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25 May 2009

Toastmasters from the day you are born life is a crusade.

You learn to walk – but you have to gain your confidence and balance to achieve this.

Your next crusade is the education system – will I be the best student, will I excel in sport, be in the top sports team.   Confidence and practice is what will get you there.

You move onto University where you study hard or move into the work force and with practice you gain confidence in your job or maybe become a parent for the first time – will I be a good mother – through trial and error you do become a good parent and gain confidence and develop a relationship with that child.

For some, somewhere along the line, all the confidence we had growing up vanishes – barriers are put in our way and our Crusade to Confidence becomes a crusade to survive and that confidence is diminished.

We are too afraid to speak out, we have lost the courage to conquer and open new doors of opportunity for ourselves.

How many of you have been in a situation like this - I imagine the majority of you.

The Toastmaster program can give you that courage to conquer your speaking inabilities and your crusade to regained confidence flourishes.

I am sure every one of you can say that the toastmaster program has increased not only your confidence but your own self development and skill base.

We need to greet our visitors confidentially, cheerfully, make them feel comfortable.

For the prospective members’ crusade to confidence, our club needs to be friendly, fun, lively, punctual, organized, effective evaluations for the prepared presentations focused on our assignments for the evening, dress professionally especially when giving a presentation - just to name a few&

We need to give opportunities for our members to take their crusade to confidence to another level - outside the comfort of our club rooms – speak at other clubs, take on leadership roles and not allow the doors of opportunity to be closed on you.

So I encourage you all as team members of your toastmaster club, that our crusade is not only to have the courage to conquer our speaking inabilities through the Toastmaster program but to be on the crusade to recruit new members so that they may have the courage to conquer their speaking inabilities and become the best speaker and leader they possibly can be,

Be on the crusade to retain our current members so that they have the courage to extend their self esteem, confidence and skill base to allow them to open doors of opportunity,

So my message to you is do not put barriers up – do open doors of opportunity not only for yourself but for other people so that they may have the courage to conquer their speaking fears and be on a crusade to confidence.

Quote :  “No matter what your level of ability, you have more potential than you can ever develop in a lifetime.”

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11 May 2009

With elections happening for all the clubs throughout the world this month and for my home Club Achieve Toastmasters as I was the Toastmaster for this particular night, I decided to have a theme of ELECTIONS.   For some people it is just another day and do not take an interest or even vote.

For others it is a serious business with gaiety colourful posters, streamers, being inundated with brochures and a reason for a good party.

Those who stay away from the election think that one vote will do no good: 'Tis but one step more to think one vote will do no harm. Ralph Waldo Emerson  

So why vote?   Voting connects citizens with their political process. It helps choose our leaders (those who share our views or those who may inspire us). The simple act of marking a ballot tells our leaders what we think about decisions that affect our lives, such as how much taxation we think is fair or what issues (such as health care or the environment) we think are most important.

Voting connects us to one another as citizens. By taking part in an election and by expressing our point of view, we help our democracy work. By agreeing or disagreeing with our leaders we show that the political system can accept differing points of view and can resolve them. By not voting, we break the connection between individual New Zealanders and their community.

Voting helps to safeguard our freedoms. A democratic community can only survive if its citizens see participation in the political process as a duty and a responsibility.

By voting, each citizen participates in a process that might lead to other forms of involvement, such as working for a political party or even running for office.

Today it seems unjust to any of us that any group be excluded from the democratic process, but the exclusion of women - half the population - seems particularly outrageous. Yet it took profound changes in the society at large, as women took their place in the workplace, for the idea of political equality between the sexes to be considered, even among women themselves.

At the recent Convention elections were held for the District Team and we had four candidates standing for one position – LT Governor Marketing.   There was a candidates’ showcase on the Friday evening and the candidates were given 2 minutes to promote themselves at the Council Meeting on the Saturday and then a secret ballot was carried out under the control of our District Parliamentarian.

So when we hold Club elections whilst it is a serious business lets make it light and breezy with people opting to come onto our club committees and make their mark on their club.   Change adds colour, invigorates other members to get more involved in the toastmaster program.

A politician should have three hats. One for throwing into the ring, one for talking through, and one for pulling rabbits out of if elected.   Carl Sandburg

4 May 2009

The Hubbard Clipboard has come to the fore again and the topic of discussion this time was the “Bucket List”.   I believe there was a movie recently made about two terminally ill men who escape from a cancer ward and head off on a round trip with a wish list of ‘to-dos’ before they died.   One of the men Carter wrote on the top of his list of things to do “before I kick the bucket”.   The movie depicted them doing all sorts of things such as skydiving, climbing the pyramids, and going on a lion safari just to name a few of the items on their “bucket list”.   They also had on their list family issues to be sorted amongst other personal challenges and they supported each other through the trials and tribulations of completing their bucket lists.

I ask you, why wait until you have to face dying to make a “bucket list” of all the things you wish to do.   Make your list today – sure you may have to change it frequently or add to it or even delete items because you have completed them or they have lost their appeal.

The same is in Toastmasters, when you join Toastmasters make a list of what you wish to achieve from the Toastmaster program and as you progress tick off each item.   Relook at your list often, are you on target to achieve your Competent Communicator, your Advanced Leader or your Competent Leader.   What new skills do you wish to gain, what ideas do you want to trial at a meeting.

It does not matter where you are in life do have a “bucket list” of things you wish to achieve – don’t wait until you are facing a road with no exit or a tunnel that has no light at the end of it.  Get out there and see the world and make your list of opportunities an exhilarating experience.

"One should never count the years – one should count one’s interests.   I have kept young trying never to lose my childhood sense of wonderment.   I am glad I still have a vivid curiosity about the world I live in."   Helen Keller