A typical meeting agenda

At a typical club meeting, 10:15 AM - 12:45 PM on Saturdays, members get:

A chance to run a meeting
Develop impromptu speaking skills

Give prepared speeches

Develop listening skills and

Give feedback on the speeches

We maintain a cordial environment that encourages members to develop communication and leadership skills.

Below is an outline of a typical meeting:

Introduction of guests: Club president asks the secretary to introduce the guests.

Introduction of Toastmaster: The President introduces the Toastmaster who acts as a master of ceremonies during the educational program.

Prepared Speeches: During each meeting four members are scheduled to speak. The Toastmaster of the meeting introduces each speaker. When the member joins the club, he or she receives a Communication and Leadership manual. This manual contains the first ten speech projects. Speakers can choose a subject of their own. However speeches should meet the objectives of the project, and normally last between 5-7 minutes.

Impromptu Speaking: Table Topics help members to develop impromptu speaking skills. The Toastmaster introduces Table Topics Master who is responsible for preparing several impromptu topics. The Table Topics Master calls on members to speak for one minute on the given topic. These topics might include current events, philosophical issues, hypothetical questions, etc. Since no one knows the topic beforehand, members get an excellent opportunity to develop impromptu speaking skills.

A short break is normally given.

Introduction of the Master Evaluator: The Toastmaster introduces the Master Evaluator who is responsible for coordinating the evaluation responsibilities. The Master Evaluator will introduce the evaluation team at this time. Each speech will be evaluated by an evaluator.

Evaluations: An evaluator is assigned to evaluate each speaker. The 2 minute evaluation is not to merely point out the areas that need improvement, but to also acknowledge the speaking strengths of the speaker and provide suggestions for future improvement. An award is given for the best evaluation.

Reports: We have an "AH" tabulator, timer, and grammarian that keep track of important aspect of the entire meeting and they are called on to give their report.

Presentation of Awards: The Toastmaster presents an award to the best table topics speaker and for the best prepared speech.

Announcements and Adjournment: After any announcements the meeting is adjourned.

At Art of Speaking club , you learn at your own pace. We will never force you to speak until you feel you are ready. We want you to feel comfortable at the podium. We want you to achieve your goals . And, we do this in a warm, supportive atmosphere that builds your confidence while offering you constructive feedback on how to improve your skills.

Click here to read more about Toastmasters meeting roles.

Click here for a sample downloadable meeting agenda.