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LOVE Toastmasters! I spent four years in a local club, learning to deal with my Terror. My surprise was learning to navigate the roles in the Club, all aside from the task of learning to speak in public. Being Table Topics Master became one of my faves. And eventually, I worked through the various admin positions, and felt I was giving back for SO MUCH. I went from being terrified, with a mind that went blank, to my goal of being able to speak without "mind going blank," to BONUS: actually enjoying sharing with others! I heartily recommend. Thanks for posting this piece!

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Great piece! I didn't know TM's history but have benefitted greatly over the years from its very friendly approach to skill-building in speaking. And what a lovely community-builder!

A friend and I - a gifted activist and visionary - have been working on a model of citizen engagement that builds on the TM model while at the same time encouraging civic activism as not just a "life skill" but as a commitment to democratic self-governance. (And I mean "democratic" in the larger "republic" sense - wrap your head around that!) Being able to organize your thoughts and express them coherently, compellingly, and concisely - that's the goal of any Op-Ed writer, and of any speaker. And, the central idea we're incubating is creating a ~ community ~ a real community of real people who are having authentic dialog about things that matter and striving to make a difference. We're seeing it as a "welcome to civic engagement 101" to help people take the first steps toward involvement in this great experiment in self-governance.

And we want it to be WELCOMING, an opportunity to connect with not just your issue, but with your community of people who share the same passion. And we recognize that what's missing from nearly all such "activist" enterprises is the sense of fun and connectedness and the opportunity to come away from every gathering with a feeling that you did something, connected, got a tad more involved, that you learned something, that you're finding g your path.

TM is definitely a most inspiring model. Again, thanks for sharing that rich history.

And ... so looking forward to reading more of the wise guidance of People & Co.

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