Meeting Information for Victoria Quay Guests and Visitors

Meetings

At Toastmasters, members learn by speaking to groups and working with others in a supportive environment. Each meeting gives everyone an opportunity to practice. The primary aim of meetings is to help people improve their confidence, communication and public-speaking skills in a friendly and supportive environment.

The Toastmaster

Each meeting is chaired or led by the Toastmaster. This gives members practice in handling formal situations

Practising public speaking

There are three different kinds of opportunities.

Impromptu speeches

Called Table Topics, members present impromptu speeches for 60-90 secs. The Table Topic Master for the meeting prepares the topics. Guests are invited to take part for the experience, but can decline without any pressure.

Prepared speeches

Two or three members present speeches based on projects from the Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership Program manuals. Projects cover such topics as speech organization, voice, language, gestures, and persuasion. Most are 5-7″ long.

Brief interludes

We have some small prepared speeches – an Inspiration of 2″ and a Tonic of 1″.

Evaluation

Feedback on the speaker’s progress.

Evaluation is a very important part of a speaker’s rapid development of confidence and skill. Every prepared speaker is assigned an evaluator who points out speech strengths and offers suggestions for improvement. Evaluations in our Club and other Western Australian Clubs are based on the CRC model, of Commendations and Recommendations and a final Commendation. The Commendations identify strengths the speaker already has, which can be built on and enhanced. The Recommendations are designed to identify areas for improvement, with practical suggestions on how to achieve a better result. There are no criticisms or negative comments in our Evaluations.

There are evaluators assigned for the Table Topics and the prepared speeches. The General Evaluator gives feedback to the Toastmaster, to the Evaluators and to other members with roles in the meeting. Unlike most Clubs, we have a separate General Evaluator to evaluate the Evaluators, and a Meeting Evaluator who evaluates everything else.

Highlights / Phrase of the Night

One member notes down interesting or vivid expressions used by speakers. This report functions as a review of the meeting.

Timing

Speaking to fit the time available is an important skill. All parts of the meeting are assigned a time, which is measured by the Timer. There is a Timing Report towards the end of the meeting.

Resources

New members receive a set of Manuals to use. The main manual is the Communication and Leadership Manual, a set of 10 graded speech projects. The others give practical advice on how to use your voice, how to project yourself effectively through your body and the principles of evaluation. Every month members receive The Toastmaster, a monthly magazine that offers the latest insights on speaking and leadership techniques. As well, there are available books, audio cassettes and videos on a full range of relevant issues.

Guests and visitors

Guests and visitors are most welcome. Come along and sample our meetings. You will be invited to participate in Table Topics, but you can decline without any pressure. We meet at the Fremantle Bowling Club in Ellen Street, Fremantle from 6 to 7.30 pm with tea, coffee and biscuits afterwards. This gives you an opportunity to talk informally with the members and to get further information. You will find us very friendly and helpful.

Membership Fees

When you join you pay a one off Application Fee of $140. This covers the cost of the Manuals, a six month subscription to the monthly magazine The Toastmaster, weekly meeting fees and administration costs. Every six months after this you pay $100 which covers all expenses.

Joining Victoria Quay Toastmasters

Joining Victoria Quay Toastmasters is simple. You fill in an Application Form which only requires contact details. You pay the Joining Fee – currently $140. You will be given the Communication and Leadership Manual immediately, and the other Manuals will follow in a few weeks time. You can choose a member to act as your Mentor and give you help in the early stages. As soon as you wish, you will be assigned your first speaking project – the Icebreaker Speech, in which you briefly introduce yourself to the other members.

Sample Meeting Agenda