Burnaby Gavel Club - COUNSELORS WANTED
You asked - and we delivered! We're excited to announce the launch of GVGC's fourth chapter. It will draw from our network's unified member-driven leadership structure, educational resources and rich feedback culture.
WHERE? Christine Sinclair Community Centre, Burnaby.
WHEN? Mondays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Fall term will run Sep 14 – Dec 14.
WHO? Ages 12-17. We grant exceptions for those under 12-years old on a case-by-case basis, at the program Counselor’s (instructor’s) discretion. Please contact the Coordinator, Vasily Lykov, to arrange for your child to first visit as a guest, free of charge: gvgavel@gmail.com.
FEE: $12/session + tax. Registration is on a term-by-term basis. Registration will open on August 10, 10 AM for Burnaby residents and August 14, 10 AM for non-Burnaby residents. The link will be posted in the coming weeks on the ‘BURNABY’ tab in the ‘BRANCHES’ drop-down on our website: https://www.gvgavel.com/
📢 HELP WANTED
We're looking for two Counselors for our BURNABY and WESBROOK branches - to start in Sep. Wesbrook meets Wed, 6:30 - 8:30 at Wesbrook Community Centre. Being a Counselor is one of the most impactful long-term leadership opportunities in Toastmasters. Among the many benefits you'll get from this are:
IMPROVED SPEAKING AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Working with youth of different ages and speaking abilities will boost your evaluation skills. For the most part, though, you'll be working with sharp, reflective teens. Iron sharpens iron. The need to be quick on your feet and occasionally redirect meetings will level up your impromptu skills.
A FORAY INTO COACHING
Giving extensive one-one-one feedback, usually preceding GVGC's bi-annual contests, is a challenging but rewarding experience.
THE REWARDING NATURE OF YOUTH MENTORSHIP
Watching members grow into confident speakers and leaders under your guidance is an immensely fulfilling experience.
OTHER PERKS
Though this is a volunteer position, we provide a number of meaningful perks to our Counselors.
✅ RESPONSIBILITIES
A Counselor oversees Gavel meetings, ensuring members are supervised, motivated and have enough guidance to carry out their roles. You'll be responsible for logistical and disciplinary aspects such as safeguarding and compliance, but your most extensive (and rewarding) duty is as the mentor-in-chief, which, in a nutshell, means providing feedback, usually by giving the General Evaluation.
OUR HYBRID LEADERSHIP MODEL - SUPPORTING YOUR EXECUTIVES
Each of our branches elects the same set of Club Officer (executive) roles as a Toastmasters club, minus Secretary and Treasurer. Though they might need reminders - and leadership mentorship - our executives serve as the stewards of their respective branches and absorb many of the Counselor's tasks. Guiding members, leading role sign-up, keeping meetings on track - and more. At our three longest-running branches, they are the leadership firewall - the first group to handle routine meeting issues and questions. In practice, this means our Counselors have a relatively light degree of involvement when it comes to meeting oversight.
⏲️ COMMITMENT
- 2-hour weekly meetings. Our terms are based around the VSB high school calendar.
- 5-6 executive meetings per year, where our Coordinator, Counselors and member executives steer GVGC.
- Periodic network-wide events, including GVGC branch collaborations, joint meetings with Toastmasters clubs, contests.
- AND MORE: We're looking for someone who'll go above and beyond for their members, who will occasionally reach out with questions or for additional feedback, be it in our Discord server or by email. Some of our members are very keen!
If you're someone who puts creativity and self-exploration above sticking to a formula, we'd love to hear from you!
For more details on responsibilities, our educational resources or inquiries about our branches, contact Vasily: gvgavel@gmail.com