On May 2nd, the Cengage Learning and Toyota Boshoku America Toastmasters Clubs had their first joint speechathon. The executive committees from both clubs collaborated to bring the two clubs together and provide opportunities for growth in public speaking. Agreed-upon roles included a Timer, Ah Counter, and Word of the Day. Attendees heard six speeches, with three speakers from each club. Each speaker was evaluated by a member of the opposite club. All members benefited from speaking before a different audience than usual. Hearing feedback from the other club’s members, who may have a different perspective, was especially valuable.

Carolyn Beckford, a Cengage member, delivered her Presentation Mastery level 4 project “Managing a Difficult Audience” at the speechathon. This project required four audience members—a duty taken on by the Toyota club—to interrupt her speech in specific ways. This offered a fun challenge to Carolyn’s speech as she did not know the folks who were interrupting. The project tested her ability to deal with unexpected interruptions, and Carolyn did a fantastic job handling this challenge. The joint speechathon was a fantastic experience and both clubs agreed to repeat in the future!