taking on the challenge

Last evening, my home Toastmasters Club was asked to take on a challenge.  So we did.  We decided to form our own Speakers Bureau.  A challenge indeed.

For those of you not familiar with the concept, Toastmasters International allows us to form groups of members into what are called "speakers bureaus."  The express purpose of such a group is to provide the local, non-Toastmasters community with, you guessed it, speakers.

Typically, you'll find an entire Toastmasters District (composed of several hundred Clubs, each with an average of 20 members) forming its own speakers bureau.  A huge pool of talent from which to draw polished presenters, and loads of expertise in marketing said wares to the community.

So how can our little Club (presently sporting a total membership of 18) jump into such a large pond and expect to make anything more than the tiniest of ripples?  Simple, I suppose.  We start.

Under the capable direction of Competent Toastmaster and professional speaker Lee Pound, we'll start.

Lee has spent several weeks building us up to this point, telling us that each has a unique message to offer to others, that we can, in fact, "do it," and that if we prepare properly, speaking in public is a fairly predictable and even enjoyable pursuit.

Last night, after luring us into his well-crafted web, he sprang the trap:  "Your next step is to form a speakers bureau."  And we bit.

I, for one, am anxious to see what kind of lineup we can offer to our local organizations and service clubs.  We're in for a very interesting year, that's for certain.

Giving that first speech at our own home Toastmasters Club was a giant step out of the box for most of us.  Over the months and years, that box has grown tremendously in size, but we're still inside.

Time for another giant step.  Time to take on the challenge.  Film at eleven.