Geneva International Forum

Topical forum: Toastmasters international

THE MISSION OF TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL

Toastmasters International is the leading movement devoted to making effective oral communication 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 CLUB

The mission of a Toastmasters Club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication 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 se/f-development. Everyone who joins a Toastmasters Club is making a commitment to the Club, to its members, and to the organization as a whole.

A Toastmaster’s Promise

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;

· To willingly prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments;

· To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations;

· To help the Club maintain the positive, friendly environment necessary for all members to learn and grow;

· To willingly 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.

THE TOASTMASTERS EXPERIENCE

Today you may be more comfortable communicating by electronic mail or telephone than communicating face-to-face. Speaking to large or small groups, or even one-to-one, may intimidate or frighten you. In Toastmasters you will learn how to successfully formulate, express, and sell your ideas and yourself and get rid of that nervousness you feel when called upon to speak. You will improve your ability to listen to and evaluate other peoples ideas, and you will learn leadership skills along the way.

By joining your Toastmasters Club you have embarked on a journey that will greatly improve your life.

How It Works

The Toastmasters program is not a college, trade school, or other formal course in public speaking. There are 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 reason as you. You learn by doing and by watching fellow Club members.

During Club meetings you will build “quick thinking” skills as you give one- to two-minute speeches on general subjects during table topics. You’ll introduce speakers, conduct meetings, and perform other roles that will give you plenty of practice in a variety of communication experiences, but your greatest learning will come from preparing and presenting speeches based on the projects in the manual.

The manual has 10 speech projects, each designed to develop your speaking skills one step at a time. Every project builds upon what you have learned in the preceding project, so you should present the speeches in numerical order. You’ll begin with “The Ice Breaker” speech. Since it will be your first speech before the Club, it will be based on an easy subject — yourself. In subsequent speeches you will learn the importance of sincerity in speaking, how to effectively organize a presentation, how to use body language and voice to convey your message, word choice and props, persuasive speaking, and how to inspire others. Read each project and “Evaluation Guide” carefully before you prepare your speech. This is your workbook, so you are encouraged to write in it.

Most of your talks will be only five to seven minutes. This will give you enough time to develop your topic while still keeping Club meetings a reasonable length, but the principles you learn in a five-to seven minute speech apply to a 40-minute formal address or a two-minute impromptu speech. You’ll learn to speak with confidence, clarity persuasiveness, and enthusiasm.

You will receive verbal and written feedback from an evaluator on every speech you present. The evaluator provides a personal opinion of your talk, pointing out its strengths and offering suggestions for improving your next speech. Evaluations have one purpose: to help you become a more effective speaker. Eventually, as you gain more experience, you will evaluate the speeches of others.

This manual teaches you the basics of public speaking. Once you have finished it, you can begin refining and enhancing your basic skills in the Advanced Communication and Leadership Program. This program features 14 manuals with five speech projects in each. Some manuals focus on career-related presentations, such as public relations and technical speeches, while others address such topics as interpersonal communication and storytelling. You choose the manuals you want to complete and the skills you want to learn. More information on the advanced program is on page 57.

Leadership Training

You will learn more than just communication skills in your 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. Once you’ve completed all 10 projects in this 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 your accomplishment.

There are other recognition opportunities, too. Toastmasters has two educational tracks: a communication track, in which you develop your speaking skills, and a leadership track, in which you develop leadership skills. 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 tracks are not mutually exclusive. You can work in both tracks at the same time; in fact, you are encouraged to do so. The ultimate recognition is the Distinguished Toastmaster award, given to those who have worked in both tracks and have received the Advanced Toastmaster Gold and Advanced Leader awards.

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. You’ll get a great start if you do the following:

1. Ask your Vice President Education for a mentor. A mentor is a friendly, experienced fellow member who will help you with your first few speeches and answer any questions you may have as you begin working in the Toastmasters educational program. The mentor was once a new member like you and knows how important help can be to someone just starting the program. A mentor request form is included in your New Member Kit. Complete the form and give it to your Vice President Education. If you’ve misplaced the form, simply ask your Vice President Education to assign a mentor to you.

