2020 Starts Fast for Fenton Toastmasters

Fenton Area Toastmasters kicked off 2020 with a series of club contests and honoring the outstanding achievements by members. This past Friday, they celebrated three of their members who are progressing in the Pathways modules. These are Robin Riddell who attained Level 1, Chris Patrello who completed Level 2, and James Wickham, the first member of the club to complete Level 3. Riddell lives in Fenton and owns an online marketing firm for small business owners. Chris Patrello is Manager of EMS Education at Ascension Genesys in Grand Blanc. James Wickman is Township Manager for Hartland Township.

Those who think of Toastmasters as just a public speaking club should check out the new Toastmasters. The new focus is on training for success with an emphasis on teaching the soft skills you need to succeed in today’s business arena. You learn how to communicate your ideas clearly and concisely. You also learn how to run a meeting with an agenda, share your vision using presentation software, and how to give and receive constructive critiques. The old 10-speech manuals have been replaced by online, self-paced modules that focus on an enrichment path best suited to your needs.

The club has their annual International Speech contest on Friday, January 24. This contest offers a path for a contestant to become crowned World Champion Speaker at the Toastmasters International Convention to be held August 5–8, 2020 in Paris, France. The public is invited to come and enjoy the speech contest.

They round out the month with an Open House on Friday, January 31. This is a great opportunity for anyone who is curious about Toastmasters to come and check it out. Refreshments will be served.

Fenton Area Toastmasters meets every Friday morning - except holidays and Fenton High School snow days – in the Training Room of the Fenton Fire Department. Parking and entrance is on the east side of the building. Meetings start promptly at 7:45am and run for about an hour. Visitors are always welcome. Visit the Fenton Area Toastmasters website at https://699671.toastmastersclubs.org/ or call (810) 620-7590.

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Headquartered in Englewood, Colo., the organization's membership exceeds 357,000 in more than 16,600 clubs in 143 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders.

Photo caption: (L-R) Robin Riddell, James Wickman, Chris Patrello