About the Bossuet Gavelier Toastmasters
The Bossuet Gaveliers club was chartered in June 1956. It is the most experienced Toastmaster club in (continental) Europe with an impressive record if we do say so ourselves of member achievements and club successes. The club meets every second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 19h30 in a restaurant in or near Luxembourg town and has special meetings and activities as announced.
We have some 40 members (at a typical meeting, some 15-18 will be present) from about 20 different countries. Native English speakers are in the minority but prospective members should have a reasonable command of the English language.
In case you were wondering, the club is named after Jacques-Bιnigne Bossuet (1627-1704), a French bishop ("l'Aigle de Meaux") famous for his oratory (see picture above). A gavel, of course, is that little hammer the president of a meeting (or a judge) uses to rap on his table or lectern.
District 59 (D59, formerly the CCET, Continental Council of European Toastmasters) is the governing establishment for our club.
Toastmastering in Europe is growing fast: District 59 now (mid 2006) has over 100 clubs and several more are chartered each year.
District 59 clubs in or near Luxembourg, other than the Bossuet Gaveliers, are:
About Toastmasters International
Toastmasters International is a non-profit, educational organization with over 8.000 Toastmasters clubs and almost 180.000 members worldwide. The first Toastmasters club was established in 1924. The driving force behind Toastmasters was a certain Dr. Ralph Smedley. It is interesting to note that he knew and worked with Dale Carnegie (author of the famous work "How to Make Friends and Influence People"), but the Toastmasters approach is different.
A Toastmasters club is an organized group which meets regularly to provide its members with opportunities to improve their communication skills, in the broadest sense, and to develop their leadership potential and organizing abilities. In a TM meeting, you can do this in an atmosphere of friendliness and mutual support.
Members deliver both prepared speeches and impromptu talks, and learn how to handle parliamentary procedures as well as committee leadership and participation techniques. All speeches are followed by a detailed evaluation given by fellow Toastmasters.
Each club is a member of Toastmasters International. The club and its members receive services, supplies, and support from Toastmasters International World Headquarters, P.O. Box 9052, Mission Viejo, CA 92690, in the USA.
