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Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Which Toastmasters' Speakers Training Club Should I visit or join in Singapore or the world?

Problem
In Singapore I have so many to choose from, and trains running every 3-5 minutes. I have visited more than fifty clubs, about sixty something clubs. My friend Marshall has been to 100. I am an addict. When I am in Singapore I go to a Toastmasters club once a day, six days a week, and sometimes two a day.

If you have a job which involves travel, or accompanying a spouse who travels, you need never spend an evening or weekend alone with your partner, or alone in a hotel or restaurant.  I have been to clubs in: London, England; Prague, Czech Republic: Bangkok Thailand; Shanghai China - plus of course Singapore.

In the USA, where Toastmasters started, and the UK, most people belong to the club nearest their home or workplace. That applies to many people in Singapore.  If you change jobs or move house, you might consider switching to a new club in the new venue.

Finding A Club
I just go onto Toastmasters International Find a Club.

What's the cost?
Here are some examples in Singapore:

For visitors at clubs which charge:
About $20 at the Sheraton Towers Hotel - includes snack buffet
About $20 at the YMCA - includes snack buffet
University Alumni club 410 - includes snack buffet

More at events and Christmas parties in restaurants.

Free Meetings?
You can go to two or three meetings as a visitor at many of the clubs. Meetings are usually free to guests when clubs are held in a local Community Centre (most centres now being called Community Clubs). If the cost is an issue, or you are vegetarian or have a special diet, enquire what food they are likely t have.

Big club centres
Cairnhill CC near Newton MRT station: clubs include
Francophone (all in French, at Cairnhill CC near Newton MRT train station)
Jauhari bilingual Malay (Cairnhill)
Mandarin
Vietnam (Saturday mornings - check which Saturdays) - in English
Several more.

Braddell Heights CC near Serangoon CC
Braddell Heights Advanced
Braddell Heights 1
Braddell Heights 2
Braddell Heights Mandarin

Clubs Near Stations
Newton:
Toastmasters Club of Singapore (near Newton, exit A near Downtown blue line escalator)
Vietnam, Filipine, Francophone, Star Millenium, bilingual Malay, in the CC from the other exit B/C which brings you out the other side of the road by the red line exit)
Serangoon
Braddell:
Braddell Heights Advanced, 1, 2 and Mandarin, exit F from Serangoon MRT. See the big builing to the right beyond the grass on the corner. Back of the building entrance by car park exit is near the lift.

Clubs With A Stage
Some advanced and professional speakers want to practise at a club which has a larger venue and a stage.
Toastmasters Club of Singapore at Sheraton Towers Hotel.
Thomson club near Marymount station on the circle yellow line.
Some of the university clubs when they meet in theatres rather than four classrooms.
SIM (Singapore Institute of Management, used for contests, I forget which of their venues.)

Cosy Classrooms - small, friendly clubs
Braddell Heights Advanced and 1 and 2 at CC near Serangoon. I must plug my club and one of the reasons why I joined it. Smaller clubs often have spaces for speakers. They usually give priority to their own members. Check if you need a slot by emailing the club. They might allow you to be waitlisted as a backup speaker as a last minute replacement for somebody who has to work late or gets sent overseas on a trip by their employer.

Find the club on Toastmasters International Find A Club to check when they are meeting.

I'll add more details later in another post.

Useful Websites
Toastmasters International clubs:
www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Club
Facebook.com/bhatmsg

Author
Angela Lansbury B A Hons ALB ACG
Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.



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