Valewood Toastmasters - Learning about Public Speaking & Leadership

Do you find it challenging to speak in front of other people?
Do you want to gain self confidence, poise and the ability to think on your feet?
Do you want to be more assertive?
Do you want to have fun while doing all of the above?

Looking to learn in Dandenong, Clayton or Springvale area?

Well, you have come to the right place.
And it doesn't cost you a fortune to learn ...

At Valewood Toastmasters, our mission is to provide a relaxed, friendly, and positive environment in which to learn public speaking.

Welcome to Valewood Toastmasters Club !

Toastmaster International

Toastmasters International (TI) is a non - profit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills. Through its thousands of member clubs, Toastmasters International offers a program of communication and leadership projects designed to help men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening, and thinking.

The organization grew out of a single club, Smedley Club Number 1, which would become the first Toastmasters club. It was founded by Ralph C. Smedley on 22nd October, 1924, at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, USA. Throughout its history, Toastmasters has served over four million people, and today the organization serves over 230,000 members in 92 countries, through its over 11,500 member clubs. There are around 400 Toastmasters clubs in Australia.

Valewood Toastmasters Club History

Valewood Toastmasters Club was founded in May 1980 by a group of enthusiastic speakers eager to improve their public speaking skills. Some of the founding members are still with the club, demonstrating the quality and the vast range of experiences that are within the club. It was established to serve the community in and around Mulgrave (Victoria, Australia).

Our club offers you the opportunity to learn effective communication through practical experience in a friendly and supportive environment. We can help you to:

Improve your presentation skills
Hold the attention of an audience by developing voice modulation and projection
Gestures, breathing techniques and speech presentation
Our meetings are structured to develop leadership skills and impromptu speaking to promote rapid and structured responses to a given topic

How the Program Works

The Toastmasters program exposes each participant to a wide range of communication exercises. Each new Toastmaster receives a New Member Kit. The kit features the basic Communication and Leadership manuals, general orientation materials and information regarding skill improvement in areas such as speech evaluation and the use of gestures. New members will receive their Toastmaster badge when inducted.

The initial prepared speeches, as outlined in the basic Communication and Leadership program manual, are designed with the new Toastmaster in mind. A variety of assigned speeches help the participant develop competency in areas such as organisation, voice inflection and persuasiveness.

At Valewood, we provide each beginning Toastmaster with a mentor to guide you in preparing and delivering your first few speeches. During the meeting's Table Topics session, members learn to think on their feet by delivering short impromptu speeches, lasting 1 to 2 minutes.

After giving a prepared speech, each Toastmaster receives a constructive speech evaluation. This process recognises speakers for their strengths and provides a valuable insight into problem areas. At Valewood, all speeches will be recorded so that Toastmaster members can review (or reflect) on their speeches for areas of improvement.

Upon completion of the basic Communication and Leadership program, Toastmasters may participate in the Advanced Communication and Leadership program. Participants may choose specific business oriented topics such as Speeches by Management and Technical Presentations.

Come and visit us to see how it all works ...