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from the Better Speaker Series, Leadership something that words could not express. We
Excellence Series, and Successful Club Series, were flattered to have so many Toastmasters
speech contests, and debates with college International leaders attending one of our
students. All of these opportunities provide meetings.
variety and help bring our members together
like a family. This provides a good foundation Andrew joined Capital Toastmasters in 2014.
for people whether in prison or when they He is currently serving as the club’s VP Public
parole. Relations officer.
During our business meeting, we spoke Prison Toastmasters Clubs
about some of the challenges members of Teach Skills Useful for Job
prison clubs face. Things like: availability of Search
meetings, the financial strain of paying dues,
and the lack of access to technologies like Although programs of various types exist
the Toastmasters International website. We in prisons across the country, those operated
spoke about the largely believed misconcep- by Toastmasters International have proved
tion that members of prison clubs can have particularly successful. Toastmasters volun-
all the time that they want to work on club teers across the nation have taught inmates
related activities. The fact is, most members speaking, leadership and organizational
of Capital Toastmasters work full time jobs, skills and instilled the type of confidence
are involved in other programming/learning that will help them when they search for a
endeavors, and are limited to one general body job upon release.
meeting per month. We have worked hard to
implement systems that allow our members Prison Toastmasters organizations are
to work on projects at smaller meetings and supported by Toastmasters clubs on the
other functions. outside, and one of the most active is in
eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island,
There was a lot of information covered, where 25 volunteers support 15 programs in
many ideas shared, and potential solutions men’s and women’s correctional facilities.
discussed. As the meeting ended, there was a
great sense of accomplishment, and a feeling On the surface we teach people how
that good things are on the horizon. to speak, but what we teach is much more
than that. We teach them how to think
After our business meeting, everyone critically, organize their thoughts, tap into
came together for the second event of the day, their passions, and develop teamwork and
the speakers meeting. Five speeches were given leadership,” says Susan Tordella-Williams, a
by people ranging in experience from someone writer, speaker and activist in Massachusetts.
giving their second speech to someone giving “When I go into the maximum security
their sixty-sixth. There was even a Competent prison they have no idea what teamwork
Communicator award attained by one of the is. They do everything alone. They wait for
speakers. After the meeting, our VIP guests gave things to be done for them. Toastmasters
us great feedback, and told us how impressed offers regular practice to develop new ways
they were with the things that our club is doing. of thinking, speaking and working [More]
Wow! What a great day it was. The Reprinted from 2013 blog posted on Jailsto-
members of Capital Toastmasters have worked Jobs, http://jailstojobs.org/. Jails to Jobs, a Section
very hard to make this an awesome club. For 501 (c) 3 public charity, is an organization that
eight years in a row, our members have worked gives ex-offenders the tools they need to find
hard and attained the President’s Distinguished employment.
Award with all 10 Distinguished Club Program
goals met. Having such honored guests come
into a maximum-security prison to see what
our members were doing, and how they main-
tained such a high level of accomplishment, was
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