Attending my first Toastmasters meeting was for the sole purpose of getting a woman off my back. She thought Toastmasters would be good for me. I only attended with the intention of saying “Toastmasters is not for me”. Fifty-five minutes into the meeting, he was hooked.
Each Toastmaster eventually expresses a deep and personal feeling of intimacy. We are given specific tasks, goals, and rules that we must follow in order to achieve rewards and move forward. We learn that it is easier to give a speech on a topic that we know or are interested in.
Aligning the head, the heart and the gut allows us to give authentic, heartfelt and genuine speeches. During the Old Folsom State Prison Hammer Club meeting in January 2017, I heard speeches about the love of a little brother, the stress of life in and out of gangs, and a terrifying meeting with a two-year-old during a visit to prison.
When we connect with others in a genuine way, it builds trust. I love my little sister very much. I feel connected when I have friends, and when I became a 19-year-old mother she was terrified. Because the speakers openly shared in an authentic way, she interested me in what was being said. I believed and trusted what was said. The end result was a bond that was established through the stories that were told that night.
Everything learned in Toastmasters can add positive skills to use in daily life. The organization is worldwide and offers a lifetime of learning and connections with others. Gavel Club members and community members can easily connect with each other. The basic rules of Toastmasters are basically the same all over the world, which puts everyone on the same page.
Once a Toastmaster, always a Toastmaster. The lessons learned about proper pauses, time management, sentence structure, grammar, communication, words and phrases will stay with you forever.
When I joined Toastmasters, I didn’t feel stressed about communicating in front of groups until I crashed during my fifth speech. My mentor encouraged me to continue with the program. He said that I would be surprised and that I would grow personally and professionally if I remained committed to the program. I thank her and my club members for her encouragement and support.
The Old Folsom State Prison Gavel Club Toastmasters create a safe, structured, and positive environment for myself and those who are committed to their interpersonal growth and professional development.