“Become a Leader”
Opening address – 26 April 2008 chapter meeting
Good Evening!
Fellow Toastmasters and Friends!
Welcome to Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club!
Time flies. We have already passed nearly 10 months of our term of office. Excluding tonight’s meeting; we still only have 2 more chapter meetings to go before the start of the new term.
How many speeches have you done?
Are you satisfied with your progress as a public speaker?
If you are, I’d like to congratulate you on your hard work.
If not, then you will need to practise more. Do your project, do your project and do your project.
Remember, you are very welcome to do your prepared speeches here. We all support you. And so don’t worry…don’t be shy!
If you would like to see greater improvement, let me give you a suggestion.
Be the next President of our toastmasters club….
Why? It is because as a Club President, you have to make an opening speech at every chapter meeting. The opening address is another stage time for you. You can share your point of view in the president’s opening address. What to say? How to strike a chord with your audience? It requires skill. You have 12 extra speaking time slots to practise your public speaking skills, to persuade your members, and to inspire your audience.
Why not take up this golden opportunity?
Be the next club president.
Being a club president means you are the CEO of the club, and therefore you have the chance to practise your leadership skills too. You have the chance to build your team. It is useful for your career advancement.
If you think you are not ready to be a club president yet, take up other roles in the exco.
Edward cannot run the club himself. Yetti cannot run the club herself.
We need fresh ideas. We need the energy that comes from new members!
The Vice President of Education (VPE) is responsible for planning successful club meetings so that each member has the opportunity to achieve his or her educational goals. Personally, I have been the VPE of our club for 3 years. I can tell you that it is a very challenging job!
The VPE has to invite toastmasters from other clubs to be the evaluators. A good VPE normally visits other toastmasters clubs quite often and makes friends with other toastmasters. Then he or she has a greater chance to invite competent speakers as our evaluators. To add more spice to our chapter meetings, VPE can invite speakers to present special talks too. I have made a lot of friends for being the VPE of our club.
The Vice President of Membership (VPM) follows up on guests, promotes the membership and recruits new members. If you’d like to practise your persuasive power, take up this role.
The Vice President of Public Relations (VPPR) produces and disturbs club newsletters. The Secretary handles general club correspondences and records minutes for exco meetings. If you’d like to improve your written English, take up the role of VPPR or be our club secretary.
If you are good at figures, volunteer yourself as our club treasurer. If you are really new, just volunteer yourself as the Sergeant At Arms (SAA).
Our club will hold the elections for next term’s exco at the May chapter meeting.
So why not volunteer yourself as the next club president or for other positions in the leader team. You could be a better speaker, a better listener, and a better leader!
Toastmaster of the evening!
Yetti
Club President 2007-2008
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club
