasters programme provides a wide range of professionally produced educational material on speaking. The Club provides group support, helpful advice and most importantly genuine friendship. We help one another.
Everyone works at his/her own pace. No pressure.
The meeting is in two parts. The prepared speeches are in the first half, and the second half is devoted to table topics and evaluations. The table topics give members an opportunity to think on their feet. Guests are not asked to speak. The speeches are evaluated by other Toastmasters. This teaches one how to listen to the speech and then give feed back to the speaker. Every member is provided with a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which they have an opportunity to develop communication and Leadership skills which in turn foster self confidence and personal growth. Opportunities are also available to improve ones listening skills by taking a job on the programme as timekeeper for the duration of the meeting. Accurate timekeeping is important. Speeches are allocated a specified time. This trains the speaker the importance of ‘stand up; speak up; sit down’. Knowing one has a limited time encourages them to use it to its maximum potential. Members also have an opportunity while enjoying a social night, to improve confidence, ability to hold a conversation, improve voice projection, and diction. There is an old Chinese Proverb which says
‘A single conversation across a table with a wise man
Is worth a month’s study of books.’
Another interesting fact is that meetings always have a top table and a podium, and all members can at some stage do the job of Toastmaster which is in fact the M.C. for the night. The topics master asks the impromptu questions from his/her position at the podium.
At the end of the meeting the evaluators give their analysis of the speeches at the podium, and the General Evaluator gives his opinion on the running of the meeting. These are all opportunities to make one better able to deal with situations in the workplace or deal with today’s teenagers in the home. Or to chair a meeting when asked to do so.
By now you must surely be convinced of the value of being a member of Speakeasy Toastmasters Club.!
Speakeasy's first meeting of 2013 is at 8pm on Thurs 10th at the Hibernian Hotel Mallow and every other Thursday after that, at 8pm, Hibernian Hotel.
Non members are very welcome to attend all meetings and will not be asked to speak
Contact Jerry 0863752895,or Noel 0872427485.
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