Published: August 26, 2007

Old Town Talkers: Toastmasters Learn By Speaking to Groups

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By Debra Cullifer

At Toastmasters, members learn by speaking to groups and working with others in a supportive, fun environment.

A typical Toastmasters club is made up of 20 or so people who meet once a week or so for about an hour.

Each meeting gives everyone an opportunity to practice:

Conducting Meetings. Meetings usually begin or end with a short business session that helps members learn basic meeting procedures.

Giving Impromptu Speeches. Members present one-to-two minutes impromptu speeches on assigned topics.

Presenting Prepared Speeches. Two 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. Notice we didn't say 'criticism.' This is a supportive environment. Every prepared speaker is assigned an evaluator who points out speech strengths and offers suggestions for improvement.

Old Town Talkers is a relatively new Toastmasters group, operating in historic Folsom, open to anyone in the greater Folsom area. Contact Bob Cullifer, Club Mentor at 916 718 9770 for more information.

Old Town Talkers meet in the offices of Landmark Baptist Church, 609 Figueroa Street, Folsom, between Scott and Riley - enter from Scott.