Toastmasters charter local club
22 members have joined Moorpark group
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

The Moorpark Toastmasters Club, formed earlier this year to serve residents who want to develop their public speaking abilities, will be officially chartered as a nonprofit Toastmasters International Club on Wed., Dec. 12.

The local club needed at least 20 members to meet the minimum chartering requirements set by the organization, which has about 200,000 members in about 90 countries. So far, 22 people have joined the Moorpark Toastmasters, said Thousand Oaks resident Sharon Burt.

"The Moorpark area is growing, and more people are finding this wonderful resource. It's an enjoyable, safe place to learn and grow from," said Burt, who joined the club in July because she wanted to perk up her leadership skills and contribute to the new undertaking.

Toastmasters meets weekly to boost its members' communication skills, which in turn improve interpersonal relationships and boost professional opportunities. People learn to share their ideas effectively and with confidence, said club president James Bond in an earlier interview.

Local club members, along with friends and family, will celebrate the milestone at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Johnny Carino's Restaurant in the Simi Valley Town Center Mall.

About 60 people are expected to attend the event, including Toastmasters dignitaries and Simi Valley and Conejo club members. "It was really their dream and their actions that allowed that club to take off," said Burt.

The Moorpark Toastmasters will be awarded its own banner and club number at the event.

Members meet on Wednesdays from 7 to 8:45 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club on Casey Road. Membership is $60, including supplies, for the first six months, after which the cost is lower.

For more information, call Bond at (805) 405-9899.