Toastmaster’s Explained

“You’re a what?!?” is the usual response from people who are not too familiar with TOASTMASTERS. This section will introduce what all the fuss is about.

Toastmasters in Session

Contrary to popular belief, members of  TOASTMASTERS clubs do not make toasters but they do make toasts.  Have you ever been in a situation where an impromptu speech or a toast was required of you? Have you worked hard and prepared a perfect presentation for an important meeting at work but failed in giving a powerful presentation simply because you could not deliver your ideas effectively? Theses concerns are real and are encountered by everyone.

TOASTMASTERS started very humbly at the YMCA at Santa Ana, California way back in 1924. It was founded by Dr Ralph C. Smedley who conceived the idea of helping others to speak more effectively.

Now TOASTMASTERS is a world wide non profit organization consisting of nearly 230,000 members in 11,500 clubs in 92 countries.

TOASTMASTERS is a proven method that significantly improves communication and leadership skills. These skills are not taught by a single or team of instructors but it is a fully interactive session that places the learner into certain roles vital to a successful TOASTMASTERS session.

There are a variety of roles that members and guests can participate during the meeting including giving speeches, checking grammar, keeping track of time and offering constructive evaluation to the role players. Each club has it’s own personality and has it’s own way of conducting the meeting however overall flow of the meeting will be the same as there are certain standardized roles.

TOASTMASTERS meetings are held on a regular basis and last anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours. Most clubs gather weekly but some clubs meet bi-weekly and sometimes monthly.

For those that want to learn more about TOASTMASTERS, the best advice is to just visit a club nearby to see if the TOASTMASTERS approach to effective communication is what you are looking for.

If you want more detailed information about what TOASTMASTERS do, then please visit their official website here or learn more about our dynamic club SRTM here.