Grand Terrace Toastmasters Help Members with Public Speaking by Shelby Horton - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ NOVEMBER ►
S M T W T F S
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
08 09 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 01 02 03 04 05
View Events
Submit Events

Grand Terrace Toastmasters Help Members with Public Speaking

By Shelby Horton , Staff Writer
February 9, 2017 at 12:02pm. Views: 112

GRAND TERRACE>> Public speaking is known to be feared more than death among some people, according to a Washington Post survey. Public speaking can be involved in everyday life from presenting at a board meeting, socializing at a party and conversations between family members. Grand Terrace Toastmasters Club 290 offers help to individuals seeking opportunities to prepare speeches and improve communication skills, said Andrea DeLeon, Vice president of Public Relations at Grand Terrace Toastmasters Club. “It’s like a weekly seminar series, every week someone is learning something new,” DeLeon said. Toastmasters Club 290 is a part of a larger organization called Toastmaster International. The international group's main goal as a society is to “provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.” “Toastmasters Club 290 is on a mission,” said Melinda Muganzo, toastmaster member. The Toastmaster Club starts their meeting with a word from their “Toastmaster” of the day who sets the meeting in motion. Then the appointed “Jokemaster” begins the meeting with a light-hearted joke to get the members in a good mood. Then, the “Grammarian” presents the word of the day that can be used in this meeting’s speech presentations. Three members are scheduled to give speeches in widely different topics. At the Grand Terrace Toastmasters weekly meeting on Friday, Feb. 3, three members presented speeches to be then evaluated by designated members on their performance. Koji Hirota, scientist and Toastmasters member, conducted a humorous speech on New Year's resolutions, while Jana Arellano, radiation therapist and Toastmaster member, presented a speech on the topic of how the brain is never too old to learn. Lastly, Liliana Valle, a pilot and Toastmaster member, conducted a speech on asserting oneself with the help of some audience participation. After the speeches are concluded, the designated evaluators will evaluate their performance and give them positive and constructive critiques to help them improve. The meetings also include a table topic section where members discuss the theme of the day and are given opportunities to give responses and present their way of thinking. Four members of the Toastmasters are given the chance to give responses and then be evaluated on the way the presented their response. At the end, one of them will be chosen for the best table topics speaker award for that meeting. Lastly, members hear from the volume control and "Ah" counter who conveys to the members how their volume was during their speeches and how many filler words they may have used while speaking. At the end of the meeting, members vote on categories including best speaker, best evaluator and best table topic speakers. At the Friday, Feb. 3 meeting Hirota won the Best Speaker award, M Dunn won the best Evaluator award, and for Table Topics award there was a four way tie. The Grand Terrace Club holds weekly meetings every Friday at 7 a.m. at the Azure Hills Church conference room.

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 256

Athlete of the Week Christopher Michael Lemos, Redlands High School Junior and Varsity Quarterback, proudly represents the Terriers with his dedication, leadership, and passion for the game.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 312

Redlands Pottery Project joins A.K. Smiley Public Library for a November 14 workshop designed for young artists ages 13 to 18. A lump of clay may not look like much at first. In the hands of a young artist, however, it can become a bowl, a decorative sculpture or an entirely unexpected creation.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.redlands.edu/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 395

The University of Redlands Department of Theatre and Dance will present Día de los Muertos and Other Folk Tales November 5 through 8, 2026. Stories told by grandparents often become treasured parts of a family's history. Some are humorous, others mysterious, and many carry lessons that remain meaningful long after the storyteller is gone.

Photo Courtesy of: UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 312

A remote wildfire-monitoring camera overlooks a Southern California landscape. Redlands has partnered with UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia program to improve monitoring of areas near northern Redlands and the Santa Ana River wash.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.akspl.org/events/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 347

Annual ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial Shrine will bring American history to life on November 21. On a November morning in Redlands, the sounds of fifes, drums and historic artillery will offer residents an opportunity to experience a chapter of American history that continues to influence the nation more than 160 years after the Civil War.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:18pm. Views: 278

The first years of a child's life are filled with milestones that families often remember forever. A baby's first smile, the first attempt to crawl and the first spoken words are moments of celebration. They can also bring questions, uncertainty and new responsibilities for parents learning how to care for a growing child.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.csusb.edu/

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 334

CSUSB’s Department of Physics and Astronomy has earned recognition for it for its work to create a more inclusive, diverse and supportive physics department, earning the Bronze Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science Physics & Astronomy SEA Change program.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.naco.org/program/operation-green-light-veterans

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 714

Operation Green Light returns November 4–11, encouraging residents to recognize military service and help veterans connect with available resources. As darkness settles over San Bernardino during the first week of November, green lights will illuminate several county buildings, transforming familiar government facilities into visible reminders of the sacrifices made by America's military veterans.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.authentikusa.com/

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 295

As America's most famous highway celebrates its centennial in 2026, San Bernardino reflects on the road that helped shape its neighborhoods, businesses and identity. Long before interstate highways became the preferred routes for cross-country travel, motorists making their way through San Bernardino followed a road that would become one of the most recognizable highways in American history.

Photo Courtesy of: Corina Borsuk and provided courtesy of SBCUSD

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 247

Muscoy Elementary students join SBCUSD Superintendent Mauricio Arellano, Board of Education President Mayra Ceballos, Assistant Superintendents Dr. Sandra Rodriguez and Dr. Tasha Doizan, Director MaryRone Goodwin and San Bernardino County Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. for the official ribbon cutting ceremony that opened the school’s new outdoor learning center.

Photo Courtesy of: https://riversiderecord.org/; A photo of Moreno Valley City Hall. (Alicia Ramirez/The Riverside Record) Credit: (Photo by Alicia

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 611

A city is often judged by what residents experience every day: the condition of its streets, the reliability of public services, the availability of recreational programs and the ease of obtaining information from local government. Behind those everyday experiences are departments and employees whose work rarely attracts national attention.

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 571

Athlete of the Week Zachary Scott Perez, Senior at John W. North High School, is recognized as Athlete of the Week for his dedication and accomplishments as a student athlete.

--> -->