"I'm pretty busy....I just don't have time for a lot of meetings. How much time do I have to devote to this?"

The Toastmasters club meets every Tuesday evening from 7:15 to 9:00. You're not obliged to attend every single meeting though. In fact, the meetings are held weekly so that if you do have other committments, you can attend a few meetings each month and still meet your personal objectives.

Of course, developing a speech takes some time, and so does practicing the new skills you have learned. But everyone finds a schedule that suits his or her personal needs. And once people join the Club, most find that the return on the time they invest is substantial.

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"What if I'm really nervous?"

You're not alone. Studies show that public speaking is the number one fear of North Americans....which is all the more reason to conquer it in a gentle and supportive environment! Part of the educational program of Toastmasters deals with overcoming anxiety and channeling that excess energy into a great presentation.

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How will I know I'm getting better?"

Each time you deliver a speech, an evaluator will observe your performance and let you know what you did well, as well as what areas might be improved. These evaluations are recorded in your Toastmaster's manual, so that you can look back on previous speeches to see how far you've come. During every meeting, the club rewards some of the evening's speakers with "Most Improved" certificates in two categories: formal speeches and impromptu speaking.

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"I'm not sure I want to do this....is there a "trial membership?"

We encourage everyone who is interested to attend a few meetings as a guest of the club...you will be welcomed, invited to participate (although you don't have to) and given some information on how the club operates. After attending 2-3 meetings, most people find that they have enough information to make the decision to join.

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"Who is the typical Toastmaster member?"

There is no "typical" member. Clubs are represented by people from all walks of life and a broad cross section of society. Many are professionals who want to enhance their communication and management skills, others are people who simply want to improve their ability to speak in public. Many members join because the club helps them sound more competent in impromptu speaking situations. A typical club may host members who are teachers, executives, retail professionals, sales agents, homemakers and college students.

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"Can I compete in contests if I want to?"

Twice each year, the club holds speech and evaluation contests, the winners of which move on to compete at the District level. You don't have to compete if you don't want to, but for many members, competition teaches them new skills and provides them with a new scale on which to measure their abilities.

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"What if I'm already good at communicating...do I need this?"

There are two tracks in the Toastmaster's program: Communications, and Leadership. While many people feel that they can never stop becoming a better communicator, those who are already very comfortable with their level of speaking and presenting skills often find that they can benefit from the Leadership track of the program.

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"Who should I call for more information?"

If you'd like to attend a few meetings as a guest to see how Toastmaster's can help you become a more confident, professional communicator, call 268-8600 today. You can also simply show up at one of our meetings, which are held each Tuesday at the French Catholic School Board building, 896 Riverside Drive in Timmins.

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