About Us
Use the following links to find out all you need to know about Toastmasters,
including specific details of Slainte Toastmasters.
What is
Toastmasters ?
General Information.
Slainte Toastmasters is affiliated to Toastmasters
International. Toastmasters International is a non-profit
organization governed by a Board of Directors elected by the membership. The
first Toastmasters club was established by Dr. Ralph C. Smedley in 1924 in
California. He conceived and developed the idea of helping others to speak more
effectively. More clubs were formed, and Toastmasters International was
incorporated under California law in 1932. Since
the first Toastmasters club was organized by Ralph C. Smedley, more than 4
million men and women have enjoyed the benefits of Toastmasters membership.
Toastmasters currently has approximately 190,000 members in 9,500 club in 78
countries.
A Toastmasters club is a “learn-by-doing” workshop in which men and
women hone their skills in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere. A typical club
has 20 to 40 members, who meet once every two weeks to learn and practice
public-speaking techniques. Club meetings last approximately two hours, with a tea /
coffee break half way through. Upon joining a Toastmasters club, members progress through a series of 10
speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public
speaking.
It is important to point out that people progress at their own pace - there is
no pressure or no timeframe (except your own). Typically newcomers will come
& see a few meetings before they join up - you needn't worry as you can ease
yourself in gently. When finished with the first speech manual, members can select from among 15
advanced manuals to develop speaking skills that are geared to specific interests. They are: Public Relations,
Specialty Speeches, The Entertaining Speaker, Speaking to Inform, The Discussion Leader, Speeches by
Management, The Professional Speaker, Persuasive Speaking, Technical
Presentations, Communicating on Television, Storytelling, Interpretive Reading,
Interpersonal Communication, Special Occasion Speeches, Humorously Speaking. Members
also have the opportunity to develop and practice leadership skills by working
in the High Performance Leadership Program and serving as leaders at various organizational levels.
There is no
instructor in a Toastmasters club. Instead, members evaluate one another’s
oral presentations. This evaluation process is an integral component of the
overall educational program. Besides taking turns delivering prepared speeches
and evaluating those of other members, Toastmasters give impromptu talks on
assigned topics. They also develop listening skills, conduct meetings &
serve as officers in various leadership roles.
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Toastmaster's
Values, Vision & Mission
The Values of Toastmasters International Toastmasters
International’s core values are integrity, dedication to excellence, service
to the member, and respect for the individual. These are values worthy of a
great organization, and we believe we should incorporate them as anchor points
in every decision we make. Our core values provide us with a means of not only
guiding but also evaluating our operations, our planning, and our vision for the
future.
The
Vision of Toastmasters International
Toastmasters International empowers people to achieve their full potential
and realize their dreams. Through our member clubs, people throughout the world
can improve their communication and leadership skills, and find the courage to
change.
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, 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.
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Toastmaster's
Educational framework
In addition to being a social club, toastmasters enhance
their personal development by practising their communication & leadership
skills. These skills are formally recognised & acknowledged by Toastmasters
International. The following paragraphs outlines how members progress on the
communication & leadership tracks.
Communication Track
-
CTM The Competent Toastmaster award
To achieve the initial stepping stone you need
to complete the 10 projects in the Communication and Leadership Program
manual. These projects cover getting started, speaking with sincerity and
conviction, organising your ideas, using body language, vocal variety and proper
word usage, speaking to persuade, and finally the chance to bring together all
the communication skills that you have learnt to inspire your audience.
- ATM-B The Advanced Toastmaster - Bronze
Complete two manuals from the Advanced series of
manuals. The advanced manuals each contain 5 projects that concentrate on
enhancing particular communication skills. You select the topics that appeal to
you the most, this can range from Storytelling to Speeches by Management
- ATM-S The Advanced Toastmaster - Silver
Complete a further two manuals from the Advanced
series, and also give two educational sessions to the club from an educational
series of speeches provided by Toastmasters.
- ATM-G The Advanced Toastmaster - Gold
Complete a further two manuals from the Advanced
series, and present a Leadership module from the Success/Communication,
Success/Leadership or Youth Leadership module. Provide mentoring to a new member
with their first three speeches.
Leadership Track
- CL The
Competent Leader
Achieve the CTM award, serve as
a Club Officer for a term, participate in Club officer training, and conduct two
presentations from the "Successful Club Series"
- AL The
Advanced Leader
Achieve the CL award; serve as a
District Officer for a term; complete the
"High Performance Leadership Program"; and either assist in starting a
new Toastmaster club OR assist in rebuilding a struggling club back up to
strength.
