The Toastmasters Educational Program

(This talk was delivered at the Aug.20, 2009 Toastmasters Meeting of the ACT Club.)

There are two tracks in the traditional program, the communication track and the leadership track. The core of the communication track is the Competent Communicator manual. It contains 10 speech projects to help you gain the basic skills needed to present an effective speech.

(video credits: Andre Marcelo-Tanner)

Toastmasters Speech Timing Cards - Improvised & DIY - Part 2

(This is the continuation of Toastmasters Speech Timing Cards - Improvised & DIY)

Do the same when the midpoint time is up for the yellow card and the maximum time is up for the red card.

If you are a bit far away from the speaker, you may raise the colored card to attract the speaker's attention. This is similar to when a student in a class raises his hand to get the teacher's attention.

This isn't too distracting for the audience, if you as Meeting Timer, is far back at the table or room. If, however, you're somewhere in the middle, you could subdue the motion to avoid unnecessary distractions for the audience.

Toastmasters Speech Timing Cards - Improvised & DIY

Today, I finished making a set of improvised signal cards for timing Toastmasters speeches. Others would call these "timing cards". They're quite durable since they're really made of heavy plastic.

These timing cards are meant to replace the battery-operated Toastmaster signal lights device that we previously used at the club. That timing lights device seems to have some circuit contact problems.

Even with the rotary switch clicking into the correct position, one or two lamps don't light up. It might take a little bit of twisting or nudging on the switch knob for contact to happen and the LED light to light up. So there are two problems: getting the LED to light up is one thing, getting the LED to stay lit is another.

Club Officers Training for Divisions B and H - Makati City

Attended today the Club Officers Training at the Old Makati Stock Exchange Building. Representing Alabang Community Toastmasters Club are (L to R): Lolet Gabay (Sgt-at-Arms), me (President), Violet Imperial (Secretary) and Larry Gamboa (VP-Membership). Behind Larry is veteran Toastmaster Gina Mapua and behind me is photobombing Rosan Cruz.

ACT 5th Anniversary, Bellevue Hotel, Alabang - The Keynote Address

Giving my Inaugural Address as President during Alabang Community Toastmasters (ACT) Club's 5th Anniversary and Induction of New Members. The speech I delivered is entitled "Focus on Your Goals". It is also my Keynote Address speech project in The Professional Speaker Manual.

Shown below are: Dayle Feliciano, Gene delos Reyes, Larry Gamboa, Tricia de Guia and Michael Andrews.

The Keynote Address-Sample Speech, "Focus On Your Goals"

Focus On Your Goals
(The Keynote Address, Advanced Speech Project #1 in The Professional Speaker Manual, Jul.4,2009, ACT Club, 5th-Year Anniversary and Induction Ceremonies, Bellevue Hotel, Alabang. Evaluated by Lolet Gabay)

INTRODUCTION

(After being introduced by emcee) Thank you, (emcee). Happy Anniversary to all of us here celebrating 5 years of Alabang Community Toastmasters Club's fruitful existence.

Wow, it feels so good to talk into a microphone once again after getting used to speaking loudly without a microphone. You all know how difficult it can be sometimes when over there at Henlin, our home base, we'd have to speak a bit louder especially with a big audience.

It also feels good just to speak in a venue away from our home base, once in a while.

Results of Election of Club Officers for 2009-2010

Was elected President for 2009 with the following officers (L to R): Trish de Guia (VP-Education), Isa Plaza (Treasurer), Lolet Gabay (Sgt-at-Arms), Violet Imperial (Secretary), Andre Marcelo-Tanner (VP-Public Relations) and Larry Gamboa (VP-Membership).