2. Ask the Vice President Education to schedule you to give your first speech, “The Ice Breaker,” which is Project 1 in this manual. If the schedule permits, most likely you will give your first speech at the next meeting or at least be assigned another meeting role that requires speaking. The sooner you begin speaking in the Club, the faster you will learn. Also ask the Vice President Education to orient you to the Club. During this orientation, the Vice President Education explains how the Club operates, the learning opportunities the Club provides, and your responsibilities as a member. Both of you also will discuss your goals and how the Club can help you achieve them.

3. Read the section, “About Your Club;’ in the manual's page 69. This section explains what happens at a Club meeting, as well as the meeting roles you will be asked to fill as a member and how to fill them. You will also learn about the Club’s leaders and their responsibilities.

4. Study the manual Effective Speech Evaluation, which you received in the New Member Kit. Every speech you give in the Club will be evaluated by another member, and you will also be asked to evaluate others’ speeches. Evaluations provide the feedback all members need to improve their skills, so it is important that you know how to evaluate. Effective Speech Evaluation reviews how to evaluate a speech and what to do with the evaluations you receive. You also received two other manuals in the New Member Kit: Your Speaking Voice and Gestures: Your Body Speaks. You need not read these manuals now, but keep them on hand. You will want to read them after you have completed two or three speech projects. Both will help you develop some key speaking skills.

5. Finally, begin preparing your first speech. Carefully read Project I, including the “Evaluation Guide;’ and work with your mentor to develop a speech about yourself. Prepare thoroughly and practice your speech repeatedly Preparation and practice, not only for this first speech but for every speech you give, will help you overcome any nervousness you may have and also make you a better speaker.

One More Thing

More than three 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 in all aspects of your life.

2. Toastmasters 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:

1. Know the room. Be familiar with the place in which you will speak. Arrive early, walk around the speak-ing area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.

2. 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.

3. Know your material. If you’re not familiar with your material or are uncomfortable with it, your nervous-ness

will increase. Practice your speech and revise it if necessary.

4. Relax. Ease tension by doing exercises.

5. Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine your-self speaking, your voice loud, clear and assured. When you visualize yourself as successful, you will be successful.

6. Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They don’t want you to fail.

7. D o n ’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 atten-tion to something they hadn’t noticed. Keep silent.

8. Concentrate on the message – not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and outwardly toward your message and your audi-ence. Your nervousness will dissipate.

9. Turn nervousness into positive energy . Harness your nervous energy and transform it into vitality and enthusiasm.

10. Gain experience. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters Club can provide the experience you need.

3. The Advanced Communication and Leadership Program

The Advanced Communication and Leadership Program is designed to provide you with the necessary skills and experience to meet those chal-lenges. .

The Entertaining Speaker (226-A)

This manual includes valuable information on how to give an entertaining or dramatic speech, where to find material, how to make an audience laugh, and what to do when you’re asked to speak after dinner.

Speaking To Inform (226-B)

The projects in this manual will help you give informative and interesting

speeches. Topics covered include the demonstration talk, the fact-finding report,

the abstract concept and resources for informing.

Public Relations (226-C)

This complete guide to preparing and delivering the public relations speech will help you develop resources and techniques, “speak under fire,” and handle the media talk.

The Discussion Leader (226-D)

This manual offers guidance in presenting workshop and conference presenta-tions. Role-playing and problem-solving sessions are also covered. This manual is a must for managers, trainers, teachers and administrators.

Specialty Speeches (226-E)

Speakers must be able to speak in many situations and this manual will help. Types of speeches covered include impromptu speeches, sales presentations, introductions, inspirational speeches, and oral interpretations.

Speeches by Management (226-F)

This manual will help you successfully handle a variety of speaking situations managers encounter in their work environment. Subjects covered include brief-ings, technical speeches, motivational talks and confrontations.

