Hills Toastmasters’ 50th
It’s a golden age for public speaking in the Hills with The Hills District Toastmasters Club (HDTM) celebrating its 50th anniversary on 1st April (we kid you not).
The golden moment will be celebrated by members at a gathering starting at 7pm. At its usual meeting place at Restore Church, 47 Britannia Road, Castle Hill.
The club is inviting former members and people associated with the club via Youth Leadership and Speechcraft to come along and join the celebrations.
The Club was formed in 1974 and has continually operated for over 50 years, holding more than 1200 meetings. The Club is a not for profit, community organisation focused on fostering and improving communication skills for its members and the general public.
HDTM is part of a worldwide organisation, Toastmasters International, which has over 14,000 clubs worldwide and plenty of online training resources for members.
President of the Hills District Toastmasters, Immanuel Selvaraj, said: “Fifty years ago, faceto- face communication was the primary way people interacted, making public speaking an essential skill for success. However, with the rise of digital communication, such as emails, texting, and social media, many now view public speaking as less relevant.
“As a result, younger generations are fast losing their ability at verbal communication and public speaking – they are becoming less confident in personal interaction.
Despite these changes, public speaking remains a crucial skill, particularly for leadership and effective mass communication. Whether addressing a crowd, leading a team, or delivering a presentation, the ability to speak confidently and persuasively is still essential in today’s world.”
So if you feel you need to improve your personal communication with your family, in your community and workplace … HDTM members say they have the answer for you.
The Club’s longest serving member Barry Haywood said: he was advised to join Toastmasters as part of his career development and joined in July 1981.
“I had serious communication problems … I found that Toastmasters not only solved my original communication problems but improved my personal, social and community communications,” he said.
“I have met a large group of people from all walks of life focused on improvement.”
He says he would recommend anyone with a strong desire to improve their personal communication skills to join toastmasters.
Toastmasters’ members pay low fees and enjoy a relaxed club atmosphere and support from experienced members.
Each meeting includes Table Topics (developing skills in impromptu speaking), Prepared Speeches (helping develop organisational skills), Evaluations (developing effective listening and positive feedback) and Chairmanship (helping with leadership and effective participation at meetings).
The Club welcomes all visitors. Meetings are held fortnightly on Tuesdays from 7.15pm to 9.30pm at Restore Church, 47 Britannia Road, Castle Hill.
The club is not affiliated with a church or political organisation.
For further information contact Terry Swan at [email protected].
