Toast Masters/Classification talk

Garrett Cole is the President of Cataraqui Valley Toastmasters Club. Born in Kingston, his technical and mathematical aptitude led him to achieving a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Western Ontario and master’s degree from RMC. Highlights include building a solar powered racecar and using carbon fibre patches to repair fatigue damage in structural steel. Despite his skills, he found that he struggled both professionally and personally due to shyness and poor speaking ability. That’s when he joined Toastmasters.

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, the organization's membership is approximately 280,000 in more than 14,700 clubs in 144 countries.

Toastmasters is the best way for anyone—whether a working professional, student, stay-at-home parent or retiree—to improve his or her communication and leadership skills. Members overcome the fear of public speaking and learn skills that aid them in becoming more successful. Toastmasters creates better listeners and stronger team members and leaders who can comfortably give and receive constructive evaluations.

Aside from being very busy in Rotary, Garrett is active with the Food Sharing Project. He is a dog lover and in his spare time, he plays a lot of sports, some of them well, and is one of Kingston’s finest amateur painters