Learn Public Speaking Skills: Toastmasters, Cape Town

Exciting news! Our meeting schedule is getting a revamp for the better! After careful consideration, we've decided streamline our meetings to one in-person and one online meeting a month. This change aims to make our meetings more efficient.

From past experience we have seen this time of year is super busy, with many members juggling multiple commitments, and getting up early for a Toastmasters meeting during winter can be a challenge.  Typically, most members attend once or twice a month, with some preferring online meetings and others in-person.

The scattered approach where everyone attends on different weeks is not working as well as we'd like. While weekly meetings offer great opportunities for everyone to choose when they want to speak, we often face challenges in filling other role positions. By having more focused but fewer meetings, we can offer better quality and ensure a valuable and engaging experience for all members.

That is why we have come up with a new schedule that we think can work better for everyone!  So say goodbye to the weekly meeting shuffle! 

Starting from now, our face-to-face meetings will take place on the 4th Wednesday of every month, while our online meetings will be held on the 3rd Wednesday. 

We understand that these changes may impact members who prefer weekly or hybrid meetings, but rest assured, there will still be plenty of chances for everyone to get involved in roles and develop complimentary skills. We still have weekly opportunities for members through our Monthly Masters series, which will be an educational meeting every first Wednesday of the month and a monthly social in-person breakfast meeting at a different venue.

OUR NEW MONTHLY MEETING SCHEDULE:
·        1st Wednesday:  Educational meeting - online Monthly Mastery
·        2nd Wednesday: In-person social event (at different coffee shops)
·        3rd Wednesday: Monthly Online meeting
·        4th Wednesday:  Monthly In-person meeting at the Athenaeum

Through this schedule we keep offering weekly opportunities for our members. Every Wednesday morning at 7.15am for a prompt start at 7.30am, wrapping up at 9am sharp.... 

As the current executive committee's term ends in June, we have developed our meeting program to introduce various leadership opportunities and allow members to join the leadership team for the new term starting on July 1st. This will be an amazing opportunity for members to flex their leadership muscles and bring fresh ideas, energy, and drive to the club.

With that in mind, we are thrilled to reveal the new schedule that we have been testing during May.…

In our Monthly Mastery Series on "Toastmasters Tools" held on May 3rd, we delved into the power of Easyspeak, our meeting management platform, and the Yoodli tool, an AI tool that can help you with speeches. It was a fantastic educational session that will help members get more value out of these powerful tools.

On May 17th, we had a successful social meeting at Hans and Lloyd Coffee Company. This setup provided an opportunity to network in a more social environment and learn to develop Toastmasters skills in any situation.

Next, on May 24th, we will be at the Athenaeum for an in-person session on "The Power of Networking." It will be a great opportunity to learn how to build connections and network effectively.

Our next online meeting is scheduled for May 31st with the theme "Leadership in Changing Times." This meeting will focus on fostering personal growth, building lasting connections, and empowering each other to thrive as leaders in a rapidly transforming world through Toastmasters #WhereLeadersAreMade.

Moving on to June, on June 7th, we have our next Monthly Mastery Series on "Leadership Opportunities." This will be an opportunity for members to nominate themselves or others for leadership roles.

Our next online meeting will be on June 14th, with the theme "Leadership in Times of Change." This meeting will focus on how to lead effectively during times of change and uncertainty. 

On June 21st, we will hold our AGM and install the next EXCO, followed by an in-person meeting on June 28th on "Passing the Torch: A Toast to the Incoming EXCO." where we'll celebrate the new leadership team and reflect on the past term's achievements.

We already have an exciting programme lined up for July, starting on July 5th, with the topic for our Monthly Mastery Series on "Evaluations & Speech structure."  

The theme for the Online meeting on July 19th will be "Building Momentum: Energizing Members for a Productive Term". This meeting will focus on how to get members excited and motivated for the upcoming term.

On July 26th, we will hold an in-person meeting with a theme of "In-Person, In Focus: Sharpening Your Public Speaking Skills for Live Audiences." This will be an opportunity to work on your public speaking skills in front of a live audience. Stay tuned for the venue announcement of our social meeting on July 12th.

We believe that this schedule will accommodate everyone's needs and offer a wide range of exciting and valuable opportunities for learning, growth, and development that are needed for the club. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming meetings. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to our President Jon Jon San Juan, or our Vice President Education Madeleen Engelbrecht email: TheBreakfastClub.TM@gmail.com. 

Thanks for your support and enthusiasm as we make this exciting transition! We can't wait to see you at the upcoming meetings.

Finally, a reminder that Toastmasters is like gym or any fitness programme, it requires work. If you don’t put the work in, you won’t see results.  This programme is designed to optimise your learning experience for results.