Welcome to Thamesdown Speakers Club
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE MEETING?
Each meeting is hosted by that evening's Toastmaster who acts as the host to make sure that the meeting runs smoothly and that all the speakers, evaluators and guests know what to expect and enjoy the evening.
Table topics
We begin each meeting with Table Topics, which are impromptu speeches lasting about two minutes on a subject chosen by the Topics Master of the evening. The topics could be anything from "Who would you like to invite to dinner and what would you serve them? " to "What is the most overrated food according to you?" or "Do you still believe in Father Christmas?" to something more serious....
Table topics help us improve our ability to organise our thoughts quickly and clearly in response to the unexpected.
Evaluation
We then ask the Topics Evaluator of the evening to give his/her evaluation of all the Table Topic speeches, pointing out what they thought was good and perhaps offering some constructive suggestions on body language, vocal variety, structure or making the best use of the stage space.
Speeches
After a break of 10-15 minutes for some socialising and chatting, we go into the 2nd half of the meeting: the prepared speeches. Several members of the club will deliver speeches which they have prepared against a set of objectives. These objectives can be very different; for example, incorporating feecback received in a previous speech or practicing presenting with visual aids.
Evaluation
Prepared speeches are also evaluated by fellow club members. Each time you give a prepared speech, we aim to give positive feedback, pointing out strengths as well as suggesting improvements. |