Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts - Mohawk Trail Toastmasters Open House

Located on the scenic and historic Mohawk Trail in the Berkshire foothills, Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts and the surrounding area is rich with natural beauty, talented artisans, four season recreation and an atmosphere that will make you feel right at home.

Mohawk Trail Toastmasters Open House

Accelerate sales, boost profits, lead meetings, shed shyness and own your message

(8/15/12) Mohawk Trail Toastmasters will help you identify your strengths and give you practical skills to build on when speaking to inform, persuade, entertain or inspire audiences of any size.

Mohawk Trail Toastmasters and the Shelburne Falls Area Business Association welcome you to an open house Thursday, Sept. 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Buckland Shelburne Elementary School located at 75 Mechanic Street, Shelburne.

Launched in the Village in April, Mohawk Trail Toastmasters helps members of the Franklin County business community and the general public excel in public speaking, listening and evaluation skills, and leadership. Meetings are the first and third Thursday of the month.

Nervous or shy speakers welcome. Participants will learn some anxiety is natural and useful, but that shyness doesn't have to stop them from being an effective public speaker and meeting their personal and professional goals.

Since 1924, more than four million people around the world have become more confident speakers and leaders because of their participation in Toastmasters International, a world leader in communication and leadership development. Today, our membership is 280,000 strong. These members improve their speaking and leadership skills by attending one of the 13,500 clubs in 116 countries that make up our global network of meeting locations.

A Toastmasters meeting is a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a no-pressure atmosphere. A typical group has 20 to 40 members who meet regularly.

There is no instructor in a Toastmasters meeting. Instead, members evaluate one another’s presentations. This feedback process is a key part of the program’s success. Meeting participants also give impromptu talks on assigned topics, conduct meetings and develop skills related to timekeeping, grammar and parliamentary procedure.

Members learn communication skills by working in the Competent Communication manual, a series of 10 self-paced speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public speaking.

Members also learn leadership skills by taking on various meeting roles and working in the Competent Leadership manual. In our learn-by-doing approach, we don't lecture members about leadership skills; we give them responsibilities and mentoring to help. Then we ask them to lead.

Contact: Mary Vilbon, club president

Web: www.Facebook.com/MohawkTrailToastmasters

Where: Arms Library, corner of Bridge and Main streets, Shelburne Falls, MA

When: September 20, 2012, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Presented by: Mohawk Trail Toastmasters and the Shelburne Falls Area Business Association

Registration: Free

For more information: www.Toastmasters.org.