Stanhope Resident Rebecca George Advances to Semifinals of the World’s Largest Speech Contest

RANDOLPH, N.J. - Aug. 3, 2013 - PRLog -- Rebecca George of Stanhope, NJ, has qualified to advance to the semifinal rounds of the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking, which will be held in Cincinnati, OH on Thursday, Aug. 22. She will represent the District 83, whose clubs encompass metropolitan New Jersey, Staten Island, NY, and Rockland County, New York.

"Speech contests are an exciting part of the Toastmasters communication and leadership program," says John Lau, president of Toastmasters International. "They challenge members to fine-tune their skills in front of a larger audience. In a club, members are evaluated; in a contest, they are judged against their peers."

George delivered a message titled “The Blue Light” where she narrated the story of her policeman father coming to the rescue of many and especially during the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. She revealed in her message that her father passed away this past January and how he continued to put on the “blue light” even to help a patient with whom he shared  a room in the hospital.

“It is truly an honor to have been chosen by the members of District 83 to represent them at the Semifinals.  It is my opportunity to thank them for the immeasurable growth and development opportunities Toastmasters has given me over the last few years by showcasing the skills I have built under the wing of this confidence-building community of Toastmasters.”

Gina DeNoia, District 83’s Division C Governor, says “Rebecca is a confident communicator.  She delivers a strong message with tender compassion and she sprinkles in humor and animated expression to make a delightful speech.”

To be eligible for the competition, participants must be age 18 or older, and present a five-to seven-minute speech in English on any topic. Judging criteria include speech content, originality, organization, gestures, style and timing.

Pamela Winter, District Governor 83 states, “Each year, the quality of speeches at the District level of the International Speech Contest for District 83 just keeps getting better and better! The first place winner, Rebecca George, will go on to the International level on behalf of  District 83 at the semi-finals being held in Cincinnati this August. I have watched Rebecca compete each year at the local level and am simply in awe of her progress. Each year, she shows progress over the prior year and I am overjoyed to see her efforts deliver her the top prize at the District level.”

George is a Human Resources manager for Alcatel-Lucent in Murray Hill, where she has been employed for 15 years. In addition, she is a member of Cosmopolitan Toastmasters (http://2655.toastmastersclubs.org) Club where she is currently president of the club which is open to  adults.

"Our club is thrilled that our president, Rebecca George, will be representing Cosmopolitan Toastmasters at the Toastmasters International convention in August!   On a personal note, I first watched Rebecca compete in 2009 at an Area contest shortly after joining the Cosmopolitan Toastmasters Club.  That event inspired me to work hard on my Competent Communicator award, and to try my own hand at competition,” said Brian Cort, immediate p of Cosmopolitan Toastmasters Club.  “Rebecca is a true role mode and a great leader.  We look forward to cheering her on at the International Convention in Cincinnati!”

To locate a club, observe a local contest, or learn more about Toastmasters membership, visit www.toastmasters.org.

About Toastmasters District 83

District 83 of Toastmasters International proudly serves over 4,000 members in 155 clubs throughout the metropolitan area of New Jersey and includes Staten Island and Rockland County, New York.  For information about local Toastmasters in District 83 visit http://www.toastmasters83.org.

About Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Founded in October 1924, the organization currently has more than 280,000 members in 13,500-plus clubs in 116 countries. Each week, Toastmasters helps more than a quarter million people of every ethnicity, education level and profession build their competence in communication so they can gain the confidence to lead others. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter.