At Toastmasters, members learn by speaking
to groups and working with others in a supportive environment. A typical
Toastmasters club is made up of 10 to 30 people who meet once every week
or two for about an hour. Each meeting gives everyone an opportunity to
practice:
- Conducting meetings.
Meetings usually begin with a short business session, which helps members
learn basic meeting procedures.
- Giving impromptu speeches.
Members present one- to two-minute impromptu speeches on assigned topics.
- Presenting prepared
speeches. Three or more 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.
- Offering constructive
evaluation. Every prepared speaker is assigned an evaluator who points
out speech strengths and offers suggestions for improvement.
The Tools You Use.
Upon joining a Toastmasters club, each new member receives a variety of
manuals and resources on speaking. Members also have access to other books
as well as audio and video cassettes on speaking and leading. They also
receive the award-winning The Toastmaster, a monthly magazine that
offers the latest insights on speaking and leadership techniques.
Toastmasters and Leadership.
Leadership cannot be learned in a day.
It takes practice. In Toastmasters members build leadership skills by
organizing and conducting meetings and motivating others to help them.
Club leadership roles and a leadership development program also offer
opportunities to learn and practice. Just as Toastmasters members learn
to speak simply by speaking, they learn leadership by leading.
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