If speaking in public strikes fear in your heart, help is at hand.
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills
The 15 members of the local Toastmasters club meets Thursday evenings and will host an open house tomorrow evening from 7 to 9 in the library at the Sullivan campus of Salmon Arm Secondary School.
“Even if they don’t want to speak in public, it helps for job interviews or any kind of impromptu talking,” says Walter Scheidegger, who as vice-president education, is responsible for making people feel welcome and getting them on their way to better speaking skills. “People also pick up leadership skills and learn how to prepare and lead meetings.”
Scheidegger has been a member of Toastmasters for 14 years and says he has definitely gained confidence for public speaking.
He says Toastmasters is the perfect place to hone skills because goofing up, at least at the beginning, is viewed as being normal and other members always pick up on what was done well.
“We celebrate that a person went up and tried,” he says noting maybe the person will be able to speak the following week, or the week after that.
Along with impromptu speaking sessions,Toastmasters also work on prepared speeches, following a series of manuals that provide a good variety of opportunities for improving communication skills.
For more information, visit www.salmonarmtm.com or call Scheidegger at 250-833-5802.
