Typical meeting

Typical Meeting

Want to know what goes on behind that closed door? It’s no secret.

Welcome to a typical Toastmaster meeting.

Mind to Heart meetings last for two hours and we use the times indicated on the agenda to let us know if we are keeping to the schedule.  Members volunteer to take turns filling the jobs that make the meeting run smoothly.  Let me introduce them and what they do.
Quotable

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall -- think of it, ALWAYS"

Mahatma Gandhi
Quotable

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

John F. Kennedy
The Greeter will greet you at the door. Welcomes you to Toastmasters. "May I have your name and a few words about you so we can introduce you properly?" Don't be surprised if other members give you a warm welcome too, we were all in your shoes at one time!

The Chairperson opens the meeting and is responsible for most of the introductions and the smooth flow of the meeting. "I now call this meeting of the Mind to Heart Toastmasters to order".
  • An opening prayer helps to get the meeting off to a good start.
  • "We would like to welcome our guests today and invite any comments from them at the end of the meeting" (never any pressure to talk, we promise).


  • As in the real world, there are usually last minute changes in the agenda due to illness, family, work, etc. so we let everyone know what these changes are.


  • The members with supporting roles such as the timer, ah counter, finesmaster, etc. will quickly tellyou about the role they play in the meeting.


  • We see lots of new faces all the time so before we get started, everyone will be asked to introduce themselves. As part of your introduction, you may be asked to provide a small amount of additional information such as your favourite TV show or something exciting that happened to you recently. This gives us all a chance to get to know one another and believe it or not, to relax.
The chairperson will invite the Table Topics Master (T.T.M.) to come to the lectern. The Toastmasters program has a tradition - every member speaks at a meeting. Members not onthe schedule are asked to speak from one to two minutes on a topic chosen by the T.T.M.  This helps us 'think on our feet'. Sometimes you are lucky and get a subject you know well. Other times you just let your mouth take over and try not to put your foot in it too badly. Sounds scary? It really is a lot of fun. Guests do not get chosen but they can volunteer if they feel up to it. At the end of this session, we ask all in attendance to vote for their favourite speaker based on whether they met the criteria of having an opening, a body and conclusion in their speech and of course whether or not they finished within the allotted time.
TM Founder

Dr. Ralph Smedley
Smedley Quotes

"Circumstances always modify rules."
"We need fewer rules on detail and better understanding of general principles."
"You can profit by the wisdom of others, and you can give them full credit.
The Toastmaster is introduced by the chairperson. The Toastmaster's duties are to run the formal speech program.
  • "Our speaker today is doing their 10th speech from the Communications and Leadership manual. In this speech our speaker will try to 'Inspire the Audience'." Please help me welcome... Every speaker gets a formal introduction.


  • Because our meeting is two hours long, we usually will take a 10 to 15 minute break somewhere around the middle of the meeting.
  • If we were just coming to Toastmasters and speaking without any feedback, we would never learn where we needed to improve. Everyone in attendance are asked to give a short, written, feedback to the speaker and in addition each speaker is assigned a personal evaluator to provide a detailed evaluation.


  • Thee individual Evaluator looks at the speech objectives in the Communications and Leadership Manual (supplied by Toastmasters) before beginning their evaluation. The evaluator always tries to use the sandwich approach - what was done well, areas for improvement, and the speaker's strengths - when giving their opinion on the speech.
Smedley Quotes

"There are no absolutes in public speaking."
"All speech is for communication, and there is no possibility of communication unless people understand. Your Club can help you to find out whether you are making yourself understood."
The evaluator may be called upon by the Toastmaster to provide an oral evaluation during the meeting if time permits. All in attendance will be asked to vote on who they thought was the best evaluator.

Not only are our speeches evaluated, so is the meeting. The General Evaluator has been watching for what we have done well and is invited up by the Chairperson to provide their comments. Toastmasters is not just about speaking. We learn how to run a meeting, how to do introductions, how to keep within time limits and to have fun while learning. The General Evaluator will call on the following key people to provide additional information:
  • The Timer records the time of all the main speakers and lets the speakers know if they are going over their allowed times The Timer also lets us know how many Table Topics we can do and is responsible for getting the meeting completed in the scheduled time.
Smedley Quotes

"When you talk, you give yourself away. You reveal your true character in a picture which is more true and realistic than anything an artist can do for you."
"People more willingly follow a leader who knows where he is going."
Ah Counter will keep track of those pesky little filler words we all use when our mind is searching for just the right word or phrase to say next. Do the words,"ah","um", "puis","er" sound familiar?

  • The Finesmaster watches for slip ups, foibles, and misdemeanours that most of us invariably do when attending a meeting and then reports them back in a non-threatening, humourous way while levying a fine of twenty-five cents to the "perps".
    • The Chairperson re-assumes control of the meeting and announces the winners of the Table Topics and Evaluator votes.
    • Are there any announcements? "Would our guests like to make any comments?" We thank our guests for visiting and remind them that they are welcome to come as a guest as often and for as long as they wish." Our members and club thrive by growing as we know our guest would too, so expect that we will offer this incredible opportunity to you. Come join us!


    • We finish up with a Closing Prayer to give thanks, to provide food for thought or just something lighten up our day.


    And that is our meeting
    Smedley Quotes

    "While most of us may have entered Toastmasters to learn to make speeches, that benefit is but the beginning of the good which may come to us, and the good which we may do for mankind."
    "The Toastmasters Club which has the right sort of program does not lose its members. The club whose membership is shrinking has something the matter with it."
    "The destination determines the direction."
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