Waitara Windbags was established on 9 March 2017 and chartered (as per the requirements of Toastmasters International on 23 August 2017. Our club no is 6003581. We are in Area 16, Division M (Macquarie) of District 90.
We are a group of ordinary people who come together at a Toastmasters club in Hornsby/Waitara on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month from 7pm to 9pm to improve our public speaking skills. Our aim is to empower individuals to become confident public speakers.
Public speaking is one of the hardest things for most people to do, let alone become fantastic at. Our club provides an encouraging environment where our members can develop their skills quickly and to a high standard.
While we are an individual Toastmaster club in Hornsby/Waitara area, we are registered as part of the Toastmaster International Organisation and follow all the guidelines and programs laid out by this great establishment.
Members of our club develop their skills to the highest standard to:
- Deliver engaging, powerful presentations at work
- Give humorous or heartfelt speeches at personal events
- Become great leaders by gaining the skills to influence others
- Become stronger personalities by eliminating social fears
- Deal with more situations powerfully responding effectively
We have a complete mix of skills and experience in our club and no matter whether people are just starting out or are already established public speakers, everyone benefits from following the Educational Program and practicing regularly.
Formed in August 2017, Waitara Windbags Toastmasters club is a part of Toastmasters International which is a non-profit educational organisation that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs with membership exceeding 357,000 in more than 16,600 clubs in 143 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders.
At Toastmasters, members learn by speaking to groups and working with others in a supportive environment. A typical Toastmasters club is made up of 20 to 30 people who meet once a week for approximately an hour. Each meeting gives everyone an opportunity to practice:
- Conducting meetings. Members learn how to plan and conduct meetings.
- Giving impromptu speeches. Members present one-to-two-minute impromptu speeches on assigned topics.
- Presenting prepared speeches. Members present speeches based on projects in the Toastmasters education program. Projects cover topics such as speaking, organisation, vocal variety, language, gestures and persuasion.
- Offering constructive evaluation. Every member giving a prepared speech is assigned an evaluator who identifies speech strengths and offers suggestions for improvement.
Upon joining Toastmasters, each new member receives a variety of resources on how to become a better speaker and a more confident leader. Members also have access to other materials and educational resources. In addition, they receive the award-winning Toastmaster, a monthly magazine that offers the latest insights on speaking and leadership techniques.
PATHWAYS LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Embark on a journey of personal and professional development through Pathways, Toastmasters’ new education program! Pathways is designed to help you build the skills you need to communicate and lead. It is comprised of 11 paths that teach more than 300 unique competencies:
As you progress through Pathways, you will:
- Practice and improve your communication and leadership skills.
- Give speeches in your club based on assignments in Pathways.
- Challenge yourself to build and refine certain competencies and skills.
- Complete a range of projects that include persuasive speaking, motivating others, creating a podcast and leading a group in a difficult situation.
Develop real-world, transferable skills in many different areas through Pathways—communication, leadership, management, strategic planning, service to others, public speaking and more.
To learn more about Pathways, click here.
Leadership cannot be learned in a day. It takes practice. In Toastmasters, members learn leadership skills by organising and conducting meetings and by completing projects in the leadership manuals. Projects address skills such as listening, planning, motivation and team building and give members the opportunity to practice them. Just as Toastmasters members learn to speak by speaking, they learn leadership by leading.
People join Toastmasters in order to:
- Develop the public speaking skills to persuade and convince others
- Learn to put their ideas across clearly and with conviction
- Improve their self-confidence before a group of people
- Learn to think quickly and clearly under pressure
- Learn to listen effectively and critically
- Learn to supportively evaluate someone else’s presentation
- Train to become a good leader
Company Benefits
A company’s success depends on communication. Employees face an endless exchange of ideas, messages and information as they deal with one another and with customers day after day. How well they connect and share their ideas with customers, clients and co-workers can determine whether a company grows into an industry leader or joins thousands of other businesses mired in mediocrity. Toastmasters provide the tools that enable employees to become effective presenters and leaders – all at a very low-cost averaging $90 every six months. Toastmasters training helps employees:
- Give better sales presentations
- Hone their management skills
- Work better with fellow employees
- Effectively develop and present ideas
- Offer constructive criticism
- Accept feedback more objectively
Who can join Toastmasters?
Anyone aged 18 years or older may join Toastmasters.
Membership in Toastmasters is one of the greatest investments you can make in yourself. Once you join a club, you will become a member of Toastmaster International, allowing you to transfer your membership across the clubs in the world. Each group has a different personality, so you may wish to visit more than one. Your visit is free, and some clubs may allow you to return as often as you like, such as us. You can find clubs near you by using the Find a Club tool.
Your cost to join is usually affordable but may vary depending on clubs. For example, the fee for our club as of June 2018 is;
- New member one-time fee: AU$40.00
- A pro-rata fee payable for six months: AU$90.00 (payable 1 April and 1 October each year)
Join Toastmasters and you will:
will have a positive impact on anything you do
– OUTSIDE – Toastmasters.
Please come along to one of our meetings soon to understand more about us and what you can gain by becoming one of our members.
WE WELCOME ANYONE TO COME ALONG AS A GUEST AT ANYTIME, if you would like more information before you arrive then please contact us via our website page or register to attend our next meeting on Eventbrite.
Interested in visiting and seeing what it’s all about? Visit our Where we meet page for how to find our Toastmaster Club near Victoria.
Why do people join Toastmasters and how do they benefit? In this short video, members from different countries and backgrounds share how they’ve built the skills to become better communicators and leaders.
Participate in Toastmasters’ proven program, where you’ll learn how to speak comfortably in front of a group and lead with purpose. People who join Toastmasters find potential they never thought they had and achieve more of their goals and dreams.
Attend meetings where you will regularly practice skills that make you a more confident speaker and leader. These real-world, highly in-demand soft skills will help you advance your career, acclimate to a new city or even get a new job!
Education is an important part of every Toastmaster’s journey, and it is a critical aspect of all club meetings around the world. Develop and practice communication and leadership skills in the safe, supportive environment of your club, working through projects and assignments that enable you to build real–world skills in a variety of disciplines. Learn at your own pace in a proven curriculum that was built on four guiding principles that have been in place since Toastmasters was founded in 1924.
Toastmasters is a powerful combination of a proven education program where you receive effective evaluation that helps you build skills at your own pace. Plus, Toastmasters’ communication and leadership development does not take place in a typical instructor-led classroom and is not limited to a set timeframe, like a seminar or conference.
Our club helps people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators and leaders. From young professionals to experienced managers to those seeking personal growth, you’ll find a warm, supportive group that shares your goals.