CLUB SPiRIT: TOASTMASTERS IN FULL BLAST IN 2007

by Perps Poblador, CC, CL

The Chinese soothsayers have already said; 2007 is a good year for reaping what you sow in the past years. If this is the case, this year is meant for another Toastmasters success. And we want you to take part of this exciting journey.

The recently-concluded planning session happened last January 20, 2007 in Bayview Hotel has helped us reflect on the successes and challenges we had in the past, to reaffirm the club's strengths and direction, to renew commitment amongst officers and members, and most importantly, to partner with the right people that can mutually help us make our aspirations come true. Rest assured that Toastmasters is the perfect associate you can rely on.

To start this year right, Toastmasters club launches its activities, projects and events in store for 2007 through our launch catalogue dub as, Toastmasters in 2007: Projects & Events Catalogue. This catalogue highlights Toastmasters club as a strategic learning organization for effective communication and leadership skills, at the same time an exciting venue for personal enrichment. Download the Toastmasters club launch catalogue for free by clicking the image below. Registration form for activities and events, as well as the application form for membership, are also included.

Click this image to download the Tm club launch catalogue. For an e-copy of Tm Activities Registration Form, click here.

We have made strategic partnerships with the SPi Learning Academy (SPiLA) and the SPi Foundation (otherwise known as Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR); with the clubs like the Writers Guild and the Performing Arts; and with the Employee Council and HR-Employee Relations. At the same time, we are intending to expand Toastmasters club in second to third quarter this year to other SPi facilities (as of today, we may start expanding Toastmasters club in Laguna early on this February and in Cebu on March. So SPi Cebu and Laguna, here comes Toastmasters).

Click on the images to enlarge.

Dubbed as the most novel, out-of-the-box idea of Toastmasters club and the Writers Guild, BOOK TALKS aims to promote the love for reading in the workplace, promote Writers Guild's READvolution project, and to serve as Toastmasters club's alternative Table Topics and speech delivery activities for Toastmasters members.

Due to insistent public demand, Toastmasters club is bringing back the Roadshow Series, which aims to promote Toastmasters club in every business units in SPi and eventually will help the club create new Toastmasters group under SPi Toastmasters club umbrella.

With the emerging concerns of strengthening the English Proficiency of the Filipinos, SPi Foundation and Toastmasters club come up with an English Proficiency Program for public school teachers in Tagaytay City through the Speechcraft Program. Speechcraft is a program designed by Toastmasters International that aims to teach public speaking skills to members and non-members.

The Club Week Celebration that has been up and running for about three years, will be another success not only for Toastmasters club but also to club-colleagues as well. The Induction Ceremonies of the newly-installed Club Officers has been a tradition in the club. Yet besides this annual event, Toastmasters club will conduct its first-ever Toastmasters of the Year, an event that will recognize the graduates in the Competent and Advanced Communicator and Leader norms, as well as the best (and highly improved) communicator and leader in 2007.

We want our new members to be fully immersed to Toastmasters way of learning. So we are giving this day for them we'd call the Neophytes' Day. A walkthrough presentation about Toastmasters shall be done in this session. New members will then be inducted and will have them render their first speeches (we call the Icebreaker) as our initiation rites to them. Wouldn't this be thrilling seasoned Toastmasters *chuckles*? We assure you, no paddle, for heaven's sake!

WE WANT ALL SPEECHES! NO TO TABLE TOPICS! Well, we can forego the most feared yet thrilling Table Topics in this occasion, for now. Our 4-part Speech Marathon Series will entail a full roster of prepared speech deliveries to cater the need for members to speed up their speech project completion, as well as to others to (ahem) listen or evaluate.

Communicate with Humor will be the first learning session in 2007 that will be held during the Club Week Celebration. In line with September we christened as Media month, we will conduct a learning session entitled Communication for Television. In October, we will have a learning session, Communication by Management.

Quartethlon contests happens in mid-August to September. It is a sort of a four-in-one contest set for a single representative (sounds huge, I know). You've got to sing, do impromptu, evaluate and render a prepared speech! We've had Mark Start TM (now our Director for Operations in Journals - EDD), Mikes Sarandona CC/CL (currently Corporate Development Manager), and Remo Marilao TM (club's VP-Public Relations) in these contests. Who's next in line?

Speech contests are must see! This happens in mid-March to April. We have speech contests on the following categories:

• Impromptu Speaking


• Evaluation


• Humorous Speech or Tall Tales


• Prepared Speech

We've had Raul Escandor CC/CL (club's Past President), Molly-Corona Crisostomo TM, Perps Poblador CC/CL (club's Immediate Past President), Cliff Roperez TM (currently SPiLA's Assistant Manager) and Kehm Genito TM (club's secretary) competed in these contests. Are you next?

Toastmasters club have so many things in store this 2007! Join Toastmasters, improve your communication and leadership skills and have fun.

About the correspondent

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A Toastmaster for only God knows since really when, Perps Poblador is currently the Immediate Past President of SPi Toastmasters Club. Also a Communicator and Leader graduate, she's now in a verge of creating something crazily new and exciting in her life. You may reach her at the smoking area during breaks eyeing the good, the bad and the handsome!