Review of my Pathways: Engaging Humour in Toastmasters International

Pathways, props

When you join Toastmasters International you are offered a choice of 11 paths. After filling out a multiple choice questionnaire you are offered suggestions of three paths, the one they think you will prefer, and a couple of alternatives. The paths are very similar and most are about management, conveying your wishes to teams or subordinates, or outside organizations or shreholders, or managing teams. That fits the remake of Toastmasters International into the motto, Where Leaders are Made. 

The major differences are the basic Pathway, Presentation Mastery,  which is the most popular, whether you are afraid of public speaking or wish to improve presentations at work. 

The other one which is different is Engaging Humor. (The spelling is American because Toastmasters International started in California, USA, and is still run from the USA.) I did Presentation Mastery first, then Humor. 

When I reached the end of the course I thought that the Reflect on your Path sounded dull and was merely an exercise I needed to tick the boxes and reach the end. (Receiving a certificate. Having the letters after my name which impresses toastmasters members, less so outsiders.

However, the Reflect On Your Path proved to be extremely helpful. Everything came into focus. 

5 LEVELS

LEVEL 1

I happened to be looking though my Toastmasters District Directory (for the Singapore area, which I was given because I was President of Braddell Heights Advanced Club, and its main use is to look up the clubs, which days they meet, so you can book slot. But the clubs ask you, how long is your speech, which project are you doing.

This magic book, the Directory, has a section at the front on Pathways. Most usefully, you can see your own path from start to finish on one page. I ticked off the paths I had done. I could see how many projects I needed to do to finish. I added the timing for each speech. Some clubs want you to do no more than the standard 5 to 7 minutes. Others have room for the last couple of projects which are 10 to 12 minutes and longer.

the shortest speaking slots needed are for the ice breaker, your first speech, the impromptu speeches, two, at 3 minutes each, and report on an aspect of writing a blog, only 3 minutes.

Level 1 Mastering the Fundamentals is the same for all the pathways,

ICEBREAKER
your introduction or icebreaker and

researching,

In level 1, my researching project I described a stand up comedy course I took in London where our first project was to describe our own family.

This research project made me analyse what I had learned long ago, in the light of modern problems with political corectness. Describing deceased grandparents is fairly safe, they can't sue you, and you don't risk sounding disrespectful as describing arguments with your parents or spouse.

LEVEL 2
Learn your style

Level 2 Learn your style,
if you are doing one of the managment courese is likely to be your management style or communication style. But in humour its is know your style of humor.

One of the first projects is know your sense of humour.

My signature features are 3 visual or aural
1 Hats
2 Puppets
3 Props which make a noise.

One of my first speeches was all about puppets, which I thought was totally original, not so original in the UK, but in Singapore it is rare to see a prop. You see bow ties and soft toys for the fun shot group photos, but not a hat nor puppet.

However, my evaluator said she thought puppets were suitable for children, not adults. Now in London, I remembered going to see Avenue Q, an American musical. The puppets took drugs, kissed, made love, attemptd rape, and swore.
I won't let my puppets swear.

MENTORING
For my ice breaker I described myself as the Queen of Props.
I met Indra Sikdar at Harrow Writers Circle. When I told him that I had written a book called Wedding Speeches & Toasts, he said, You must come to Toastmasters.

At Harrovians Toastmasters Club, London
Indra Sikdar was my mentor. He suggested wearing hats. Hats make a small person look taller. When I started the Engaging humor pathway I thought it had little to teach me. However, it taught me a lot.

 a collapsible hat.

hat picture


LEVEL 3 INCREASING KNOWLEDGE
I chose 2 options, confusingly called electives

For presentation software
I had to look at cartoons

Regarding Creating Visual Aids I described
a) found visual aids, whatever is lying around,

But most of my props were in London. Fortunately I was able to improvise, with items such as a Singapore flag, and

could be your phone playing tunes, like mine playing birdsong alarm.
The first time I turned it we thought it was real birds and dashed about hoping to photograph them.

For my ice breaker I had described myself as the Queen of Props. 

LEVEL 4 Building Skills
I chose to write a blog on humour.
Please go to
How 2bfunny.
I wrote 8 posts.

Level 5 has 2 speeches, prepare to speak professionally.
I spoke about how to avoid speech disasters, 
not forgetting your speech by writing notes on the back of a fan.

At the end of the Toastmasters International Pathways course, Engaging Humor, a final project in level 5 is a review of what you have learned. You give a 10 to 12 minute speech on this.

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.