In this post I am sharing accounts from some of our members of their experiences with the Viking Voices Toastmasters Club.
Orla Sullivan
I began attending Toastmasters because I wanted to develop my communication skills, particularly my comfort with public-speaking. I wanted to develop my ability to speak on the spot with less hesitation and to deliver more effective presentations in my job. I started my Toastmasters journey by arriving as a guest to a Viking Voices meeting in June 2017. I was greeted warmly by Club members who explained what to expect from the meeting. They reassured me that I was not expected to participate, that I could simply observe the meeting to get a sense of how a Toastmasters meeting typically ran. The warmth of the Club members supported me to feel comfortable to speak during the Table Topics session – and as a result I surpassed my own expectations for the first meeting. I formally joined the Club shortly afterwards and began the Competent Communicator manual. In my first year, I completed three projects from the Competent Communicator manual. I received great guidance from Club members in preparing for the speeches as well as clear, constructive and supportive feedback. I always felt good after delivering a speech – which hadn’t always been the case with my previous public-speaking experiences. I went away knowing I had completed my objectives and delivered a good speech, while also knowing what to improve for next time. During my year with the club, I also had the opportunity to take roles during the Club meeting, for example Table Topics Master, Grammarian, Ah Counter and even Toastmaster which further developed my public-speaking and organisational skills.e
Unfortunately I had to leave the Viking Voices club in June 2018 because I was moving to the UK. My experience in the Viking Voices was fantastic – the club could not have been more supportive. I would thoroughly recommend Viking Voices to anyone who wants to develop communication and leadership skills.
John O’Halloran
One of my best decisions in life was to attend my first Viking Voices meeting. That first step has since brought me on a fun and very rewarding journey.
The club has a positive, friendly and cosy atmosphere. We all help each other to overcome our fears step by step, to greatly improve our speaking and leadership skills, and to reach our own personal goals. The club feels like a team.
Public speaking training is generally very expensive. In contrast, Viking Voices gives me the opportunity to speak to as small or as large an audience as I want, to receive expert tutoring from very accomplished speakers, and to engage with a positive circle of friends who share similar goals to myself….and all for a ridiculously low cost. Importantly, the club allows you to learn, and challenge yourself, at your own pace. So if your life gets hectic for a while, no problem, you can continue pursuing your toastmasters goals as much as is possible for you at that time.
The more I immerse myself in it, the more I realise how beneficial it has been for me.
Sanja Trajkoski
I have been part of the Toastmasters journey for more than 2 years. Currently I am a member of the Viking Voices Toastmasters Club.
The main reason why I chose Toastmasters was that I wanted to improve my communication skills. As an immigrant, talking in English in front of a bigger audience was a big challenge for me.
Toastmasters means a lot to me. It is a perfect practice field for public speaking and leadership development. Toastmasters helped me to build my confidence – not only the confidence in public speaking, but confidence in many aspects of my life. Also, I met lot of nice people in the organisation who were going through the same challenge as me.
In Toastmasters we learn how to support each other and to believe in ourselves. If you are in a foreign country and don’t speak the native language, Toastmasters can be a great place to learn.
viking voices toastmasters 