[StBernard] Chalmette Toastmasters Club forms for St. Bernard residents

[Westley Annis]

Chalmette Toastmasters Club forms for St. Bernard residents
Print Earl Hodges By Earl Hodges 
on August 20, 2014 at 8:44 AM, updated August 20, 2014 at 8:50 AM

When Tina Guillot decided she wanted to improve her speaking and
communication skills three years ago, she turned to Toastmasters Club to
assist her.  Since there wasn't a club in St. Bernard at the time, Guillot
joined the New Orleans Toastmasters Club.   

"Toastmasters has helped me develop self-confidence as well as improve my
public speaking skills," said Guillot, a Meraux resident.  "It also helped
me develop leadership skills."

Since joining Toastmasters, Guillot has served as both an area and district
governor. Guillot has also earned Toastmasters' highest level of
accomplishment by reaching the Distinguished Toastmaster Level.

One of her proudest accomplishments, though, has been spearheading the
establishment of the Chalmette Toastmasters Club. The Chalmette club has 21
members, and it was chartered in May.  Guillot serves as president. 

The Chalmette Toastmaters Club meets the  second and fourth Tuesday of each
month at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Bernard Council on Aging, 8201 West Judge
Perez Drive, Chalmette.  The next meeting will be held Sept.  9.

"In Toastmasters, you learn various things that help you develop your
speaking and communication skills," Guillot said.  "You learn about vocal
variety, gestures and what words to use as well as how to organize your
speech."

While learning how to develop speaking skills, Guillot said there is also
another important skill being learned.

"I didn't realize it at the time, but in Toastmaster, you are also
developing leadership skills," Guillot said. "And leadership  coupled with
improved communication skills turns you into a more confident person."

Guillot, who has a degree in management and organization from Concordia
University, said Toastmasters has helped her put the things she learned in
college about management and organization into practical use.

Toastmasters members advance through different levels of  achievement.

"I'm a very goal oriented person and  being able to set goals and reach them
appealed to me," Guillot said.

Toastmasters International has almost 300,000  members in  more than 14,000
clubs in 122 countries.  

In Toastmasters, Guillot said, members improve their  speaking skills in a
no pressure environment.  The members evaluate each other's presentations.

 For information about the Chalmette Toastmasters Club  contact Guillot at
504.338.7927 or chalmettetoastmasters at gmail.com

Earl Hodges writes about clubs in St. Bernard Parish.  He can be contacted
at earlhodges at msn.com