Discover your potential today !

The best way to find out what AM Toastmasters can do for you is to contact Eugene Fraser at eugene.f@peek.co.nz or 09 377 0154 during business hours or contact Alex Heffer at alex@xls.co.nz or 021 190 1903, 09-574-5508 to arrange a visit to our next meeting as a guest.   

Our meetings are held at the Cornwall Park Café (Kiosk). The combined breakfast and room hire fee is $20. Entry via the Manukau Rd entrance between Haydn and Lewin Rd at 6:45am. Once in the park keep to the left going around the base of One Tree Hill to the opposite side of the hill where you will find the Cornwall Park Resturant.

See our club calendar for the next meeting date AM Calendar

If AM times do not suit you then to find a New Zealand Toastmasters club by meeting time and location visit www.toastmasters.org.nz. 

To find a Toastmasters club internationally visit www.toastmasters.org.

How Toastmasters Clubs Operate

Everyone who joins a Toastmasters Club is a member for the same basic reason - self-improvement, especially in speaking. While some members of long standing are already competent speakers there are other, newer, members just beginning.

No one joining a Toastmasters Club need worry that they are moving into a Club of “experts”. The key to Toastmasters’ success is the desire of members to help each other improve their listening, thinking and speaking abilities. Every Toastmasters Club provides a friendly, sympathetic audience on which to practise every member’s speaking efforts.

Meetings

Every Toastmasters Club has a regular agenda designed to provide a mixed program of speaking opportunities for members. Guests are not expected to speak unless they indicate a wish to do so. Impromptu speeches, lasting 1 to 2 minutes, set speeches lasting several minutes, workshop sessions on special topics, all get an airing at a Toastmasters meeting. The agenda is as lively as the diverse backgrounds of the members.

The pace is usually quite fast and AM Toastmasters strives to eliminate waffle and time wasting whilst encouraging humour and spontaneity. Proper meeting procedure guides the meeting and all members are given the opportunity to participate in the different roles and activities as they progress through the projects of their “Communication and Leadership” manuals. These begin with simple projects and progressively require more effort on the part of the members.

A Toastmasters Personal Experience

I thought I'd share a little of my feelings on AM Toastmasters and how it's helped me.

I've found the entire toastmasters experience to be hugely beneficial, not only for my career but also in social situations.  For as long as I can remember I've struggled with public speaking.  People who knew me five years ago would certainly notice a dramatic change.  I used to be the one who would stand back and barely say 'boo'.  I was so worried that what would come out of my mouth would make no sense that I decided it was better not to speak at all.  Obviously this approach wasn't going to get me very far, was it!

Toastmasters have certainly changed the whole way I approach social and business situations.  In my current role I am required to speak in front groups of people on a regular basis, both friends and strangers.  Without the supportive environment of AM Toastmasters and understanding that it's 'normal' to be nervous I would be further behind in my career development.  I really appreciate the way people come up and comment on my speeches afterwards.  I certainly feel comfortable learning in such a supportive, friendly and fun environment.  I believe that this could be one of the single best moves I have made in my life.  I consider to communicate in a concise, structured and confident manner to be the key to success. 

The evaluation process is a brilliant opportunity to have your work constructively evaluated.  All too often we go along believing we're doing the right thing or pleasing people, when in actual fact we may be on completely the wrong track.  It's not always easy to provide feedback and this process is structured in such a manner to enhance learning and also point out strengths.

Thank you to everyone involved in Toastmasters, especially Ann Mayer who was kind enough to introduce me to the 'Toastmaster World'.

Michelle