Toastmasters International, Mike Nicewarner, Cener (President Geno Nelsen, left, and Past President Bob Wiley, right).
Member Bob Wiley has been a member of Toastmasters International – Bob presented Mike Nicewarner, a John Deere Finance employee, and 17-year member of Toastmasters.
The non-profit organization has 352-thousand members around the world, with 16,400 clubs in 141 countries! Mike shared that John Deere actually hosts his club, pays dues for employees and encourages employees to join. You don’t have to be a John Deere employee to be a member of his club.
Toastmasters goal is to offer a supportive and encouraging environment for members to grow their speaking and leadership skills. Meetings are about growth. Every member is attached to a mentor as they work on skills.
Pathway programs provide and are customized for individuals – from persuasive speeches to informative. Speaking is a focus of every meeting. Various speech styles may be a part of any meeting including prepared speeches and impromptu talks. Members are given feedback on grammar, appropriate timing, pace and vocabulary. One member will count the um’s and ah’s a speaker might have used during a speech. All of the feedback is framed in a positive way that spurs growth.
A monthly magazine goes to all members giving the latest tips and success stories. Mike said it is a cost-effective membership compared to others at $45 every six months. The club structure is similar to Rotary which includes club president, VP membership, VP PR, VP education and treasurer, etc.
Mike pointed out that an individual’s growth opportunity within Toastmasters is limited to what a member wants to accomplish with local events all the way up to international gatherings!
Table topics are chosen randomly at meetings – the goal is to have members “good on your feet” at extemporaneous speaking. It’s all part of the club’s goal to help members be better speakers and leaders.