[May 22, 2013] Competent Communicator is a first for Yuma Gaveliers Tweet May 22, 2013 (The Sun - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Conor Davis is a Competent Communicator, and he has the ribbon to prove it. The 15-year-old member of the Yuma Youth Command Gavel Club, the official young adult offshoot for Toastmasters International, became the first local "Gavelier" to reach the milestone when he completed the 10th and final speech needed to earn the Competent Communicator title. He delivered the speech on May 9, exhorting his listeners to have a "strong mind, but a tender heart" when evaluating information and coming to conclusions about their fellow man. He made his speech timely by referencing the Boston Marathon bombings and the ricin scare, and personalized by referencing some of his fellow Gaveliers. The Competent Communicator manual includes projects for 10 different kinds of speeches for the speaker to write around a specific skill or outcome, such as body language, vocal variety and inspiration. Speeches start out short, at four to six minutes, and then require the speaker to speak for eight to 10 minutes with more complex goals. Conor can now work on his Advanced Communicator titles (in bronze, silver and gold), Competent Leader and Advanced Leader in bronze and silver. After he's ticked all of these, he can be a Distinguished Toastmaster, the highest ranking the Toastmasters bestow upon their members. He'd also like to be the youngest in the world to do so. By his calculations, if he keeps up his pace, he can be a Distinguished Toastmaster by 19 (the current record was set by a 22-year-old member in Canada). Gaveliers do most of what their adult counterparts do, although a Toastmasters member must be 18 and in a regular adult chapter -- for Conor, it would be the Yuma Sunsetters -- to become a Distinguished Toastmaster. Conor, who wants to be an economist, said not getting bored with the curriculum will be the hardest part, but he's looking forward to moving up the ranks. "I'm really excited because it's doing a great job of preparing me for the world." Hillary Davis can be reached at [email protected] or 539-6857. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSHillaryDavis or on Twitter at @YSHillaryDavis. ___ (c)2013 The Sun (Yuma, Ariz.) Visit The Sun (Yuma, Ariz.) at www.yumasun.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]