A Different Look at the Intro to Mentoring Project (Level 2)

One thing about Pathways is that you're doing an Introduction to Toastmaster Mentoring Project for each Path regardless of whether you are interested in the Pathways Mentor Certification or not and whether or not you've already completed it.  I've noticed that people are apprehensive about doing it because they're either afraid of sharing or just don't want to.

Yes, the project wants you to talk about the time that you were a protege, but it doesn't say how much detail you have to go into.  One thing to remember is that everyone was at one point in time a protege.

I recently completed my second time doing the project.  The first time I talked about how my speech and debate background ultimately got me involved with Toastmasters and my journey along the way.  My second speech focused on the concept of being voluntold (i.e. in the Toastmasters world, volunteered by someone else to do something), what it means and how it affected my Toastmasters journey.  The speech was inspired by someone not thinking that they were ready to take on a meeting role.

Another speech that I've given in various forms is about how I became the voluntold SAA and eventually end up in various District Leadership positions (Conference Chair, Division Director-Elect, and Division Director).  While it isn't exactly talking about being a protege, it is talking about how no matter how your journey starts, you can end up in District Leadership positions.

It's also no secret that even though I joined Toastmasters to become an example of good speaker for when I became a head speech & debate coach someday, it took me 6 months to get anywhere and I had to be voluntold to give me first 3 speeches.  To date, I've probably given about 80 speeches including 8 icebreakers (2 in Pathways).  In addition, I've also helped mentor other Toastmasters who have seen their potential and now gone as far as conference committee and Area Director.

Voluntold = Someone sees your potential

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