Members of both organizations will benefit in new ways—and some already do.
By Paul Sterman
Toastmasters International and Rotary International. Two organizations with a long history, global impact, and proven track record of helping people. And now they have something else in common: They are teaming up to strengthen their members’ skills and broaden their opportunities. The Toastmasters-Rotary alliance, announced in January, will leverage the strengths of both organizations to help members grow personally and professionally.
Later this year, Toastmasters will begin delivering eight educational courses tailored to members of Rotary and Rotaract (a Rotary-sponsored organization for 18-to-30-year-olds). The phased rollout of the eight courses will help Rotarians develop and hone their leadership and communication skills.
Toastmasters members, in turn, can benefit from connecting with Rotarians—1.2 million members in nearly every country in the world—and learning from the organization’s model of humanitarian service. Members can use their communication skills to impact their communities.
To learn more details about this alliance, visit the Toastmasters website and watch the video below.
Some Toastmasters and Rotarians have already teamed up in Toastmasters clubs founded by Rotarians. Rotarians say they benefit greatly from their Toastmasters involvement, pointing to the improvement in their communication and leadership skills—important attributes for members of an organization dedicated to such efforts as fighting disease, promoting peace, supporting education, and providing clean water to poor countries. Rotary’s motto is “Service Above Self.”
“It’s service, but if you don’t have communication skills and know how to work with people, it doesn’t work, and Toastmasters is key to that,” says Neal Marsh, a longtime member of both organizations and a founding member of a Toastmasters club in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Toastmasters members say they are inspired by Rotarians and their commitment to social issues. “There is a sense of camaraderie that permeates their attitude of ‘being of service,’” says Linda Farley, DTM, District 53 Director. “They share the Toastmasters core values but with a Rotarian perspective.”
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