A Healthy Way to Club!

 

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It's fun, fun, fun at every toastmasters' gathering!

 

 

Mr. Poh Kim Siong with the leaders from District 80 and some area governors from Div. U.


You have probably guessed correctly. I am not referring to golf clubs, night clubs or town clubs but toastmasters clubs!

I only discovered about toastmasters' activities when I joined Dennis Wee Group as a property agent. I realised that even though I had been a teacher for ten years, yet there is still so much to learn about delivering our best when on stage! How I wish I had discovered toastmasters' clubs earlier. Then I might have presented my speeches and sermons more effectively. Although my ACS boys and colleagues enjoyed my sharing during the daily school devotion, I feel I could have done a better job, had I participated in a toastmasters' club. Once, one of my ACS boys commented, "Madam, we enjoy your sharing. From the heart." Youngsters are intuitive. You cannot pull wool over their eyes.

I have enjoyed myself so much and found that I have benifitted greatly by being a toastmaster. I have become wittier and more refined in my speech. It has also made me more conscious of my body language, vocal variety and eye contact with my audience. I have also become a more dynamic and spontanous person. Toastmasters programs also train us to be leaders. Hence I want to encourage all my readers to participate and join a toastmasters' club in your area and country.

At our recent Achievers' Day, I was happy to meet Pauline, a fellow toastmaster from Sydney, Australia. She is now a Distinguished Toastmaster and has been a member for the past 10 years. It is encouraging to see her so enthusiastic! What a charming lady!

Another outstanding youngster is Barry Tan, a medical student, who has already completed his advanced Gold project and served as the Area Governor for Division U2. It is not easy to juggle his studies, toastmasters' activities and blog writing; yet Barry has managed to cope! I mentioned to him once that he should give a talk on time management to secondary school and junior college kids. I believe indirectly toastmasters' activities have helped Barry to be even more stringent on his time management. At least, they have helped me, because even though I managed to complete 25 speech projects in 5 months of joining our Toastmasters' Club, I was still able to come in 47th position in our Company's Top 100 award for 2006. I hope to improve my ranking for 2007.

Wan sui, wan sui Toastmasters Clubs. May Toastmasters' Clubs survive and continue in strength for the next 1,000 years! :-)

Gan Chau