ABOUT OUR CLUB
No, we are not a drinking club, nor do we make toasters. You will not find us on Crossroads Street in Corona, either. What defines the Crossroads Toastmasters Club is that it is composed of a group of members whose aspiration is to learn and develop the essential public speaking and leadership skills. It is a self-taught laboratory working in tandem with other members. Each members's speech presentation will receive other members' feedback and evaluation done entirely in a mutually supportive and encouraging manner. Members of Crossroads Toastmasters club will accomplish each speech manual based on the individual's own growth curve. The first manual that Toastmasters will learn from is the "Competent Communicator"; it consists of ten separate speech asssignments. Each is intended to develop one fundamental aspect of speaking skills. When a member has finished all ten projects within this manual the member will be given the official educational award known as "The Competent Communicator".
OUR CLUBS BEGINNING
The Crossroads Toastmasters club was formed in 1998 and its first meeting was held at the Crossroads Church in Corona. At its inception it had 20 members. Twelve years later until now, two of its original members, Sandy and Randy Amelino, both are Distinguished Toastmasters (the highest educational/leadership rank) still remain active in leadership roles in our Crossroads Toastmasters Club.
Initally, Mr. Phillip Lyles from the Crossroads Church started the club based on one of the Toastmaster's program known as a "speech craft." This is a program used by Toastmasters to demonstrate the Toastmaster meeting and educational experience to the public. Then after several months this program garnered sufficient interest among the attendees and later, a bona fide Toastmasters club named as the Crossroads, was born out of this program.
The Crossroads charter members were a group of people from diverse backgrounds within the community. Based on this synergistic effect, these charter members were able to present interesting topics for informal or impromptu discussions, in addition to incorporating their diverse experience and backgrounds into their speech presentations, resulting in a mutually beneficial exchange and growth that only diversity can bring. Curently, Crossroads Toastmasters Club continues to retain its heritage of diversity, our members are a varied group of 29. Some of our members are transplants from different states within the US and overseas. Crossroads Toastmasters not only produce competent communicators, we also strive to provide opportunities to our members to develop various leadership skills that are essential in different organizations, including, but not limited to medical, educational, commercial, industrial, and corporate environments. We are proud to be a partner with in our community for speech and leadership training. This is one of our many missions for personal growth. We invite you to attend one of our club meetings every Thursday evening at 7:10 p.m. Our Crossroads Club 9505 is located in Corona on Vicentia, off of Sixth Street by City Hall. (Please click on the Main Menu, on Directions and Contact Us.)
CROSSROADS TOASTMASTER SPEAKERS PROGRAM
At Crossroads Toastmasters we are learning how to be more confident and capable speakers. First, we advance by participating in our weekly Toastmasters meetings where we are given ample opportunities to practice our speaking and listening skills, which, in turn: enables us to expand and gradually attain a higher level of communication skills. Secondly, we gain the ability to evaluate and vie feedback to one another in a positive way by practicing critical listening skills and quick organization of our thought process. What's more, there is a third spiral of progress, and that is evident in the maturing of our leadership skills. We acquire this leadership talent by encouraging one another to take part in moderating and facilitating the weekly toastmaster meeting at Crossroads. It is our goal to ensure that each attendee at our meeting is given an opportunity to contribute and speak. for example, one segment of the toastmasters meeting is called the "Table topics". This portion of the meeting is also know as the impromptu speech. Participants are asked to answer a question within a 2 minute time--frame presented by the Table Topic Master of the evening. This exercise is to train participants to think on their feet while being challenged to give a short-hand speech consisting of an Opening, Body, and Conclusion.
Furthermore, those who are not the presenters or those who did not take an active speaking role during our Toastmaster's meeting are encouraged to participate in the Table Topic portion of our meeting, thus further enhancing their speech ability.
HOW OUR CLUB SERVES YOU
When you participate as a member, you will find your personal goals easier to achieve. This is true in work and in daily life. Our Crossroads Toastmaster members will be quick to assure you of this statement's truth. Learning effective speaking skills will not only help you gain self-confidence but they will also strengthen your leadership abilities. As we regularly practice speech and leadership expansion when attending our weekly meetings, we find it easier to formulate and share our thoughts, and, ultimately, we learn to be come more persuasive individuals.
Toastmasters will give you the skills and confidence you need to effectively express yourself in any situation. Whether you are a professional, student, stay-at-home parent or retiree, Toastmasters is the most efficient, enjoyable and affordable way of gaining great communication skills. By learning to effectively formulate and express your ideas, you open an entirely new world of possibilities. Youll be more persuasive and confident when giving presentations, and youll improve your one-on-one dealings with others.
