Chamber of Commerce Toastmasters Club

Become the Speaker & Leader You Want to Be

noreply@blogger.com (Vitaliy Karpets) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 05:59:09 PST

Chamber Toastmasters Club is established in Ukraine in 1999 and is a part of Toastmasters International – an international non-profit organization which is devoted to promotion of public speaking skills and high performance leadership skills.

There are currently 211000 members in around 90 countries. Toastmasters International helps professional people learn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking – vital skills that promote self-actualization and enhance leadership potential.

The mission of the 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.

Guests are always welcome FREE of charge and will not need to participate in the meeting unless they really wish to do so. Membership in Chamber Toastmasters Club is open to employees of organizations and businesses that are registered members of the Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine.

We conduct our regular meetings every
Wednesday from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
at the Microsoft Ukraine Office,
75 Zhylianska St., Floor 4,
Business Centre Eurasia.

Our next meeting will be held on February 11th.

Agenda: Schedule of Our Upcoming Meetings

noreply@blogger.com (Vitaliy Karpets) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:07:57 PST

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Vitaliy Karpets) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 05:13:38 PST

Here are some answers to typical questions. If you have more, please feel free to contact us.

When and where do you meet?
We conduct our regular meetings every We conduct our regular meetings every

Wednesday from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
at the Microsoft Ukraine Office,
75 Zhylianska St., Floor 4,
Business Centre Eurasia.

What is Toastmasters International?
Toastmasters International is a non-profit training and educational organization which teaches its members communication, leadership, training and management skills, and in doing so builds their self-confidence. It is the largest and most successful organization of its type in the world.

As a non-profit organization it runs a network of clubs led by volunteers for volunteers.

How long has Toastmasters International been established?
Toastmasters International was founded in 1924 and now has around 10,500 clubs in over 90 countries around the world. As a Toastmaster you will be welcome in any of these clubs.

Why do people join Chamber Toastmasters Club?
People join in order to improve their skill in speaking and to build their confidence.

What specifically will you learn to do as a Toastmaster?
By regular practice, you will learn how to make effective prepared speeches. You will also be able to make short off the cuff speeches and contributions to discussions. Most importantly you will also hone your listening skills.

How do you learn these skills?
When you join you receive training materials covering all aspects of speaking and evaluation. This kit includes a Communication and a Leadership Manual which reflects the years of experience Toastmasters has in helping people just like you. The Communication Manual takes you step by step through the art of making and evaluating speeches. The Leadership Manual encourages you to use the roles you undertake in meetings to develop various different leadership skills.

In particular you learn by doing. And your efforts are evaluated by your fellow Club members who give constructive feedback. You will be gradually introduced to the various roles within a Toastmasters meeting. Gaining proficiency in these helps to build up your skills, confidence and flexibility.

How soon will I be an expert?
Members progress at their own pace. Some move faster than others but everyone who joins Chamber Toastmasters Club and participates in the program can be sure they will become a competent speaker. Your skills develop steadily. As your confidence grows, the situations that once terrified you are taken in your stride.

Is it expensive?
No. In comparison to various courses, seminars, programs, cassette and video kits offered through the media, Toastmasters is the best value by far. In our opinion it is the most effective way to learn public speaking and build your confidence. Membership is just $72 a year and an initial registration fee of $20.

Anyone over 18 may join. To see if it's for you, just come along to a club meeting as our guest. Visitors can attend for free and are always assured of a friendly welcome without any obligation.

Educational Program

noreply@blogger.com (Vitaliy Karpets) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 05:13:38 PST

by Riverside Communicators

The educational program is at the heart of our Club. It is the means by which you develop your skills and achieve your goal of becoming a better communicator.

On an informal level, every meeting offers you the chance to practise. But Toastmasters also offers a formal educational program, which is divided into two tracks – a communication track and a leadership track.

Both offer training in the form of various projects that you can carry out, and which allow you to learn through experimentation and experience.

Communication Track
The communication track is the major emphasis for all new members. Most of us join Toastmasters for the benefits it offers. Some of us also become involved in the leadership track – you can do both.

The core of the communication track is the Competent Communicator Program manual, which contains 10 speech projects that allow you to gradually build up your speaking abilities.

Leadership Track
The leadership track allows you to acquire and practise the skills necessary to be an effective leader. You can serve as a Club Officer, developing skills in planning, training, motivating, and managing.

Ian Harrison’s Top Ten Speaking Tips
To take you through to Competent Communicator

1. Icebreaker
Tell stories. People love stories so use this opportunity to tell some stories about yourself and what is important to you. Because your stories are so familiar to you this will help you to control your stage fright and speak with confidence.

The key to success is your ability to visualize. Visualization is considered to be the most significant factor in becoming successful at anything you want to do. To be able to see beyond your current level of competence and conquer fear and doubts is a real differentiator of those who succeed.

If we visualize being congratulated for speaking and possibly even receiving a ribbon, lots of applause – we are starting to build the reality. So as you are preparing for your icebreaker speech visualize yourself doing it successfully and hearing the applause from your fellow club members when you finish.

2. Organize Your Speech
This is only your second speech so find a subject that you are familiar with so you don't need to do much research. Find something that you believe will be of interest to your audience and work hard at organizing your material in a way that makes it easy to follow. It's a good idea to pretend you are talking to people for whom the subject will be completely new. Is it clear? Is it logical? Do you move smoothly from one idea to another?

