HOOKED!

HOOKED!

“What a wonderful experience that first meeting was — being sincerely welcomed by the members when I arrived, tantalizing Table Topics, speech evaluations with substance and kindness! I was hooked.” That was Peggy Machol Bassett, a Toastmasters member of Houston Texas sharing her testimonial in celebration of Toasmasters’ 85th year founding anniversary.

Fellow Toastmasters and guests, good evening.

I have known TM for such a long-time now through words of mouth and constant invitations from friends who are also members of Toastmasters. But I guess it was only this year when, finally, I had the guts and found the time and willingness to do so. Too much enthusiasm to upgrade my speaking skills was there, thus, I contacted Marilyn Abella, the then club president of El Presidente, who was very friendly and accommodating in satisfying my queries about the club.

April 2010 was a jam-packed month for me. Spearheading a companywide business awareness campaign for its employees almost choked me to death. Mare, during these busy days of mine, never failed to cover me with invitations despite my slim chance of attending.
Finally, after several notifications, I attended the first club meeting on May 20, 2010.

Everybody has their own reasons for joining, do you still remember yours? Well, I have three.

First is, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.

Confidence in dealing and speaking with people from different levels of the organization is the primary qualification of an HR practitioner in any organization. In the Account Mgt Group, one must also be able to touch all facets of HR, I have, actually, except one- Training facilitation.

A Training facilitator, for me, is the epitome of confidence and credibility. As our Organization and People Development Manager puts it, “An effective Trainor must be sincere in facilitating a transfer of knowledge, not only in the form of trainor to trainee, but among trainees as well. To effectively deliver, one has to be very good in communication— there should be clarity of thought and ability to articulate them in several forms of speech; and, most importantly, the speaker must be able to talk with confidence.“

I can say that personally, I have not come to that point just yet. I joined Toastmasters to help me acquire the skills and competencies of becoming a good public speaker and Trainor.

Second, my decision to join Toastmasters gives me the chance to BUILD NEW RELATIONSHIPS.

Facing people especially strangers excites and stimulates me. I build a web of network not because I plan to run in a public office at any point in this lifetime but primarily because their experiences sustain me. The wisdom I get from new and old friends allows me to grow more personally, professionally, and interpersonally.

Thirdly and my deciding factor in joining was-- Toastmasters exudes a POSITIVE AND FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT.

In a conversation with a resignee during an exit interview, I asked him “Jun, what piece of advice could you give me as I am choosing to stay and not leave the organization?”, the employee replied frankly and sharply, “Ms. Nina, watch your back and cover your ass.” Great, it almost made me fell off my chair.

I remember the first time I stepped inside this room. I sat beside Rhia. Rhia’s first few words which struck me were “Are you still single?” It made me laugh a bit and answered “Oh, does it show?” I even thought she was going to match me up with someone single from the group. Tsk, too bad she never did. That act instantly gave me a sense of belongingness.

Tito Sonny, on the other hand, a prepared speaker, amazed and inspired me with his project. I told myself that I will be like him. The General Evaluator, Lynne Gamboa, was informative, positive, and encouraging in giving her evaluations. Anton and Christine, placed their usual friendly smiles as they thanked me for attending and participating in the meeting. Sally, a day after the meeting, added me as her friend on Facebook.

I got overwhelmed. Being in an extremely welcoming and positive environment is a breath of fresh air. It’s therapeutic for I have been living in a dog-eat-dog world for eight years!

Working in a big company is a survival of the fittest. You learn to fight back hard without being defensive and offensive. In Toastmasters, you climb up without even having to box out.

“What a wonderful feeling that first meeting gave – Toastmasters members showing you the path to confidence, new-found friends ready to lend a helping hand, and the club exuding a warm and optimistic atmosphere. I am hooked!” That was Nina Viray , a proud memberof El Presidente Toastmasters Club.