BECOMING A LEADER
Within Toastmasters there are two tracks. One is the Communication Track and the other the Leadership Track. Many of us aspire to become distingushed Toastmasters (DTM). The DTM designation is the highest educational award a person can achieve within the Toastmaster institution, a member has to complete four educational levels: 1. Competent Communicator (10 speeches): 2. Advance Communicator Bronze, Silver & Gold (each level consisting of 10 speeches); 3. various educational presentations, 4. serve as club officers and district officers for a certain period of time in order to achieve this distinquished award. Roughly, some 55 to 60 speeches are expected to be given by the Toastmaster over an average period of 4 plus years. However, if one is fast tracking as a Toastmaster, the minimum amount of time to reach this distinction is about two and a half years. We are proud to know that several members within our club have or are close to achieving this award.
We are fortunate to have two members who have acquired this rank and another two who will soon achieve this honorable distinction. They continue to be very active in our club. Each has served as mentors and guides for us.
For example, Sandy Amelino, DTM, retired from her career at the VA Hospital in Loma Linda where she was a computer trainer. Sandy has been a Distinguished Toastmaster for several years. She has been an Area Governor for District 12 and is currently the Lt. Governor of Education for District 12. She wrote the action plan for the leadership training during District 12's Fall Conference. This was held at California Baptist College. Sandy was also a leader at the contests for Area A and E held in Ontario. When Club 9505 was first started she was one of its Charter members. She continues to support our club and several other clubs.
Randy Amelino is a Charter member of Crossroads Club. He achieved his Distinguished Toastmaster award a number of years ago. Randy has commented that Toastmasters has been a great help to him as he became an entrepreneur and business owner. He has sponsored many of us in the club. Randy has acted as chief judge in area competitions. He has encouraged us in our efforts to improve leadership skills.
Randy continues to be instrumental in executing , sustaining and developing the prison program within District 12. We are very proud of his many sacrifices and contibutions in helping the prisoners to develop effective speaking skills. It has been shown in other states that for those prisoners that joined Toastmasters clubs within the correctional facilities,they have a much higher rate of success in transitioning to normalcy once they are released from prison. Thus, the Toastmaster program has been effective in reducing recidivism, increasing self-esteem and improving morale among inmates who are Toastmasters as compared to those inmates who had never joined Toastmasters clubs within the prisons.
Cicy Yarris is another member working towards this Distinguished Toastmasters designation. She is an attorney who practices corporate law with a concentration on commercial transactions relating to high technology business. She joined Temecula Toastmasters Club 1677 in Nov.2007. She will achieve the Distinguish Toastmaster award by June of next year. Recently, she delivered a qualifying speech (part of the requirements to be accepted) at the District 12 Speaker's Bureau in October of this year. Her enthusiasm for speaking is evident in all of her involvements within the Toastmaster activities, for instance, this past summer: she volunteered to act as the Master of Ceremonies for the Speaker's Bureau.
As a firm believer in helping other Toastmasters to excel in the arts of
public speaking, Cicy became an Area Governor for C4 in July. An area Governor is just another synonym for being a servant to the members of the Toastmaster club. Among the many tasks that a Governor has to perform for the benefit of the clubs under ones supervision, Cicy's chief function as a Governor is to assist each club's officers in the area of membership building and retention in addition to motivating the clubs' officers to lead by example by achieving higher educational goals, challenging each club to participate in intra/inter club contests to enhance speakers' growth in public speaking. Currently, she is active in both Club 55 and in our Crossroads Club 9505. Last but not least, Cicy has helped to sustain our club's growth and is an advisor to many members.
Ron Yarris is another leader within our club. He too is working to complete his DTM very soon. Ron is Area E4 Governor and as such, he was responsible for running the Area E Tall Tales and Evaluation Contest. Prior to that contest, he also competed in the district finals for Table Topics. Ron has recently qualified with the Speaker's Bureau as well. He has been a practicing attorney for 25 years. He resides in Riverside County and has his own law practice in the San Gabriel Valley.
If you are hoping to improve your leaderships skills, then come to visit our club. We have numerous members who will be happy to assist you and have vast experience in public speaking. Those mentioned above are part of many who continue to learn through the Toastmasters program. Come join us!
VISIT OUR CLUB TODAY
You wont regret it. Toastmasters currently has more than 200,000 members in 80 countries. Our club is just one of the more than 10,000 clubs located around the world. For membership meeting information, please see our
membership information page.
