By Ching Yannie (24S06M), President

Does the idea of standing before a waiting audience fill your heart with fear? Or perhaps, are you feeling apprehensive at the thought of the intimidating Project Work Oral Presentation component? Public speaking jitters, meet your match! Step into the world of Gavel Club, where you will become a more compelling and confident speaker.

Contrary to popular belief, while we share our name with the gavel, a small mallet that we use rather liberally due to the satisfaction derived from its knocks, Gavel Club is not associated with law. Instead, we are a subsidiary of Toastmasters International, an organisation that aims to empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. This also means that at the end of your journey here, you will get to graduate with a certificate as proof of your competency in public speaking!

Naturally, you may associate making speeches with broaching only intimidating, solemn topics, but this could not be further from the truth. While we listen to our fair share of deep insights from our members, light-hearted and humorous speeches are equally as welcome here! 

From suggesting which Raffles CCAs would thrive and/or fail miserably in the Hunger Games, to identifying red flags in men, or even formulating entire (hypothetical!) plans on how to revolutionise society, the inherent nature of Gavel Club is incredibly versatile. 

Our tight-knit community of Gaveliers enjoy every moment together, whether it be in stitches from laughter or debating heatedly on controversial opinions. This is purely a no-judgement zone: we’ve heard far too many opinions on bidets to be fazed by anything you may say.

CCA is held every Wednesday from 8.30-11am, usually in Block D Level 2 classrooms, right above the canteen! During our student-led sessions, we bring one another through speeches and oratorical drills. During the 10 speech cycles Gaveliers aim to fulfill, we are given near complete rein to talk about absolutely anything, as long as one keeps in mind target aspects to work on, such as coherency or voice projection. 

Each speech should roughly be about 10 minutes, which really sounds longer than it actually is – some of our members have greatly exceeded such guidelines due to over-excitement about their topics! Constructive feedback will then given by our members, along with fun personal messages, ensuring your growth as a confident communicator. 

As our CCA is constantly evolving, such sessions are incredibly dynamic, and working on our oratory skills together can range from fun impromptu speeches to gamified oratory exercises.

As part of Gavel Club, you will be given exciting opportunities to emcee for school events that occur over the course of the year! This may include acting as part of panels that moderate discussions for guest speakers. 

Additionally, we occasionally participate in public speaking competitions, which are completely optional to join. Interspersed with bigger events like Gavel Camp and Farewell, it is not a big stretch to come to the conclusion that despite being relatively low-commitment and relaxed, Gavel Club promises you an incredibly fun year ahead.

Trust us when we say that you are not alone if you find public speaking an enormous challenge to conquer. We will be there every step of the way with you, helping you to become more comfortable with a crowd, and eventually leave them hanging off your every word. 

The benefits of Gavel Club extend far beyond the realm of academics, as the invaluable skills you acquire here will serve you throughout life, opening doors to exciting opportunities and boosting your self-confidence. It is an honour and a pleasure to engage in one of the most compelling forms of expression: speech, and we hope you will be here with us to witness the different facets of our fellow Gaveliers every week.

Whether you are naturally eloquent or are only starting to find your voice, we welcome all aspiring speakers with open arms. There is no prior experience needed to join, though we would love to hear your personal voice and passion shine through. Look no further if you want or need a reason to sprint out of bed every Wednesday out of sheer excitement. Come join us for our auditions! :-)