Table topics A weekly journal of toastmaster International Philippines The Global Pinoy Toastmaster

CEBU, Philippines - If one day you find yourself going out of the country for reasons other than tourism, what can you do to prepare yourself for the change, the new life? The answer came to me in 1998 soon after starting my married life in Jordan. Beyond the romantic notions of honeymoon, of becoming wife, mother and a domestic goddess, I found Toastmasters, or it never left me.

Toastmasters  was non-existent in Jordan then, a country of some five million people. Whenever I asked, the response was a blank stare. My husband's words still echo in my ears:"If you want it hard enough and I know you love Toastmasters, then go for it. Start Toastmasters in Jordan and I'll support you."

Remember this was the early times of the world wide web and email.  No Facebook, no Twitter. Fax was in and long-distance calls, a need, albeit costly.

It's amazing how when your heart and mind are set on a goal of doing something for the first time and moving people to do it with you, wherever you are , everything just comes into place with these essential actions:

1. Seek valuable mentors. Past district governor Carmen Piramide and Past International president Pawe Uy who was then international director were instrumental in directing me to people who could help and generous with their TM educational resources. Pawe kept the lines burning with his tireless advisory on doing things right and brought me in touch with the multinational leaders of the nearest territorial council in the Gulf then led by Janaki Pattanaik (now Districts 79 and 20). TM news and tips  were in constant stream from the pen of then LGET Gina Mapua. Toastmasters International Daniel Rex, Debbie Horn and Nancy Langton were present and actively pursued the birth of a new Toastmasters country. 

Long-distance mentoring does not work? It did. In 2000, Queen City and Taipan toastmasters clubs sponsored the International Toastmasters Club of Jordan, the first toastmasters club in Jordan nearly 9,000 kilometers away.  It continues to this day to be a consistent Select to President's distinguished club every year that enjoys high membership and respect in the community.

2. Have the right mix of talents and personalities in the Team. What is one's weakness might be another's strength. Being a member of the international community gave me opportunities to meet and sell the idea to similarly-minded spouses and to connect with their friends at a personal level. The groundwork for the first club was prepared by a team of women from the Philippines, Jordan, Egypt, Brazil, North America and Europe, truly a kaleidoscope of Toastmasters as an international organization united by a single purpose: effective communication and leadership towards self-growth and a better world.

Take away the negative stereotypes and labels of nationalities. Learn to trust. Respect each other and seek the common good in everyone. A toastmasters club or any voluntary, non-profit group for that matter, can only succeed when members agree to accept their diversity and overcome differences to be creative and innovative, united enough to agree on goals and participative to do one's share of  club functions and educational projects.

3. Answer the member's need. What inspires people from all walks of life in some 116 countries from around the world into embracing the Toastmasters program? It is the Toastmasters vision on becoming fluent speakers, great listeners and effective leaders meets the individual needs of the prospects.

2001 International speech champion, then 69 year old Haifa Bashir summed it this way, "Being involved most of the time with charity and voluntary work, I found Toastmasters an avenue to do something for myself, to improve my communication and leadership skills and enjoy the company of my friends." While waiting for her turn during the 2001 international prepared speech contest in Bahrain she turned to me and simply said determinedly, "I want to win." Win she did the prize, the thunderous ovation and the respect of the male-dominated audience from seven Gulf countries.

Golden lady Rehab Malhas added, "Before, I was my husband's companion to his conferences. Now, if he wants to, he can accompany me to my Toastmasters conferences. Before, I was shy to even speak in family gatherings. Recently, I've been invited to be a keynote speaker in a special event at my alma mater!".

There are no grades, no pass-or-fail. To move forward in the Toastmasters program, one has to have persistence to stay active in the program, openness to listen to evaluations, to act on recommendations and stay focused on taking on the needed improvements, no matter how long it takes. There is no dearth in the many tokens, awards, encouragement and motivational tools employed to show and express appreciation to the member for any positive effort and achievement.

The club has time and time again given the impetus for the members to learn and use IT tools, to pursue higher studies or self-employment, widen the network of friends or to simply improve family relationships and celebrate success. The club in Jordan has given strength to members dealing with family tragedies, emergencies or major changes. It gave its women members the needed self-confidence to express themselves and be heard. Furthermore, Toastmasters has provided a safe hub for young professionals to improve their marketability and improve their life skills.

At present, I belong to the IRRI TMC whose membership is mostly from the scientific community. The club meets their needs as the practice ground for these international scientists to hone their skills and practice their presentations for local and international conferences.

A caring club is a successful and long-lasting club.

4. Blaze the trail. The Toastmasters educational program is and will continue to be dynamic in order to remain relevant in its members' lives as it faces the 21st century challenges in communication and leadership. Wherever you are, as a leader, embrace the change and taste the experience of testing what's available and doing what's not or seldom done. If you're a member, dare to initiate action rather than wait to be asked. A bottoms-up leadership is an effective vehicle for empowered members to improve. (FREEMAN)