Public speaking requires more than just a toast.(Toastmasters International helps people improve communication skills)

Byline: Marylou Doehrman

Public speaking is, to many people, as dreadful as a root canal. But there are a special few that thrive in front of an audience. And there are others who like to test their limits through public speaking, which, they believe, raises their level of confidence and enhances their communication and presentation abilities. One organization that promotes and encourages its members to step outside of their comfort zone is Toastmasters International. Gavin Blakey is the president of Toastmasters International, and he says the organization is much more than a joke telling, roast and toast kind of club. Blakey's motto: "Toastmasters is a people's organization, and we are in the business of helping people be the best that they can be."

No matter what one is seeking - to follow in the footsteps of great speakers, like Zig Ziglar, or to lose the butterflies and ums and ahs when presenting in front of clients, colleagues, and bosses - Toastmaster meetings pave the way to higher levels of human interaction. Toastmasters mission: to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn fosters self-confidence and personal growth.

What type of person attends weekly meetings that necessitate preparing and giving speeches and speaking off the cuff when it's time for impromptu table topics?

When Jon Walsh started his architectural landscape business, he decided to join Toastmasters to gain better listening and speaking skills to enhance his client/customer relationships. That was three years ago. Walsh recently competed in the Toastmasters southern division humorous speech contest (after winning the area contest) in Colorado Springs and left competitors swirling in their wake when he claimed first place for his comical speech about the trials and tribulations of the endangered species, the jackalope. Walsh will now compete at the district humorous speech contest, which takes place in Denver on November 16. "Winning is a mixed blessing," said Walsh.

Karlyn Thayer was so shy that she couldn't make eye contact with anyone. She joined Toastmasters years ago, and she too competed in the southern division humorous speech contest and the division's evaluation contest. Thayer believes that Toastmasters is a catalyst to help introverts become more extroverted. But there's a place for extroverts too.

Linda Rinehart loved public speaking from the time she was a child. She was one who thrived on an audience, and she entered numerous speech contests in elementary school, high school, and college. There was nothing shy about Rinehart. Rinehart's career catapulted her to attain greater heights as a communicator and public speaker. She worked for Caterpillar Inc. (based in ...