The First Toastmasters Club of Malta.

The First Toastmasters Club of Malta is now underway, we have now had three meetings our membership is growing ever greater with each meeting and we have had inquiries from more than 100 people.
My fears when I created this monster was that there may not be enough interest and that trying to set it up would be a bit of a long shot, clearly I was wrong.
Our meeting place to date has been the boardroom of Sara Grech Real Estate Agents one of the largest property agents on the Maltese Islands, Sara is one of our most active members and we take advantage of her hospitality for no charge whatsoever, thank you Sara.

Our membership has now got to the stage where we are going to require a larger meeting room since we appear to have outgrown this one in only three months, so we are now in the process of looking for an alternative venue.

Let's tell you a bit more about Toastmasters,

• A Toastmasters meeting is a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a friendly atmosphere. A typical group has 20 to 40 members Malta Toastmasters meet monthly to practice public speaking techniques. The average meeting lasts one hour.

• Members learn communication skills by working in the Competent Communication manual, a series of 10 self-paced speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public speaking. Participants learn skills related to use of humor, gestures, eye contact, speech organization and overall delivery. When finished with this manual, members can choose from 15 advanced manuals to learn skills related to specific interests.

• Members also learn leadership skills by taking on various meeting roles and serving as officers at the club and by working in the Competent Leadership manual and the High Performance Leadership program. In our learn-by-doing approach, we don't lecture our members about leadership skills; we give them responsibilities and ask them to lead.

• There is no instructor in a Toastmasters meeting. Instead, members evaluate one another’s presentations. This feedback process is a key part of the program’s success. Meeting participants also give impromptu talks on assigned topics, conduct meetings, serve as officers in various leadership roles and learn rules related to timing, grammar and parliamentary procedure.

If you would like to join us or just come to a meeting to see how things work you can contact me as the Club President through this blog or you will find our Toastmasters Group page at LinkedIn and you can contact the club this way.

"Is sloppiness in speech caused by ignorance or apathy? I don't know and I don't care." William Safire.

Toastmasters International in Malta.

There is nothing like pushing the boundaries the business is progressing steadily and as if I do not have enough to do I am starting the first branch of Toastmasters International in Malta.

So what is Toastmasters International? let Toastmasters explain -
"From a humble beginning in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters International has grown to become a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience. The nonprofit organization now has nearly 250,000 members in more than 12,500 clubs in 106 countries, offering a proven – and enjoyable! – way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills. Most Toastmasters meetings are comprised of approximately 20 people who meet weekly for an hour or two. Participants practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as timer, evaluator or grammarian. There is no instructor; instead, each speech and meeting is critiqued by a member in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be improved".

We need 20 members to get Toastmasters Malta off the ground, it is open to all ages from students to senior citizens.

Anyone interested please contact me here or leave a comment and I will get back to you.

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." Ralph Waldo Emerson.