The Professional Speaker (226-G)

This manual is a complete guide to becoming a professional speaker. Subjects

covered include speaking as a company representative and speaking for pay.

Technical Presentations (226-H)

The projects in this manual will help you prepare and present briefings, propos-als, technical papers and technical team presentations.

The Professional Salesperson (226-I)

Everyone is a salesperson. At one time or another we must sell ideas or prod-ucts to others. This manual will help you develop sales presentations, conduct sales meetings and train other salespeople.

Communicating on Television (226-J)

Television presentations differ from other presentations, and they require special considerations. With this manual you’ll learn to present editorials, appear as a guest on a “talk” show, conduct a press conference, and use television to train.

Storytelling (226-K)

Everyone loves a story. Types of stories covered in this manual include the folk tale, the personal story, stories with morals, the touching story, and the historical story.

Interpretive Reading (226-L)

This manual will help you develop your interpretive reading skills. The projects include presenting stories, poetry, monodramas, plays and oratorical speeches.

Interpersonal Communications (226-M)

Topics covered include conversing with ease, negotiating, handling criticism, coaching someone to improved performance, and expressing dissatisfaction effectively.

Special Occasion Speeches (226-N)

Provides instruction in giving toasts, speaking in praise, “roasting” someone, and presenting and accepting awards.

Humorously Speaking (226-O)

Audiences love to laugh.This manual shows you how to use humorous stories and jokes throughout your speech to grab and keep listeners’ attention and illustrate your points. You also learn how to give an entirely humorous speech.

4. The Success/Leadership programs of Toastmasters

The Success/Leadership programs offer unique opportunities for the

development of skills in areas such as:

Leadership
Public Speaking
Conducting Meetings
Parliamentary Procedure
Active Listening
Effective Evaluation
Creative Thinking

5. A Brief History of Toastmasters International

Since the Toastmasters organization began in 1924,more than three million men and women have benefited from its the communication and leadership programs.

The first club was formed in October 1924, when a group of men assembled by Dr. Ralph C. Smedley met in the basement of the Santa Ana, California YMCA to form a club "to afford practice and training in the art of public speaking and in presiding over meetings, and to promote sociability and good fellowship among its members."

The group took the name "Toastmasters."

A year later, a second club was started in Anaheim, California, followed by a third in Los Angeles. By 1930, it was apparent that a federation was necessary to coordinate activities of the clubs and to provide standard methods. After formation of a club in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, the group became known as Toastmasters International.

Growth was slow during the early years, but the number of clubs increased steadily. The forerunner of today's Communication and Leadership program, Basic Training, was introduced in 1942 and has been expanded and updated many times since then to keep abreast of the times and members' needs.

Membership in Toastmasters International increased rapidly after the end of World War II, and by 1954 the number of Toastmasters clubs had approached 1,500.

Gavel clubs were formed in 1958 to accommodate groups wanting Toastmasters training but not qualified for Toastmasters membership. These clubs provide communication and leadership training in correctional institutions, hospitals and schools. In 1966, the Youth Leadership Program, for young people in junior and senior high school, was added to the list of established community programs being present by Toastmasters.

In 1962, World Headquarters offices were moved to a new building in Santa Ana, California, not far from where the first club began.

In 1973, Toastmasters club membership was opened to women, enabling them to benefit also from self-development in communication and leadership. In the same year, a comprehensive listening program was introduced to further help members develop their communication skills. The following year saw a celebration of the organization's first 50 years and the promise of an even more successful second half-century.

New programs, including the Advanced Communication and Leadership Program, Success/Leadership Series, and self-study cassette tape programs, were added to augment the Communication and Leadership program. Growth in new club, especially in the corporate sector, reached new highs in the late 1970s with the number of clubs approaching the 4,000 mark.

