The Blueswoosh Toastmasters: A Cut Above the Rest

Are you interested in improving your speaking and leadership skills?

If yes, then this message is for you.  Many people around the world have already experienced the benefits of joining the Toastmasters program. Today, we’d like to introduce the program and give you the opportunity to develop your communication and leadership skills.

What is Toastmasters International? 

Toastmasters International is a non-Profit organization offering a proven and enjoyable way to practice and develop communication and leadership skills. From a humble beginning in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters International has grown to become a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience. The nonprofit organization now has nearly 280,000 members in 13,500 clubs in 116 countries.

What is the BlueSwoosh Toastmasters Club?

The BlueSwoosh Toastmasters Club is a duly registered Toastmaster club that was chartered by Navitaire employees in June 15, 2004.  Its main goal is to develop excellent communicators and leaders within the different Navitaire groups and help its members achieve their personal and career endeavors. Together with the Silver&White Toastmasters Club (in Cybergate) and Cebu Toastmasters Club (Cebu), BlueSwoosh is part of the bigger Toastmasters Community.

The club has been successful in many ways:

• The club has already been recognized by Toastmasters International as a Distinguished Club in several occasions in the past for reaching its annual goals.

• Even at its young stage (8 years), the club has already been a major competitor in interclub Toastmaster Speech Contests. Among the members who represented Blue Swoosh and became champions were Candy de Ausen, Ivy Ang-Arcega and Rod Velez.

It has already proven its capability to develop its members in becoming competent communicators and leaders, e.g. Jenny Fong, Ish Camaso, Syril Tolentino, Veronica Ng-So, Ellen Abuyo-Morales, and many more!

How does it Work?

• Every toastmasters meeting is a workshop where members can practice their communication and leadership skills in a no-pressure atmosphere. Members develop these skills by actually practicing them – and not just reading or listening about them. BlueSwoosh meetings occur every 2^nd and 4^th Thursday of the month from 12:00pm until 01:30pm and has around 15-20 attendees (including members and guests).  Sometimes, we also get invited to attend meetings of other clubs around the area.

• Toastmasters meetings are not instructor-led. Instead, members evaluate each other. This feedback process is the core of the toastmasters learning experience. In addition to the prepared speeches and evaluations, members also deliver impromptu speeches on fun and interesting topics. Some members will also take on roles and develop skills on time-keeping and grammar.

• Members learn communication skills by delivering projects prescribed in the Competent Communication manual. This is a series of 10 speech projects that aims to build a strong foundation in public speaking. Topics include speech organization, words, vocal variety, body language and many more.

• Members also develop leadership skills by taking on roles and responsibilities based on the Competent Leader manual. Members learn by practicing leadership and becoming leaders themselves. Skills that can be learned include listening, critical thinking, feedback, planning, and others.

What is the value in joining?

There are many benefits in the Toastmasters program and we don’t think a simple list can contain all of them. But as a Toastmaster, you will…

• Increase self-confidence
• Communicate more effectively
• Become a better speaker
• Become a better leader

Aside from these, you will also get the chance to increase your network outside your work peer group. Members also get a monthly subscription of Toastmaster magazine featuring communication and leadership articles, plus tips and testimonies from fellow toastmasters worldwide.

And, of course, just talking about the benefits of the program without any discourse on the costs will not give a real picture of the value. Becoming a part of Toastmasters has its costs too:

• $20 (approx. Php 950) New member fee (for the manuals)
• $36 (approx. Php 1,700) Membership fee (good for 6 months)
• Time to commit

And since we are a company-powered club, we also get additional benefits*:

• 50% new member fee subsidy
• 50% membership fee subsidy

* terms and conditions apply

Contact Information

If you want to know more about the club or you want to see how a meeting typically goes, please don’t hesitate to contact any of the officers below:

Position	Name	Email Address
President	Rainier Aquino	rainier.r.s.aquino@navitaire.com
VP-Education	Kris Austria	k.t.austria@navitaire.com
VP-Membership	Volt Marquez	redentor.v.v.marquez@navitaire.com
VP-Public Relations	Mai Navarro	sheilah.m.t.navarro@navitaire.com
Secretary	Joan Tan	joan.abigail.c.tan@navitaire.com
Treasurer	Charles Malcaba	charles.m.v.malcaba@navitaire.com
Protocol Officer	Pyl Batu	pyl.jan.batu@navitaire.com

So before we end, we would like to share what some of our members have said about their experience. We hope this shows you the value in taking responsibility for your own development.

 “Before I joined Toastmasters, I was very tongue-tied and introverted.  My difficulties in communicating came to the fore during job interviews and later, conference calls.  I have always been perceived as being shy and even weak-willed as a result of my timidity.  The training and exposure I’ve had in Toastmasters helped me come out of my shell and be more confident and assertive.  Now I am able to confidently express my own opinions, and my appetite for learning and developing myself has increased tenfold.”

– Jeremy Montano, ACB, CL

“I’m not used to speaking in front of an audience. I feel butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it. But I’m slowly overcoming my fear of delivering speeches. Why? It’s not everyday that you get to interact with people in a supportive and learning environment like in BlueSwoosh. You just be yourself and enjoy your moment. You don’t even have to be afraid of committing mistakes because you’re sure that everyone would gladly encourage you and give you points for improvement. You give, you learn, you improve, all at the same time.”

– Mitzie Pearl Chua, TM

And if you want to see how a typical meeting goes, you are invited to attend our Toastmasters meeting (don’t worry you are not required to speak).

We wish you all the best!

Regards,

BlueSwoosh Toastmasters Club Officers

2016