By Karunya Madhavan (21S03B), Chairperson, Er Yi Heng (21S03F), Vice-Chairperson, and Sruthi Muralikrishna (21S03B), Vice-Chairperson

“We need to talk.” 

These words might fill one’s heart with nervousness and fear. Have you heard them from a vicious ex you just met at McDonalds? From a friend you just had some rifts with? From your parents who found out about your secret stash of expensive chocolates on your shelf? Oh dear. 

In Gavel, chances are that you will be hearing these words pretty often. 

Welcome to Raffles Gavel Club, the place in RI where anyone with a keen mind and dedication to learn public speaking  is welcomed with open arms and open ears. Regardless of whether one has prior experience in public speaking or not, fret not, as Gavel will provide you with the platforms and skills to build up your eloquence and fluency. 

Gavel Club is a subsidiary of ToastMasters Singapore which aims to develop confident and coherent public speakers who are able to speak about a myriad of topics. There is no doubt that public speaking, and more specifically the skills that are developed along with it are crucial in life. Confidence, clarity, intonation are a few of the many skills that public speaking inculcates in someone. 

Public speaking is a calling. It is not only a matter of how well you speak, but also how sincerely you convey the message. Here at Gavel, we listen to your message and equip you with the proper skills such as diction, pacing and tone to help you deliver your message. We hope to equip Gaveliers with both functional and stylistic skills of public speaking  through speech training sessions, and help them develop a wider, well-balanced and more nuanced world view through content-based discussions. Public speaking is one of many people’s greatest fears and at Gavel we overcome this together. 

Harnessing these skills will prove to be extremely useful in future too! After all, aren’t interviews, conversations and presentations just different forms of speech? 

In Gavel, you have unlimited potential. Members are always given the liberty to speak about any topic they are passionate about, and encouraged to do so with a personal authenticity. We hope to empower our members to speak up, but also teach them to sit down and actively listen. It is also worth noting that upon completion of all the projects, globally-recognized Toastmasters accreditation will be given, making each and every member a certified speaker and leader.

Now, you might wonder how sessions in Gavel typically look like. Our CCA sessions held on Wednesday afternoons have been happening online, on our beloved and trusty MS Teams. We have alternating sessions of speech training discussions and speeches. The former is usually started off with some snazzy games. We also engage external speakers to spice up our sessions as well as attend competitions such as Inter JC Oratorical Competitions. 

Gavel is a caring and encouraging family where everyone is receptive and open to critique. We grow together as a community of thinkers, speakers, and listeners.

Do you have a message to convey? Do you like sharing stories, inspiring others and bringing your public speaking skills to the next level? Do come down for our trials next year! We look out for potential Gaveliers not based on ability, but on willingness to learn, receptiveness to critique and willingness to step out of your comfort zone. If this sounds like you, we are very much looking forward to meeting you and welcoming you into our family!