DURING the year, many Toastmasters give up their time to run youth leadership courses at local schools in and around the metro.
The courses consist of an eight-week programme where Grade 11 learners are taught communication and presentation skills, as well as how to run a meeting and conduct themselves in the business world.
Following the course, a competition is then held and the best speaker from each school is entered into an interschools competition.
The interschools competition was held at Victoria Park High School last week Wednesday. Each learner was tasked to deliver a three–to–five minute speech on a subject of their choice. The five top speakers then competed in an impromptu contest, where the overall winner was decided.
Toastmasters from the different clubs were involved in the judging.
In first place was Westering High School learner Madelein Petersen, second place went to Pearson High School learner Taboka Ndhlovu, with Lawson Brown High School’s Tarren du Plessis in third place.
This is a healthy competition and to ensure that there is no bias, the learners competing do not wear school uniform and only after the results have been announced, are their respective schools announced.
