Title: What is toastmasters?
Hello fellow toastmasters, old friends and new guests,
My speech title is “What is toastmasters ?”. To explain toastmasters, I need to talk about the toastmasters education program. That is, the pathways.
How many of you have heard of the Pathways ? Which pathway are you currently doing?
Great! Pathways are where our toastmaster journeys begin.
On our toastmaster website, we can explore our own pathways at base camp. As we complete our projects, we collect badges and certificates. I am going to use Persuasive Influence Pathway as an example. Regardless of which pathways we are on, our Level 1 and 2 are very similar. At Level 1, we learn the fundamentals such as practicing giving a speech on the stage, vocal variety, gestures, working on our feedback. There are many resources and materials we can learn on the website.
At Level 2, we learn about our style of communication and toastmasters mentoring.
How many of you know who is your mentor and who is your mentee?
Keep it up. We are making good progress! . At Level 3, we increase our knowledge on how to handle social scenarios such as resolving conflicts and inspiring your audience.
At Level 4, we expand our skills and use them in more challenging projects. These projects involve more than just ourselves, but also the efforts from our club members. For example, create a podcast project would connect me with our members who create podcasts as a hobby. Or, as another example, we can take on different roles at the club and work with other members.
At Level 5, we learn to lead, coach, speak, and serve. That is, we show our leadership! Toastmasters, where leaders are made (Pause) if we manage to complete Level 5.
But hang on, what is leadership? Where have you seen good or bad leaders in life? Great, we all know what leadership can be like. Like a compass, leaders show others the light and guide them towards it.
Leadership is intentional influence. To do so, we have to go beyond the pathways.
That is why I have done this speech. This speech isn’t on my pathway, but is part of toastmasters. Damn it, this does not count towards my badges!
For those who are new, I have pointed out where to start your exciting toastmasters journey. For those who are lost, I have reminded you that your pathway is a well-structured program you can work through at your own pace. For those who have done it all, I encourage you to go beyond the programs and find new ways to lead and serve.
Thank you
