What is Toastmasters?
Toastmasters is a worldwide community organization that specializes in communication and leadership development. The organization has more than 350,000 memberships who are spread over more than 16,000 clubs in 141 countries.
What happens at a Toastmasters club?
Generally speaking, clubs meet two or three times a month, and have a membership of between twenty and thirty people. Members prepare speeches before the meeting to present, and these speeches are evaluated by other members by using a method known as PIP. This stands for Praise-Improvement-Praise. Our goal is to help build you confidence and self esteem so you can be the best version of you possible!
We also have impromptu speaking sessions where you learn to speak on your feet, as well as other roles such as the Toastmaster (MC), Timer, Grammarian etc that help make the meeting run.
Do I have to keep to some kind of schedule?
Toastmasters is self-paced learning. You follow a program, but you do this at your own pace. We never push or force you to do anything that you don’t feel you’re ready to do.
What about Leadership opportunities?
Each club has an executive that includes a president, VPE (Vice-President of Eduation), VPM (Vice-President of Membership), VPPR (Vice-President of Public Relations), Treasurer, Secretary and SAA (Sergeant-at-arms). These people are all leaders within the club and help make the club run from meeting to meeting.
What are the opportunities for me?
The possibilities are endless. Your goal might be to simply gain confidence by speaking before an audience of club members. Alternatively, there are contests where you can compete and speak before larger audiences. You could choose to become a leader and help guide others. Some people stay in Toastmasters for six months. Others have been members for decades.
How do I join?
There’s a club near you, and there’s no obligation to join! Go HERE to find a club.