What is Toastmasters & what is their mission?
"We work together to bring out the best in each of us, and then we apply to these skills to help others." (from Ralph Smedley, Founder of Toastmasters International)
What is Toastmasters Anyway? - Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization head quartered in Mission Viejo, California. There are over 180,000 members in 63 countries with over 220 clubs in Minnesota alone. The advantage of joining Toastmasters over taking a course in Public Speaking is that the cost is minimal and the benefits to a persons career, marriage, and ability to form friendships are enormous.
Members of Toastmasters benefit by developing:
- Improved listening, thinking, speaking and evaluating skills.
- Better meeting facilitation and leadership skills.
- Better ability to think quickly and clearly on ones feet.
- Development of team-work, organizational and goal achieving capabilities.
Members learn to improve their delivery in a festive, fun and non-threatening atmosphere by means of:
- Speech manuals that educate and provide some structure.
- Table topics (2 minute ad-lib question-answer scenario).
- Group discussions & participating in group dynamics.
- Feedback from group members via evaluations.
Mission of Toastmasters International - Toastmasters International is the world’s leading organization devoted to communication, public speaking and leadership skills. Its mission is to not only improve public speaking skills, but also to improve members self-confidence and the ability to communicate as an individual and as part of a team.
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 humankind.
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.