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Toastmaster Clubs run very successful Speechcraft Courses during the year. Participants begin nervously, not knowing anyone, and end up friends with a great bunch of people.
Here's some news and photos from recent Speechcraft Courses from around New Zealand.
Auckland's Speechcraft Club has taken Speechcraft to a new level with the introduction of two new advanced courses, entitled Speechcraft 201 and Speechcraft 301.
The courses were developed in response to the challenge faced by many Toastmasters Clubs running Speechcraft courses: how to convert more Speechcrafters into being ongoing Toastmasters? The club has found the advanced courses have successful in appealing to people who enjoyed the introductory Speechcraft course so much, that they want to extend the intensive style of learning.
Speechcraft 201 repeats the speech from the introductory course which is unaccredited, and takes up to eight participants through to their #7 speech from the Competent Communicator manual, achieving their Spirit of Success certificate along the way. Speechcraft 301 finishes off the last three 7- and 8-minute speeches of the CC manual, with up to six participants finishing the course as Competent Communicators. Advanced educationals have been tailored to prepare the participants specifically on the requirements for these later speeches of the manual, for example "Working with Visual Aids" and "Inspiring Your Audience".
The courses have not only resulted in the benefit that the club has been able to achieve the CC educational goals of the Distinguished Club Plan, but also kept the participants within the club long enough to inspire them to remain as ongoing members of the club. Of the four participants who completed Speechcraft 301 recently, three are now actively involved in the club’s current introductory course, with the fourth member expressing his keenness to do so when he completes some current travel.
At the course's final night celebration, Speechcraft 301 graduate, Lynne O'Brien CC expressed what she liked most about the series of Speechcraft courses from the introductory course to 301: "It was great that we could get training on what we needed to learn for each speech, just before we had to give the speech. It really suited my active learning style."
Laura Smith, Lynne O'Brien and Mark Wiedemann celebrating completing their
Competent Communicator Awards at the Speechcraft 301 graduation.
The other 301 course participant, absent at the graduation,
was Angela Wynn (inset), who graduated a few nights later
at an Introductory course session.
Other graduates Laura Smith CC and Angela Wynn CC have both added how much their experience through the Speechcraft process seems to be motivating the participants of the current introductory course. "The Speechcrafters really seem to appreciate knowing that we were in their situation only a year or so ago, and being able to see what can be achieved by continuing with Toastmasters", said Laura.
Due to the success of the last year's Speechcraft 201 and 301 courses, the club plans to offer three 201 courses and a 301 course during the next Toastmasters year, with the first of the 201 courses fully subscribed and currently underway. For more information on these advanced courses, you can visit Speechcraft Club's website: www.speechcraft.org.nz.
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