You must be eighteen years or older to become a member of Toastmasters International, but what about all the people under 18 who desperately need to learn to communicate and to lead?

Toastmasters International invests in our future by offering the Youth Leadership Program, tailored to those under 18 years of age. A Youth Leadership Program generally runs eight weeks, for one to one-and-a-half hours each week. In the program, Toastmasters teach young people some of the basic skills learned in the first year or so at a Toastmasters club. Materials to assist in putting on the program are easily ordered from the Toastmasters catalog.

Kathleen Hartnett and I started our youth leadership program with the girl scouts on January 14, 1997. Our last session was Tuesday, March 4, 1997. (The program was done for the same group last year, for the first time, and the girls voted to have us back.) Every Tuesday night from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, we taught the girls in our group using Toastmaster materials and our own personal experiences. Kathleen and I really wanted the girls to learn as much as possible, so they will end up in a better place than we have (not having taken advantage of Toastmasters until we were into our thirties.)

There were challenging parts of the program - mostly the giggling and "side" conversations of the participants. However, the rewards by far outweighed the challenges. The results were incredible, and especially apparent on that last night. Kathleen and I offered a $20 gift certificate at Tower Records for the girl who won our final speech contest.

Kathleen and I then were both relieved that we did not have to serve as judges for the contest - all of the speeches were so good!!!! One girl delivered her speech on Louis Armstrong by pretending she was meeting his ghost in the alley and having a conversation with the spirit. Another girl told about her neighbors in her speech, acting out their strange and amusing behavior. It was obvious these girls had mastered the concepts of vocal variety and gestures.

One speech was tailored to help those considering suicide, another contained graphic word pictures illustrating the dangers of drugs. That last night, Kathleen and I received a standing ovation from the girls, certificates, girl scout mugs, and loads of hugs!!!

I encourage all Toastmasters to get involved in the Youth Leadership Program, and touch the future. Each year, I take away from the Youth Leadership Program a renewed hope for and faith in our young people

As we thanked the group leaders for the opportunity we had been given, we were told, "We have these two others troops..." They are even beginning a coed scout troop!