Bob Nisbet DTM interviews Martin Berry DTM (Camberley Speakers, Farnham Speakers). Martin is the first person in our new District 91 (UK South) to complete both the communication and leadership tracks and become a Distinguished Toastmaster, the highest award bestowed by Toastmasters International.
Q: How long has it taken you to reach Distinguished Toastmaster?
A: I went to my first Toastmasters meeting on 4 Oct 2005. I still have the agenda! I joined about a month later and did my first ever speech on 12 Jan 2006. My DTM plaque arrived in September 2014. So about nine years.
Q: Why did you first come to a Toastmasters meeting and why did you join?
A: My friend Doug New had been raving about Toastmasters and kept nagging me to go along. I told him quite firmly I wasn’t the least bit interested in hearing a load of stuffy speeches. Eventually he made me an offer: “ If you agree to come along just one time, I’ll pick you up from your home, drive you to the meeting, buy you a pint afterwards, and then bring you back…if you don’t like it I’ll never bother you with it again.” Of course, I loved it. I never guessed the speeches would be so personal, so entertaining, educational and often funny or uplifting. It was as good as going to the theatre.