ACS Toastmasters
Club 9458, Area 21, Metropolitan Division, District 69
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Meeting Location (If not sure of location please contact Jennifer "[email protected]" or Wilma "[email protected]".) Location: Presbyterian Church Ground Level Meeting Room (Entry is to the left of the Church front entrance.) 141 Ann Street, Brisbane CBD (Next to King George Square) What happens at a Typical TM Meeting?The following explains what takes place at our normal meetings. If you wish to find out more about our organisation, just ask any of the executive members or the Club President. Guests or visitors are not obligated to participate and may choose to “pass”. They may attend as many meetings as they like and become a member at any time. Our objective, as Toastmasters, is “Better Listening, Better Thinking, Better Speaking” – something most people find difficult to do well, particularly in front of a group of people. The cause is often a lack of self confidence resulting from a lack of experience in such situations. Toastmasters International was formed to give practice and training in the art of Public Speaking. Because this is done within the context of a proper meeting, you gain valuable experience in participating in and presiding over meetings. How do we set about achieving these goals? Observe today’s meeting and you will see that our approach is very much one of “learning by doing”. Each week, every member carries out a different role, whether it be Toastmaster, Topicmaster, Speaker, Timer, Evaluator, Chairman, or just being part of the meeting. This way, everyone obtains a broad range of skills through both experience and observation. The meeting takes one hour and usually follows a format which includes some of the following: INTRODUCTIONAt 12.30 pm the Sergeant-at-Arms calls the meeting to order and hands control to the President. The President welcomes members, visitors and guests, sets the tone for the evening and calls for the introduction of visitors and guests. The President then hands control of the meeting to the Toastmaster.
EDUCATIONAL SESSION The Toastmaster conducts the whole of this session, introducing speakers and members to conduct their segments in the meeting and guides the meeting along its course. The Toastmaster is responsible for the tone and timing of the meeting. Wordmaster To help stretch and increase our vocabulary, the word master presents a word that he/she has researched the meaning, derivation and usage of. It is desirable that all speakers endeavour to use the word sometime during the program. Quotemaster The Quotemaster selects a quotation or two that compliment each other and researches its origin to present to the club in an interesting manner. Topicmaster The topic session is where we obtain and practise the skills of impromptu speaking. The Toastmaster calls on the Topicmaster to deliver the topics which may be on any theme or subject. Don’t worry, guests are not asked to speak unless they have indicated their wish to participate. The Topics Evaluator listens critically and later gives an evaluation of the session, including constructive criticism where necessary. Educational Segments Educational segments, on subjects of interest to members, are introduced throughout the year. Subjects presented may include speech preparation, meeting procedure, evaluation, humour, word usage, etc. Main Speeches At each meeting a member is programmed to deliver prepared speeches. These are usually prepared from the Communication and Leadership Manual (C&L Manual). The C&L Manual is the Toastmasters “text book” and enables members to progress through a series of speeches, each with a specific goal. It commences with the “Icebreaker” – the first speech given by a new member – and continues with speeches designed to develop speaking skills such as gesture, eye contact, body language, effective use of language as well as a variety of other skills. Each speaker has an Evaluator, an experienced member, who gives both an oral and written evaluation of the speech – highlighting points of commendation and areas for improvement. It is through evaluation that we learn to listen critically and objectively to other speakers. A member giving an evaluation also benefits by having to deliver the evaluation to the meeting, gaining further practice in oral presentation.
BUSINESS SESSION WHEN REQUIRED The Toastmaster hands control of the meeting to the member chairing the session. The Club uses “Renton” (N E Renton-Guide for Meetings and Organisations) as its guide to the conduct of meetings. The aim of the business session is to keep all members informed of Club business and to train and give experience to members in the proper conduct of business meetings.
GENERAL EVALUATION The General Evaluator, a more experienced member of the Club, gives an overall evaluation of the conduct of the whole meeting and raises matters not previously covered.
OTHER SEGMENTS Gruntmaster/Grammarian/Listening Critic becomes a fun session. During the meeting a record is kept of all the “ums” and “ers” etc and a report given to the meeting (to inform individuals). A record is also kept of errors in usage and expression and credit given for the use of the word of the day and good vocabulary. This encourages members to improve their word usage. We are all encouraged to listen to speakers throughout the meeting. Discovering how well we listen is also the job of the Gruntmaster/ Grammarian/Listening Critic. To “encourage” better listening they prepare a number of questions pertaining to the meeting to be answered by members. Round Robin involves all members in a short speaking segment. The theme at the start of the segment may continue through all members, however, it may change or take some interesting twists Humourmaster/Joke Master gives a humorous break between speeches or evaluations and can include humorous stories, anecdotes, poems, quotes or a “short tale”. Literature Master selects a passage from a book and presents the reading to the club in an interesting manner Review an article, a book, a movie or a piece of music rather like an evaluation Soap Box gives an opportunity for someone to speak on a subject for 2-3mins on a topic which they feel strongly and to convince the audience to take some action or to agree with the speaker’s view Program for next meeting The Vice President Education outlines the program for the next meeting. Comments Visitors and guests are asked if they would like to comment on the meeting’s proceedings and may choose to respond or pass. CLOSURE OF THE MEETING The President closes the meeting. Helpful Hints
Your membership fee gives you access to a range of resources and opportunities for speaking in a safe environment. The resources include the monthly international magazine “The Toastmaster”, the series of challenging Toastmasters Communication and Leadership Manuals, the District Newsletter and access to training sessions and conferences. Members move through the various programs and segments at their own pace and choices. Together we succeed Back to Top |
ACS Toastmasters meets 1st and 3rd Wednesdays each month
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