TAP Toastmasters Club 1422, Moose Jaw, hosted an open house on Tuesday, February 12 at Sask. Polytechnic where they gave guests an overview of the benefits of being part of Toastmasters International and what their meetings each week entail.
TAP Toastmasters is a non-profit organization which provides communication and leadership training. Members enhance their skills and experience personal and professional development in a mutually supportive and friendly atmosphere. TAP Toastmasters meet on Tuesdays at the boardroom at Sask. Polytechnic at 7 p.m. Anyone age 19 or over can become a member.
Cathy Morrell, president of TAP Toastmasters, says the group was happy to host another open house that will make the community further aware of TAP Toastmasters and its benefits. She noted that being part of Toastmasters can help in achieving personal development skills. She also outlined other benefits, such as aiding in professional development, becoming more confident while speaking, and sharpening leadership skills.
“We encourage people to come on out on any Tuesday night at 7 p.m. to meet with us. We do a lot of programs; there’s a lot to learn such as listening skills, communication and leadership skills. All of us here at Toastmasters have shown personal improvements and a lot have come and moved on to better jobs as a result of the skills they gained here at Toastmasters,” Morrell said.
“At our meetings, we practice public speaking and we have speeches on just about anything. We are also able to facilitate persons working on presentations where they can come and do their presentations with us and they’re able to learn how to improve those presentations.”
Kelly Sapergia, who has been a long-time member of TAP Toastmasters, said the club has helped him boost his self-confidence over the years. At the open house, Sapergia, who is visually impaired, gave an impeccable presentation about reading in braille and how visually impaired individuals use it to boost their lives and become as informed and involved as possible.
Sapergia’s delivery of his speech on braille was well received as he showed off the skills he learned as a member of TAP Toastmasters. He encourages others in the community to join the club, proving that that there are no limits to achieving any form of personal development.
“I’ve been a member of Toastmasters since 2006 — 13 years and it’s been a very important aspect of my life. It has helped with my public speaking skills as well as helped me with my confidence in a number of areas. There are many activities that I’ve been involved in that I probably wouldn’t have been part of had it not been for Toastmasters.
“If you’re looking for a club that will boost your confidence, Toastmasters is definitely for you. Not only do you have personal and professional development, but you also get to meet some great people here.”
Some of the benefits of becoming a Toastmasters member are: participation in a unique and proven program for developing your communication and leadership skills; a positive and supportive atmosphere in a community of learners; the opportunity to find your voice while learning to tell your story with confidence; unlimited opportunities to personal and professional growth; access to educational materials and resources on public speaking, listening skills, meeting protocol, use of technology in presentations and effective communication in conference and meetings; a free subscription to Toastmaster, a monthly magazine that provides insights on communication, leadership, club activities and other relevant topics and experience in leadership development through training and club involvement.
The mission of a Toastmaster 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.
If you want to become part of TAP Toastmasters, or find out more about the organization, you can visit their website or call Cathy Morrell at 306-630-7015.
