Speak up

CITYLIFE | MENTORS

SPEAK UP

WITH AIRDRIE DISCOVERY TOASTMASTERS

BY STACIE GAETZ

HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO BE A BETTER PUBLIC SPEAKER?

You may think it would be easier than ever to speak to a large crowd now that they are confined to a virtual meeting in your computer instead of sitting in front of you in a conference room, but many people struggle with expressing themselves in an effective way whether in person or online.

A local non-profit dedicated to helping people improve their communication and leadership skills can help teach you the techniques you need to master to make your mark.

Tera Grocholski, president of Airdrie Discovery Toastmasters, has been a member of the club for six years.

“There is a wide variety of skills and experiences that people can learn from,” says Grocholski.

“The main focus is communication, so getting comfortable expressing yourself in front of other people or learning how to express yourself with greater impact on your audience, but Toastmasters really offers so much more than that.”

Toastmasters International has developed an educational curriculum to which members have access. Each member works through the curriculum at their own pace. There is online educational material and then assignments that are completed and presented in club meetings.

Airdrie Discovery Toastmasters has been operating in the community for 35 years and currently has 13 members. Grocholski says the skills learned in the club can benefit anyone.

“You can learn to lead a team, organize a conference, create a blog or a podcast, lead a marketing campaign, give a toast, tell a joke, learn interview skills,” she adds.

“If you need a little more confidence with expressing yourself at work or at home, or if you want to give yourself that extra competitive edge as you enter the workforce, or you want to change careers, Toastmasters can help.”

Grocholski says club members have a wide variety of occupations including teachers, managers, homemakers, health care workers, accountants, IT consultants, motivational speakers, technical writers and pharmacists.

She adds that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way in which the members meet but learning the valuable skills and the creation of important connections remains the same.

“We have been meeting on Zoom instead of in person and will be continuing to do so until at least September,” she says.

“The biggest upside of changing to virtual is that our meetings are no longer limited by location. We have had guests to our meeting who live in other cities and there is the opportunity to visit other clubs around the world virtually.”

Grocholski adds that there is an international speech competition that is hosted in a different country every year and this year it was virtual, making it much more accessible to all members.

“We are a warm and supportive group of people who encourage each other,” she says.

“It is so nice to be able to try out new skills or hone the ones we already have and receive positive feedback. It may sound intimidating to have to speak in front of other people but when you have a group of people who are there to support you and encourage you, it makes it so much easier. Like any skill, the more you practice speaking, the easier it gets.”

Grocholski says guests are welcome to visit one of the club meetings and see what it is about to get an idea of the club culture. life

“If you need a little more confidence with expressing yourself at work or at home, or if you want to give yourself that extra competitive edge as you enter the workforce, or you want to change careers, Toastmasters can help”

Information on the time and location of meetings can be found on the Airdrie Discovery Toastmasters website at airdriediscovery.toastmastersclubs.org