Baldwin man on ‘path to leadership’

Chad Murray of Baldwin joined the Freeport-Hempstead Toastmasters Club to improve his public-speaking skills. “I give seminars on how to develop credit, and I thought this might be a good way to improve my communication skills,” he said.

    Murray, who has been an active member of Toastmasters for a year and a half, said the club has helped him become “very comfortable speaking in front of groups. It’s just like having a one-on-one conversation with a friend. It’s fun.”

    The Freeport-Hempstead Toastmasters Club is a member of Toastmasters International, an organization with more than 313,000 members and more than 14,000 clubs worldwide, Charles Riley, the local club’s president, explained. The organization was founded in 1924, and the Freeport club was formed in 1953, with the mission to “empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders,” Riley said.

    The journey begins with a single speech. “You have 10 speaking projects,” Riley said. “The first is an ice-breaker. We evaluate what works and what needs improvement. The nine remaining speeches work on public-speaking qualities.”

    Participants learn how to organize a speech and make a point. They learn the importance of “voice inflection and vocal variety, body movement and gestures, how to use research in their presentations and how to use visual aids,” said Riley.  

  
    During their journey, they learn to tell their stories. They listen, and answer questions. They give feedback and accept it. “Through our community of learners, they find their path to leadership,” Riley said.

    Toastmasters also provide training in leadership skills. “By regularly giving speeches, gaining feedback, leading teams and guiding others to achieve their goals in a supportive atmosphere, leaders emerge from the Toastmaster program,” Riley said.