Put time into preparing your opening and closing remarks. You want to grab attention at the beginning and leave your audience with something memorable at the end.

3. Get to the Point
Get up with a Sparkle, prepare for that moment when you get up on the stage and add humour where ever possible.

Get very clear about the purpose of the speech – what do you want your audience to know or be able to do after listening to you? As always open strongly and close with something memorable. People will remember 2 or 3 things in the middle of your speech, plus the opening and close.

Along side doing your speeches from the Manual speak and get as much stage time as possible – do Table Topics as often as you can to help you think on your feet and speak fluently.

4. How to Say it
Be descriptive with your speech. Talking about a dog that appeared says nothing but saying “this huuuuuge, black, Alsation came bounding forward dragging its red faced owner behind it” gives out a much more vivid image.

You want to make people care about what you are saying. Don’t give dry information. To make it memorable and effective use colour and metaphor to add to what you are communicating.

Pause for 5-6 seconds after the key words or key message. So ---- what ---- I ---- would like you ---- to remember is ---- the importance of pace and pause.

Speaking is a dialogue not a monologue.

5. Your Body Speaks
Make proper gestures not half hearted little arm wafts. Exaggerate facial and body gestures – they will feel bigger to you than they look to the audience!

Don’t be a stationary figure – move around and make use of the space you have available. Look good, feel good, and stand tall with shoulders back. Pause. Smile. Nod to encourage agreement.

You may not be aware of your mannerisms. Take notice of the feedback you get. Becoming aware of your mannerisms is the first step towards changing them if you need to.

6. Vocal Variety
Decide on the key points and make them standout by pausing, slowing down, speeding up and emphasising words.

Do not speak unless you are looking at people, do not speak to the floor, ceiling, window, presentation or flip.

Don’t read your notes and speak. Read your notes, look up and then speak. This will help you to focus on using your voice effectively and make your delivery smoother. Remember when you pause it will feel longer to you than it does to your audience. The audience members are hearing what you are saying for the first time!

7. Research Your Topic
This is all about preparation. Find a subject that is appropriate and relevant to your audience. Make your points clearly and support them with facts and figures. Organization and balance are important if you are to hold the audience's attention.

Use previously learnt skills of vocal variety and body language.
Remember: always be willing to speak, never say no to an opportunity. If you wondered why all the experienced club members wish to do Table Topics, it is because that’s where you get the greatest experience.

8. Get Comfortable with Visual Aids
Walk the stage, get the room right, and make sure everything is where it should be. If you are using flipcharts make sure you prepare them in advance and that they can be read from the back of the room. There is no excuse for turning up with poorly prepared flip charts.

Presentations with Power Point must be well thought through with no more than 5 bullet points per slide. They are just a summary. You will know much more about your subject which will enable you to put the words and colour around the delivery.

9. Persuade with Power
Open the speech with a question or strong statement. The opening must gain their interest and get your audience hooked. Really work on finishing strongly.

Give a final line or image that your audience will easily remember. Ideally your close should get people thinking, acting and leaving with something to do.

Weave humour throughout your speech. Even with a serious subject some humour can be appropriate and make it easier for everyone to listen to and absorb what you have to say.

10. Inspire Your Audience
Talk with passion on a subject that you believe in and that is important to you.

Anton Stetsenko wins All-Ukrainian Toastmasters Speech Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Coolrabbit) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:34:39 PST

Warmest congratulations
to our club member, Anton Stetsenko, who won at
5th All-Ukrainian Toastmasters Speech Contest!!!

We have the best speaker in Ukraine in our club!!!!!!
And we have the best speaker second year in a row!
Last year all-Ukrainian Speech Contest was also won by the speaker from our club.

Meeting on Feb 11

noreply@blogger.com (Coolrabbit) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 13:00:17 PST

Meeting insights

noreply@blogger.com (Coolrabbit) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:19:05 PST

New useful book details

noreply@blogger.com (Coolrabbit) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 05:12:49 PST

Fellow Toastmasters,

Following our nice and “emotional” Table Topics Session, please find below the book details I was referring to in my speech.

Kind regards,
Vitaliy

Dan Ariely, Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Why do smart people make irrational decisions every day? The answers will surprise you. Predictably Irrational is an intriguing, witty and utterly original look at why we all make illogical decisions. Why can a 50p aspirin do what a 5p aspirin can't? If an item is "free" it must be a bargain, right? Why is everything relative, even when it shouldn't be? How do our expectations influence our actual opinions and decisions? In this astounding book, behavioural economist Dan Ariely cuts to the heart of our strange behaviour, demonstrating how irrationality often supplants rational thought and that the reason for this is embedded in the very structure of our minds. Predicatably Irrational brilliantly blends everyday experiences with a series of illuminating and often surprising experiments, that will change your understanding of human behaviour. And, by recognising these patterns, Ariely shows that we can make better decisions in business, in matters of collective welfare, and in our everyday lives from drinking coffee to losing weight, buying a car to choosing a romantic partner.

Click here for the book

Pictures from TM Ball - Novemeber 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Coolrabbit) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:31:40 PST

Progress Chart: Meet Our Members

noreply@blogger.com (Vitaliy Karpets) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:01:11 PST

Contact Us

noreply@blogger.com (Vitaliy Karpets) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:52:53 PST

We conduct our regular meetings every

Wednesday
from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

at the Microsoft Ukraine Office,
75 Zhylianska St., Floor 4,
Business Centre Eurasia.

Please use the map extract: