Imagine being called upon to deliver a two-and-one-half minute speech in front of an audience of about 200 people without time for preparation, with the assigned topic: “Personal success is . . .” For many people, that would seem an utterly terrifying prospect, but Toast of Jax Toastmaster David Rafanowicz, a Julington Creek Plantation resident, rose to the challenge this weekend in an impromptu speech contest, bringing a coveted first place trophy back home to his Toastmasters club in Mandarin. The annual competition, held in Orlando this year as part of a Toastmaster’s district conference there, included participants from throughout Florida and the Bahamas. “Toastmasters District 47 includes 13,800 members in 314 Toastmaster clubs in Florida and the Bahamas,” Toast of Jax Club President Danny Pritchard explained. “The competition begins with each club holding its own contest. Club level winners then progress to an area level competition. Area winners then compete in one of the district’s ten geographic divisions. Finally, the 10 division winners compete at the district contest. It’s actually quite an accomplishment just to make it up to the district level. David is the first Toast of Jax member in recent memory to actually bring home a district trophy. We’re delighted!” Each contestant is isolated during the contest until it is his turn to step onto the stage. Rafanowicz, who spoke fourth, did not know the topic of his speech until he had to give it. Afterward, he said he heard “six exceptional speeches” and suspected the first three were likewise. “After the judges deliberated, I was somewhat disappointed not to hear my name called when third place was announced,” he said. “Then they called second place and the contestant I had pegged for first place went up to accept his trophy. At that point, I expected one of the speakers I hadn’t heard would win. I was totally shocked to hear my name called for first place. It was a very competitive contest.” When asked what he did to prepare for the contest, Rafanowicz explained that the only preparation possible for an off-the-cuff speech was to develop the confidence necessary to speak before an audience. “That’s really the basic goal of a Toastmasters club—building confidence,” he said. He compared Toastmasters to learning to ride a bicycle, “When first starting out, the club provides the training wheels necessary to overcome your speaking fears. Once you’ve delivered several speeches to a supportive audience, taking on the challenge of addressing a large gathering just seems like a natural progression. It’s like riding a bicycle after you’ve overcome the initial trepidation. After a while, speaking to a group of 200 is no different than talking to a small group of close friends.” Rafanowicz emphasized that he would recommend Toastmasters to everyone interested in improving their communication skills, whether they simply wanted to hone their ability to communicate individually or to take on the challenge of speaking to a larger group. “Effective communication is an integral part of everything we do,” he said. “Being able to think on your feet and respond coherently is very much a part of any job interview, and being called upon to comment on something in a business meeting can unfortunately leave some feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. Toastmasters helps people overcome the fear of speaking, something people fear more than death according to the Book of Lists.” A non-profit organization founded in 1924, Toastmasters International has over 9,300 clubs and more than 195,000 members in approximately 80 countries. The 26 Toastmasters clubs in the Jacksonville area meet at various times throughout the week in all parts of the city, Orange Park and St. Augustine. Further details are available on the Toastmasters International website at www.toastmasters.org. Toast of Jax Toastmasters, chartered in 1973, has 40 members and meets at 7:30 a.m. every Saturday morning, except holiday weekends, at the Ramada Inn at I-295 and San Jose Boulevard. Guests are welcome. The club maintains its own website at www.toastofjax.org.
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