| Toastmasters is a non-profit, educational | | | | socialize after a meeting. In addition, evening clubs |
| organization dedicated to helping people develop | | | | will often arrange for special educational sessions. |
| their communication and leadership skills. If you're | | | | Not surprisingly morning and lunch clubs tend to |
| looking to join, you need to find a club - and not | | | | meet at or near business locations, whereas |
| all are created equal. Clubs are like people with | | | | evening clubs are often located in communities |
| different personalities, so it's recommended to | | | | where people live. |
| look for a match. Here is how to find a good club | | | | Three Keys of a Good Club |
| for yourself. | | | | Even more important than time and location is the |
| Time and Location | | | | club itself. The club closest to you may not be the |
| Timing and location are important. There are clubs | | | | best club to join. Look for the club that is the |
| that meet in the morning, or at lunch or in the | | | | right fit for you. |
| evening. Each has its merits. | | | | 1. Do you feel welcomed and comfortable? |
| Clubs that meet in the morning or at lunch tend | | | | Getting up and speaking in front of a group is |
| to be a bit more formal. The reason is simple: | | | | challenging enough, you don't need an |
| people have to get to work, or came from work | | | | uncomfortable environment. |
| and need to return. Members of these clubs really | | | | 2. Is there a high caliber of speaking? You should |
| learn the importance of running any meeting or | | | | be thinking to yourself, "If I could get to be half |
| presentation on time, and are often amazed at | | | | as good as these people that would be worth my |
| what can be accomplished in a short period of | | | | time and effort." In other words, what you see |
| time. | | | | either inspires you or serves as a really good role |
| A visit to Park Central Toastmasters club in | | | | model. |
| Phoenix illustrates how tightly their meeting was | | | | 3. Are the evaluations helpful? Solid evaluations are |
| run. Their meeting started at 7 a.m. and finished | | | | critical to your growth as a speaker. If the club |
| promptly at 8:30. Despite over 40 members being | | | | has met the first two criteria outlined here, then |
| present, they ran a full Table Topics session and | | | | they'll probably have this one. The evaluations |
| managed to have five members deliver speeches | | | | need to be supportive identifying what people |
| complete with evaluations. | | | | have done well. They also need to isolate one |
| Clubs that meet in the evening usually run a little | | | | area for improvement. Really good evaluators will |
| longer. These tend to be a little more relaxed and | | | | also be able to suggest what could be done |
| friendly. It's not unusual for club members to | | | | differently. |