NorthEast Texas ToastMasters does it again

The local Toastmasters Club NorthEast Texas ToastMasters (NETTM), has a record of winners. Teresa Wooten competed in the Eastern Division International Speech Contest in Longview on Saturday, April 16th and won first place. Next, Teresa will compete at the District 50 Spring Conference, being held in Dallas, May 13th and 14th. If she should win at the District Conference, Teresa will compete at the International level where the award of World Champion of Public Speaking is awarded. The annual Toastmasters International Convention will be held in Washington DC in August.

Each year, there are two contest seasons and conferences, spring and fall. The speaking categories may vary except for the International Speech (inspirational/ motivational) since it is the only category that moves forward to the International Convention. Other competitions could be Humorous Speech, Tall Tales, Evaluation or Table Topics. NETTM is proud to say that they have had winners at the District level in several of these contests, including Teresa who won first place with her Tall Tale titled, “Nubbin Nose Ned and Alligator Shine”. Contests begin at the Club level sending the first place winners to the Area level which generally consist of four to five clubs. The winners of Area contests then move on to the Division level to see who will compete at each District conference.

It is not mandatory to participate in competition when you are a member of a Toastmasters club. Competition is simply another avenue for those wishing to step out of their comfort zones or for those who would like to pursue professional speaking careers. This organization is focused on improving communication and leadership skills in a friendly, nonintimidating environment utilizing professional manuals provided by Toastmasters International. Your instructor is your easy-to-understand manuals utilized in a self-paced manner and support from club members just like you wanting to improve their communication and leadership skills for various reasons. A typical Toastmaster might be looking for career advancement; or to be more active in church, civic organizations, and community activities. Others may simply want to gain confidence in everyday interactions. Still others enjoy the opportunity to participate in speech contests.

Toastmasters Interna tional is a world leader in communication and leadership development. This nonprofit organization is 313,000 members strong. Members improve their speaking and leadership skills by attending one of the 14,650 clubs in 126 countries that make up its global network of meeting locations. This organization, developed by a doctor in California in 1924, is now a huge, world-wide organization; however, its strength begins with the intimacy of each individual club. For more information regarding NETTM, your local club, check out the website at www.nettm.org, or call 903- 563-7104.