We’re so glad you enjoyed the Prison Toastmasters clip we posted yesterday. However, we failed to notice a couple typos in the clip. This is the spell checked, perfect version of Prison Toastmasters. If you posted any comments yesterday about Prison Toastmasters, we love if you could repost them again. Thank you all so much for the great feedback!
Brian and our intern Beca edited this little promo/short from the prison footage we shot for SpeakEasy. It’s not going to be in the final film, so, I mean, we went and shot it for god’s sake, might as well do SOMETHING with it, right? So here’s a little glimpse inside the prison walls. We would like to turn this into a full blow feature about the Forgotten Voices, so if you know how to get financing for something like that…. cough cough wink wink… let’s do it.
Special thanks to the staffs and inmates at Louisiana State Penitentiary @Angola and California State Prison @Norco. And special thanks to Frances Morrison, the honorable Robert Downing, and Lt. Michael Brownell at Norco for all their help. Hope you enjoy watching and please feel free to comment on this clip. Thanks! Join our community!!! Sign up for the e-newsletter for updates!!!!
Prison Toastmasters from SpeakEasy Movie on Vimeo.
I am so proud of this! Can you imagine what will happen when a full-lenght documentary will do for people? It brings tears to my eyes and joy in my heart.
God Bless you for taking the time to give prison Toastmasters a chance to tell THEIR story!
What an awesome documentary! Can’t wait for the full length! The Prison clubs have always amazed me with thir abilities to promote Dr. Smedley’s idea of communicating and listening. My wish for you is that you will continue to do those things that promote and help develop those who need and want to improve themselves. Thanks for a terrific idea and production.
Joan Turner, DTM,PDG
What an awesome clip! Thanks for the time and effort in making this a success. I can’t wait to see the full production. The Prison Clubs have always amazed me with their acceptance of the Toastmasters Program and their abilities to embrace the ideas of communication and leadership. Continue to speak well and develop those skills that will make you a viable part of the community.
Hi Paul!
I LOVE The Trailer ! I was NOT able to get the Prison Club Clip to work.
Thanks
Sherri Raftery, M. Ed.
Emerson Grad Class of 1990
District 31 Governor
http://www.district31.org
OH – It finally worked! Nicely done.
We have about five Prison Clubs in District 31. I have visited some and plan to visit them all. Some of the best speeches I heard were by the inmates. I will always remember the story that was shared of an imate who taught himself to read the dictionary each day!
Good Luck with it and let me know if D31 can help with your Prison Club Film.
Sherri Raftery, DTM
District 31 Governor
http://www.district31.org
This a beautiful piece of work. It’s so gratifying to know that people are out there trying to make purposeful art in documentary film. You’re touching people’s lives in a positive way when you shed light on this kind of progress …
Best of luck for a full length documentary!
Great job with this video! It makes a good point. We’re all in the same boat when we first come to Toastmasters; we may start at different places, but we’re here to improve. It’s interesting how far Toastmasters can take us if we let it.
Congratulations to all prison Toastmasters. You deserve recognition. You are an inspiration to outside Toastmasters. I have learned so much from listening to inmate’s qualtiy, contest speaches and observing time after time how a well run Toastmasters meeting is conducted.
David Breaux, DTM
D68 PDG
Congratulations on a job well done. I am so proud of your work.
Fantastic! Very interesting! Good luck!
That is excellent, excellent stuff.
Hopefully this will help eradicate the stereotyping that goes along with being incarcerated. God and Toastmasters has made it possible for me to remain out of prison, and communicate effectively. Rather then react with physical force i am now able to to communicate my feelings. Thanks to folk like Judge Downing, Francis Morrison and Carolyn Nix, who never gave up on us.
Hopefully this will help eradicate the stereotyping that goes along with being incarcerated. God and Toastmasters has made it possible for me to remain out of prison, and communicate effectively. Rather then react with physical force I am now able to communicate my feelings in a more acceptable fashion. Thanks to folk like Judge Downing, Francis Morrison and Carolyn Nix, who never gave up on us. I along with many others have turned out to be not so bad.
Heartiest congratulations to the Toastmasters at the penitentiaries and to its sponsors, mentors, and supporters. I have had the privilege of visiting several Toastmasters clubs in prisons and have always left inspired. The inmate Toastmasters are proof that there is something great within all people, regardless of their circumstance and background. Keep up the great work. You are engaged in the greatest work in the world — positively transforming human lives.
Make sure that you let Toastmasters WHQ in CA know about your plans for the Speakeasy movie.
Best wishes and warmest regards,
Dilip Abayasekara
Toastmasters International President, 2005-2006
You guys should definitely do a prison toastmaster’s film! You may already have 80 of the video footage.