NCB staff to form Toastmasters’ club

The staff at the National Commercial Bank (NCB) is about to form a Toastmasters’ club.{{more}}

To this end, a Toastmasters’ club demonstration meeting sponsored by NCB and the Achievers Toastmasters Club, the oldest Toastmasters’ organization in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, was held at the Methodist Church Hall on Wednesday, November 10.

The meeting was held under the theme “New Ventures”. It showcased Toastmasters in this country for the prospective members.

Dr.Kenneth Onu, in his welcoming remarks, lauded the founders of Toastmasters in St.Vincent and the Grenadines for their contribution in developing the organization in this country.

Explaining why it’s great to be a Toastmaster, Onu said it is about leadership and communication.

“Companies will always hire people who can articulate themselves. And it is important that we articulate ourselves well in our society: Leadership skills, interpersonnel skills, team building skills, listening skills. You make good friends, you grow, you learn to give feedback and get feedback on yourself. You think through issues and most of all your self- esteem skyrockets,” said Onu, as he listed the benefits of being a Toastmaster.

“And you know what happens when your self- esteem skyrockets. Your self-confidence goes up, you become just unconquerable and that is what Toastmasters is all about,” said Onu.

Monica Woodley, one of the driving forces of Toastmasters in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, giving an overview of the movement, said it got started in 1924 by Ralph Smedley, who was concerned about the poor speaking skills of the men at the YMCA where he worked. He then formed a small group that met regularly and practised speaking.

“Toastmasters is based on the concept of others helping others to be more effective speakers,” said Woodley.

She said 86 years later Toastmasters International became the vision of Smedley, boasting 238, 000 members worldwide in 12, 000 clubs in over 90 countries.

The mission that drives the organization is: To be the leading movement that makes effective oral communication a worldwide reality.

Woodley noted that the vision of Toastmasters International is to empower people to achieve their full potential and to realize their dreams.

She said the values of the movement are integrity, dedication to excellence, service to the member and respect for the individual.

“I think the kind of discipline that it brings, it fosters in the members, is wonderful. It is wonderful for us, it is wonderful for your company and St.Vincent and the Grenadines if we can bring a little more discipline to all of our lives,” said Woodley.

Communication and leadership skills are learnt by conducting meetings, she said, adding that at the sessions, members prepare speeches. She said members also receive a communication manual as well as a leadership manual and fulfill the fundamentals in them.

Jacinta Elliot-Thomas outlined meeting roles and responsibilities.

She said each club must have a Toastmaster of the meeting, General Evaluator, Timer, The Ah-Counter, The Grammarian, Table Topics Master, Speakers, and Speech Evaluators.

Behind the scenes, she said, there is the President, Vice President Education, Vice President Membership, Vice President Public Relations, Secretary, Treasurer and Sergeant-At-Arms.

In St.Vincent and the Grenadines there are three Toastmasters’ clubs, namely: Achievers Toastmasters, which started in 2006, Imperial Champions, chartered in 2008 and Creative Thinkers, June 2010.