- DTM The
Distinguished Toastmaster
The highest award in Toastmasters.
This signifies that you have completed the Communication Track and received the
ATM Gold award, and also completed the Leadership track and received the
Advanced Leader award.
Toastmasters and
Leadership.
Leadership cannot be learned in a day. It takes practice. In Toastmasters
members build leadership skills by organizing and conducting meetings and
motivating others to help them. Club leadership roles and a leadership
development program also offer opportunities to learn and practice. Just as
Toastmasters members learn to speak simply by speaking, they learn leadership by
leading.
Community Benefits.
Toastmasters has helped many members in their community service activities.
Using the speaking and leadership skills developed in Toastmasters, people have
become more active in business, churches, and service and charity organizations.
Toastmasters members are able to organize activities, conduct meetings, and
speak in public as their organization's representative. Some even become active
in local, state or national government.
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Meeting Format (Topics & Speeches)
Club meetings last approximately two hours, with a tea /
coffee break half way through. The first half of the meeting is typically used
for the 'topics' session - a topics master calls on members to give 2 minute
speeches on any topic he / she wishes. This topic would typically be something
in the news or seasonal (e.g. topics regarding Christmas in December). The
second part of the meeting is given over to prepared speeches - toastmasters
would prepare a 5-7 minute speech in advance, on a topic of their choice.
Each
meeting gives everyone an opportunity to practice:
- Conducting
meetings.
- Giving
impromptu speeches. Members present one-to two-minute impromptu speeches on
assigned topics.
- Presenting
prepared speeches. Three or more members present speeches based on projects
from the Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership Program
manuals. Projects cover such topics as speech organization, voice, language,
gestures, and persuasion.
- Offering
constructive evaluation. Every prepared speaker is assigned an evaluator who
points out speech strengths and offers suggestions for improvement.
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New
Member Information
- Each
new Toastmaster receives a New Member Kit. The kit features a copy of the
basic Communication and Leadership manual, general orientation materials and
information regarding skill improvement in areas such as speech evaluation
and the use of gestures.
- The
initial prepared speeches, as outlined in the basic Communication and
Leadership program manual, are designed with the new Toastmaster in mind.
- A
variety of assigned speeches help the participant develop competency in
areas such as organization, voice inflection and persuasiveness.
- During
the meeting's Table Topics session, members learn to think on their feet by
delivering short impromptu speeches, lasting one to two minutes.
- After
giving a prepared speech, each Toastmaster receives a constructive speech
evaluation. This process recognizes speakers for their strengths and
provides valuable insight into problem areas.
- Upon
completion of the basic Communication and Leadership program, Toastmasters
may participate in the Advanced Communication and Leadership program.
Participants may choose from specific business oriented topics such as
Speeches by Management and Technical Presentations.
- Workshop
style Success/Leadership programs are also available, offering opportunities
for further skill development in areas such as leadership, public speaking
and conducting business meetings. These programs are especially effective as
in-house training and can be tailored to meet the needs of your company.
-
Upon joining a
Toastmasters club, each new member receives a variety of manuals and
resources on speaking. Members also have access to other books as well as
audio and video cassettes on speaking and leading. They also receive the
award-winning The Toastmaster, a monthly magazine that offers the latest
insights on speaking and leadership techniques.
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History
of Slainte Toastmasters.
Slainte
Toastmasters was chartered in April 1991 following its foundation in 1990 by
Anne Ryan, then a member of the Blarney Club. Some of the original members are still members today.
The club emblem of the
salmon & wine glasses is based on an old Irish saying "Slainte an Bhradain agus
Gob Fluich" which roughly translates to " Here's to the Salmon and may
your mouth be always wet" (In other words may you always be healthy with
plenty to eat & drink).
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How Do I Join Slainte Toastmasters ?
Just come along to any one of our meetings. All guests are welcome. Guests
typically come & observe a few meetings but you are more than welcome to
come & participate.... We typically have one or two guests per night so you
will not feel left out.
How much does it cost ?
If you decide to join, there is an annual fee of 60 Euro & 5 Euro per
meeting to cover the hotel expenses. The 60 Euro includes the
New Member Kit. (This kit features a copy of the
basic Communication and Leadership manual, general orientation materials and
information regarding skill improvement in various areas).
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Other Clubs in Cork
?
There are other clubs in the Cork region including Cork city club (Jury's
Hotel), Carrigaline club, Wilton club, Blarney club & Kinsale club. A full
list of clubs can be obtained on the Toastmasters
International website.
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