Stephanie Charles who has been a member of Early Risers since 2000 says:

“I joined Toastmasters in 2000 because I was a docent at Henry Coe State Park and wanted to improve my presentations to the public.  I checked out three convenient Toastmasters clubs and settled on Early Risers Toastmasters because the members were very diverse and very welcoming.  I’ve been a member ever since.

I have enjoyed a wide variety of educational opportunities.  After going through the basic public speaking training, I did advanced manuals on everything from humorous speaking to leading group discussions to presenting awards to speaking on television.  I also developed leadership skills by serving in officer positions in the club and in the larger Toastmasters structure of the region.

The basic training took me from the point of my knees knocking during my first speech to actually enjoying being in front of an audience.  The subsequent training brought me to the point of feeling comfortable in many different situations.  I have used these skills not only as a docent, but speaking in front of large alumni groups, addressing city council, running Red Cross shelters, giving television interviews, and even dealing with challenging individuals in various real-life settings.

Beyond this, I’ve made many friends over the years.  I’ve had the opportunity to mentor newer members, and I’ve grown through exposure to the life experiences of people very different from me.

It’s been a very rewarding journey.”

If you live or work in the San Francisco Bay Area, Early Risers 2117 is the ideal club to hone your speaking and leadership skills. Try it.  Visit the club website, check out the Facebook page , and drop in on any Tuesday morning at 6:30 to experience it as a guest.