Induction Ceremony
We had another induction ceremony at this meeting. This is a simple, casual one compared to those conducted at more traditional Toastmasters clubs in the area. Yet it is pretty welcoming because it culminates in a round of handshakes where every member goes to the front to shake hands with the inductee. This is one of the traditions we, Shin-Osaka Leaders, inherited from our sponsor club, Nishinomiya TGIF Toastmasters Club. With more members attending the meeting at the venue these days, induction ceremonies have a more festive mood than before.
The last speech in a path
This meeting was unique in that it featured a "Reflect on Your Path" speech, which is the last speech we deliver to complete a "Path" in our education program "Pathways."
The speaker, Mariko, has completed her "Presentation Mastery" path. Congratulations!! She delivered her first speech on this path, the "Ice Breaker," on April 16, 2021. She delivered three more speeches, two on the "Evaluation and Feedback" project and the other on the "Researching and Presenting" project. The "Evaluation and Feedback" project is an important project in that it focuses on incorporating some or all feedback and suggestions received for a speech into the next speech. This symbolizes one of the four growth principles of Toastmasters, "peer feedback." The other three, by the way, are "experiential learning," "mentoring," and "self-paced program. (For your information, the Researching and Presenting" project has been replaced with the "Writing a Speech with Purpose" and "Introduction to Vocal Variety and Body Language" projects.)
After completing Level 1, she moved on to Level 2, where she worked on the "Understanding Your Communication Style," "Effective Body Language," and "Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring" projects. The "Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring" project is common to all 11 paths in Pathways, but the other two are different depending on which path you are on.
Unlike in Levels 1 and 2, where every project is "Required," in Levels 3, 4, and 5, there are "Elective" projects in addition to one path-specific "Required" project. In Level 3, the "Persuasive Speaking" project is required and there are about ten elective projects to choose from. Mariko chose the "Understanding Vocal Variety" and "Using Descriptive Language" projects, both of which deal with the fundamentals of public speaking. Good choice, Mariko!
Level 4 of Presentation Mastery has the "Managing a Difficult Audience" project as a required one. This is an interesting project, where a speaker is distracted by some of the other members designated by the Vice President of Education to disturb the speaker in their respective ways. It is the speaker's task to address these distractions tactfully and bring back these distracters into their speech. As the elective project for Level 4, Mariko chose the "Manage Online Meetings" project taking advantage of her position as an Area Director, who supports around four clubs in her official capacity as a district officer. She talked about her experience of conducting a Club Officer Training session online.
Level 5, the last and most challenging level, includes the "Prepare to Speak Professionally" project, which requires a speaker to deliver an 18- to 22-minute keynote-style speech. She chose the "Moderate a Panel Discussion" project as her elective in Level 5.
She delivered her "Reflect on Your Path" project speech, a 10- to 12-minute speech reflecting on her journey as a speaker. It's obvious she has learned a lot, but she is not satisfied. She wants to hone her skills to incorporate stories in her speech more effectively even further.
Congratulations, again, Mariko! We look forward to listening to your storytelling in the months and years to come as you strive to perfect your art of speaking!
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