The next meeting of Ballina Toastmasters takes place on Thursday December 11 in the Courthouse Hotel at 8.30pm. Everyone is welcome to attend. Ballina Toastmasters meet every second and fourth Thursday from September to May.
At their last meeting President Vera Sweeney emphasised the importance and power of effective public speaking, referring to the “remarkable” speech the US President Elect Barack Obama gave at the 2004 convention, which was his first step, as a then relatively unknown candidate, towards achieving his goal of becoming President.
There is no doubt that the skill of public speaking can help us all achieve our goals, as once we overcome the initial apprehension and fear of saying what we think out loud in front of people, we gain a new sense of freedom, learning to focus our thoughts and give coherent, worthy comment on the areas that interest or concern us, confidently. The first step for us is realising that what we feel or think or say is as valuable and important as anyone else’s viewpoint and deserves equal respect and consideration. When we realise this, the door is opened and we can dare to air a different view or look at things from a different perspective, without fear.
New members are always welcome so please come along to a meeting or call 087 970 2332.
