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Many people pay thousands of dollars for seminars to gain the skill and confidence necessary to face an audience. But there's another option that is less expensive and held in high regard in business circles - Toastmasters International. The organization has been in operation for almost 80 years and offers a proven and enjoyable way to practice and hone the communication and leadership skills of its members, and it recently opened a Valrico chapter.
A Toastmasters club is a "learn-by-doing" workshop in which men and women hone their skills in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere. A typical club has 20 to 40 members who meet weekly or biweekly to learn and practice public speaking techniques. The average club meeting lasts approximately one hour. Those joining a Toastmasters club learn communication skills by working in the Communication Program manual, a series of 10 speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public speaking in a safe, casual environment.
Cindy Wood, president of the new Valrico Toastmasters states, "Sometimes just the desire to join Toastmasters is not enough. Living smack in the middle between Brandon and Plant City, the drive to attend either of the existing clubs in Brandon or Plant City after a long day's work was overwhelming and downright impossible for many of us. But impossible is not a word a Toastmaster uses lightly."
Gale Desrosiers, one of the early founders of the Valrico Toastmasters, took his time finding Toastmasters but once he did there was no turning back. In 1991, after many years of reading and working on self-improvement, Desrosiers realized he wanted to find a way to help others to make changes in their lives but he had a fear of speaking in public. He nervously attended a Toastmasters meeting and within his first year, he entered the Toastmasters International Speech contest and reached the district level.
"This is the third club I have helped to get started and I owe the latter part of my career to Toastmasters. For a small investment of $27 dollars every six months I have received a wealth of knowledge, confidence, and personal growth. I am sure many others have as well," says Desrosiers.
For more information regarding the Valrico Toastmaster's meetings, go to http://groups.msn.com/ValricoToastmasters/welcome.msnw.
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