It took me a very long time to realise what Toastmasters has done for me.
I joined MIM Toastmasters Club of Johor Bahru in September 2009, where the main thing was to find some activity to do in cowboy town JB.
The people in the club caught my attention. Whereby everyone was all smiles and full of positive vibes. I thought to myself, this is what I need after a long day at work.
So it became a NEED to get all the encourgement and praise that fellow Toastmasters gave during a meeting.
"You speak so well!"
"That was very good."
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, one of the main human needs is to be recognised and to feel a sense of belonging. Toastmasters gave me that need.
It quickly grew into a passion, where I tried to finish up as many projects as possible and joined in the speech contest - where I managed to get all the way to the district level. Within one year of joining the club, I was representing my division to contest at district level in Miri, Sarawak. That was my very first trip to east Malaysia.
It didn't take me long to feel the sense of belonging when there was roles to play and things to do within the club. Slowly but surely, I became the club's President for the term 2010/2011. That was when the challenges started.
But throughout the term, other members helped. They chipped in and gave me encourgements and drove me on not to give up. Their support and actions told me that it was going to be ok.
A Toastmasters club is nothing fancy or prestigious. It's merely a place where people from all walks of life come together for different purposes, whether to improve their communication skills, leadership skills or even to find some activity in the cowboy town of JB.
But friendships are forged and hands are held. Values that are wholesome and good are spread to one another. Being initiative and proactive is nurtured or brought out from people. Generousity and kindness are shared among one another. Genuine thoughts and sincerity are given unconditionally.
There is nothing to praise about being in a Toastmasters club. There is only a sense of belonging - that MIM Toastmasters Club of Johor Bahru is where our hearts will always be.
~ by Charlotte Goh
Vice President Education & Immediate Past President
Area A4, Division A, District 51
Toastmasters club established since 1994.
We are located in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Our club's mission is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every individual member has the opportunity to develop oral communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.
