The document summarizes the mentorship program established by the Freehold Phrasers Toastmasters club. It details that the program formally assigns a mentor to new members to guide them through their first three speeches and club procedures. Experienced members can also request mentors to help achieve specific goals. Since starting in July, 7 new members have been assigned mentors and 2 experienced members received mentors. The club is also making progress toward achieving President's Distinguished status, having already met 6 of 9 required goals. The article also summarizes a member's experience winning an area speech contest with a humorous speech about the dangers of piñatas.

1.
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Freehold Phrasers
Club 6522
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Phrasers
Toastmasters on
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Officers
John Fitzgerald
President
Ken Irvine
Vice President of
Education
Julie H.
Vice President of
Membership
Allison Lips
Vice President of
Public Relations
Joe Plahutnik
Treasurer
Himagiri Munduri
Secretary
Linda Dorrian
Sergeant at Arms
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Mentorship Program
Contest Recap
Distinguished Club Status
Update
Mentorship Program
By Ken Irvine
Establishing a mentorship program was identified as one of the top 3 goals for
the Freehold Phrasers executive committee for the current Toastmasters year.
This idea had been discussed for several years but this was the year that it was
made a priority.
The mentorship program provides a formal structure for easing new members
into an environment that may initially seem intimidating. Assigning a mentor to
each member as they join the club provides someone that can introduce the
mentee to club procedures, be the focal point for inquiries, and guide the mentee
in accomplishing goals. The relationship also benefits the mentor by providing
practical experience in coaching others, a valuable skill in any business.
The mentor/mentee relationship is temporary and officially lasts until the mentee
completes their third speech in the Competent Communicator manual. By that
point, members are well established within the club and ready to consider
mentoring a newer member.
In addition to mentoring new members, more experienced members can request
a mentor that is especially skilled in an area that the member would like to
improve. These advanced mentoring relationships can be used to assist members
achieve higher levels of proficiency in speaking as well as leadership.
Since the Toastmaster year started in July, many mentoring relationships have
been established at Freehold Phrasers. The following are some statistics:
• 7 new members have been assigned a mentor.
• 2 advanced members have been assigned a mentor to accomplish specific
goals.
• 6 club members are currently on the wait list to mentor future members.
Freehold Phrasers
Quarterly
Winter 2016

2.
Editor’s Note:
Distinguished Club
Status
Freehold
Phrasers
has
made
significant
progress
toward
the
club
goal
of
achieving
President’s
Distinguished
Status.
Since
July,
the
club
has
met
6
of
the
9
required
goals,
which
means
Freehold
Phrasers
has
already
achieved
Distinguished
Status
and
is
only
one
goal
way
from
Select
Distinguished
Status.
However,
Freehold
Phrasers
still
needs
three
more
goals
before
it
becomes
a
President’s
Distinguished
Club.
What
will
it
take
to
become
Presidents
Distinguished?
Completing
three
of
the
following
goals.
1.
The
completion
of
1
Advanced
Communicator
Manual
2.
One
Completed
Leadership
Manual
3.
Four
new
members
4.
Four
officers
attending
the
second
training
period
If
you
can
help
with
one
of
the
goals,
let
an
officer
know.
Freehold
Phrasers
can’t
be
successful
without
you.
We
appreciate
all
that
you
do.
-Allison Lips
Vice President of Public Relations
Fabio Wins Area Contest
Freehold Phrasers Fabio Coppola-Di-Canzano, who joined
Toastmasters in February, won the Area 61 Humorous Speech
Contest and placed second at the Division F Humorous
contest with his speech “Stop the Evil Invader,” which he
describes as a plea for help against one of the gravest dangers
to our children: the Piñata. Fabio was kind enough to answer a
few questions about his experience.
Q: Why did you decide to speak about the dangers of piñatas?
Fabio: “Some of my fellow Phrasers encouraged me to
participate in the humorous speech contest. A couple of days
later I told my wife a piñata anecdote from my childhood that
she found very amusing, after that it was a matter of building
a speech around it.”
Q: What was it like speaking in front of a new group of
people?
Fabio: “I was very nervous. After the previous speaker
finished my heart was racing, but I remembered the advice a
fellow Phraser gave me: don’t fight the nerves, but rather
harness the energy into my speech. I was able to do that. My
legs were shaking, but people did not notice.”
Q: Do you have any advice for people new to the club?
Fabio: “Primarily just ‘do it’. Toastmasters is about learning
by doing. The best way to get better at public speaking is by
doing it and receiving feedback from others.
I would also recommend practicing your speech out loud a
few times. You should not memorize the words, but become
comfortable with the flow.”
Q: Final thoughts?
Fabio: “I am so grateful with all of the club members and
especially the officers for the great support, advice and
encouragement that they have provided; both at the club level
and in the area contest.”
Fabio Coppola-Di-Canzano