President’s Letter
July 2011
Greetings guests and fellow Toastmasters!
Welcome to Chamber Club 540! We are a fun, spirited group of individuals committed to improving and growing our communication and leadership skills. A year and half ago, I was perusing this website just like you are now. I was looking for a way to polish my presentation skills, as I am one of those very strange people who loves getting up in front of audiences and speaking. Chamber Club was a supportive environment to improve my speaking skills, but I’ve gotten so much more out of this experience.
One of my greatest joys as a member of Chamber Club is watching others grow and progress. I’ve witnessed members who visibly shake and barely speak above whisper during their first meeting grow into articulate and powerful presenters. I’ve seen good speakers transform into great ones. I’ve watched members who reluctantly stepped into leadership positions shine. The Toastmasters program does indeed work, no matter your level of experience.
Although Toastmasters is primarily known for public speaking, it’s also a great way to find out who you are as a leader and develop your own leadership style. We learn how to give feedback to others in a positive and constructive way through speech evaluations. We become skilled at running meetings by being Toastmaster for the evening. The leadership skills we learn at Chamber Club are invaluable and help us in our professional lives.
I am thrilled to be at the helm of Chamber Club this year. I am excited to serve and support all of our members. I’m looking forward to a year of excellent speeches, growth and leadership! If you are thinking of joining Toastmasters, please come by and check out a meeting. We are a warm, welcoming and fun group. For our current members, I challenge you to make the most of each of our meetings so that you can grow both personally and professionally.
Michelle Mazur, CC
President, Chamber Club 540