Throughout the '80s, Toastmasters International established itself as the undisputed world leader in public speaking training. In 1990, World Headquarters moved to Rancho Santa Margarita, California, to accommodate rapidly expanding operations. With approximately 8,300 clubs in 70 countries, Toastmasters International is continuing its drive to make effective communication a worldwide reality.

TI History at a Glance

October 22, 1924 -- The first meeting of the Number One Toastmasters club in Santa Ana, California.

January 19, 1926 -- The second Toastmasters club is chartered -- in Anaheim, California.

August 11, 1927 -- Representatives of five Santa Ana Toastmasters clubs plan the formation of a "Federation of Toastmasters Clubs."

October 25, 1928 -- First Manual for Toastmasters Clubs, copyrighted by Ralph Smedley.

October 4, 1930 -- The name Toastmasters International is adopted and officers are elected.

October 4, 1930 -- Publication of The Gavel, the first Toastmasters magazine.

December 19, 1932 -- Toastmasters International incorporated.

April, 1933 -- First issue of The Toastmaster magazine.

January 9, 1933 -- First Toastmasters club outside of California established in Seattle, Washington.

July 6, 1935 -- District organization is instituted, starting with District 1 of Southern California.

January 29, 1938 -- Charter No. 100 presented to the Century Toastmasters Club in Santa Ana.

August 1938 -- Inter-Club Speech Contest started. First winner: Henry Wiens of Reedley, California.

July 1946 -- District 18 of Scotland becomes the first district outside the United States.

1948 -- First TI Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws are published.

1950 -- The first "Certificate of Achievement" is issued for the new advanced course, "Beyond Basic Training.

June, 1951 -- First Regional Conference is held in Des Moines, Iowa.

October 27, 1962 -- Dedication of new World Headquarters building in Santa Ana, California.

March, 1963 -- A district awards program is adopted, the precursor of the later Distinguished District Program.

1964 -- The first Able Toastmaster Award (ATM) is issued.

1968 -- The first Competent Toastmaster Award (CTM) is issued for completing Basic Manual.

August, 1969 -- Communication and Leadership Manual introduced at the International Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.

1970 -- The first Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award is issued.

August, 1973 -- Membership opens to women.

1978 -- The multi-manual Advance Communication and Leadership Program is introduced.

1979 -- The first two Success/Leadership Programs are introduced.

1981 -- The Accredited Speaker Program begins.

October, 1982 -- Membership reaches 100,000.

1984 -- The Communication and Leadership Program manual is revised, and two new educational awards are introduced: the ATM Bronze and ATM Silver.

April, 1989 -- Membership reaches 150,000.

July, 1989 -- The Distinguished Club Program, Distinguished Area Program and Distinguished Division Program are introduced.

June, 1990 -- World Headquarters moves to Rancho Santa Margarita, California.

January, 1993 -- Toastmasters International charters its 8,000th club.

June, 1993 -- The High Performance Leadership Program is introduced.

January, 1997 -- The revised Communication and Leadership Program manual is introduced.

July, 1997 -- An improved two-track educational recognition system begins. The communication track includes the CTM, Advanced Toastmaster Bronze, Advanced Toastmaster Silver and Advanced Toastmaster Gold Awards. The leadership track includes the Competent Leader and Advanced Leader awards. Requirements for the DTM awards also changes.

6. How to join Toastmasters International Geneva

The members of Toastmasters International Geneva meet on the first and third Wednesday of every month, except for August. Meetings usually last around 2 hours and include a dinner break when food and beverages are served . The participation fee for the event is 20 Swiss Francs.

Guests are welcome to attend two regular meetings before deciding whether to join or not. The language used in the club is English.

The meeting venue is Hotel Royal Manotel, 43 rue de Lausanne, close to the Cornavin train station

The membership fee is composed of a one-time admission fee of 25 Swiss Francs, and a half-annual due of 50 Swiss Francs.

Postal address:

Toastmasters International Geneva, P.O. Box 5021, 1211 Geneva 11

Email: toastmasters.geneva@bigfoot.com

Internet: Toastmasters International Geneva