Toastmasters Sponsors Speech Contest

Newtown Toastmasters joins more than 12,500 Toastmasters clubs from around the world participating in the 2011 Toastmasters International Speech Contest on Wednesday, March 2.

It is the world’s largest speech contest, with more than 30,000 presenters in 113 countries vying to become the next World Champion of Public Speaking. The contest is free and open to the public.

“Speech contests are a unique and exciting part of the Toastmasters program,” says Pat Johnson, Toastmasters 2010-2011 International President. “These competitions challenge members to push beyond their clubs and fine-tune their skills. In a club, members are evaluated; in a contest, members are judged.”

The International Speech Contest begins at the local club level and proceeds through the area, division, district, and final levels. Eighty-two district semifinalists will compete during the four-day 2011 Toastmasters International Convention held August 17–20, in Las Vegas, Nev., at Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Nine contenders make it to the final round on August 20, where the winner is crowned the Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking.

To enter the contest, a person must be an active member of Toastmasters International and have completed at least six speeches from Toastmasters’ Competent Communication manual, the first manual in the Toastmasters communication program. All participant speeches must be original, presented in English, and last five to seven minutes. Judging criteria include originality, speech content, organization, voice quality, gestures, and timing.

For more information about Toastmasters International contests, visit toastmasters.org/contest.

Newtown Toastmasters meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month. To visit the club and see the contest, visit http://newtowntoastmasters.blogspot.com.