家内のジムの友達の中にGトーストマスターズクラブの会長のNさんがいて、
家内も２、３回例会に参加していた。
私を誘ってくれたので、家内と一緒に例会を体験してみた。
体験後、私は入会したが、家内はしなかった。
（家事が出来なくなると言って。）
しばらく、例会を楽しんでいたが、
家内の体調がすぐれなくなった頃から例会への出席が苦痛になってきたため、
退会した。

今、新型コロナ禍の中で、例会がZoom例会となっており、
『家からでも例会に参加出来るので復帰しませんか？』
との誘いのメールがまた入ってきた。
しかし、参加だけならいいのだが、
司会、スピーチ、エバリュエーション、等々、
役割が全員に回ってくるので、予め用意しないといけない。
そのような時間を、今の私には作れない。
また、組織的に各種コンテストも計画されており、
その準備にも駆り出されるので無理だ。
ということで、丁重にお断りした。

入会した当初は燃えていた。
その時の私のスピーチがこうだった↓。

Project No.5 ‘Your Body Speaks’ in Competent Communication
Objectives:
>Use stance, movement, gestures, facial expressions and eye contact to express your message and achieve your speech’s purpose.
>Make your body language smooth and natural.
Time: 5-7min. ±30 sec.
Title: My target in XX-TMC

Good evening fellow members and welcome guest.

Since I joined XX-TMC, eight months has passed.
Tonight, I would like to look back upon myself and consider my target in XX-TMC.

I understand that TMC is talented people's treasury.

The club is systematized by each district from all over the world, and by each division, by each area, and is systematized by each club of each area.

And TMC is managed by the same program.
I have understood that it is a club which everyone can interchange information with various people.

Until now, I had a wish that I would like to talk fluently in English conversation.
But I had always given up on the way.
It is an excuse that I was very busy with my work.
I think that the motivation is weak for me to continue the study of only English conversation for a long time in Japan.

Last year, my wife got to know our president NN-san, and my wife said as follows.
“I heard NN-san's talk, and I had the impression that everyone would make progress in English conversation by TMC.”
Once, my wife experienced GH-TMC’s meeting, and then I also experienced.

As a result, I understood the following.
TMC is the active club of giving various roles, making them challenge according to the program, and improving the expression skills to people.
And TMC gives a good stress of the role corresponding to a step for a member, and gives the sense of accomplishment.

And then, a contest is held periodically, there is a chance which everyone can finally participate in a global contest, and global member's information is acquired.

I got interested in TMC and I thought I would like to join the club together with my wife.
However, my wife gave up because of the following reason.
She said, “If I join the GH-TMC, I will abandon all the housekeeping.”

And so, only I joined GH-TMC July last year.

At first, I worried about whether I could follow members with XX-TMC, but the entire club was very friendly and had ambience that made me challenge a lot.

Until now, as for my relation with English, it was main to have read the English technical paper required for development.
And, in joint development with an overseas company, my conversation based on technical was main.
I had not reached to the level which carried out idle talk with partners.
I think that if I had communication skills and courage by TMC program, probably, I would be able to do idle talk with the foreigner.

And now, my current target in XX-TMC is digesting the role given according to the TM program, and continuing it.
And, I would like to brush up my expression skills, communication skills and leadership used as the tool which makes my second life fruitful.

I prepare it hard making time as much as possible, and I believe that I surely progress my English conversation little by little while digesting various roles.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Let’s challenge and enjoy toastmastering together!
And let’s practice, practice and practice together!