Greeley – He fidgeted behind the lectern and trembled slightly as he thumbed through his notes.
But the more he spoke about his native Mexico, the friendlier the room became to Jesus Sanchez.
Soon enough, Sanchez broke away from his text and began telling stories about his childhood, his small audience nodding and sometimes laughing.
A satisfied Sanchez sat down after successfully delivering his “Ice Breaker” speech in the tradition of Toastmasters International. And he did it all in Spanish.
Sanchez is among about 10 residents who are part of a new Toastmasters club in Greeley, where every speech is delivered in Spanish. The idea is to get more Spanish- speakers comfortable with public speaking and addressing large audiences, said Denise Hall, who is leading the effort to get a Spanish Toastmasters established.
“We’ve had a huge, huge response to the idea of starting the club,” said Hall, who teaches at Aims Community College and the University of Northern Colorado.
She belongs to one of the three Toastmasters clubs in Greeley, and, until now, all were English- speaking. Several Spanish-speakers came to her Toastmasters group to have their speeches evaluated. But, Hall said, no one felt their Spanish was good enough to judge the Spanish-speakers, so the move began to start the Spanish-only club.
“There is a great need for this in Greeley,” she said, as about 30 percent of the city’s 80,000 residents are Latino.
Toastmasters International was founded in 1924 to help people improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills. The organization boasted more than 200,000 members by 2005, with more than 10,000 clubs in the U.S. and 90 other countries.
Members practice public speaking skills and are evaluated by other Toastmasters members.
Some clubs emphasize languages other than English, said Toastmasters International spokeswoman Suzanne Frey.
“There are a couple of German- only clubs in the Midwest,” Frey said.
Spanish-speaking clubs have also emerged, but most are in the Southwest, she said.
In the “Ice Breaker” speech, speakers are supposed to talk about their backgrounds, family, jobs and interests.
“Your voice carried well, Jesus,” Hall said, “and your mannerisms were personable and well- received.”
A musician, Sanchez is used to being in front of people. But, he said, he wants to make more of a political impact, and his Toastmasters experience will help.
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
