Each year, Toastmasters, a public speaking and leadership organisation, holds a worldwide speaking contest. This year is actually Toastmaster’s 100th anniversary, since being started in 1924 in California.
There are clubs all around the world. For more information about finding one near you, visit: https://www.toastmasters.org
My own Toastmasters journey so far
My first connection with Toastmasters was when my mother was a member of Maleny Toastmasters in Australia in the 1990’s. I went with her to a couple of meetings when I was a teenager, and took part when she ran a Youth Leadership Programme at my school. She also did well in the humorous speech contest and I remember being impressed with her progress.
I was first a Toastmasters member myself a few years later in Brisbane, Australia in around 1995 in a club called “Young Achievers”. In the few years I was a member, I learned a lot, and made a few friends as well.
The next time I was a Toastmasters member was around 2002 in The Netherlands, when I was one of the charter members of TMOTH: Toastmasters of The Hague. I attended few a few years and worked my way through what was then a system of CTM & DTM, including serving on the board as Vice President PR.
I became a parent, and move back to Australia for a while, and wasn’t involved in Toastmasters for some time. When teaching at The Hague University of Applied Sciences in 2015, many of my students shared how nervous they were giving presentations. I told them about Toastmasters and suggested they started a club – and they did! Again, I was a charter member, but due to family and work commitments couldn’t continue, but am glad the club did.
Then, last year, I rejoined The Hague University Toastmasters. For the last year, I worked my way through the new Pathways programme with a number of speeches and achieved Level 1 and Level 2.
This month, I decided to enter the international speech contest for the first time. Below is some more information on this journey!
The HUT Club competition
On 31 January, I competed at club level. My speech was titled: From AI Anxiety to AI Optimism and I shared my own personal framework of “Connect, communicate, educate” to give examples of how people can move from being worried and nervous about the AI explosion, to instead looking at it from a more positive perspective and thinking about how they can personally be part of this. We should, of course be cautious- but also curious.
That’s not (yet) a trophy, it’s Alexa I’m holding! As we are a small club, and I was the only entrant at club level, I can proceed to the next level. However I still had to qualify, by completing this speech within the allocated time, and in line with all the required criteria. Club President, Yannick, shared the 29 page Toastmasters Contest Manual with me which was quite some reading alongside preparing my speech!
However, this is all important as this is a well-organised annual contest, which goes right through to international level. It’s exciting to even take the first step on that path. Even with all my experience now as a speaker and university lecturer, I get very nervous in every speech. I’ve learned many techniques to deal with this, and practice is of course the best way to improve!
I very much valued the feedback from the members and guests there this evening, and will be taking this into account for the next round of competition, when I speak at the Area Contest in Tilburg on Saturday 17 February.
Area Contest
Tilburg, 17 February 2024
Division E Contest
The Hague, 9 March 2024
District 59 Contest
Antwerp, 24-26 May
Regional Quarterfinals
Via Video. https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/speech-contests/region-quarterfinals
World Championship of Public Speaking
You can find all the information about this via the Toastmasters website, including videos of the winners from the last 3 years:
Zestee 