INTRODUCTION
Every evening is managed by the Toastmaster of the day, who introduces the evening explaining the format and outlining the programme of events.
EDUCATION
Some evenings we have an opportunity for one of the more experienced speakers to speak for typically 10 to 20 minutes to educate us on a subject related to public speaking. These sessions are informative, entertaining and of value to both new and experienced speakers.
TABLE TOPICS
Table topics develops impromptu speaking skills. Good impromptu speaking is particularly useful in many aspects of life such as meetings and we offer a safe environment in which to develop that skill.
The Table Topics Master will select a theme, and invite members of the club to speak on a topic for a maximum of two minutes. You have no preparation time, so this is a good way to learn to think on your feet. Although initially quite daunting, as your experience grows so it becomes easier. Visitors and new members are not expected to take part – unless they have expressed a wish to do so.
PREPARED SPEECHES
We usually have three or four prepared speeches each evening, of about 5 to 10 minutes each. These speeches are based on speaking projects in the Toastmasters development manuals and are focused on a particular aspect of speaking such as Body Language, Organising a Speech, Vocal Variety, Using props, Storytelling etc. The chosen topics for a speech can be almost anything and vary widely.
New members begin with an ‘ice breaker’, a four to six minute speech to introduce themselves to the other members.
EVALUATION
Every speech is evaluated by another member of the club for a set period of time, usually 2-3 mins. Feedback is given in the form of a short speech.
For the speaker, the purpose of an evaluation is to provide friendly feedback which will help them to improve, and at the same time give them more confidence as a public speaker by pointing out good points and areas to improve upon.
The evaluator has the additonal benefit of learning to improve their listening skills and their ability to provide constructive feedback.
We also encourage all members and guests to write a brief private evaluation of each speaker, to be delivered directly to the speaker in question.
GENERAL EVALUATION
This is an evaluation of the whole evening, giving feedback on how the evening was run, what went well and some suggestions for improving for next time.
TIMING
All aspects of the evening are timed, and a timer operates a series of ‘traffic lights’ to alert each speaker as they are approaching the limit they have been set. This enables speakers to practice being concise, and ensures the evening moves at a good pace.