FORMAT OF THE MEETINGS
A Toastmasters meeting is a workshop where we learn by practising, and hone our speaking and leadership skills in a supportive environment.
* There is no instructor - instead, members evaluate one another’s presentations. This feedback process is a key part of the program’s success.
* There are roles for meeting participants to: deliver prepared speeches; practice impromptu speaking; prepare and deliver feedback; conduct meetings and perform functionary tasks that help develop an understanding of timekeeping, language observation, and parliamentary procedure.
* Members expand skills through the education programme that includes a variety of self-paced manuals, with advanced manuals covering a wide range of real-life scenarios (after-dinner speeches, television interviews, speaking humorously etc).
* There is no instructor - instead, members evaluate one another’s presentations. This feedback process is a key part of the program’s success.
* There are roles for meeting participants to: deliver prepared speeches; practice impromptu speaking; prepare and deliver feedback; conduct meetings and perform functionary tasks that help develop an understanding of timekeeping, language observation, and parliamentary procedure.
* Members expand skills through the education programme that includes a variety of self-paced manuals, with advanced manuals covering a wide range of real-life scenarios (after-dinner speeches, television interviews, speaking humorously etc).
START OF THE MEETING
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Before the meeting, you will usually find members preparing for the meeting and greeting guests. Our Sergeant-at-Arms, in particular, will be very pleased to meet you. Please feel free to approach any club member for guidance and support.
The Club President opens the meeting at 7:15pm and then hands over control to the Toastmaster. A regular meeting at West London Speakers is divided into two halves, with a ten minute break in between. |
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FIRST HALF OF THE MEETING - PREPARED SPEECHES
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The first half of the meeting is dedicated to "Introductions" and the "Prepared Speeches". During this phase, three speakers deliver speeches with varying durations ranging from 5 to 7 minutes, depending on their assigned speech project within the Pathways program. Each speech is subject to evaluation by another club member. After the delivery of the prepared speeches, structured evaluations lasting 3 minutes are given. These evaluations serve the purpose of providing constructive feedback to the speakers, highlighting their strengths and suggesting areas for improvement. This feedback not only fosters effective listening and analytical skills but also promotes leadership skills by offering support to fellow club members. In addition, audience members are encouraged to provide feedback by filling out feedback slips that are later given to the speakers. Furthermore, they have the opportunity to cast their votes for the best prepared speech and the best evaluator during the meeting. |
SECOND HALF OF THE MEETING - TABLE TOPICS
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The latter portion of the evening is dedicated to the spontaneous speaking segment commonly referred to as 'Table Topics.'
This impromptu session is overseen by the Topics Master, who prearranges volunteers prior to the meeting. During this segment, the Topics Master presents a surprise topic to each volunteer, inviting them to speak in sequence. The objective for each volunteer is to deliver a brief impromptu speech lasting between one to one and a half minutes on the assigned topic, which is chosen by the Topics Master. Engaging in impromptu speaking provides a valuable opportunity to enhance our ability to think on our feet while addressing an audience. Although it may seem intimidating, both participants and audience members typically find this segment to be highly entertaining and stimulating. Audience members are encouraged to cast their votes for the most outstanding Table Topics speaker. |
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END OF THE MEETING
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The final part of the meeting includes a "3 minute Grammarian report" giving feedback on the effective use of language delivered during the evening. This is followed by the "General Evaluation report", typically delivered by an experienced speaker from another club. The Club President " awards ribbons" to the best speakers of the evening based on the audience votes, and closes the meeting. At the end of evening, we retire to the bar for some drinks and joviality! |
