When Cindy Garloch was approached by Travis Dennison to charter a Toastmasters club in Zionsville, the pair realized it was a no-brainer.
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit which teaches public speaking and leadership skills. Garloch said the clubs have recently evolved to include 10 different pathways a member can go down. Pathways include dynamic leadership, effective coaching, innovative planning, motivational strategies and more.
“The reason we are starting a Zionsville Toastmasters is there’s a gentleman (Dennison) that lives in Zionsville who wants to get it started there,” said Garloch, who is currently involved with the Westfield Toastmasters Club. “He believes it’s a great community, it’s great for leadership, public speaking and communication, and he believes the community there in Zionsville could benefit from it.”
Dennison was a member of the Westfield Toastmasters, but he lived in Zionsville. A club requires 20 members to charter, and currently there have been approximately 10 attending the Zionsville meetings. Once chartered, Garloch will leave the Westfield club and join the Zionsville club.
“It’s a safe place to learn how to be a public speaker or to be a leader. Everybody’s really encouraging, and it’s like a family — very supportive,” Garloch said. “It’s a safe place to fail. It’s where you can give speeches for work or parts of them and get direct feedback and be better at work or in the community.”
The Zionsville Toastmasters meet every Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. at Zionsville Town Hall, 1100 W. Oak St., in room 205. Those interested can attend a meeting or reach out to Dennison at [email protected].
