Residents hone public speaking and leadership skills with Toastmasters

Some people view speaking in front of a crowd as an intimidating task. But for members of Paradise-based Voice Links Toastmasters, this task has become a hobby.

Toastmasters, which helps people foster and develop public speaking and leadership skills, is the umbrella international organization that includes 92 clubs in the valley. One of these is Voice Links, which has united hundreds of members to its weekly meetings for more than 20 years.

"The club started meeting at the (Central Telephone) company back in the day at Valley View ( Boulevard) and Meadows Lane," said Cleone Johns, Voice Links Toastmasters vice president of public relations. "Most members were from CenTel, but it was so close to the Water District that we had people from there join us. It's changed since then, but we've been around for a long time."

Johns said each club has at least 20 members, but Voice Links' initial stages would see rooms' full of members on their lunch hour, giving speeches based on various objectives and receiving immediate feedback from peers.

The club has gone through changes, however, having lost the sponsorship of its former location, causing Voice Links to test several alternatives before settling at SimplexGrinnell, 1545 Pama Lane.

"We tried four or five places before we were (at SimplexGrinnell)," Johns said. "It's a long haul from our former location, so we lost some people."

Johns said it has been a challenge trying to attract people in the area interested in bettering their communication and leadership skills. Some members drive from as far as the Centennial Hills area, but Johns hopes to add community members and business figures to the mix.

Lori Murphy, Voice Links membership coordinator and webmaster, joined the group in 2009 in hopes of overcoming her fear of public speaking. What she's received in return, however, is something different.

"I joined for the speaking part, but what I got were the leadership skills," Murphy said. "There's so much I've learned that I never expected to with leadership roles and the rotation."

Voice Links meets from noon to 1 p.m. every Thursday at SimplexGrinnell.

The group's members range from young adults to seniors, college students to business owners and everything in between.

Members volunteer each week to take over roles such as the toastmaster, or leader for the day, a speech timer, grammarian and speech evaluator. Select members are required to give speeches each week based on a specific set of criteria and are evaluated by peers.

Brian Soucy, Voice Links president, said the club's location, meeting time and mix of members make it ideal not only to residents but also to professionals in the area.

"We're really looking for professional improvement in this area," Soucy said. "Whether you're speaking to somebody on the phone or you're a manager, you're representing the company. If your speech pattern is weak, you're not going to have the same impact as someone who is trained."

Soucy said he gained confidence for public speaking through Toastmasters and has added some spunk to the club, attempting to make meetings a little less structured and a little more fun. He said incorporating fun activities allows members to become more comfortable around their peers and learn the fundamental Toastmasters skills more easily.

Murphy said that beyond what she has learned in terms of public speaking and leadership skills, the friendships with other members are the most vital factor to one's success in the club.

"We have a terrific group of people who are very supportive and (provide) great friendships," Murphy said. "The most challenging thing for me is personal growth, and watching people improve - especially those who are shy at first - to see them grow is amazing."

For more information on Voice Links Toastmasters, call 871-7036 or visit voicelinks.toastmastersclubs.org.

Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter Lisa Carter at lcarter@viewnews.com or 383-4686.