| September 23, 2008 |
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Gain Confidence Public Speaking
by Marie Anderson
A Toastmasters member must perform 10 speeches during his membership, ending with a motivational speech.
Quick Facts about Toastmasters:
- Founded: 1924
- Chapters: 17 different clubs in the Greater Madison area
- Legal status: non-profit
- Headquarters: Mission Viejo, CA
- Purpose: gain confidence with public speaking, develop stronger leadership skills, and create social and networking relationships
- Membership: anyone can join and members range from college students to retirees
The Toastmaster Tradition
If you're terrified of public speaking, you might be relieved to hear that there is a nation-wide club created for people who want to improve their public speaking skills.
"When you think of Toastmasters, think of public speaking," summarizes Matt Dodge, Vice President of Public Relations for Madison Toastmasters Club #1. Toastmasters International extends its services to many countries and local areas — Madison Club #1 is just one of 17 chapters of Toastmasters in the Greater Madison area.
Toastmasters is open to anyone who wants to join and provides members with opportunities to improve both their personal communication and leadership skills. Involvement with Toastmasters helped Stefan Kohler excel in the business community. He competed for Toastmasters International in the World Championship of Public Speaking in 2005, finishing as one of the top ten speakers in the nation. His success continued in Madison with recognition in In Business magazine's 2007 "40 Under 40," honoring his work and leadership responsibilities at Epicentre Biotechnologies, a manufacturer of molecular biology products.
Meetings
After an introduction at a Toastmasters meeting, the floor is open to speaking for the average 15-18 people who attend each meeting. The meetings, run by a different "Toastmaster" each time, include three main categories of speeches: table topics, formal speeches, and an evaluation portion. "We operate on a two-point basis: public speaking and leadership skills," Dodge explains. "There are 20 different speaking roles in each meeting, so they are really geared towards maximizing the speaking opportunities for each member and any possible guests."
Table Talk
In the "table topics" segment, members practice impromptu speaking. They are expected to prepare a 2-minute speech responding to a question posed by another member in only the time it takes them to walk from their seat to the front of the room.
Prepared speeches are next on the agenda, ranging in topic from skydiving to goal setting. Toastmasters Club provides each member with a booklet outlining 10 speeches (increasing in difficulty, culminating in a motivational speech at the end) that each member must perform during their time with the club. Some members complete the 10 speeches in four months while other members stretch their speeches out over a span of several years. Each prepared speech is assigned an evaluator — another club member — to critique the speech. This critique is also given in the form of a speech by the evaluator for additional public speaking practice.
Meetings end with a session that involves small speaking roles with a timer. Among the roles given to the members, a Jokemaster performs a joke or funny story for the group while a Quizmaster tests the listening skills of the members. At the end of each meeting, the Awardsmaster counts ballots and gives out awards for the best speeches. "All of the agenda is geared towards public speaking and learning more and just experiencing speaking in front of people," says Dodge.
Another Speaker's Perspective
Liina Keerd, Madison Club #1 President and three-year member, emphasizes that the meetings have a fun-loving atmosphere with extremely supportive members. Keerd joined Madison Club #1 to get over her fear of speaking in front of the community — a integral to her role as a Race of the Cure advocate. "Toastmasters is a great hands-on experience and a way for professionals in the community to hone in on their speaking skills. I like that the progress of the group and the members is determined by everyone's commitment and drive," says Keerd.
She adds that one of the most rewarding parts of Toastmasters is seeing people from diverse walks of life come together in support of one another as well as seeing these individuals grow and overcome their fear of public speaking.
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