You’ve taken that first step of coming along to your first meeting… but what can you expect…”I’m going to be sat in room filled with strangers for between one to two hours, what’s it going to be like?”
Everyone that has walked through those doors for the first time has had the very same thoughts. Rest assured, from the moment you arrive, members will do their utmost to make you feel welcome and ensure everything is explained along the way.
Typical meetings commence with opening comments from either the Club President, or the Toastmaster – the host for the meeting. Once the format of the meeting has been explained, the Toastmaster may introduce other functionaries, such as a Timekeeper or Grammarian, each fulfilling important aspects of the Toastmaster experience.
From this point on, meeting structure will vary from club to club, but all will contain these three vital ingredients:
- Prepared Speeches: Members deliver speeches on topics of their choosing, trying to meet the objectives of the project as well as keep to the allotted time.
- Evaluations: Every speaker will have an assigned evaluator (another club member) who will provide both an oral and written evaluation, highlighting the positive aspects and potential areas for improvement.
- Table Topics (impromptu speaking): Members in the audience are invited without preparation, to perform a speech on a chosen topic for 1-2mins.
Finally, the meeting is drawn to a close with reports from the functionaries and a General Evaluator, who ensures that any participant that has yet to receive feedback, has points of commendation or recommendation to take away. |