What is Toastmasters? From the Toastmasters International website - What goes on during a Toastmasters meeting? Toastmasters meetings are broken up into three general areas: Prepared speaking, Table Topics, and Evaluation. Prepared speaking is where one or more Toastmaster members give a speech out of a manual. The Table Topics portion is where meeting participants are given a topic out of the blue and give a one to two minute impromptu speech on that topic. The Evaluation section of the meeting is probably the most important part. It is devoted to giving the people who gave prepared speeches feedback about their speech, as well as reports from the Ah counter, Timer, and Grammarian. This is where you learn what you do well as a speaker, and what you can work on. What is this manual? When you join Toastmasters you receive a Basic Communication and Leadership manual. It contains 10 speech guidelines. These are not topics that you need to speak on, but are guidelines to areas of speaking that the speech should concentrate on - for example, using hand gestures, or speaking with passion. Advanced manuals will build on these foundations by presenting more challenging frameworks in which to speak. In a majority of the cases, you will select the topic you wish to speak on. Ah counter? Timer? Grammarian? The Ah counter keeps track of 'verbal pauses' - ah's, , um's, you-know's - anything that acts as an audible filler for what would be a pause in your speaking. Most portions of the meeting are timed to help participants stay focused and learn good speech management. The Grammarian tracks word usage - both good and not so clear. Can I sit in on a meeting? Absolutely. We encourage people to visit and take in a meeting first hand. Although we enjoy it when visitors participate in Table Topics, you are more than welcome to just sit back and observe. How do I join? Fill out a membership application and pay the initial membership fee. There is a one time joining fee of $20, and dues are $5.50 a month every six months, prorated for the membership period (April - September and October - March). How often do I have to attend a meeting? We encourage members to attend meetings on a regular basis. Even though you may not be giving a prepared speech, there are many meeting roles to be filled. And of course, there is always Table Topics. How often do I have to give a speech? You can give your speeches at a pace that suits you. It is best if you establish a regular interval - once every four to six weeks is good. This way you can continue to build on your previous experience. What happens when I finish? You don't ever really finish with Toastmasters. After you have given your first ten speeches, you will awarded a Competent Toastmaster award - also known as a CTM. You then can go on to give more advanced speeches and earn higher awards - Advanced Toastmaster (ATM) and Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). At that point you can go back and start all over again. The goal is to improve your communication and leadership skills, and like anything else, that takes practice, practice, practice. Questions? Comments? E-mail University Toastmasters |
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| The mission of a Toastmasters club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth. |