Public Speaking with Roosevelt Island Toastmasters

Did you know that there was a club on Roosevelt Island designed to improve your public speaking and presentation skills? There is and it is called the Roosevelt Island Toastmaster's Club, a chapter within Toastmaster's International.
Toastmaster's mission is to help:

men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking – vital skills that promote self-actualization, enhance leadership, foster human understanding and contribute to the betterment of mankind.

For example:

Have you ever been asked for your opinion about something, only to have your mind go blank? Have you given your opinion, but it was so disorganized that the point you were trying to make was lost?

The ability to “think and speak on your feet” is an important skill that often determines your success in job interviews, for example. All kinds of careers and occupations require this skill. Neil Chethik, a successful author, dreaded book-promotion tours because he didn’t know how he would answer questions on talk shows without his mind going blank. He credits Toastmasters’ Table Topics with giving him the edge he needed, “I would [practice by] flipping through the telephone book and talking about whatever was at the top of the page for a minute at a time,” Chethik says, “I found practicing Table Topics invaluable because it taught me to focus on one subject and perhaps even more importantly, to trust myself.”

That’s why the “Table Topics” portion of the Toastmasters club meeting was developed. Table Topics provides you with the opportunity to practice impromptu speaking.. By answering brief Table Topics questions, you learn how to present your thoughts clearly and convincingly, with no more than a few seconds of preparation. You also learn to listen constructively, and to think flexibly.

Roosevelt Island Toastmaster's next meeting is Monday, October 22 at 8 PM.
Image is from Voice and Speech Coach.